Countryboy1

I appreciate this will have been asked before and answers given, so apologies in advance but I have searched the forum and there are so many posts about the health system.
As I am now only a couple of months away from my 65th birthday, what documentation do I need from the DSS(?) in the UK in order to register on the Spanish health system?
Thanks.

discoman

You'll get a completed form S1 from the DSS with your letter confirming your right to a UK pension and full instructions for processing it at the Spanish end with the local health authorities.

Rosemary

When you take the S1 to the INSS office you need to take originals and copies of your passport, padron, NIE, residence certificate too. Actually it pays to take just about every piece of paper that you can think of so that they do not catch you out with an unusual request.

Rosemary

lyric030250

You should by now have claimed your pension, and will get your S1 in due course. If you have any dependents you should ensure that Newcastle are aware of them and, again in due course, they will be issued with their own S1.
Then the fun really begins !
As Rosemary has pointed out while I typed

pwwm

I couldnt get my S1 until I was actually in receipt of my pension, they told me had to wait, so I called them on the day, to be fair they acted very fast.

lyric030250

My wife was treated just as Discoman has said S1 came with the letter to say OK for pension, can't remember without digging the photocopy out but think it was dated for when payment was to commence.

Countryboy1

A big thank you to those who have taken the trouble to respond to my query. Very much appreciated.

agoreira

I see yesterday in the press, the Spanish reckon lots of Brits are ripping them off with the aid of the Embassy!
http://www.abc.es/20120413/sociedad/...-20120413.html

lynnxa

they do seem to have got it all rather wrong ...............

EsuriJohn

We were asked for our marriage lines! Not seen them for years but had to get them scanned and emailed from UK.

bobd22

Is this not symptomatic of the problems facing the EU in these tough economic times countries are starting to turn against each other. You have it with Spain/Italy France/ UK and just about all the EU blaming Greece. I fear we could be living in dangerous time if things don't start getting better or should I say MEP's starting to get a grip and sorting things out, all turns to self interest. Lets face it we are in the EU why on earth shouldn't our embassy's explain to us how we can lawfully get health cover in a member country? Surely the Spanish Embassy does the same for it's citizens going to or residing in the UK and as many people say on here due to the employment situation more and more are doing exactly that moving to member states to find employment. At least for Spain I would think most UK, German and Dutch that go there are probably retired or taken early retirement and are self sufficient. Swings and roundabouts spring to mind however as always when the cards are down families and countries stick together and become self protectionist, this cant be allowed to happen if the EU is to survive as we know it.

Rosemary

I think we were too, had every piece of paper and copies of everything so no problem. On that subject my OH said that we (actually meaning him) had lost our marriage certificate so I wrote to the registry office in the town we were married in and sent a cheque off for a new one. When he was packing his briefcase to go to the INSS to change our status due to me becoming a pensioner he "found" the marriage certificate in one of the pockets, still there from our first visit when we initially moved to Spain.

Rosemary

Spanish Family2

Its good to see the British Embassy has responded to this dishonest article here
http://www.typicallyspanish.com/news...le_34360.shtml

Since the ABC is so closely linked with the PP we can assume these articles represent government opinion. It'll be interesting to see what the health reforms contain when they're announced soon!

Val W

I think it depends on the office you go to whether they require your marriage certificate. I took ours plus a copy but they didn't want to see it. Probably best to take everything you can think of plus copies though just in case.

Domino

According to the DWP information you are entitled to an S1 for up to 2 years before 65. This normally expires and is replaced by new S1 for pensionista.
The S1 has to be registered at INSS as soon as possible after receipt, not held until "needed".

I am not yet 65, applied for an S1 for permanant residence in Spain, which was duely issued (came with a Malta postage stamp on envelope).
Took S1 to local INSS, very helpful lady who spoke better English than I do Spanish took me under her wing, filled in the forms, even took a copy of the S1 which they keep and rubber stamped it and gave it back to me of proof.
Couple of weeks later I received a letter from them confirming their acknowledgement of the S1.

I have also been to local doctors and am registered there, using a copy of the S1, just awaiting the medical card which takes forever, but I have also been able to log on to the online system and make an appointment with the GP.

I have to say here that I was very well treated by the lady at INSS, I arrived about 10mins before their lunch closing time, she stayed to finish the paperwork, a colleague asked if she wanted him to stay with her but she said no, finished all the paperwork correctly and showed me out of the (now locked) building.
There was only the passport she needed with the S1, no other paperwork, not even a copy of my Social Security registration docs from the office down the road..

Perhaps I was lucky - some Spanish friends think so, but with all the registration that is required to settle here permanantly once you have got the forms all filled in correctly, I have been well treated by predominately English speakers. Those who cannot have made every effort to make sure I understand what is happening.

rgds