Few questions on healthcare/work/EU etc

That is a complex set of questions. These answers are just a starter.

Assuming you have ROI passports ... firstly, you need legal Residency.

1. If you don't work, and are below your home country's retirement age, you need private health insurance. If you work (with a legal contract, or as a legal self-employed) you will be entitled to state NHS. The government levy on self-employment is costly, to pay for the healthcare. Private health insurance - you get what you pay for, depending on age/any pre-existing conditions. Assume 1500-2500 Euros/year for a fit, sub-retirement couple. A year after receiving legal Residency, you can pay to pay into the Spanish NHS; no cheaper, but pre-existing conditions are accepted.

2. Difficult. Low paid black market work maybe. Legal work is unlikely. Unemployment is high here.

3. As 2 above. No shortage of under-employed building workers here.

4. Other NI expats might be able to advise.

Thank you for taking the time to reply it was very helpful.

Hi,

Unemployment is extremely high in Spain at the moment especially now with the covid problem. Thousands of bars, restaurants and hotels are closed up and their bar and cleaning staff are all on furlough or been made redundant. Its a similar story with the building industry as well. 

It won't be a good idea to try and move here at the moment if you need to work.

Steve 

Thanks Steve, we're thinking more 2022 when things hopefully start returning to some normality. 

I wouldn’t necessarily be too sure that things will return to what we all thin of as ‘normal’. the other consideration, especially if you will need to work,is that since Brexit, the criteria for moving here have tightened up considerably, and quite apart from the situation with healthcare, you will need to demonstrate a certain level of income to comply with legal residency requirements. This currently is approx 27000 per annum fo a single person plus approx 6,500 for each additional family member. If you will need to work, you will have to apply for a visa entitling you to do so and either prove a valid legal job offer from an established business here, or an acceptable business plan which will then require you to become legally self employed. In either case, the income requirements apply.

No one is trying to dissuade you, but it is infinitely more difficult since Brexit and Covid has added to the problem. No-one knows what is going to happen, but it may be unlikely that there will be a return to full employment in the foreseeable future unfortunately. Suggest you keep researching and make enquiries from the Spanish Embassy nearer the time.

Thanks Stephanie, I'll keep researching and gather as much info as I can for now.