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Is it better to become a Spanish National if you have pre existing medical conditions

Posted: Sun Sep 11, 2022 9:59am
24 replies1058 views8 members subscribed
Rgmanek123

Posts: 7

1 helpful points

Location: Oliva

Joined: 10 Sep 2022

Hi Everyone,
What great forum. 

I was diabetic and take injections and tablets daily  for over 15 yrs now. I was wondering if it’s best to register and become a Spanish resident ?  At the moment in the U.K. I get free medications and my GP is great I am very lucky.

I want to retire very soon in or close to Olivia.  

Are there any good places home a to buy that are local to pharmacy and GPs ? 

Would you recommend becoming a Spanish citizen ? Would I lose the NHS benefits? 

Thanks my first post 

Kelvin1960

Posted: Sun Sep 11, 2022 10:38am

Kelvin1960

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Posts: 1488

1767 helpful points

Joined: 5 Mar 2017

Posted: Sun Sep 11, 2022 10:38am

Assuming that you hold a UK passport ...

You must distinguish between Spanish Citizenship and Spanish Residency.

Obtaining Citizenship is difficult and time-consuming.

Residency is the route taken by (almost all) Brits.

Firstly, you must establish if you meet the income/financial requirements for a Non-Lucrative Visa (around Eu 28k per annum for a single person or Eu 34k for a couple).

If you can demonstrate the financial requirements, you may need to purchase private healthcare for at least a year before you can (a) pay to join the Spanish NHS, or (b) have your UK healthcare benefits transferred to the Spanish NHS.

Your pre-existing condition will probably make private health insurance expensive.

If/once you make it into the Spanish NHS, you will still need to pay (to an extent) for prescriptions.  

Spanish Residency reduces UK healthcare to emergency only (I think).

elinspain

Posted: Sun Sep 11, 2022 11:27am

elinspain

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Posts: 3222

4099 helpful points

Location: La Mata

Joined: 4 May 2018

Posted: Sun Sep 11, 2022 11:27am

Hello

 To add to Kevins post you need to live here for 10years, as a resident before you can apply for citizenship & the whole process takes years not months to achieve

https://balcellsgroup.com/how-to-get-the-spanish-citizenship/#:~:text=After%2010%20years%20of%20living,thus%20becoming%20a%20Spanish%20citizen.

Cheers

Elinspain

Rgmanek123

Posted: Sun Sep 11, 2022 11:28am

Rgmanek123

Original Poster

Posts: 7

1 helpful points

Location: Oliva

Joined: 10 Sep 2022

Posted: Sun Sep 11, 2022 11:28am

Hi 

Thanks so much for the advice and information. 

Really helpful. 

All a bit new for me. :)  im learning lots 

Im guessing a good local spanish solicitors will be of benefit too 

Thanks again for a prompt reply 

killjoy

Posted: Sun Sep 11, 2022 11:29am

killjoy

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Joined: 4 Nov 2017

Posted: Sun Sep 11, 2022 11:29am

It's anything but easy to become a Spanish national. After a minimum of 8 years residing permanently in Spain you have to proove some affection to the Spanish culture of course the language. Much help would be being married to a Spanish lady (there are plenty). But I doubt this would solve your problems.

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PeterPan

Posted: Sun Sep 11, 2022 11:31am

PeterPan

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Posts: 640

580 helpful points

Location: Almoradí

Joined: 1 Aug 2020

Posted: Sun Sep 11, 2022 11:31am

Rgmanek123 wrote on Sun Sep 11, 2022 9:59am:

Hi Everyone,
What great forum. 

I was diabetic and take injections and tablets daily  for over 15 yrs now. I was wondering if it’s best to register and become a Spanish resident ?  At the moment in the U.K. I get free medications and my GP is great I am very lucky.

I want to retire very soon in or close to Olivia.  

Are there any good places home a to buy that are local to pharmacy and GPs ? 

Would you recommend becoming a Spanish citizen ? Would I lose the NHS benefits? 

Thanks my first post 

Are you in receipt of UK state pension? If so you can use your S1 to support your residency application, If not you will have difficulty obtaining health insurance.

Even with your S1 you may be required to contribute to the cost of your medication.

Rgmanek123

Posted: Sun Sep 11, 2022 12:55pm

Rgmanek123

Original Poster

Posts: 7

1 helpful points

Location: Oliva

Joined: 10 Sep 2022

Posted: Sun Sep 11, 2022 12:55pm

PeterPan wrote on Sun Sep 11, 2022 11:31am:

Are you in receipt of UK state pension? If so you can use your S1 to support your residency application, If not you will have difficulty obtaining health insurance.

Even with your S1 you may be required to contribute to the cost of your medication.

Thanks everyone for taking the time and thoughts to reply.

Don’t have a state pension as such. I am looking  to down size U.K. home that will leave me £150 to buy in Spain and maybe then use the balance of 350k to get a regular rental income from the U.K. to live from hopefully. U.K. living costs are so high and inflation could well hit over 10% .  Fuel cost are crazy too. It’s over £1.65 per litre unleaded in the U.K.

Are the costs rising fast over in Spain.? 

GrahamLynn

Posted: Sun Sep 11, 2022 4:04pm

GrahamLynn

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Posts: 2499

2357 helpful points

Location: El Raso

Joined: 9 Jul 2017

Posted: Sun Sep 11, 2022 4:04pm

If you are not of state pension age then you will have to pay for private healthcare, until you can transfer your NHS healthcare to Spanish healthcare  which happens  on application once you reach state pension age. 

You will also have to pay full cost of any medication. You will need to do some research into what your medicines will cost, some are fairly cheap, but it’s not unknown for a packet of pills to cost 50€  for a months supply.

Inflation is happening across the globe and at its highest a few months back fuel  had a pump price of over 2€ a litre, but fortunately the government stepped in and we have a 20c subsidy in place until the end of the year.   Like the U.K. fuel prices have dropped. But food has dramatically increased in price  as has the cost of importing anything from the U.K. or to be correct importing from outside the EU.  Inflation is over 10% in Spain.

As a Spanish resident you will pay your taxes in Spain, even on income received from renting out U.K. properties. The tax rate in Spain is higher than the U.K.

As presumably you will be obtaining your residency via a non lucrative visa, you will not be entitled to work in Spain and you would also be limited to the amount of time you can be outside of Spain until you become a permanent resident (after 5 years). That could make things awkward should you need to check on rental properties. 

Lynn

Rgmanek123

Posted: Sun Sep 11, 2022 8:45pm

Rgmanek123

Original Poster

Posts: 7

1 helpful points

Location: Oliva

Joined: 10 Sep 2022

Posted: Sun Sep 11, 2022 8:45pm

GrahamLynn wrote on Sun Sep 11, 2022 4:04pm:

If you are not of state pension age then you will have to pay for private healthcare, until you can transfer your NHS healthcare to Spanish healthcare  which happens  on application once you reach state pension age. 

You will also have to pay full cost of any medication. You will need to do some research into what your medicines will cost, some are fairly cheap, but it’s not unknown for a packet of pills to cost 50€  for a months supply....

...

Inflation is happening across the globe and at its highest a few months back fuel  had a pump price of over 2€ a litre, but fortunately the government stepped in and we have a 20c subsidy in place until the end of the year.   Like the U.K. fuel prices have dropped. But food has dramatically increased in price  as has the cost of importing anything from the U.K. or to be correct importing from outside the EU.  Inflation is over 10% in Spain.

As a Spanish resident you will pay your taxes in Spain, even on income received from renting out U.K. properties. The tax rate in Spain is higher than the U.K.

As presumably you will be obtaining your residency via a non lucrative visa, you will not be entitled to work in Spain and you would also be limited to the amount of time you can be outside of Spain until you become a permanent resident (after 5 years). That could make things awkward should you need to check on rental properties. 

Lynn

This is really so helpful.. thanks so much Lyn and everyone. 

Feels a little daunting to upstix and move, but all your replies are so kind which tells there such genuine good people ex pats in Spain. 

eileen36

Posted: Wed Sep 14, 2022 5:57pm

eileen36

Helpful member

Posts: 84

95 helpful points

Location: Rojales

Joined: 2 Feb 2020

Posted: Wed Sep 14, 2022 5:57pm

Rgmanek123 wrote on Sun Sep 11, 2022 12:55pm:

Thanks everyone for taking the time and thoughts to reply.

Don’t have a state pension as such. I am looking  to down size U.K. home that will leave me £150 to buy in Spain and maybe then use the balance of 350k to get a regular rental income from the U.K. to live from hopefully. U.K. living costs are so high and inflation could well hit over 10% ...

....  Fuel cost are crazy too. It’s over £1.65 per litre unleaded in the U.K.

Are the costs rising fast over in Spain.? 

Hi, if you choose to apply for non lucrative visa and you sell and buy properties in the UK,you will pay tax on the properties. On your annual tax return you have to declare the value of properties and you pay the tax on the difference between what you bought your house at and what you sell it for,along with tax on investments,private pensions,the cannot tax you on a military or government pension but all others are taxable. It takes 5 years for full residency with the non lucrative visa,we are awaiting Alicante to accept our paperwork for the next 2 years,presently in limbo as our resident card expired on 31 July and officially Alicante have 3 months to issue us a card for the next 2 years by the 30th September. It does seem hard work to keep jumping through the process but it will be worth it in the end.

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