Posted: Sat Feb 20, 2021 9:52pm
Hi Janet (and welcome to the forum!),
The problem with Spanish bureaucracy is that, even when you think you've got your head around it, you may not get the response that you're expecting!
I appreciate that it's so difficult to get appointments with government and local government departments at the moment, it's tempting to go with what you've got, but conversely, you could wait weeks for an appointment and when you turn up with a Padron more than 3 months' old, they may not entertain your request, and then you're back to square one.
When you say that you "need to register to join the healthcare system", do you mean that you want to register your S1 with the INSS department in Torrevieja? If so, it's worth knowing that it's taking months to get an appointment - I've been trying for weeks for some friends and still haven't got them. Alternatively, have you tried taking your S1 to your local Centro de Salud (Health Centre)? They may tell you that you need to go to the INSS first, but they may be more helpful.
I'm sorry that I can't be more definitive, but Covid-19 has added a further layer of complexity to Spain's usually torturous bureaucracy. If you can tell us specifically what you've done so far, we may be able to advise the next steps.
Kind regards,
Kim
Kind regards,
Kim
Kind regards,
Kim