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I have the documents required, and now need to register with the local health centre. Does anyone know if English is spoken by any of the staff at the Centre de Salud, and is that the only choice for residents in Ondara?
Thank you
Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2020 1:39am
Legendary helpful member
Can I ask if this is for your SIP card?
I'm afraid to say that in my experience no one at Ondara Health Centre will speak English. If you have the forms from INSS ready to present there are two options.
The first option is if you have a little Spanish you can definitely muddle through that because when you present the papers they know exactly what to do and why you are there. It depends how confident you are to do it. When I did it my Spanish wasn't great but I still got through. They will issue a temporary SIP and you go back a month later to exchange it for a permanent one. There is one receptionist who is less helpful than the other, she is usually at the right hand booth so aim to get the receptionist on the left! But I'm not actually aware if the upstairs reception area has reopened. As I recall you will need your Residencia, Passport and Padron certificate plus the INSS papers.
The second option is to take a Spanish speaker neighbour/friend or pay for an interpreter to go with you.
If you live in the Ondara area, on the Ondara padron I dont think there's an alternative I'm afraid.
Kind regards, Steve
Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2020 11:03am
dinnerout wrote on Thu Oct 22, 2020 1:39am:
Can I ask if this is for your SIP card?
I'm afraid to say that in my experience no one at Ondara Health Centre will speak English. If you have the forms from INSS ready to present there are two options.
Read more...
The first option is if you have a little Spanish you can definitely muddle through that because when you present the papers they know exactly what to do and why you are there. It depends how confident you are to do it. When I did it my Spanish wasn't great but I still got through. They will issue a temporary SIP and you go back a month later to exchange it for a permanent one. There is one receptionist who is less helpful than the other, she is usually at the right hand booth so aim to get the receptionist on the left! But I'm not actually aware if the upstairs reception area has reopened. As I recall you will need your Residencia, Passport and Padron certificate plus the INSS papers.
The second option is to take a Spanish speaker neighbour/friend or pay for an interpreter to go with you.
If you live in the Ondara area, on the Ondara padron I dont think there's an alternative I'm afraid.
Kind regards, Steve
Hi Steve
Many thanks for your very full and informative response. I was afraid that maybe the case in Ondara, although when I had occasion to visit Denia hospital 2 miles down the road, I was impressed at how many of the staff spoke English there
Yes I am after a SIP, and have all the documents that you list, but my Spanish is not very good at the moment. I may have a go a muddling through, or I make ask an assessor who works next door to the health centre to come with me just to register
Once again, thank you for the information, most grateful, and I will try for the receptionist on the left!
Best regards
Simon
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