Owning a property in Spain is a dream for many expats – until the word “okupas” (squatters) enters the conversation. Stories of illegal occupation can be worrying, especially if you live abroad or only use your Spanish home for holidays. Squatter protection insurance is designed to give you peace of mind, combining legal support with financial protection if your property is occupied illegally.
If your property in Spain is illegally occupied, you usually cannot just “change the locks” or shut off the utilities and move people out yourself.
You need to follow a legal process, and that can mean lawyers, court procedures and months of stress – often while you are in another country
For many expat owners this creates three main problems:
Legal complexity in a foreign language. You have to deal with Spanish procedures, deadlines and court filings.
Financial impact. Legal defence, alternative accommodation and repairs after eviction can quickly add up.
Distance and time. If you are in the UK, Ireland, the US or elsewhere, organising everything remotely is very stressful.
Squatter protection insurance is designed to address exactly these issues, with a specialist legal team and defined economic limits so you know in advance what is covered.
onLygal offers a dedicated “Illegal Occupation Insurance” product with three levels of protection: Basic, Premium and Total Protection.
All three plans focus on defending your rights as the property owner and recovering your home as quickly and safely as possible.
Every plan – Basic (€25/year), Premium (€41/year) and Total Protection (€52.50/year) – includes the same core legal protections:
Urgent legal advice, so you can speak to a lawyer quickly if you suspect illegal occupation.
Legal defence in both criminal and civil proceedings, guiding you through the full eviction process.
Lawyer and court representative fees, up to €15,000 per claim, to cover professional costs in Spain.
These core covers are especially useful for expats who are not physically in Spain; your legal team can act on your behalf and keep you informed in English.
Premium and Total Protection plans add coverages that address the financial consequences of having squatters in your property:
Alternative accommodation costs (up to €800 per month for 12 months) if you cannot use your home because it is illegally occupied.
Unpaid utility bills (up to €100 per month for 12 months) if squatters use electricity, water or gas in your name.
Vandalism damage cover (up to €5,000, with extended protection in the Total Protection plan) for repairs after eviction.
The Total Protection plan goes one step further with practical help after the eviction process:
Post‑eviction cleaning costs, to restore the property after the occupants leave.
Lock replacement after eviction, so you can secure the property immediately.
Real estate advisory service, supporting you with decisions about renting, selling or protecting the property going forward.
Like any insurance product, squatter protection cover has conditions and limits. The onLygal policy includes the following key points:
15‑day waiting period. Cover starts 15 days after the policy is taken out, so it cannot be used for an occupation that already exists at the moment of purchase.
Not valid for active rental contracts. The protection is for illegal occupation, not for standard landlord‑tenant disputes where there is a legal rental contract in place.
Maximum insured amount per claim. The overall limit is €15,000 per claim for legal fees and associated coverages.
This type of policy is generally ideal for:
Second homes and holiday properties.
Properties that are empty for long periods (for example, when you are back in your home country).
Investment properties that are not currently rented out under a valid contract.
If you are an expat with a property in Spain, ask yourself a few simple questions:
Do you leave your home empty for weeks or months at a time?
Would you struggle to manage an eviction process in Spanish from another country?
Could unexpected legal costs and property damage be a serious financial burden?
If the answer to any of these is “yes”, squatter protection insurance can be a sensible, low‑cost way to protect your investment and reduce stress. Products like onLygal’s Illegal Occupation Insurance start from around €25 per year for basic legal defence, with more complete packages still under €60 per year.
As a brokerage specialising in English‑speaking clients on the Costa del Sol and across Spain, we work with legal protection and squatter insurance solutions designed for expats.
We can help you choose the right level of cover, explain the policy in clear English, and support you if you ever need to make a claim.If you would like to review squatter protection options for your Spanish property, or combine this cover with your existing home insurance, you can contact us and we will prepare a personalised proposal based on your property type and usage.