Hi,

I am soon to be moving to Spain with my family (2 young boys). I don’t quite understand how you get healthcare in Spain. I understand that you have to make contributions to their social services. My husband’s company will remain based in the UK. The British Embassy website says that we may be eligible to make contributions, but doesn’t say more. Also, it doesn’t say how much the contributions would be. Does anyone have any experience of this? Do people end up buying private health insurance??

Many thanks

Hi;

See if this makes things any clearer. Basically it depends on where your partners contributions are made to UK or Spain.

http://ukinspain.fco.gov.uk/en/help-for-british-nationals/living-in-spain/pensions-benefits/healthcare/

As for private health insurance many people out here do rely on it.

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Thanks, that was the website I was looking at. I have emailed them to ask about voluntary contributions but as yet have had no answer. Are there any private insurance companies that you would particularly recommend?

If you work in the UK at present & have paid into the system you may be eligible to free health care here in Spain. The length of time you can do this depends on how long you have worked in the UK.  http://www.nhs.uk  living abroad section has some info.

http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcareabroad/movingabroad/Pages/Livingabroad.aspx

The maximum period is two years and that period is the two years leading up to retirement.

Rather than emailng the folk in Newcastle, give them a ring. (0044 191 218 7777)

As for private health insurance I can make no recommendations; I have not had to resort to private.

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Thanks both, I’ll give them a ring.

Hello all,

My son was ill whilst in Spain and all we used was an E111 card from the UK. This is a free Health Insurence when in most European countries so long as you are still making your UK NHS contributions. When you are not in work, these are volentry and come to something in the reagion of 15.00 pounds per month.

I must also add that I see little reason to have private health insurence in Spain, they put our health service to shame and it is all on their less expensive NHS system. First class doctors and an A & E that does act for every little emergancy rather than have you wait 5 hours.

Hope you have a fantastic time in Spain.

Gareth Stephens

The E 111 card is for emergency access to medical aid whilst in Europe.

It is not intended to replace Private Health Insurance or registration with the Spanish Social Services.

It should not be used by people living here permanently and the NHS can get very shirty about misuse.

TREAD CAREFULLY if you use it In Europe for anything other than Emergency treatment.

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If your Husband is paying S.S.contributions in the U.K. then he needs a form from the Health Authorities to take to the Spanish Health Authority who will then register all the family into the Spanish health service, although payments are made into another E.U country. The web site shown earlier will give a helpline where all your enquiries will be helpfully attended to, should you not find what you need on the web.