# Please enlighten me



## C.G. (Jan 6, 2016)

Hi, and thank you for a great forum, where I from time to time pick up very useful advice and information. It`s something I don`t understand, but maybe someone else do, and can enlighten me?

I live on Costa del Sol, and there are a lot of British people down here, as we all know.
These days news like The Times reports that a 100 British expats is leaving Spain every day in fear of a vote to leave EU. Some of the worries seem to be the loss of healthcare, and difficulties being a home-owner etc.

This is what I don`t understand; I myself am Norwegian, we are not in EU. Still I can live here in Spain and have all the same rights any other expats from EU countries have, as Norway is part of EØS.(or EEA)
Even if Britain vote no to EU, won`t they still be a member of EEA?
My other brain-ache, why would the British be afraid of losing the Spanish healthcare?
As for living here, you need to have Certificado de Registro, and to have that, you need private insurance, right? I myself never really planned to use Spanish public healthcare, as it is needed better for others, as my insurance covers pretty much everything, even my dentist.
Please enlighten me 
Thanks.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

lotsa questions.I dont think there are that many British leaving because of the referendum, but the economic crisis meant jobs were at a premium and the low exchange rate were the cause for many British to leave over the last few years. As for the rest, well its all debateable. Those British who have lived in Spain for a while do get healthcare - new ones dont, unless they pay into the system (unless they are over 65), so that may stop people from going over there and of course the high unemployment. We have a thread running in our chat forum, "La Tasca" its very long, very fiery and full of a variety of facts, fiction, opinions and the bit of acrimony, but it does give you an idea of how the British are feeling about it all http://www.expatforum.com/expats/la...expats-if-uk-leaves-eu-brexit-referendum.html

Jo xxx


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## C.G. (Jan 6, 2016)

jojo said:


> lotsa questions.I dont think there are that many British leaving because of the referendum, but the economic crisis meant jobs were at a premium and the low exchange rate were the cause for many British to leave over the last few years. As for the rest, well its all debateable. Those British who have lived in Spain for a while do get healthcare - new ones dont, unless they pay into the system (unless they are over 65), so that may stop people from going over there and of course the high unemployment. We have a thread running in our chat forum, "La Tasca" its very long, very fiery and full of a variety of facts, fiction, opinions and the bit of acrimony, but it does give you an idea of how the British are feeling about it all http://www.expatforum.com/expats/la...expats-if-uk-leaves-eu-brexit-referendum.html
> 
> Jo xxx


Thank you Super Moderator ) I will read that thread, but you answered my wondering already, The Times might be wrong, maybe they don`t leave at all, and I would be glad if they stay, as I see Brits as jolly and funny people, besides they call me "darling" even I don`t know them
Have a nice evening!


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## webmarcos (Dec 25, 2012)

> Even if Britain vote no to EU, won`t they still be a member of EEA?


The short answer to that is, we don't know.
Without going into the rights and wrongs of this, there has been no decision on the Leave side as to whether we stay part of the EEA or not (if we do we then have to agree to EU right to migration, and rules and regs etc). So it's something we will find out in negotiations that take place after a vote to Brexit - and at this point it's unclear how long those negotiations will take. Different people give different time-scales.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

C.G. said:


> Even if Britain vote no to EU, won`t they still be a member of EEA?
> My other brain-ache, why would the British be afraid of losing the Spanish healthcare?
> 
> Thanks.


The answer to the first question is - we don't know that, because none of the campaigns to vote Leave in the referendum have actually said what the UK's position would be if we left the EU (and it wouldn't just be up to the UK anyway, the other countries would have a say in setting the conditions for EEA membership).

With regard to the second question, this is something that mainly concerns British state pensioners. At the moment the British Government pays Spain approx €4k per year to cover the healthcare of each British pensioner who has registered an S1 form in Spain (and that applies to their dependents as well if they are under state pension age). There is doubt in many people's minds as to whether the UK Government would be prepared to continue doing that if the UK left the EU. That doubt may be well founded, it may not. Again, the position is just uncertain.


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## C.G. (Jan 6, 2016)

webmarcos said:


> The short answer to that is, we don't know.
> Without going into the rights and wrongs of this, there has been no decision on the Leave side as to whether we stay part of the EEA or not (if we do we then have to agree to EU right to migration, and rules and regs etc). So it's something we will find out in negotiations that take place after a vote to Brexit - and at this point it's unclear how long those negotiations will take. Different people give different time-scales.


Yes, it is exciting this, to see what happens, and very difficult to predict what people will vote, I presume. People tend to vote from what affects them the most personally, and do not see the whole picture. And the pro`s and con`s are surely complicated, if Norway was up for an election again, I sure would not know what to vote! Wish you all the best of luck though


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## C.G. (Jan 6, 2016)

Lynn R said:


> The answer to the first question is - we don't know that, because none of the campaigns to vote Leave in the referendum have actually said what the UK's position would be if we left the EU (and it wouldn't just be up to the UK anyway, the other countries would have a say in setting the conditions for EEA membership).
> 
> With regard to the second question, this is something that mainly concerns British state pensioners. At the moment the British Government pays Spain approx €4k per year to cover the healthcare of each British pensioner who has registered an S1 form in Spain (and that applies to their dependents as well if they are under state pension age). There is doubt in many people's minds as to whether the UK Government would be prepared to continue doing that if the UK left the EU. That doubt may be well founded, it may not. Again, the position is just uncertain.


Thank you, as I am not British, it`s a lot of things I don`t know about British affairs,
Norway`s rights for expats is a bit different, as those rights is something our government negotiated via EEA.
I was under the impression that British expats had free entrance to the Spanish health-system for no good reason, as that is the impression I got from Spanish people. As also Jojo over here told me, the British government pays Spain to take care of those expats who needs healthcare. Thank you for enlightening me, the picture looks so very different, and I understand better. I`d be sure to pass it on to those Spanish who actually feels treated unfair. Knowledge is king, ignorance very dangerous! Thanks again!


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## Calas felices (Nov 29, 2007)

Just for accuracy: The UK pays the Spanish Government an annual total of €2,966.88 for every registered state pensioner in Spain, who holds an S1 form (whether they receive treatment or not). . It also pays Spain for every treatment given via the European Health Insurance Card.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Calas felices said:


> Just for accuracy: The UK pays the Spanish Government an annual total of €2,966.88 for every registered state pensioner in Spain, who holds an S1 form (whether they receive treatment or not). . It also pays Spain for every treatment given via the European Health Insurance Card.


The Department of Health said in 2012 that they were paying 3,500 pounds per pensioner. 

HEALTHCARE FOR BRITISH STATE PENSIONERS RESIDENT IN SPAIN | Costa Blanca | Leader - News, Sport, Spanish Property, Advertising, Classifieds - Costa Blanca, Costa del Sol, Costa Calida, Costa de Almeria, Spain


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## C.G. (Jan 6, 2016)

Calas felices said:


> Just for accuracy: The UK pays the Spanish Government an annual total of €2,966.88 for every registered state pensioner in Spain, who holds an S1 form (whether they receive treatment or not). . It also pays Spain for every treatment given via the European Health Insurance Card.


Really! That is a generous number!That should give Spain some leftover dineros :cheer2:
Thanks for your reply


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## Chopera (Apr 22, 2013)

Also it should be pointed out that being a member of the EU or the EEA does not automatically give someone the right to live in Spain. They still need to prove a certain income for example.


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## C.G. (Jan 6, 2016)

Chopera said:


> Also it should be pointed out that being a member of the EU or the EEA does not automatically give someone the right to live in Spain. They still need to prove a certain income for example.


That is true, or if not income, more than enough on a Spanish bank-account
In short, be able to support yourself, or have a spouse who do.


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