UK Government reinstates voting rights for UK citizens living abroad - Page 3

I do pay Spanish tax and have private health insurance. Next question?

You can still be taxed in UK on certain pensions and income. I pay taxes to UK on 2 pensions and also taxes in Spain on 2 pensions. We cannot vote in Spanish general elections unless we take out citizenship, not residency. You can only do this after living here for 10 years, passing an exam on Spanish history and current affairs and attending a 30 minute interview in Spanish. You must then rescind your UK citizenship (dual citizenship not allowed in Spain) and swear allegiance to the King of Spain providing you can prove integration into the Spanish life such as working in citizenship projects, social welfare schemes etc. Not an easy thing to do. I actually went through the procedure and completed it but withdrew my application at the last stage as I did not want to lose my UK citizenship nor swear allegiance. 

Regarding health. No, it does not come under the Spanish NHS unless you have paid social security payments and this applies to Spanish as well. Most residents will have paid the equivalent under National Insurance in UK. If not coming under the provisions of the S1 which is drawing a pension, under 18, being pregnant or having some high level of disability, you have to pay for private health insurance. If you have an S1 then the UK pays for your healthcare as that is the place you have paid your social security contributions to. And, yes, that is only as a resident.

Your state pension is paid by UK again because that's where you paid your contributions. That pension is taxed in Spain but you do not have the right to vote in their national elections, just local council ones. 

So your pension and health rights come under UK which then makes sense to be able to vote in elections that concern you.

Thanks your explanation. I did read it twice & slowly as you suggested.My question (to you), was, as you mentioned "democracy" & in view in context with this post, how can democracy & those NOT allowed to vote in the 2016 referendum, without a vote be now rescinded in view of the recent law. V

Hello

The post was addressed to marcliff  - not you!  His post   (marcliff)was quoted, have another look......

Cheers

Elinspain

The French and Spanish are now lobbying Brussells to change or abolish the 90-day rule for Brits. Rules change. Laws change. It's evolution. It's life. And there will, in the future, be many more rule changes.  

Having lived here (Spain) for over a third of my adult life, I'm sure you are maybe correct. But, (suggest another post on "your 90-day rule for Brits" topic?). with respect.  V

People still vote in Spain for  the monkeys over here (sorry to insult monkeys)

no but the conservative government will be working on the fact that a large majority of Brits living overseas will be conservative voters. Rightly or wrongly. As they have done in the past by recalling members of the Lords that live overseas when needed.

Entirely cynical move by a corrupt government (like the introduction of voter ID), in the hope theit will pick up votes from an "ex pat" community many of whom bizzarely voted for Brexit but chose to live in the EU. Having said that, the fifteen year cut off point always seemed pretty arbitrary to me and was probably introduced for similar reasons 🤣🤣

Nor mine 👍