UK or Eire passport - healthcare

Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2020 3:07pm

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JillS

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Hello

I've posted under healthcare as this virus has put the bejesus in me. But my enquiry is related also to residency and any other impacts I'm not aware of. I think I have things straight in my head and then start to question myself (so apologies). Please correct anything I've misunderstood below....Ok so:

I have an underlying lung condition (not cronic) and asthma. Otherwise good health and stay fit.
My husband and I were going to move in July this year to rent and get residency sorted, pay for private healthcare until we could pay into the State system after 1 year (?). I'm 50 and hubby 58, not of pension age, no S1 yet.
We both live in Devon, I am orginally from NI and so have an Irish and UK passport, my husband only has UK (never lived in Ireland)
We intended to use my irish passport for everything in Spain to retain EU rights for me and my husband (?) e.g. freedom of movment in EU etc. So think I need to apply for Residency with it to have it in the system as it were.

My questions are:Before Dec 2020 - If I use my Irish passport where does that leave me with healthcare (once I get to pensionable age) - as I've not paid into the Irish system, only UK (and have stopped working now)? [I'm assuming here that until pensionable age we would continue to pay into state system). Also, does that have any impact on my husband situation as my spouse?
After Dec 2020 - If our plans had to be put on hold due to the virus (which I think they might) what would that mean for residency and healthcare using the Irish passport (and for my husband)? (I know there is a lot of uncertainty with the withdrawal agreement under the UK passport).Finally, no matter when we move (during the 1st year of private healthcare) my biggest worry is contracting this virus for the 1st time in spain and worst case senario ending up in hosptial maybe on a ventilator. I've no idea what it costs if you had to pay for it yourself or would the government cover it knowing it's a pandemic and unprecedented times. I'm aware private insurance should cover me up to emergency diagnosis but then what!Thanks all for any pointers/insight. Take care of yourselves.
Jill

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Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2020 6:07pm

Movingon

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Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2020 6:07pm

I was reading up on this a while back and one thing which stood out was that to benefit from health care from Ireland you had to both be registered for it and have lived there for at least a year.

Don't know how the Irish/UK passport thing would work but I can imagine possibly hitting some problems if you established residency with your Irish passport then later tried to get an S1 from UK.

It's an unusual situation for which you really need expert advice as a misstep now could have adverse consequences later on.

Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2020 1:45pm

JillS

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Posts: 102

54 helpful points

Location: Javea / Xàbia

Joined: 13 Nov 2019

Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2020 1:45pm

Movingon wrote on Tue Mar 17, 2020 6:07pm:
I was reading up on this a while back and one thing which stood out was that to benefit from health care from Ireland you had to both be registered for it and have lived there for at least a year.
Don't know how the Irish/UK passport thing would work but I can imagine possibly hitting some problems if you established residency with your Irish passport then later tried to get an S1 from UK. ...

Read more...

...
It's an unusual situation for which you really need expert advice as a misstep now could have adverse consequences later on.

Thanks Moving on - yes I guess that is the crux of it all, could UK S1 be transferred (or whatever the term is) to a Eire passport holder. But who do you ask, UK, Eire or spanish bodies?

Any more guidance much appreciated.

thanks

Jill