T and S

Hi,

The wife and I are permanently relocating to Spain towards the end of next year (2019) if all goes to plan...

We were wondering if any permanent residents could give us some information on the best way to ensure we are covered?

We don't want to have to fly home for every doctors/dentist/optician/hospital appointment (if you see what we mean).

Once we settle over there we want all of that taken care of 'in Spain'.
The problem we have is that we can't seem to find any reliable information on health costs?

Is there an option to pay into the Spanish healthcare system and thus be covered? We really have no idea how this works, so any advice would be GREATLY appreciated.


A bit more info for anyone who might be able to offer us some useful advice

1) We will be 52/53 when we relocate.
2) We will be living off savings for 2-3yrs until our pensions kick in at 55, so will be on a reasonably tight budget.

We would be REALLY grateful to any members who can offer us their best advice and experience.

Many Thanks - T&S

Rosemary

Hi and a warm welcome to the Spanish forum on BE. Myself and Fred James are the moderators for the Spanish forums whilst myself and BEVS moderate Europe. Please read the Site Rules Site Rules | British Expatriate Community adhere to them so that the site runs smoothly. Moderators are there to ensure that the rules of BE are maintained. 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

Loafing Along

it does depend on which part of Spain you plan to move to as certain regions have in place a "Convenio Especial" which allows you to make contributions to the healthcare system after you have been resident for one year.

This link will tell you more about the scheme, how much it costs and which regions apply it.

https://www.citizensadvice.org.es/fa...pecial-scheme/

However whatever happens when you first apply for residency you will need to demonstrate you do have some private health cover as once you become a resident a UK EHIC card is not relevant.

mikelincs

That would be fraud in any case as NHS treatment is only for UK residents, and in the wake of Brexit might well be checked on a lot more carefully. you will, almost certainly, need private cover until other things kick in, but private health cover is a lot cheaper in Spain than in the UK.

Loafing Along

As a UK pensioner resident in Spain with an S1 you can actually use the NHS, both for hospital treatment and visit a GP. You can also get your prescriptions. You must know your NI number and that's about it.

Fred James

But the OP is not a pensioner!

Loafing Along

Yes i know - hence I said they would need a private health insurance when they first arrive in Spain, my subsequent comment was just to clarify what pensioners can do.....

Ruby2

And the S1 only kicks in when you become a UK state pensioner so the OP would have to wait until they are 67.

bobd22

Just as a guide that may help in your calculating health care costs it cost me 63 year old male with no pre existing conditions 940 Euros for one years cover. That was cheapest I could get that would satisfy residency rules in the Malaga region. The company covers Malaga region only. One other thing to be aware of is for residency there must be no co payments for treatment and you need to pay a year up front.

bobd22

I doubt given that the OP intends to relocate at the end of 2019 after official Brexit date and their current age that the S1 will in fact be an option even at state retirement age. From what I have read it will continue only for those fully and legally resident pre Brexit date?

Red_Wine_Fairy

''Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed''.

Fred James

Very true, but reciprocal health care for pensioners should be easy to agree between the UK and individual countries if it is advantageous to both parties, which it probabably would be between UK and Spain.

ea8

Could you recommend the acceptable Private Medical Insurance for the Canary Islands for a family of 5, aged 43,39,11,5 and 3 ?

Thanks

bobd22

Yes exactly but at the moment while nothing is agreed plan for the worst anything else is a bonus.

bobd22

Sorry I have no knowledge re canary islands