Ruthf

Hi. My husband and I have decided to retire to Spain for a better quality of life for me as I have arthritis and the sun is beneficial to me. We will have our private pensions as neither of us are old enough to draw our State pension. I have been reading a few discussion threads on this site but can't decide what is the first thing we would have to do when moving to Spain. Would it be obtaining health insurance and is there any other practical advice you can give me to help prioritise what we need to do once we have moved

missile

If you have retired early on medical grounds you might qualify for S1. I would suggest you contact DWP.

Your first priority would be accommodation. Decide what are your requirements, e.g. near the sea / inland near a hospital etc.
You will need an NIE.
You will need a Spanish bank account.
These are three basics and there are many posts on these topics.

Good luck

Ruthf

Thanks. I'll look into it

tebo53

Hi,
If you are moving to Spain permanently you will certainly need to have private healthcare cover unless, as said by Missile, you may qualify for healthcare covered by the S1.
After you have arrived and got a place to live you will need to sign on the foreigners register after living here for 90 days. You will need to prove to the authorities that you have full healthcare cover for yourself and all dependants and enough income (in a Spanish bank account) to prove to the authorities that you will not become a burden on the state. At that time you will be assigned a NIE number.
After 183 days of living in Spain you will automatically become a tax resident and you will pay taxes to the Spanish tax man instead of HMRC.
There is nothing you need to do when you get here except find a place to live, get a bank account sorted, and have a regular income deposited into it, sign on the foreigners register and live your dream.

Do it all before Brexit as requirements may (or may not) change after then.

Steve

spainrico

I suggest more research here https://www.gov.uk/guidance/living-in-spain

Yes the warm climate will help your condition - but please understand some areas of Spain are very cold and damp in the winter - so select your area carefully. Costa Blanca probably a good choice for you.