Artist Visa + Health care

[surfbird]

Originally Posted by halydia

It's pretty sketchy to do without papers, and it wouldn't be the first time I've heard of someone booted at passport control when the computers show 90-in, 90-out travel patterns. Either way, good luck!

Halydia, if you don't mind my asking how long have you lived in Spain from the US? What did you do to make it work (ie did a company sponsor your work visa)?

[Crawford]

Originally Posted by surfbird

Hola,

My husband and I U.S. citizens heading to Sevilla in November and would like to stay for 6 months. Does anyone have any information or advice about getting an Artist's Visa? I'm having a hard time finding application guidelines for something like this. Would my husband be allowed to stay with me based on my visa or does he need to get his own?

We are willing to work and would REALLY like to if possible, though I'm not hopeful since the unemployment rate in Spain is so high. I've heard of a Working Holiday visa, would that be better than an Artist Visa?

I'm also wondering about health care for Americans in Spain. I have a medical condition where I have to get regular blood tests...is it easy to do this? Do I just walk into a hospital and tell them my situation? Where can I find the costs for medical care?

Thanks in advance for any answers you can share! We are so excited about this adventure

If you are going to Europe for 6 months then you need to have travel insurance or a health insurance policy to cover you for emergency/medical cover for this period.

Your US health insurance MAY cover you for emergency treatment but will not cover you for any lengthy hospital stays or repatriation to the US.

You have to take into consideration that you might have an accident/become ill which entails a hospital stay/medication. While a European hospital will provide emergency treatment probably free of charge any hospital or long term treatment it will charge for.

Originally Posted by surfbird

Halydia, if you don't mind my asking how long have you lived in Spain from the US? What did you do to make it work (ie did a company sponsor your work visa)?

I've been here for three years now. For the first two, I worked for a program through the central government. This year I was working for the government of the local autonomous region. Next year I'll be working once again for the central government, this time for a pilot program they're implementing next school year.