Just phone them. They have all your details. It will arrive in the post within a couple of weeks. I have always found them to be immensely helpful.

Fred,

Past experience with the DWP has not been good, which is the reason I posted the question here instead of phoning them myself. Thank you for your reply though.

The S1 is handled by their overseas department and they are the ones I have had experience of. Other departments may be different.

Original dilemma: To get the residencia card, you need proof of health cover; pensioners can provide a copy of their registered S1 form; but to register your S1 form with the INSS, you need a residencia card?

Plan B part 2: I can now confirm that Plan B works [go with the S1 to the ‘Comisaria’/Foreigners' Procedures for the residencia, & take that to the INSS]: I went to the INSS in Coin [with a ‘cita’], & my S1 has been accepted to be registered; apparently it takes 1-2 months till I get a letter in the post to take to my local Health Centre, & they will then issue the health card.

The man didn’t ask for the residencia, but he did ask for my NIE number, so I showed him the card [which shows the number]. He grumbled a bit because I only had one original of the S1, as the Comisaria had taken one off me, but it was ok. If you’re doing it this way, I assume the Comisaria could manage with a copy of the S1 instead of the original.

me too; & you get a helpful letter with the S1 telling you what to do

sorry to be slow with reply. As mentioned, just phone them. ..they're really helpful, have all your details and sent form within 2 weeks.

CORRECTION: I now remember that the guy in the INSS wanted a copy of my Residencia, as if he expected me to have one with me. [It was ok, as he went & made a copy].

Thanks for your reply. Haven't been on the forum for a while so didn't see it. I have been re- reading these posts and it seems like a chicken and egg type conundrum. Something to look forward to when I finally get moved.

Thanks again.

Hi. I was going to start a thread about this but then saw this, which I think is the same (or similar) thing to what I need/have to do. If not then I'll start a new thread, no probs.

Basically, my parents are both pensioners and are 'thinking' about making Spain a more permanent residence. When I first looked up healthcare in Spain I was told that to become resident you have to have private healthcare and was quoted some unaffordable prices (especially for one parent as they have pre-existing health issues requiring monthly medication).

But then someone else told me that (pre-Brexit) at least) as pensioners they are entitled to state healthcare as pensioners (as there is some agreement between Spain[EU] and the UK.
Can someone that has recently been through this process confirm this.

We are currently in the UK. Is it the S1 form for both parents that I need to request from the DWP? Is this something that can be filled in any-time (like even when we are in Spain) or does it have to be 'certified' or stamped in the UK to show authenticity? We don't have a definite plan, we are just going to Spain on weeks holidays at the moment and using the EHIC if needed. But we would rather be as prepared and ready as possible. Just in case. We don't have much money at all, but life in the UK has become unbearable for my elderly father - where he has to spend 11 months of the year indoors - it's like he's a different person when in Spain. I can't see the point in having more monetary benefits in the UK if it's just to sit in the house all day staring at the rain and essentially 'waiting to die'.
So if Spain was even just affordable to live, that's where we'd like to spend more time obviously. Thanks.

Suggest research here https://www.gov.uk/guidance/healthcare-in-spain

Really sorry to hear about your dads' situation. Advice given by spainrico is a good start. Are either of your parents in receipt of any state benefits? If so, they may be eligible for an S1 on the basis of having what is called an 'exportable benefit'. Whether your benefit is exportable or not is decided by someone at the DWP, who will then notify the Overseas Healthcare Team to issue the S1. I have been told that they will not consider an application until a month before you go to Spain and that if you are eligible, the S1 can take up to a month to arrive.

If you weren't already aware of it, do an internet search on the 'Convenio Especial' as well. This is a state insurance scheme that lets you access the Spanish public healthcare system but you have to have been resident in Spain for a year to be eligible. I think it's around 60 Euro's a year but I could be wrong. I also don't know whether it has been rolled-out across all of Spain yet.

Hope this was of some help.

No, they are solicitors, employ both fully qualified Spanish and English Lawyers, one of the people there used to be a regular on here, SueG, but she has since moved back to the UK, we used them to investigate the disappearance of some €6000 from a bank which was appropriated by a Gestor, nothing came of it because oit would have cost more to try and get it back than the value. Would certainly recommend them for people in the Albir, Altea, moirea (sp) area.

Hi. Thanks for the response.

It took a while to check this out, but my mother is actually on PIP. . . . but as she's just reached pension age, I'm not sure if this will stop due to the State Pension (though she will not get a full State Pension due to many non qualifying years when she was essentially a 'housewife' living off the one income (and not claiming any benefits).

I called the number (I must say they were very friendly and knowledgeable on that number - normally I get someone who is a bit 'off-hand' when calling the DWP or similar) and was told they can actually post an S1 form to an address in Spain should we decide to stay there longer term.

I asked the woman at the DWP how they decide whether a benefit is 'exportable' or not, she went a bit cagey and mumbled something about 'if you intend to work' and 'how much your income will be'. I guess it may depend whether they count things such as savings, state pension or cash from a house sale as 'income' and where the threshold is at which your dad becomes eligible. She didn't say anything about the actual state of a person's health etc. and whether that affected the decision. I presume they do the application over the telephone as it gives them more chances to catch you out with a wrong answer.

I know it's possible to make top-up National Insurance payments for missed years, but I've not pursued it as after finding out how much it would cost, it didn't seem worth it.

Good Luck!

I've been checking this out recently and I was told it would cost 1,500 pounds for each of two years that I can buy back, and I would get an extra 40 pounds every 4 weeks for each year. I calculate that as payback in 3 years and after that its all extra income. That's a very good rate of return for me so I'm going ahead. They also told me that they'll post the S1 form to my address in Spain ahead of my pension date so I'll be ready to go to the INSS office.