# Want to move to Spain after referendum results



## kaipa (Aug 3, 2013)

After the last week's result in the referendum I do not feel I want my children to grow up in the UK. I used to live in Spain and was wondering if my NIE and residencia are still possibly active. My wife recently received a letter for breast screening from the Spanish health service so I assume that she must still be considered to have active residencia despite not actually having lived there for 10 years. We still have an apartment there and a Spanish bank account. 
If we are no longer seen as registered will we need to apply for new residencia cards?


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Personally, I would just keep quiet and carry on as though you had been here. 


The only possible issue is tax. As a resident, you should have been putting in Spanish tax returns. If the UK and Spain do ever 'join up the dots' then you may have some questions to answer.


Your NIE's are always valid though.


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## kaipa (Aug 3, 2013)

Thanks for that. Does this mean (Hypothetically) that we wouldn't need to show evidence of income/savings etc and we would be entitled to health care?


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

kaipa said:


> Thanks for that. Does this mean (Hypothetically) that we wouldn't need to show evidence of income/savings etc and we would be entitled to health care?


Why do you think that you'd be entitled to free health care.? In Spain it's contribution based! However, if you were in Spain prior to April 2012 (??? not sure of the date), then you might be able to claim free state health care. The officials might raise some questions though as to why you haven't applied sooner.

At the moment, UK state pensioners can obtain an S1 form, from the DWP which allows them health care in Spain.


If you're not a state pensioner and are not working here, then you need to pay for private health care unless you can convince them otherwise (see above).


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## kaipa (Aug 3, 2013)

Well , it was because my wife had worked in Spain for 8 years prior to 2006 and apparently is still registered there. I know that won't extend to me but it was just that someone had mentioned that she would still qualifyl I don't know... that is why I asked the question.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

kaipa said:


> Well , it was because my wife had worked in Spain for 8 years prior to 2006 and apparently is still registered there. I know that won't extend to me but it was just that someone had mentioned that she would still qualifyl I don't know... that is why I asked the question.


According to the rules, once you have left the country for 2 years, you lose your residency rights.

It seems that the health service doesn't realise that she left.... however, as snikpoh says, the big issue is going to be the tax department

Presumably you've been filing non-resident tax returns all these years since you own property here, so that's a bit of a give-away

Really & truly you'd need to start from scratch, registering as resident again, which will mean proving that you have sufficient funds/income to support the family & healthcare provision. And no - you aren't entitled to state healthcare

The NIE of course is for life - but that has no bearing on entitlement to healthcare


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