# living in Gibraltar



## kdswhitfield (Nov 9, 2011)

Hi

A newbie here, so please be gentle with me!!

Myself and my partner have decided to take the plunge and move to Gib in the new year, any advice/experiance anyone can give me will be greatly appreciated!

I am planning on starting up my own business over there (fingers crossed), can I register the name now even though I still currently live in the UK?

We were thinking about living across the boarder but are not unsure, I am aware off the costs of renting in GIb, but thinking this might be offf set by the cost of travelling form Spain and just make life easier if actually working in Gib.

Any the normal obvious question, health, doctors, dentists, as we are both on british passports is the health care the same as in the England and we just register with a local one or is it not that easy?

Thats all for now until i think of more questions, both scared but cant wait!

Many Thanks

K whitfield


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

kdswhitfield said:


> Hi
> 
> A newbie here, so please be gentle with me!!
> 
> ...


hi & :welcome:

there have been quite a few threads about living here in Spain & working on Gib recently - just put Gibraltar into the search & you should get a some hits

the answer to your question about healthcare really depends upon where you actually live

I have no idea how it works on Gib - but if you are living in Spain you have to be paying into the system to access healthcare - it's contribution based rather than residence based as in the UK - & dental care isn't covered at all under normal circumstances


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

I know very little about starting a business in Gib, but I have heard its not straight forward, cheap or easy (apparently theres a bit of a "closed shop" mentality), but dont take my word for it, as I say I know very little. There is a chap, "Zimtony" who comes on here very occasionally who I believe had/has a business in Gib, but lived in Spain - I dont know whether he found it easy or successful. He had been living and working in Spain for several years beforehand. I think that if you live in Spain tho you'll be eligible to pay your income tax in Spain and therefore you'd be eligible for healthcare as you will be paying into the Spanish system

As Xabiachica says, there are quite a few threads on Gibraltar, so do a search and see what you can find

Jo xxx


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

You won't automatically get free healthcare.



> Healthcare arrangements with Gibraltar
> 
> Special arrangements on healthcare exist between the UK and Gibraltar. Any medical treatment that is needed by UK pensioners who live or go to live in Gibraltar is provided by the Gibraltar authorities without payment of insurance contributions. You will have to pay prescription charges. A UK pensioner is someone who gets long-term Incapacity Benefit, Severe Disablement Allowance, State Pension, widow’s benefits or bereavement benefits.
> 
> ...


Healthcare arrangements with Gibraltar - DWP


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## kdswhitfield (Nov 9, 2011)

hi

thanks for the info guys!

Its getting to the point now that i need to go back and speak to accountants and the like to sort out the finer details.

Still, warmer than manchester 

Cheers


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

Anywhere is warmer than Manchester


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## Guest (Nov 17, 2011)

I`ve been lucky enough to find a couple of job opportunities based in either Gib fulltime or a split between Marbella/Gib. 2nd interview for one next week - fingers and toes crossed peeps!

I`ve looked at quite a few threads here and elsewhere and consensus is that La Linea ain´t a nice place to live and a 30 minute commute gets you into more suitable areas. So far, so good.

How about the border crossing itself? How long would I need to factor in every morning, including seasonal variations? Is doing it everyday going make me miserable? OK, last one`s more rhetorical...

Quite a few have mentioned mopeds or bikes, but that can make a longer commute a drag, as well as being more risky and simply horrible in bad weather. Car + foldy-bike would be an option, but then parking? mmm...

Don`t get me wrong, this is a nice problem to have, if either role comes to fruition, just would appreciate the usual excellent advice from those here who know the know.


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## jimenato (Nov 21, 2009)

Yossa said:


> I`ve been lucky enough to find a couple of job opportunities based in either Gib fulltime or a split between Marbella/Gib. 2nd interview for one next week - fingers and toes crossed peeps!
> 
> I`ve looked at quite a few threads here and elsewhere and consensus is that La Linea ain´t a nice place to live and a 30 minute commute gets you into more suitable areas. So far, so good.
> 
> ...


Many people in my village commute to Gibraltar daily. From the village to the border is about 35 minutes, most allow at least 1 1/2 hours door to door. 

The majority park in La Linea and walk in, one or two travel in by scooter/motorbike, others drive in. There is a large car park just this side of the border being run by unemployed people. 

The queues to drive in/out are very variable. As you would expect they are bad at commute times 8 - 9 in the morning and 4 - 7 in the evening. You can expect anything up to an hour at these times. OTOH we drove past the border at 2 p.m. on Monday and there was no queue whatever - in or out. 

Recently they have been searching bikes on the way out causing long delays for all two-wheelers. I don't know if they are still doing this.

BTW well done so far and best of luck with the interviews.


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## Guest (Nov 17, 2011)

Excellent - thanks very much for that. 

That`s exactly the sort of gen I was after. Just helps us get a clearer picture of the realities of life. 

To be honest, the idea of doing the commuter thing again really doesn´t appeal, but things being what they are, there have to be compromises/sacrifices. Three hours a day sounds like a lot, but it sometimes took me an 1 hour to get from Highbury Corner to Oxford Circus (handful of stops on Vic line), so it´s all relative. Most of this one is sitting about queuing, with a small drive either side, so eminently doable.

Our thoughts are, if either comes off, get stuck in for a few years, head down, suit on, save more wedge and revisit plans for moving North at later date. My cortijo in the hills can wait a while longer


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## Guest (Nov 17, 2011)

PS My apologies - thanks for the good luck wishes!


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

An English guy from our village recently got a job in Gibraltar and he parks in La Linea, on the main road opposite the border control. He was told by the people where he works that as long as you buy a euro's worth of time from the parking meters, you can leave the car all day - the wardens leave you alone once they recognise the car as belonging to a commuter. It's worked so far, but maybe he's been lucky! 

It takes him about 25 minutes to walk to his office, which is near Morrisons supermarket.


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## Guest (Nov 17, 2011)

This all sounds refreshingly, er, normal. I`m sure the queues can be a chew at times, but in the grand scheme of things, it all sounds doable. Beats Chiswick roundabout any day of the week...

Thanks folks!


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