Obligatory Pet Insurance Set To Take Effect

August 16, 2023 Madrid Metropolitan living in spain, pets spain

The latest animal welfare law is set to come into force in Spain from next month and will mean that dog owners will need to take out liability insurance.

The new law,published in the official State Gazette (BOE), and set to come into force from 29th September states: “In the case of dog ownership and throughout the life of the animal, the owner must take out and maintain civil liability insurance for damage to third parties, which includes in its coverage the persons responsible for the animal, for an amount sufficient to cover any expenses arising, to be established by regulation”.

The law includes an important condition regarding civil liability insurance for dogs, which until now was only compulsory for breeds considered potentially dangerous.

The law also states that those who opt to be dog owners “must accredit the completion of a training course for dog ownership, which will be valid indefinitely. This training course will be free of charge and its content will be determined by regulation”.

Many insurance companuues already have pet coverage, some of them only with civil liability and others with more coverage that can be added, such as veterinary coverage or telephone assistance services.

In some cases, companies limit the age of pets which can be covered – for example, from three months to nine years – and provide insurance options for other types of exotic animals, such as birds or reptiles.

Pet liability insurance starts at 50 Euros but with wide variations depending the breed of the animal.