# S1 Medical Cover



## Donna Tristram (Jan 4, 2014)

Does anyone have experience of obtaining medical cover in Spain via the S1 reciprocal system? I have been advised by the contributions agency that if my husband is continuing to stay in the UK working and I life in Spain with our children (not working), then he need only complete a S1 form to secure state medical cover for me and the children whilst we are in Spain (we are intending of staying for around 1 year). I wondered if anyone had arranged this cover and had experience of how the medical system worked out there and how you register with a doctor? Many thanks.


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## Megsmum (Sep 9, 2012)

Donna Tristram said:


> Does anyone have experience of obtaining medical cover in Spain via the S1 reciprocal system? I have been advised by the contributions agency that if my husband is continuing to stay in the UK working and I life in Spain with our children (not working), then he need only complete a S1 form to secure state medical cover for me and the children whilst we are in Spain (we are intending of staying for around 1 year). I wondered if anyone had arranged this cover and had experience of how the medical system worked out there and how you register with a doctor? Many thanks.



Not sure but, even if your husband continues to work in the UK as you his family are living in Spain, I think there are tax implications however others will know better than I about this.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Donna Tristram said:


> Does anyone have experience of obtaining medical cover in Spain via the S1 reciprocal system? I have been advised by the contributions agency that if my husband is continuing to stay in the UK working and I life in Spain with our children (not working), then he need only complete a S1 form to secure state medical cover for me and the children whilst we are in Spain (we are intending of staying for around 1 year). I wondered if anyone had arranged this cover and had experience of how the medical system worked out there and how you register with a doctor? Many thanks.


lots of people do this

you need to contact the DWP in Newcastle and tell them the exact circumstances (there's more than one kind of S1) & you need them to send you an individual, named S1 for every member of the family who will be living in Spain

once you are registered as resident & signed on the padrón, you go to the INSS (social security office) - they issue Social Security numbers & you take everything to your local state centro de salud to register with a doctor - children are automatically registered with a paediatrician


there are changes as of April 1st though, when the UK will stop issuing S1s except for state pensioners, though it isn't yet clear if those in your position will continue to qualify

let us know how you get on with Newcastle


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## loulou2014 (Jan 20, 2014)

Donna Tristram said:


> Does anyone have experience of obtaining medical cover in Spain via the S1 reciprocal system? I have been advised by the contributions agency that if my husband is continuing to stay in the UK working and I life in Spain with our children (not working), then he need only complete a S1 form to secure state medical cover for me and the children whilst we are in Spain (we are intending of staying for around 1 year). I wondered if anyone had arranged this cover and had experience of how the medical system worked out there and how you register with a doctor? Many thanks.


Hi,

Im glad you asked this, as I will be in exactly the same situation, but my husband will be working in Germany, as far as I understood we had to obtain private medical cover, but i could be totally wrong.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

loulou2014 said:


> Hi,
> 
> Im glad you asked this, as I will be in exactly the same situation, but my husband will be working in Germany, as far as I understood we had to obtain private medical cover, but i could be totally wrong.


afaik you're correct, & Germany doesn't provide S1s in that situation - you could ask on our Germany forum Germany Expat Forum for Expats Living in Germany - Expat Forum For People Moving Overseas And Living Abroad

atm the only country doing so is the UK - but as I said, it's not clear if that is changing as of April 1st


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## Megsmum (Sep 9, 2012)

We have just done ours and have been told by the overseas healthcare team that they will no longer issue S1 after April 1st this year


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## loulou2014 (Jan 20, 2014)

Do you have to be resident for 1 year in order to obtain a " Convenio Especial ".


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

loulou2014 said:


> Do you have to be resident for 1 year in order to obtain a " Convenio Especial ".


Yes.

I also suspect 'resident' means tax resident as well as habitually resident.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

cambio said:


> We have just done ours and have been told by the overseas healthcare team that they will no longer issue S1 after April 1st this year


Your situation is different though. You're early retired


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## Megsmum (Sep 9, 2012)

xabiachica said:


> Your situation is different though. You're early retired


? thought the OP was referring to S1 or is the fact that one is working even if england mean cover


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

cambio said:


> ? thought the OP was referring to S1 or is the fact that one is working even if england mean cover


The S1 is now a general form for many situations and is standard across Europe.

It covers such things as; pensioners, reciprocal agreements for first 2 years (ish), working in UK but living elsewhere etc. etc.


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## gus-lopez (Jan 4, 2010)

Yes ,to make things easier the EU decided that they should all be called S1.:lol:

This is what they used to be;

Useful forms for social security rights

This is what they are now;

Useful forms for social security rights


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

cambio said:


> ? thought the OP was referring to S1 or is the fact that one is working even if england mean cover


yes - as the others said - there are several S1s!

the only thing which doesn't seem to be clear yet, is whether those issued to families of someone working in the UK will be continued to be so

we know that pensioners _will be_, and that early retired _won't be, _though


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## Donna Tristram (Jan 4, 2014)

Thanks so much - that's a really helpful start - I'll let you know how I get on. Regards. Donna



xabiachica said:


> lots of people do this
> 
> you need to contact the DWP in Newcastle and tell them the exact circumstances (there's more than one kind of S1) & you need them to send you an individual, named S1 for every member of the family who will be living in Spain
> 
> ...


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## calpeflyer (Mar 29, 2013)

There is another variable - if one is below pensionable age but still contributing Class 3 National Insurance in the UK to keep up contributing years for the UK State Pension( whilst living in Spain). 
Would such a situation entitle one to State Healthcare in Spain via the S1 route?


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

calpeflyer said:


> There is another variable - if one is below pensionable age but still contributing Class 3 National Insurance in the UK to keep up contributing years for the UK State Pension( whilst living in Spain).
> Would such a situation entitle one to State Healthcare in Spain via the S1 route?


I have no idea!!

that would be one for the DWP to answer


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## Donna Tristram (Jan 4, 2014)

I've pursued the DWP in Newcastle and got through to someone whose parents live in Spain so he personally had first hand experience of how it works. I dont' want to de-register with my doctor etc., in England and will return within 6 months, so he explained as long as I'm returning within every six month period, the EHIC card would cover my medical emergencies and visits to doctors (although I would not be able to register with a doctor in Spain). That's me sorted then I think, unless anyone has first hand experience of this not working? Thanks.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Donna Tristram said:


> I've pursued the DWP in Newcastle and got through to someone whose parents live in Spain so he personally had first hand experience of how it works. I dont' want to de-register with my doctor etc., in England and will return within 6 months, so he explained as long as I'm returning within every six month period, the EHIC card would cover my medical emergencies and visits to doctors (although I would not be able to register with a doctor in Spain). That's me sorted then I think, unless anyone has first hand experience of this not working? Thanks.


I really think you need to speak to someone there who really knows how it works - & about the law

I suspect this guy's parents have been 'living below the radar' here - as so many older people do

the EHIC is for _holidaymakers - _as far as Spain is concerned you will be resident here after 90 days - & you will stand a very good chance of your EHIC being refused - so where would that leave you?

add to that it's only for emergency & essential treatment to get you well enough to return to your home country - not ongoing treatment - it certainly wouldn't cover you for every day visits

atm as soon as you have been out of the UK for 90 days, as far as the UK is concerened you are no longer entitled to use the NHS there - so if his parents do that they are breaking the law too

there are changes coming in April - but that's the situation right now


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## Westonman (Jul 27, 2013)

In my own scenario of moving over permanently late February with my wife. (We have just purchased) we will be early retirees. We are about to apply for our S1 and have been told it will cover my wife until 2016 and myself as a dependant. We intend to apply for residency as soon as we arrive (Just makes things easier in my view)
How would we be covered for health care in the period between arriving, obtaining hopefully residencia and getting to the INSS to register which could be a week or so?
Would the S1 form itself cover you for such a period as I suspect that on issuing the S1 then cover from the UK i.e our European health cards would quite rightly lapse/
Any advice would be appreciated.
Thank you


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Westonman said:


> In my own scenario of moving over permanently late February with my wife. (We have just purchased) we will be early retirees. We are about to apply for our S1 and have been told it will cover my wife until 2016 and myself as a dependant. We intend to apply for residency as soon as we arrive (Just makes things easier in my view)
> How would we be covered for health care in the period between arriving, obtaining hopefully residencia and getting to the INSS to register which could be a week or so?
> Would the S1 form itself cover you for such a period as I suspect that on issuing the S1 then cover from the UK i.e our European health cards would quite rightly lapse/
> Any advice would be appreciated.
> Thank you


everything can be done in a day or so - in many towns all the offices are within a street or two of each other

I know people who have managed to get everything bar the health centre done in one day - & they did that the following day & were issued health cards

your EHIC would cover you for up to 3 months if necessary - or until you registered as resident, whichever came first


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## Westonman (Jul 27, 2013)

Thank you for your swift response. Appreciated...


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## gus-lopez (Jan 4, 2010)

xabiachica said:


> I really think you need to speak to someone there who really knows how it works - & about the law
> 
> I suspect this guy's parents have been 'living below the radar' here - as so many older people do
> 
> ...


Now you've just mentioned something that has been niggling at me for a while. Since it was announced that Spain would de-register all Spaniards who had been out of the country for more than 3 months, actually. 

How does it work in relation , to either the UK or Spain, when the rules state that if you are out of the country more than 90 days you no longer have entitlement to healthcare but you have an EHIC/TSE ? 

Well I've just checked that & in the UK you have to be out of the country for more than 183 days to lose healthcare, regardless of whether you pay tax,NI, own a home etc. It restarts when you return. Therefore it would appear that a UK ehic can legally be used for up to this period as 'holiday'. 

What concerns me from the Spanish point of view is that many are going abroad looking for work, Not all find it instantly & may move on to another country. So they could lose there entitlement to healthcare in Spain, whilst legitimately holding a Spanish issued TSe & where does that leave them ? Does it still have validity ?
I can see an enquiry coming on :lol:


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

gus-lopez said:


> Now you've just mentioned something that has been niggling at me for a while. Since it was announced that Spain would de-register all Spaniards who had been out of the country for more than 3 months, actually.
> 
> How does it work in relation , to either the UK or Spain, when the rules state that if you are out of the country more than 90 days you no longer have entitlement to healthcare but you have an EHIC/TSE ?
> 
> ...



yes I read about that madness of Spain de-registering all Spaniards who had been out of the country for more than 3 months............ I don't think it has been passed yet? It really is ridiculous!

I would guess that the TSE wouldn't be valid after 3 months - I'm sure I heard that temporary TSEs are being issued to workers on paro, anyway

the EHIC/90 day thing is really because at the 3 month/90 day point *Spain *considers you to be resident - so could well refuse the EHIC & also as the UK knows this, so could well refuse to pay any bills


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## gus-lopez (Jan 4, 2010)

xabiachica said:


> yes I read about that madness of Spain de-registering all Spaniards who had been out of the country for more than 3 months............ I don't think it has been passed yet? It really is ridiculous!
> 
> I would guess that the TSE wouldn't be valid after 3 months - I'm sure I heard that temporary TSEs are being issued to workers on paro, anyway
> 
> the EHIC/90 day thing is really because at the 3 month/90 day point *Spain *considers you to be resident - so could well refuse the EHIC & also as the UK knows this, so could well refuse to pay any bills


No, in the original thread about the loss of healthcare it had already been published in the BoE.
Yes I appreciate that the UK ehic couldn't be used in Spain after the 90 days where you are required to become a resident.


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