Health Care With 5 years residency

Hi Bobby66,

Have you exchanged your temporary Certificate of Registration or TIE card for a TIE "permanente"?  In theory, it shouldn't be essential, as your original date of residency will be held electronically by the relevant authorities, but knowing what Spanish bureaucracy can be like, it may well make a difference to have a permanent TIE.

Although having attained permanent residency, after 5 years living in Spain, should give us access to healthcare on the same basis as Spanish Nationals, thereby negating the need for private health insurance or paying into the Convenio Especial, I have yet to encounter a UK citizen who has been able to achieve this before reaching State pension age, so I would also be interested in hearing from anyone who has done this - and how!

Kind regards,

Kim

I too would be interested to hear a first hand account of success. 

I've tried twice and failed on both occasions. 

Thanks Relyat.  Were you given a reason on each occasion, or was it a case of, "Computer says No" 😉

Kind regards,

Kim

Not everyone is considered 'asegurado' which gives the right to free health care. For example, an unemployed person will lose the right to health care after 90 days once their unemployment benefit runs out if they stop signing on for work. 

You can check online if you are entitled to health care:

https://sede.seg-social.gob.es/wps/portal/sede/sede/Ciudadanos/CiudadanoDetalle/!ut/p/z1/rVPBctowEP2VXjhqtGvJlnU0HcZA7TCEOGBfGNUyoDbIBLukzddXTjOTmTaYTql00mr3vTe7b2lBV7Sw6mS2qjW1VQ_unRfBmmHAUQImMUxGEGXpp0yyOYsnSJcvCXDmRECL_vp7WtCitO2h3dG8qXS1LmvbVtbouhlAFxhAab5ppZXtIqoxjfsujfrQKGtadTRqAJ67nHdQh9JomkPllxKFJBsEn3AeaCIrGRL9WWhRKeRMla_Sz2gDeVH6suO7gPCS0NedXhIvoLkTKd4SAGJXlw1hcQ8eQszo8mSqJ5rZ-rh381q89YALgRy9kAhWCcIZlyQMBBKPAdOKMV8LpGP4nSHGud8xzMLJ7RwhFFcy_IL3ZyHgFLwEgjSESM4XWXKDDAS_En56qYHOwebL42MROZt1zvre0tU_-wyC9-Idh3dMP6ZbJ121O2Lspqar91PPQPwxhSGHCGd3gTceIcx62vRXXu-dQgx4Jfz00q781ym8bvthn-1D9oN8vQ2f7ja77X6djpj_cErGz8Mbkk9Pz0n0EyH3XkU!/dz/d5/L2dBISEvZ0FBIS9nQSEh/?_ga=2.219846297.1811199552.1643306554-767680650.1643306553

Both times, once Valencia city and later Denia, I had everything and the kitchen sink! On the Valencia visit I also had the support of the town Social Worker who agreed that I was entitled to it. However, it was a polite but firm refusal on both occasions, the explanation simply being that it didn't apply to me.

It would have been nice to have saved the expense of the Convenio Especial in which I was enrolled, but I didn't expect to get free health care and I suppose that it fits with the not being a burden on the State bit.

Hi 

This subject has also been discussed for a long time on another forum https://www.expatforum.com/threads/does-permanent-residence-free-healthcare.1514442/ 

Cheers 

Steve 

Yes, been done to death for years in lots of places. 

Still no first hand accounts of success though. 

Hi Relyat,

I've been looking into this further and it seems that the only foreigners entitled to Spanish state healthcare after 5 years of full-time residency in Spain are those who moved here prior to April 2012, so that counts me out as I didn't move here until 2016.  Applicants also need to obtain a "Legislation letter" from the DWP, stating that they are not entitled to healthcare in the UK.

Kind regards,

Kim

Pre 2012 was one thing, but later, I can't remember when but around 2015, a new law was introduced. 

Essentially it was to provide healthcare for refugees who had no means to provide it for themselves. It read that anyone without access to healthcare would be covered by this. It was obviously not intended for immigrants such as you and I but many, including me, tried to access it. 

As I've said, despite being able to prove that I was "sin recursos" and officials supporting me, I was unable to gain cover via this route. 

Here and other places there are many anecdotal tales of success, but nothing first hand.