Keithtoon

Hi all,
We have been told we still have to apply for a one year Health insurance, non co-payment contract when applying for residencia!
Is this true?
Thank you
Keith n Macy..
Healthcare in Spain for British citizens living in Spain from 01/01/2021

The Social Security Coordination Protocol of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, include the vast majority of social security benefits currently covered by Community Regulations.

Therefore, British Citizens who enter Spain from 1 January 2021, and who want to reside in Spain for more than 180 of the year, must apply for Spanish residence through any of the available visas, such as the Non-Lucrative Residence Visa and the Golden Visa.

In regards to medical coverage, the following options are available:

1. As long as you are eligible for medical coverage in the country that pays your pension (both State Pension or Government Pension), you will be able to receive medical coverage in the country where you live. To access this coverage, you must apply for the S1 in the UK before you arrive in Spain. You must then hand over your S1 form to the INSS office in Spain to finalise the process.

tebo53

Yes that is correct. The S1 form will only be issued to you when you are a fully legal resident. So to gain residency you need Private healthcare paid for a full year then in the meantime you can apply for the S1 healthcare cover.

Steve

Keithtoon

Cheers Steve.

Notdunroamin

No that's not correct at all.

Regardless of your residential status you become eligible for an S1 when you begin to draw a UK state pension. If you're already in Spain - resident or not - when that day comes normally DWP will send you an S1 along with the notification of your pension commencement. If not then they will issue one on demand to any overseas address you are, or 'claim' to be, living at.

The actual problem is that INSS will only register an S1 with proof of legal residence - which for you means a TIE - but of course to obtain that you need to prove private health care for the first year so truthfully it's no more than a simple - and rather ridiculous - chicken and egg situation.

Once you have your TIE theoretically it ought to be possible to use an S1 to apply to INSS for cover and a SIP card but I don't know it it's actually possible to do that.

tebo53

You are saying exactly what I have said but in a long drawn out way!!

Steve

Notdunroamin

"Exactly", I think not.

You said that "the S1 form will only be issued to you when you are a fully legal resident" which is absolutely not the case.

Whether or not the theory of registering an S1 immediately after receiving your TIE is borne out in practice (and widely) remains to be seen as it's very early days yet.

In any case during that first year, which remember you've paid for upfront, the only advantage of an S1/SIP card over private cover is that 90% of the cost of most medicines will be covered whilst on the other your private cover will generally provide quicker treatment and very likely better conditions if an in patient in a private hospital.

I would strongly advise against playing the systems off against each other though!

bobd22

When you apply for your TIE they will accept your S1 form sent to you as proof that you have full healthcare. Once you have the TIE card issued then you submit your S1 at INSS Office and a few weeks later get your Spanish Health Card through the post. In the interim period of applying and receiving your TIE and Health card you should use your UK issued EHIC if requiring health care. That is exactly what we did for my wifes TIE and Health card this time last year. It wasn't a problem at all.