The Flying Welshman

Thanks for that clarification. So I guess the reverse is true, if I return to the UK for over 3 months I am resident here. I have found a good mail scanning service where I can register an address in the UK when I sell my property and travel, I may subscribe to this, because if I return (most likely in the summertime) I am likely to be staying in different places, for example with friends. It's only a fiver a month.

David Mashael

Correct. I use my daughters address in UK for my bank to send cards to etc., also for driving licence. Everything else comes to me here in Philippines, including mail from the Pensions Office.

The Flying Welshman

Do I have to be on the electoral register if I stay in Britain I wonder? My plan was to be a bit of a nomad, and stay with friends or in a caravan if I return to the UK in the warmer months. I am trying to get the best of both worlds, if I can do this legally. For example. 6 months Philippines in a year round rented house or condo, one month in Thailand, 3 months in UK travelling about, and perhaps 2 months in Southern Europe. I am sure I will gain a better knowledge of the dos and don'ts and cans and cant's with experience, but I am trying to plan ahead.

David Mashael

I have no idea about the electoral register, but I would imagine that it's something that you apply for if you want to vote, ie no compulsion. You are free to travel and stay wherever in the world, provided that meet the necessary visa requirements etc. Another issue if you will be out of UK for so long, you may not qualify for NHS health coverage. In order to qualify UK must be your normal place of residence. Nothing to do with electoral register, bank account, paying income tax etc. It's where you live.

The Flying Welshman

Thanks, some good points. The electoral register is a record of people entitled to vote. Currently I am registered because I have a fixed address and pay council tax. When I give up the fixed address I lose my right to vote. The electoral register is publicly available and is used to check if someone lives there. So it is likely that without this I will lose my right to NHS treatment in the long term. That said, the UK has gipsies and others who have no fixed abode, I am not sure how that works, although it is not relevant to me.

My new UK address will be a scan my post address run by a large company, similar to a PO box, and just for admin reasons. Some banks do not recognise this as a legitimate address, the postcode is not accepted as they know it is not residential, even though it looks residential (Apartment XXX, building, street name etc).

It's probably best I register in the Philippines and get the SRRV visa, this will give me some healthcare and my bank is prepared to accept a Philippines address.

Bealinehx

You can vote from overseas upto 15 years when you were last on the electoral register.

Gazza-d

Please explain, anyone can get Philhealth or does a SRRV give you something extra.

David Mashael

I was going to ask the same thing.

Stokkevn

Anyone can get it, annual cost P17k but if you have SRRV then it is P15k, saving you about 3 cases of beer a year.

Feidlimid

True, except for those who registered prior to 01 July 2017 in which case the old rate of ₱2,400 per annum still applies.

Stokkevn

Yes Yes, don't remind me, I ( I mean she ) let mine & her-in-doors slip about a month before that after renewing it religiously every May for the previous 8 years, still can not workout how we missed the renewal.

Feidlimid

Aagh, I can see how that must be painful. On the positive side, take it as a sign of her-in-doors great love for you. Despite the fact that we are talking about health insurance, perhaps she was aware of your method of calculation i.e., cases of beer and therefore did in fact, really have your good health in mind!

Stokkevn

When we had a budget review a while ago and we decided to spend less, she went out and bought a load of make-up ( at reduced price so I was told ), when I had a good moan about it she said that she had only done it for me, so that she would look beautiful just for me. It was then that I reminded her that is what my beer budget was for. I subsequently found out not all Filipino's seem to have the same view on life as I do.

Feidlimid

Nice one Stokkevn; I can see you’re a man who likes to live dangerously. I get the impression that a lot of your witticisms go straight over the head of her-in-doors. Just make sure there are no more slip ups with your health insurance in case one of them coincides with her catching one of your cracks head on!

Stokkevn

The wife picks up on pretty well all my witticisms, she lived in the UK for 30 years and is the only Filipina I know of with an Aberdonian accent.