# Gran Canaria home owners



## barryandjohn (Apr 21, 2013)

Hi my husband and I would like to be able to stay in GC for up to 6 months though not necessarily in one go e.g. Oct to Dec and jan to April it would be nice to be able to access healthcare if possible my husband is in receipt of uk state pension and I will be 65 in July but do not qualify for my state pension till May 2020 any ideas on the best way to proceed many thanks


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

barryandjohn said:


> Hi my husband and I would like to be able to stay in GC for up to 6 months though not necessarily in one go e.g. Oct to Dec and jan to April it would be nice to be able to access healthcare if possible my husband is in receipt of uk state pension and I will be 65 in July but do not qualify for my state pension till May 2020 any ideas on the best way to proceed many thanks


 Look at rentals etc whilst on holiday. 

Keep in touch with Brexit via the UK website https://www.gov.uk/government/brexit
Keep in touch with Brexit via the Spanish website La Moncloa. Prepared for the Brexit [Brexit]
Look at the FAQ's here

Good luck!


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## barryandjohn (Apr 21, 2013)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Look at rentals etc whilst on holiday.
> 
> Keep in touch with Brexit via the UK website https://www.gov.uk/government/brexit
> Keep in touch with Brexit via the Spanish website La Moncloa. Prepared for the Brexit [Brexit]
> ...


Not looking at rental as we own our own property in Gc as previously said we are looking at options to stay for up to six months not necessarily in one go


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## Gran Erry-Bredd (Nov 1, 2016)

October to December and January to April would be seven months in one go.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

barryandjohn said:


> Not looking at rental as we own our own property in Gc as previously said we are looking at options to stay for up to six months not necessarily in one go


Currently you can stay as long as you like. You are required to register as resident if you intend to stay more than 90 days consecutively, & you'll be tax resident if in Spain for more than half the calendar year Jan 1 to Dec 31. (Tax residency is a bit more complicated than that, but that's a guidelne)

If you were to register as resident you could currently apply for S1s from the DWP & the UK would fund full access to Spanish healthcare. 

We are however hearing of long delays with the issuing of these forms lately. It has been suggested by some that the DWP has been told to hold off issuing them until everyone knows what is going to happen with Brexit.

Also currently you can use your EHICs for all necessary healthcare requirements while on holiday.


After Brexit, worst case scenario will be that you will be able to stay just 90 days in every 180 & will need travel health insurance - unless you want a resident visa. 

For a resident visa, currently non-EU (which is what Brits will be after Brexit) retired couples need about 35,000€ annual income plus private healthcare.


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## barryandjohn (Apr 21, 2013)

Gran Erry-Bredd said:


> October to December and January to April would be seven months in one go.


It will be six months with a break over Christmas I did not give exact dates last year we did 29/10-13/12 and again 18-01-01-04 but whatever the dates they will not exceed 183 days in a calendar year


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## barryandjohn (Apr 21, 2013)

xabiaxica said:


> Currently you can stay as long as you like. You are required to register as resident if you intend to stay more than 90 days consecutively, & you'll be tax resident if in Spain for more than half the calendar year Jan 1 to Dec 31. (Tax residency is a bit more complicated than that, but that's a guidelne)
> 
> If you were to register as resident you could currently apply for S1s from the DWP & the UK would fund full access to Spanish healthcare.
> 
> ...


Can we apply for an S1 while in GC as we currently are. We have not applied for residency as normally we do not exceed 90 days however we may wish to do this my husband is in receipt of state pension have been told that I can also get a S1 as his dependant is this correct thanks


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## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

Just a thought, and maybe none of my business, but maybe it would be in your interests to become tax residents in Spain. That way you would at least avoid the non-resident tax on your house.

And if you are thinking of applying for registration as a resident, you need to do this very quickly, time is running out if Brexit actually goes ahead as planned.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

barryandjohn said:


> Can we apply for an S1 while in GC as we currently are. We have not applied for residency as normally we do not exceed 90 days however we may wish to do this my husband is in receipt of state pension have been told that I can also get a S1 as his dependant is this correct thanks


Contact the Overseas dept of the DWP & ask them to send them to your address in Spain. Yes as a dependant of your husband you're entitled to one too, so make sure you tell them.


One thing to bear in mind though.

At the moment, British citizens accessing healthcare here with S1s are still entitled to use the NHS in the UK.

I have read that the UK will stop this after Brexit, so by getting S1s & registering as resident in Spain, you will lose entiitlement in the UK.

You need to decide which country is to be home - which country will spend the most time in.


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## uk03878 (Jul 4, 2018)

Out of interest if they do have the S1 transferred to Spanish Healthcare then wouldn't they lose their NHS rights in the UK?


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

uk03878 said:


> Out of interest if they do have the S1 transferred to Spanish Healthcare then wouldn't they lose their NHS rights in the UK?


Not at the moment, because S1 holders retain the right to full access to the NHS. However I understand that after Brexit everyone living outside the UK will lose all rights to use it.


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## barryandjohn (Apr 21, 2013)

xabiaxica said:


> Contact the Overseas dept of the DWP & ask them to send them to your address in Spain. Yes as a dependant of your husband you're entitled to one too, so make sure you tell them.
> 
> 
> One thing to bear in mind though.
> ...


good point we will be about 6 months in each country but predominantly in uk for tax purposes as I think it's more advantageous for us currently we have an annual travel insurance which covers medical for trips up to 100 days so maybe we will be better off just applying for residency and not an S1


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

barryandjohn said:


> good point we will be about 6 months in each country but predominantly in uk for tax purposes as I think it's more advantageous for us currently we have an annual travel insurance which covers medical for trips up to 100 days so maybe we will be better off just applying for residency and not an S1


A travel insurance policy would not be accepted for registering as a resident, though, either before or after Brexit. In order to do that you need comprehensve private health insurance with no co-payments, if you don't have the S1.


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## barryandjohn (Apr 21, 2013)

Lynn R said:


> A travel insurance policy would not be accepted for registering as a resident, though, either before or after Brexit. In order to do that you need comprehensve private health insurance with no co-payments, if you don't have the S1.


Thanks for the info so really it's not worth me applying for residency if I have travel insurance which covers medical for the time I'm here I can't see why I would need private medical insurance which I would think would be expensive for a 65 & 64 year old for only 6 months cover is there any way I can get medical cover that would meet these needs thanks to this bad decision to quit the EU


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

barryandjohn said:


> I can't see why I would need private medical insurance


Because those are the rules for registering as a resident in Spain, that's why, I'm afraid.


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## barryandjohn (Apr 21, 2013)

xabiaxica said:


> Not at the moment, because S1 holders retain the right to full access to the NHS. However I understand that after Brexit everyone living outside the UK will lose all rights to use it.


Again another disadvantage to uk expats many of which were not afforded the opportunity to vote in the referendum


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## barryandjohn (Apr 21, 2013)

Lynn R said:


> Because those are the rules for registering as a resident in Spain, that's why, I'm afraid.


 Yes I know that but I have cover for while I'm here but that counts for nothing I have heard that people sign for health cover then cancel after the first payment


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

barryandjohn said:


> Yes I know that but I have cover for while I'm here but that counts for nothing I have heard that people sign for health cover then cancel after the first payment


Which is probably why many extranjerías now insist upon proof of a full year of payments upfront.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

barryandjohn said:


> Thanks for the info so really it's not worth me applying for residency if I have travel insurance which covers medical for the time I'm here I can't see why I would need private medical insurance which I would think would be expensive for a 65 & 64 year old for only 6 months cover is there any way I can get medical cover that would meet these needs thanks to this bad decision to quit the EU


If you're never here for more than 90 days at a time, you don't have to register.

Your travel insurance & EHIC (while you still have it) should cover for any healthcare needs on holiday.


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