Changes to Residency requirements for EU citizens in Spain April 2012 Discussion

[mrypg9]

Originally Posted by Solwriter

It is partly the heat

...)

The British Embassy is still unsure as to whether showing your S1 will suffice for this.... And if not, that means you will have to show evidence of private health insurance... at least for a while.

:

I was advised by the DWP to take out private health insurance to cover the period from my applying for health care in Spain and getting my Seg. Soc. number and tarjeta.

Once you have Residency status and Spain is your abode you forfeit your right to use the EHIC for anything other than emergencies...and now I come to think about it, maybe not even for that ....

[xabiachica]

Originally Posted by mrypg9

Moving to another country to live is a serious step not to be undertaken without much thought, research and several fact-finding trips.

Learning the 'rules' is the most important part of that learning, I would have thought.

Although sometimes when I read posts from wannabe immigrants saying they want to live in Spain because of the awfulness of the UK or the weather I do wonder how seriously people have thought about their relocation, especially when children are involved.

I remember reading a 'reader's letter, in The Sun, I think it was, from a woman who said she was thinking of moving to Spain because of 'all the foreigners' where she lived.

I did not make that up....

I know you're not making it up - I unfortunately know/have known way too many people like that here


I have to admit that for all our planning & recces before we moved here getting on for 9 years ago, there were lots of things we hadn't considered - including wrongly believing that we would be entitled to healthcare here & knowing nothing about 'residencia' requirements , although we knew we didn't need any special visas or anything like that

our research was more about what area we were coming to & International schools, because at the time it was a 'suck it & see' move

[baldilocks]

Originally Posted by mrypg9

Moving to another country to live is a serious step not to be undertaken without much thought, research and several fact-finding trips.

Learning the 'rules' is the most important part of that learning, I would have thought.

Although sometimes when I read posts from wannabe immigrants saying they want to live in Spain because of the awfulness of the UK or the weather I do wonder how seriously people have thought about their relocation, especially when children are involved.

Which is my oft repeated argument - it is NOT locattion, location, location but research, research, research (which of course includes location)

Originally Posted by mrypg9

I remember reading a 'reader's letter, in The Sun, I think it was, from a woman who said she was thinking of moving to Spain because of 'all the foreigners' where she lived.

I did not make that up....

There was also the other one where the said person said he/she wasn't going to take any more holidays abroad because the place was always so full of foreigners.

[Solwriter]

Originally Posted by mrypg9

I was advised by the DWP to take out private health insurance to cover the period from my applying for health care in Spain and getting my Seg. Soc. number and tarjeta.

When we moved here, we thought about doing that too, but, owing to my husbands previous health problems we were unable to find decent, affordable health insurance anywhere!
We had to rely upon bog standard travel insurance.
It was a worrying time ...

Like xabiachica, we had done our research, but in those days in our area anyway, residencia came first, before you could claim state health care, even with S1s (or whatever they called them back then...E something... cant remember!). So, without residencia we were stuck.

Originally Posted by mrypg9

Once you have Residency status and Spain is your abode you forfeit your right to use the EHIC for anything other than emergencies...and now I come to think about it, maybe not even for that ....

You see, that's another subject of confusion.
If, as in my husbands case, your pension is paid by the UK, then your state healthcare in Spain is paid by the UK and your EHIC should come from there too... but the EHIC implies you are a resident of the UK with a UK address!
So... how would he get emergency healthcare in the UK!

I find that totally confusing (must be the heat )

[mrypg9]

Originally Posted by xabiachica

I know you're not making it up - I unfortunately know/have known way too many people like that here


I have to admit that for all our planning & recces before we moved here getting on for 9 years ago, there were lots of things we hadn't considered - including wrongly believing that we would be entitled to healthcare here & knowing nothing about 'residencia' requirements , although we knew we didn't need any special visas or anything like that

our research was more about what area we were coming to & International schools, because at the time it was a 'suck it & see' move

When we made our first move, from the UK to Prague, I flew out to ask my Czech friend to help me find a place to live. A place to live found, I thought that was it, as I had been visiting Czechoslovakia/Czech Republic for decades. I blush today when I think back on how wrong I was....
In was totally unprepared for the rules, regulations, odd little customs that make up everyday life and which as a visitor, no matter how frequent your visits, you just don't have to deal with.

So when we came from Prague to Spain we did a lot of homework. Being able to stay in a family property until we got ourselves sorted helped.

But what made the rules needed to settle in Spain so easy and straightforward was the sheer niceness and helpfulness of Spanish people.
It seems to me that Spanish people don't like to see other people unhappy, whereas Czechs, being miserable sods, like to see you miserable too.

Now there's a generalisation....But it is our experience.

[Alcalaina]

Originally Posted by Solwriter

When we moved here, we thought about doing that too, but, owing to my husbands previous health problems we were unable to find decent, affordable health insurance anywhere!
We had to rely upon bog standard travel insurance.
It was a worrying time ...

Like xabiachica, we had done our research, but in those days in our area anyway, residencia came first, before you could claim state health care, even with S1s (or whatever they called them back then...E something... cant remember!). So, without residencia we were stuck.


You see, that's another subject of confusion.
If, as in my husbands case, your pension is paid by the UK, then your state healthcare in Spain is paid by the UK and your EHIC should come from there too... but the EHIC implies you are a resident of the UK with a UK address!
So... how would he get emergency healthcare in the UK!

I find that totally confusing (must be the heat )

We came in 2008 armed with E106 forms, the predecessor to S1s for people who had paid-up NI contributions in the UK. We got our NIEs before we moved, and had our SS numbers and health cover within a month, though we were advised by DWP to use EHICs for the first six months. l could be wrong, but I think you had to be here six months before you needed a residency certificate.

These constant changes don't help when you're trying to give advice on forums, do they!

[jimenato]

Originally Posted by mrypg9

Maybe it's the heat, maybe I'm just dim....(sorry, intellectually challenged) but what is so difficult about complying with whatever reasonable rules and regulations are enforced ?

Because it's is difficult to a) know what the rules are and b) be sure that you have complied with all of them. Are you absolutely sure you have?

Originally Posted by mrypg9

Why should a person from any country think it's OK to come to Spain and live 'under the radar'?

That is a different question and very valid.

Originally Posted by mrypg9

I have never viewed by resident status in Spain as a 'right' but rather as a privilege.

All of us posting here have done our best to comply with the rules. You have, I have...
So why can't others

See highlighted bit.

A question; do the new residency requirements apply to new applications or are they retrospective? I ask because the residency certificate forms are open ended/undated.

[xabiachica]

Originally Posted by jimenato

A question; do the new residency requirements apply to new applications or are they retrospective? I ask because the residency certificate forms are open ended/undated.

I don't think anyone yet knows

I can't find mine, & had intended to go get another one - but what happens if 'they' decide I don't have a high enough income??

I should be fine - autónoma & so on- but what if???

[Alcalaina]

They can't possibly make it retrospective. An estimated six million EU immigrants live in Spain. Think of the manpower this would need, at a time when they are laying off funcionarios all over the place.

[Muddy]

Originally Posted by xabiachica

I don't think anyone yet knows

I can't find mine, & had intended to go get another one - but what happens if 'they' decide I don't have a high enough income??

I should be fine - autónoma & so on- but what if???

This is worrying me now.
I was planning on moving over lock stock and 2 smoking barrels etc... Buying a place outright with no mortgage, be lazy-ish for a 1st year and study Spanish either by going to classes or maybe a tutor for a short period as I'm finding it harder than I hoped
I've budgeted for 3 years and if I was tight with my money (I'm good at that lol) I could maybe stretch it to 4 years. That's worse case scenario and a backup as I aim to start a business in year 2 or a small chance of buying a running business or co-invest with someone. I also intend to pay for health insurance from the off...
So in this situation where would I now stand !
Own home, money in the bank, health insurance, no income to start with = Still no residency?

Would that then mean I would end up paying more on taxes due to my status (non resident)? and if that was the case I would be (holding back a few 4 letter words) unhappy!