I all, I have a few questions on SS in Spain.

My partner and I will be moving to Spain in about 18 months. Initially I will be working and my partner will not. Will we both be able to claim free healthcare even though only I am working? Both of us are currently paying the usual N.I. contributions in the UK, I read somewhere that these can be transfered to the Spanish system? Is this correct? Does it affect your ability to claim free healthcare?

Firstly, there's no such thing as "free healthcare in Spain" - someone, somewhere will be paying.

If you have a job, with a contract, then your employer will be paying the necessary contributions to allow you access to the system.

Take all paperwork (everything you can think of plus more - inc. pay statement, contract etc.) and take it to your local SS office. You should the be allocated a SIP number against which you can put your dependants. Once you have this number, plus more paperwork, go along to the health centre to get your SIP card.

I think that's about it.

So, the SIP card is what allows you to get healthcare?

Try this

http://ukinspain.fco.gov.uk/en/help-...ts/healthcare/

and yes in the Valencia region those with access to the system have a SIP card.

Yep.

You mentioned in your last post that you pay UK NI - is this because you are employed in UK but are on secondment here?

If so, then I'm not sure what you have to do. Other than to get your UK company to pay the SS here in Spain.

... don't they everywhere in Spain?

No the actual SIP card is only issued by the Valencian region although other regions have similar systems and of course the SIP card can be used elsewhere.

In Andalucia it is just called a Tarjeta Sanitaria.

In Valencia the name of the card comes from the "Sistema de Información Poblacional".