Are the Canary Islands in Europe for Travel Insurance?

7 Nov 2026 5 min read 11 views

You are booking a week in Lanzarote, the travel insurance website asks you to choose between "Europe" and "Worldwide", and you hesitate. The Canary Islands sit off the coast of Africa, closer to Morocco than to Madrid. So do they count as Europe? For travel insurance, the short answer is yes — but it is worth knowing why, and what to check before you buy.

The short answer: yes, the Canary Islands count as Europe

The Canary Islands are part of Spain. They are one of Spain's seventeen autonomous communities and they are fully part of the European Union, with the special status of an EU "outermost region". They also sit inside the Schengen area. Geography puts them next to Africa; politically and legally they are Spain and the EU.

That is why most travel insurers treat the Canary Islands as Europe, and a standard European policy will normally cover a trip to Lanzarote, Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura or any of the smaller islands. You should not need a worldwide policy, and you should not be charged a long-haul premium for a Canaries holiday.

The word "normally" matters. Every policy defines its own geographic areas in the wording, and a few insurers list the Canary Islands separately or place them in a different band. Before you buy, open the policy's definition of "Europe" and check that the Canaries — or Spain, including its islands — are in it. If a quote only offers you worldwide cover for a Canaries trip, query it or compare elsewhere.

Why the question comes up: the VAT and customs quirk

The confusion is understandable. For tax purposes the Canary Islands sit outside the EU VAT area. Instead of Spanish IVA they have their own lower indirect tax, IGIC, and goods moving between the islands and the rest of the EU are treated differently from goods moving between, say, Madrid and Paris. That is why you see duty-free allowances on the way home and why online shops sometimes refuse to deliver to a Canaries address.

None of this changes your insurance position. VAT and customs rules affect shopping, parcels and what you can bring back in your suitcase; they do not move the islands out of Europe for travel cover or healthcare.

Island by island

Is Lanzarote in Europe for travel insurance?

Yes. Lanzarote is part of the province of Las Palmas in the Canary Islands, so it is Spain and the EU, and most European travel policies cover it. Lanzarote is also classed as Europe for EHIC and GHIC purposes. Its main public hospital is Hospital Doctor José Molina Orosa in Arrecife; complex cases can be transferred to Gran Canaria or Tenerife, so check your policy covers medical transfer. See insurance in Lanzarote for residents' cover on the island.

Is Tenerife in Europe for travel insurance?

Yes. Tenerife is the largest of the Canary Islands and part of the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. It is Spain and the EU, so a European policy normally applies. If you plan to walk on Mount Teide or in the Anaga mountains, check whether hiking at altitude is covered as standard or needs an activity extension. Residents can find more on insurance in Tenerife.

Is Gran Canaria classed as Europe?

Yes. Gran Canaria is Spanish territory in the EU, and travel insurers generally include it in their European area. Las Palmas de Gran Canaria has the island's main public and private hospitals. Living there rather than visiting? See insurance in Gran Canaria.

Is Fuerteventura covered by European travel insurance?

Yes. Fuerteventura is part of the Canary Islands and therefore Spain and the EU. It is famous for windsurfing and kitesurfing, which many policies treat as activities needing an extension, and serious medical cases are often transferred to Gran Canaria, so make sure transfer and repatriation are covered. Residents can read more on insurance in Fuerteventura.

EHIC and GHIC in the Canary Islands

Because the Canary Islands are part of Spain, a UK GHIC or a European Health Insurance Card works there exactly as it does on the mainland. It gives access to medically necessary state healthcare through the Canary Islands' public health service, on the same terms as a local resident.

It is not travel insurance, and on the islands the gaps can be expensive:

It only works in the public system. Many clinics in the tourist resorts are private, and a card will not pay for treatment there.
It does not pay for repatriation or a medical flight home, which is often the biggest cost in a serious case.
It does not cover an inter-island transfer arranged privately, cancellation, missed flights or lost baggage.

Carry the card, but treat it as something that reduces a public hospital bill, not as a replacement for a travel policy.

What to check in your policy before a Canaries trip

The geographic definition. Confirm the Canary Islands, or Spain including its islands, are inside the area you are buying.
Medical transfer and repatriation. The smaller islands send complex cases to Tenerife or Gran Canaria, and occasionally to the mainland.
Activities. Surfing, diving, kitesurfing, volcano hikes and cycling are common exclusions unless they are named on the policy.
Pre-existing conditions. Declare everything at screening; an undeclared condition is the most common reason a medical claim is refused.
Single trip or annual. If you go more than twice a year, an annual multi-trip policy is usually cheaper.

Living in the Canary Islands? Your trips home need different cover

If you are resident in Tenerife, Lanzarote or any other island, the position reverses. You are now a Spanish resident, and many UK travel policies only cover people who live in the UK. A trip back to the UK is an international trip for you, and an insurer may refuse a claim if you bought a UK-resident policy while living in Spain.

Residents need travel insurance written for people living in Spain, which covers trips abroad from the islands — including visits home to the UK. Annual multi-trip policies for a Spanish-resident adult typically cost €80–€200 a year for European cover, or €150–€350 for worldwide cover including the USA. If you also travel within Spain, to the mainland or between islands, check whether domestic trips are included. Our travel insurance for expats in Spain page explains the options, and we can arrange it alongside private health insurance for day-to-day care on the islands.

For a closer look at living on the islands, see our guides to health insurance in the Canary Islands and insurance in Lanzarote and Fuerteventura.

Key Takeaways

✓ The Canary Islands are part of Spain and fully inside the European Union, so most travel insurers treat them as Europe.
✓ A standard European travel policy normally covers Lanzarote, Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura, so you should not need worldwide cover.
✓ Every policy defines its own geographic areas, so check that the Canary Islands are inside the policy's definition of Europe before you buy.
✓ The islands sit outside the EU VAT area, which affects shopping and duty-free allowances, not travel insurance or healthcare.
✓ A GHIC or EHIC works in the Canary Islands' public health system as in the rest of Spain, but it does not cover private clinics or repatriation.
✓ People living in the Canary Islands need travel insurance written for Spanish residents, including for trips home to the UK.

Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers on insurance in spain

Yes, for almost all policies. The Canary Islands are part of Spain and fully inside the European Union, so most travel insurers include them in their European area even though the islands lie off the coast of Africa. Policies define their own geographic areas, so check the wording before you buy, and query any quote that only offers worldwide cover for a Canaries trip.

Yes. Lanzarote is one of the Canary Islands, which are Spain and part of the EU, so a standard European travel policy normally covers it. Check that medical transfer and repatriation are included, because complex cases on Lanzarote can be transferred to Gran Canaria or Tenerife.

Geographically Lanzarote lies off the north-west coast of Africa, but politically and legally it is Spain and the European Union. For travel insurance, EHIC and GHIC purposes it is treated as Europe. The only area where it is treated differently is tax: the Canary Islands sit outside the EU VAT area and use their own tax, IGIC.

Yes. Tenerife is Spanish territory inside the EU, so a European travel policy normally applies. If you plan to hike on Mount Teide or take part in watersports, check whether those activities are covered as standard or need an extension.

Yes. Both islands are part of the Canary Islands and therefore Spain and the EU, so they are normally inside a policy's European area. On Fuerteventura, check cover for windsurfing and kitesurfing, and for transfer to Gran Canaria if you need specialist treatment.

Yes. Because the Canary Islands are part of Spain, a UK GHIC or a European Health Insurance Card gives access to medically necessary state healthcare there, on the same terms as a local resident. It does not cover private clinics, which are common in the resorts, or repatriation, cancellation and lost baggage, so it should sit alongside travel insurance rather than replace it.

Usually not. Many UK travel policies only cover people who live in the UK, and a claim can be refused if you bought one while living in Spain. Residents of the Canary Islands need travel insurance written for people resident in Spain, which treats a visit to the UK as a trip abroad.