# Pregnant Non resident in Spain, what to do?



## evath (Oct 15, 2016)

Hello there, I'm a scandinavian that has been in Spain for just over a year and a half now and I have not been able to find legal work so I have been on my 3month N.I.E for all this time. I understand I am not eligible for a SIP or health insurance in Spain, I do not have private insurance but I do have a valid EHIC but I have never had to use it. 

Yesterday I found out I am pregnant, probably 4-5 weeks. Is it at all possible for me to get access to maternity check ups here in Spain or obtain a SIP? 

My partner has a spanish residency. We live together but my name is not on the lease, I do pay the utility bills but they are in our landlords name. 

Any help would be greatly appreciated, as I am at loss of what to do, thank you! :hail:


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

I would suggest that the first thing to do is to legalise your position in Spain by signing on the list of foreigners (get 'residencia'). You should really have done this at the 90 day mark.

If you are under retirement age, then I suspect your only route now is private healthcare. Convenio especial is not an option because you aren't 'legally' here.

The EHIC is not an option as this is for tourists which you clearly aren't.

When you say 'partner' are you married?


There will be some who will say it'll be alright but I suspect many of their suggestions will involve breaking the rules - that's your choice.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

evath said:


> Hello there, I'm a scandinavian that has been in Spain for just over a year and a half now and I have not been able to find legal work so I have been on my 3month N.I.E for all this time. I understand I am not eligible for a SIP or health insurance in Spain, I do not have private insurance but I do have a valid EHIC but I have never had to use it.
> 
> Yesterday I found out I am pregnant, probably 4-5 weeks. Is it at all possible for me to get access to maternity check ups here in Spain or obtain a SIP?
> 
> ...


Hi - you're resident (& tax resident) whether you are registered or not.... & can't legally use the EHIC.


However you should be able to get state healthcare during the pregnancy & up to the birth & post natal care 

Ministerio de Sanidad, Servicios Sociales e Igualdad - Service de Presse - La Reforma de la Sanidad - Preguntas frecuentes



> *¿Qué ocurrirá con quienes no tengan derecho a la tarjeta?*
> 
> Todas las personas tienen garantizada asistencia sanitaria básica aunque no cumplan los requisitos legales para obtener la tarjeta.
> Si se trata de menores de 18 años, tendrán derecho a la misma atención que cualquier ciudadano español.
> ...


Also, depending on where you live, you might be able to register as_ pareja de hecho_ which would give you the right to healthcare as your partner's dependent


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

I'm not sure private insurance will cover it if you are already pregnant.

Some parts of Spain, especially those with few foreign residents, will give you treatment on your EHIC card even though it is only meant for visits up to 3 months. The best thing is to go to the local Centro de Salud and find out.

Does your partner pay social security contributions in Spain? If so, even if you aren't married, you may be able to get covered as his dependent. Some regions accept "pareja de hecho" status, I'm not sure how this works but you probably have to go through some form of registration.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Ignore my last post, Xabiachica's makes much more sense!


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Alcalaina said:


> I'm not sure private insurance will cover it if you are already pregnant.


No, it wouldn't, When you first take out private health insurance, there are always waiting periods for all kinds of trestment (except GP visits and emergencies) before they will pay, and in the case of pregnancy and childbirth, the waiting period is 12 months.


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## kdsb (May 3, 2015)

Lynn R said:


> No, it wouldn't, When you first take out private health insurance, there are always waiting periods for all kinds of trestment (except GP visits and emergencies) before they will pay, and in the case of pregnancy and childbirth, the waiting period is 12 months.


When looking into private insurance I found a lot of variation of waiting periods, so it is a good idea to shop around. Although I'm guessing most of them intentionally have the pregnancy waiting period longer than 9 months.

We were first looking at Sanitas which required a 6 month waiting period for specialist care and ended up going with DKV where we could use specialists immediately (though there were waiting periods for other areas, such as non emergency surgery and childbirth).


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## Relyat (Sep 29, 2013)

Are you "on the Padron" ?


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Relyat said:


> Are you "on the Padron" ?


I'm intrigued, what's that got to do with being pregnant or wanting medical care?


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## Relyat (Sep 29, 2013)

IF the OP has been registered on the Padron for at least a year and IF they are in the Valencia region then they can apply to join the Convenio Especial. That may also be the case in other regions, but I don't know.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

snikpoh said:


> I'm intrigued, what's that got to do with being pregnant or wanting medical care?


Actually that's a good point

In some areas, Valencia for instance, anyone _sin papeles_ but on the padrón for 12 months or more, can get a tarjeta sanitaria


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Really? So all those 'tourists' who are wrongly on the padron can get a health card whilst legal residents can't.

What a country, you just couldn't make it up!

... and I thought the UK was bad for this sort of thing.



Perhaps, because of this, the LAST thing the OP should do is to legalise their position (see my post #2)


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## Relyat (Sep 29, 2013)

It does involve paying the 60 Euros per person per month for EU citizens, again I don't know about others.


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Relyat said:


> It does involve paying the 60 Euros per person per month for EU citizens, again I don't know about others.


So you're talking about convenio especial I guess. I wonder if that's the same scheme as @Xabiachica mentioned?

I also (perhaps wrongly) thought that to get convenio especial, one had to be registered as resident.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Relyat said:


> It does involve paying the 60 Euros per person per month for EU citizens, again I don't know about others.





snikpoh said:


> So you're talking about convenio especial I guess. I wonder if that's the same scheme as @Xabiachica mentioned?
> 
> I also (perhaps wrongly) thought that to get convenio especial, one had to be registered as resident.


Yes that's right. for the_ convenio especial_ you have to have been a registered resident for 12 months before joining 


Which isn't the same thing as I was talking about - & I mis-remebered - it's 6 months on the padrón, not 12 

Los «sin papeles» deberán estar 6 meses empadronados para tener asistencia sanitaria


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## Relyat (Sep 29, 2013)

Snikpoh - Yes, see my previous.

Xabiachica - No.

They will accept EU citizen who has been Empadronamiento for 12 months at 60 Euros per month one does NOT need to be on the Foreigners Register ("Residency"). Also required was the letter from Newcastle confirming that there was no entitlement to UK cover. Whether this is a misinterpretation of the scheme, or a deliberate side step in the wake of the ruling that they couldn't just enrol anyone, I don't know.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Relyat said:


> Snikpoh - Yes, see my previous.
> 
> Xabiachica - No.
> 
> They will accept EU citizen who has been Empadronamiento for 12 months at 60 Euros per month one does NOT need to be on the Foreigners Register ("Residency"). Whether this is a misinterpretation of the scheme, or a deliberate side step in the wake of the ruling that they couldn't just enrol anyone, I don't know.


Everyone I have known who has signed up to the_ convenio especial _ has had to provide proof of duration of residency by way of a resident card/certificate

Here's a link to the application form for the Valencia region. http://www.gva.es/downloads/publicados/IN/19162_BI.pdf It says that you have to provide proof that you're on the padrón & *also*


> Documentación acreditativa de la residencia efectiva en España durante un periodo continuado mínimo de un año inmediatamente anterior a
> la fecha de la presentación de la solicitud.


I've looked at application forms for other regions which ask for the same documentation - although Asturias only wants padrón :confused2:

The only recognised proof of duration of residence is the resident card/cert.

Yes of course (if from the UK) you need the 'Newcastle letter' which confirms that you no longer have right to healthcare elsewhere. That should deter those who 'don't really live in Spain'  Other countries have their own version, of course


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## Relyat (Sep 29, 2013)

No arguing with what you've supplied there and also no arguing with the fact that only proof of Padron was required - no mention whatsoever of "Residency".


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