# Mobile Phones La Cala



## Claire11 (Oct 17, 2011)

Hi,

My fiance and I have just secured and signed a 11months rental lease here in La Cala, Spain. We move out on the 20th February 

We both work from home and need a mobile phone, ideally the iphone as we have apple laptops, ipad etc..

Can you please recommend the best network and place to go to set a contract up. We have a bank account out here and our address do we need an NIE number at all? We were told you need to be residences to take out a contract is this true? We really need internet on our mobile phones, so any suggestions would be fantastic!

Also, would be nice to meet people! We don't know anyone out here. I am 22 and my fiance is 25.

Thank you,
Claire


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Claire11 said:


> Hi,
> 
> My fiance and I have just secured and signed a 11months rental lease here in La Cala, Spain. We move out on the 20th February
> 
> ...


we actually took out phone contracts with a passport - but I'm pretty sure you are supposed to be resident to do so - they will usually ask for NIE number - but you'll get that anyway when you register as residents

as to which network - that will depend exactly where you live - coverage of some companies is better in some areas than others - ask teh neighbours when you get there


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## Claire11 (Oct 17, 2011)

Thank you, we weren't going to become residences for at least 2 years as we plan on getting married winter 2013 and if we are UK residences it makes it more complicated for a wedding. 

So can you take out a contract without becoming a resident?

Thanks for your help


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Claire11 said:


> Thank you, we weren't going to become residences for at least 2 years as we plan on getting married winter 2013 and if we are UK residences it makes it more complicated for a wedding.
> 
> So can you take out a contract without becoming a resident?
> 
> Thanks for your help


if you live here you HAVE to become resident & sign the residents list within 90 days- you can't choose not to


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## VFR (Dec 23, 2009)

Claire11 said:


> Hi,
> 
> My fiance and I have just secured and signed a 11months rental lease here in La Cala, Spain. We move out on the 20th February
> 
> ...


Hi Claire.
You mean La Cala de Mijas ?
That being the case Vodafone works a treat in that area & 3meg is no problem with a dongle, but there many other providers who may well be cheaper.
I would just pop into an outlet and see how things pan out using your address/passport as there are thousands in the area who have never seen an NIE & have lived there for years (illegal of course)
La Cala is a nice place (IMO) with some nice people around, but a good many shysters as well.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Claire11 said:


> Thank you, we weren't going to become residences for at least 2 years as we plan on getting married winter 2013 and if we are UK residences it makes it more complicated for a wedding.
> 
> So can you take out a contract without becoming a resident?
> 
> Thanks for your help


Yes you can - lots of British residents who have holiday homes in Spain have contracts with Spanish mobile companies. I believe a passport number will suffice if you don´t have an NIE.

It´s a good time to shop around for a good deal as prices have fallen dramatically in the past year. Movistar, Orange and Vodafone are the Big Three. Yoigo is an up-and-coming Spanish company which has played a key part in driving down the prices - they have an excellent range of tariffs including one where international calls are the same rate as national ones (8 cents a minute). 

There are also PAYG deals (_tarjeta_) where providing you pay a small minimum charge per month, around 6 euros, you get the same cheap calls as on a contract (_contrato_).


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## Claire11 (Oct 17, 2011)

Okay thanks everyone, been a great help. We went to Miramer mall today to the orange shop and they didn't speak english then went to the phone house and they said we need to become residents.....So dead end there really.

We are going out the country every 90 days as that is the way this year has worked out with holidays etc...away to Florida in May then Tenerife in July and home in Sept and Dec so no need to become residents quite yet. Scared in case we become residents that we lose NHS back home and complicates the wedding more. Any advice is great.

Yes La Cala de mijas is where we are staying 

Thank you for all your help xxx


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Claire11 said:


> Okay thanks everyone, been a great help. We went to Miramer mall today to the orange shop and they didn't speak english then went to the phone house and they said we need to become residents.....So dead end there really.
> 
> We are going out the country every 90 days as that is the way this year has worked out with holidays etc...away to Florida in May then Tenerife in July and home in Sept and Dec so no need to become residents quite yet. Scared in case we become residents that we lose NHS back home and complicates the wedding more. Any advice is great.
> 
> ...


Still worth getting an NIE now though - you can do it in advance of residency. That should be enough to get you a phone contract.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Claire11 said:


> Scared in case we become residents that we lose NHS back home and complicates the wedding more. Any advice is great.
> 
> Yes La Cala de mijas is where we are staying
> 
> Thank you for all your help xxx


If you have a property and are on the electoral register in the UK you will be covered by the NHS, I believe (but not sure).
Presumably you will be paying taxes in the UK..
I don't think the 90 day cross border thing is relevant for EU citizens within the EU but again, not sure. It's connected with the Shengen Agreement for non-EU citizens, I believe (again not sure).
As I see it, if you have Residencia in Spain, you lose entitlement to NHS cover and will not qualify for free medical cover in Spain until you have paid into the SS system.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

mrypg9 said:


> If you have a property and are on the electoral register in the UK you will be covered by the NHS, I believe (but not sure).
> Presumably you will be paying taxes in the UK..
> I don't think the 90 day cross border thing is relevant for EU citizens within the EU but again, not sure. It's connected with the Shengen Agreement for non-EU citizens, I believe (again not sure).
> As I see it, if you have Residencia in Spain, you lose entitlement to NHS cover and will not qualify for free medical cover in Spain until you have paid into the SS system.


The UK isn't part of Schengen, so that's immaterial. Yes, not staying 90 consecutive days will mean they don't have to sign as residents, but if they clock up 183 days in a year here, they'll still have to declare for tax. 
As UK citizens them if they became residents here & went back to live in the UK later they would get nhs healthcare.


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## lynn (Sep 25, 2008)

mrypg9 said:


> If you have a property and are on the electoral register in the UK you will be covered by the NHS, I believe (but not sure).
> Presumably you will be paying taxes in the UK..
> I don't think the 90 day cross border thing is relevant for EU citizens within the EU but again, not sure. It's connected with the Shengen Agreement for non-EU citizens, I believe (again not sure).
> As I see it, if you have Residencia in Spain, you lose entitlement to NHS cover and will not qualify for free medical cover in Spain until you have paid into the SS system.


Oh lord, the healthcare question 

If the OP has been paying NI in the UK before moving out here, then they can apply for an S1 form from the DWP in Newcastle which entitles them to up to two and a half years medical cover here in Spain. You can still access the NHS back in the UK during this time. BUT, you HAVE to be resident here and have the necessary paperwork ie residencia certificate with NIE, and be on the padron. Dependents can be added. 

I urge people to go through this process, as cover using the European Health Card is limited... yes, if you have a minor accident of illness, you will get seen, but if it's more major or needs further follow up treatment, you would not be covered. Furthermore, Mijas (the area the OP is planning to move to) has a very high percentage of extranjeros (foreigners) and is therefore very up to speed with the rules. 

We have just taken our third S1 form to be registered at the INSS office in Fuengirola. The system now runs much more smoothly than before (thank goodness!)


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Claire11 said:


> Okay thanks everyone, been a great help. We went to Miramer mall today to the orange shop and they didn't speak english then went to the phone house and they said we need to become residents.....So dead end there really.
> 
> We are going out the country every 90 days as that is the way this year has worked out with holidays etc...away to Florida in May then Tenerife in July and home in Sept and Dec so no need to become residents quite yet. Scared in case we become residents that we lose NHS back home and complicates the wedding more. Any advice is great.
> 
> ...


Tenerife is Spain.................


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

But if the OP can still get healthcare in Spain on her EHIC card until she becomes resident.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Alcalaina said:


> But if the OP can still get healthcare in Spain on her EHIC card until she becomes resident.


not really - or at least not if she isn't really here on holiday

it's meant for emergency treatment for holidaymakers - some regions are getting wise now & if a card number comes up on the system more than once in a few months then they are refusing treatment

of course - a lot of people have holiday homes which they visit several times a year & are legitimately here on holiday - so that's a problem for them .................but there are also those who abuse the system by actually living here & using the card illegitimately

I totally understand her reasons for not wanting to be 'resident' - but there really isn't a choice ...............legally - although there are many many here of course who have never become 'resident'


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## tonyinspain (Jul 18, 2011)

Is your iphones unlocked if so get a pay as you go sim
Get internet activated
Then tether your iphone to your laptop 
If your not certain check tethering on youtube
Hey presto internet access without a contract i spend 10euros a month on my iphone and just tether when i want to use my netbook
Also download from itunes VIBER this gives you free calls anywhere and free texts no contract and no subscription
Hope this helps good luck


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## simply (Jan 6, 2012)

Here is my research so far I have saved in a text file. You can get prepaid from them. Hope it helps.

Vodafone and Movistar are the two main mobile providers in spain.
Also Jazztel and Orange

Vodafone.es
Google Translate

Movistar.es trans
Google Translate

Talk Card 24 h $10
Prepaid Mobile Internet $10 for 100mb

See also telefonica English Movistar
TELEFÓNICA ONLINE

You're not going to want to use tethering for all your internet use. If you work online fully like me you'll be looking at DSL.
Mobile data would be too expensive and isn't as fast.

I have yet to finish my research any further than it will be DSL because it seems more like something to be done once there.
I will say that I didn't find any DSL service that didn't require a contract. You may need to hope the landlord will work with you on this. A contract under their name but you pay the fee for every month you're there. Why I came to it probably will need to wait till you're over there. But it is available most places and reasonably priced.


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## Claire11 (Oct 17, 2011)

Thank you everyone, we managed to get mobile phones!!! 

We wont be in the country over 183 days we searched that all up and our accountant back in the UK will keep us right.

Thank you,
Claire


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