llorgerona

hi,
i am looking to move to catalonia in september. i will be 66 and in receipt of old age pension and small company pension.i will also have savings.
i will be renting a property. what documents are usually needed by estate agents before they will let me rent?
i intend to open account, with santander, on my next visit in 2 weeks.
i know i need to get a NIE to get medical cover, what documents do i need to take -to police station i believe.
to register with local doctor i think i need the NIE, but do i need anything else?
do i get free health care because of my age, or do i have to pay to visit the doctor.
i take regular blood pressure tablets and diabetic tablets, does anyone have any idea of costs of these in spain.
finally, for the moment, once i move would i have to pay tax in spain or does this only kick in once i have applied for residency
sorry for all the questions but i am just trying to get my head round the possible hassles this move will give me.
it will probably be easier to get copies of everything i need before moving and throwing out old paperwork

Rosemary

Hi and a warm welcome to the Spanish forum on BE. Myself and Fred James are the moderators for the Spanish forums whilst BEVS moderates Europe. Moderators are there to ensure that the site runs smoothly within the rules of BE. This is so that members gain the information that they are looking for and find their experiences on the forums to be friendly and worthwhile.

Problems and complaints should always be addressed to a moderator who will look into the matter and deal with it efficiently and fairly. Our members who post in the Spain Forums are usually friendly and helpful with a wealth of knowledge about the issues of living in Spain. I hope that you enjoy your time participating in the forums.

Please let me know if you need any further help.

Rosemary

llorgerona

well I have made the move and can confirm that the Spanish still have a "manana" attitude and all government services seem like a job creation project.
loving my new life here, and having had a winter here without all the tourists has made the transition much easier. learning the language is easier when everyone around is not British, although there are a few around here who have been very helpful, though I did know them before moving.
getting my retirement pension paid into my Spanish bank account was easy, as was getting my S1 form for medical care; just a quick phone call to DWP overseas pension dept and it was sorted.
opening a bank account was easy- Santander do an easily understandable non resident account.
getting movistar for tv, internet and mobile was an experience, because I did not have a NIE at the outset, but a deposit of 6 months rental fee secured that and I got a great deal for fibre optic.
a VPN at €5 per month gives me access to I-player etc and using Mobdro on my mobile, for free, gives me plenty other options including the football.
getting a NIE was a bit more complicated as it had to be started on-line and involved a trip to a mountain village, but with help from some friends was sorted. I was issued with a white A4 paper with the NIE but I have to go back with proof that I have registered with the local council and the local doctors to get the green A4 paper which confirms my NIE. they also want proof of my income.
registering with doctor involved trip to another town to INSS office and a wait, as usual, for the relevant paperwork to then go to the local medical centre, along with S1 form to get registered. once registered the local doctors service is excellent with them doing all sorts of tests and sorting out my medication.
registering with local council was fairly straightforward. just needed copy of rental agreement and NIE.
trying to do this without speaking fluent Spanish or Catalan is difficult, but not impossible. I have found most of the officials in the area speak some English, or pass me to someone who can, and with my very limited Spanish, and with great help from Google Translate I have managed to get by.
a couple of tings I have learned;
make multiple copies of every piece of official paperwork and take it all with you to every official department you visit -the Spanish authorities seem to be very haphazard as to what you need regardless of what it says o their websites
if your language skills are not brilliant, draft your queries on google translate on your phone before you go anywhere near the authorities. it helps enormously.

lurchio

Well done, just goes to show where theres grit and a will there's a way. So are you a 'resident' (signed on the Foreigners register really) sounds like you may be! If Not, do it before any more Brexit nonsense!