# Smoothly Registering our S1 Forms!



## ericban (Oct 18, 2012)

Hi and phew,

Another step done towards legally living in Spain. Registering our S1 Forms.

I did a google search for my local INSS Office and it appears there are 2, one in Murcia and one in Cartagena. Both are around the 25 miles from us, so I chose to go to Cartagena as that is the city I applied for my Residencia in. 

I decided to go alone rather than to drag the family along, as I had to register the 3 of us and the consensus on here was that "If a Gestor can do it for you, then why can't on of us do it"? I took along the whole pack of items I listed on the "Can someone help me with my Padron Problem Thread" and crossed my fingers.

Half way there I realised I had forgotten the IPad, oops, translation was out of the window then! Thanks to my new friend http://duolingo.com I felt confident enough to carry on and give it a go.

I found the Officina de Seguridad Social easily thanks to viewing Google Street View the night before. I Entered and spoke to the receptionist. He spoke no English so I explained what I needed to do in my very limited Spanish. He checked the papers I had and gave me a ticket. It was 845, the display showed 843, great, considering there were around 50 people in the reception. I waited 10 minutes and was called through to a desk and met an administrator who spoke no English.

I showed him what I had, he smiled an we commenced. Throughout the process he spoke Spanish to me as if I understood, but was very forgiving when I didn't, even sketching on a pad to explain something to me.

I had everything I needed and much more. The process took over an hour as he got out a manual and studied each page one at a time, filling across the info from each of our sets of documents.

At the end he printed out 3 E121 documents, got them signed by his boss then handed them to me.

I asked him if I had to wait for the card to get my doctor ( in my eloquent Spanish). He replied no, go to regional health centre now to register. This seems to be what quite a few on here have been told, so we will give it a go.

I hope this is of help, onwards now to the last step in our epic saga of settling legally and having healthcare in Spain, getting our Doctors. 

Regards
EB



I


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

I really do hope that it all works out for you.

My only concern is that he printed out E121 forms - these were replaced some years ago with the S1 forms and are no longer valid!

Welcome to Spain!


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## Allie-P (Feb 11, 2013)

Congratulations ericban,

I am so glad that everything was done immediately for you....

This INSS postcode lottery is very annoying. Why can't they all follow the same procedure ???


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## Andyroo (Feb 28, 2012)

I'm doing exactly this on Monday hopefully. Would you be able to list everything I need please??? Thank you x


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## ericban (Oct 18, 2012)

Andyroo,

This is what I took:
As we were registering Myself, Wife and Daughter.

Birth and marriage certificates for each of us plus photocopies of all
Padron issued yesterday plus copy
3 x S1 certs and the covering letter (to hand over to them, you don't get them back)
3 x residentia certs plus copies
3 x passports plus copies of passports
rental agreement
electricity bill
passport photos for each person

We did not need the photos, electricity bill and rental agreement.

Hope this helps
Regards
EB


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## Andyroo (Feb 28, 2012)

Oh dear I'd better cancel my appointment my residencia isn't complete yet  thank you


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Andyroo said:


> Oh dear I'd better cancel my appointment my residencia isn't complete yet  thank you


 they issue the resident cert on the spot as long as you have all the paperwork with you......


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## Andyroo (Feb 28, 2012)

Do you mean sip?


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Andyroo said:


> Do you mean sip?


no - your resident registration certificate

you said


> my residencia isn't complete yet


all you have to do is take the required paperwork to the extranjería & they issue the residents cert - you might need an appt, but when you go you leave with the cert.


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

ericban said:


> ...
> 
> At the end he printed out 3 E121 documents, got them signed by his boss then handed them to me.
> 
> ...


Hi - what did you and they do with the E121's? or did you really mean S1's?


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

snikpoh said:


> Hi - what did you and they do with the E121's? or did you really mean S1's?


have to admit that confused me - they took their S1s into the office with them


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## ericban (Oct 18, 2012)

We handed in our S1s. The assistant at the INSS filled all our info into the computer then printed us E121 forms.

These are to be taken to our GP when we decide on one, which we haven't yet. We will do it this week sometime.

Regards
EB


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

ericban said:


> We handed in our S1s. The assistant at the INSS filled all our info into the computer then printed us E121 forms.
> 
> These are to be taken to our GP when we decide on one, which we haven't yet. We will do it this week sometime.
> 
> ...


You will not need the E121's or be asked for them. As I stated earlier, they are obsolete and must not be used.


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## ericban (Oct 18, 2012)

Hi snikpoh,

I must admit I am also confused now.

All that we now have are 3 x E121 Certificates in Spanish printed out and given to us by the INSS In Catagena a couple of days ago. (Are you saying he should have printed us new S1 Forms in Spanish and has made a cockup?)

The assistant has told us to take them to the Roldan Health Centre or another if we choose one, and not to wait the 5-6 weeks for the card to come.

That is what we will do ATM.

I understand what you are saying, but as we have nothing else to take, and we have no GP until we go and register with one, we will do as he says and then adjust course accordingly if he was wrong.

Thanks for the advice though, seriously. We are at least forewarned as to why if we are sent packing, and can go back to Cartagena INSS armed with this new information. lol

EB


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## anles (Feb 11, 2009)

I shouldn't worry, here in Galicia they are still issuing E-121 forms, too. Obviously, they are not obsolete here. In Spain, it frequently takes time to update new forms and often you get official forms that have been amended, often in pen by the clerk who is processing the paperwork!


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## Allie-P (Feb 11, 2013)

The Information Note, received with the document which grants us the right to access free health care, received recently from the Fuengirola INSS, mentions the registered E121. 

The document itself is not numbered, but is dated 23 November 2005. The form, obviously, has not been updated, since the recent changes.

I now have my card, OH is still waiting - but we have both been registered on the Spanish health state system. Although, be warned, it took 7 weeks in this region !!

There is so much confusion about past & present- which is why I, as a recent arrival, have been sharing my experiences


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## ericban (Oct 18, 2012)

Thanks again for the replies. I will take the forms in this afternoon or tomorrow and update on our outcome.

Regards
EB


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## ericban (Oct 18, 2012)

snikpoh,

My appologies. The form/certificate I have been given does mention the E121 in the text but is not one. It is called 'documento acreditativo del derecho a la asistancia sanitaria'.

Roldan health centre have just informed me that I cannot use it to get a Doctor directly, but I must now take this to Torre Pacheco (our Municipal Administrative town) and present them to an office where we will be allocated a Doctor here in Roldan or as near as possible and be given a temporary card until our plastic ones arrive.

I have an appointment at 1200 tomorrow.

The quest for Medical Cover continues. lol

Regards
EB


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## Allie-P (Feb 11, 2013)

Yes, the document quoted is the correct one & the E121 is only mentioned in the accompanying notes........

We went to the Health centre used by our neighbours.....they are address related.

Your quest is nearly at it's end......Peace of mind, at last !!


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## ericban (Oct 18, 2012)

Hi again,

Sorry it has taken a few days to update. I took the forms that our S1s had been exchanged for to the Torre Pacheco address that was given to me by the Roldan Medical Centre on Thursday. It turned out to be a Medical Centre too. I handed over my appointment card to the receptionist and was shown to a seat.

About 30 mins later a man called my name. About 5 Spanish locals tried to push in front of me when he walked towards the reception desk saying my name. I just held up my appointment card and said it was me. They returned to their seats crestfallen. Good job I had an appointment as I would have been uncomfortable with the free for all that was gathering near his desk waiting for me to finish.

We sat down, then we quickly followed in the familiar pattern of confirming he had zero English and I had a small bit of (rapidly improving due to necessity) Spanish.

He took the forms, allocated us all new doctors and asked a few questions such as proof of address etc. I had taken along copies of Residentia cards so that was easy.

We now have certificates that will run out in early September, these are meant to cover us until our cards arrive. However I was talking to another lady from here and she is on her second one of those certificates and all her medical treatment and persciptions were stopped until she went through the process to renew it again. She has been waiting several months now for her card with no sign of it. Fingers crossed.

Job done

I went straight to Roldan Medical Centre to confirm it was done. I was eventually able to ascertain that it was indeed done, with the help of an English Speaking orderly who was passing and asked if I needed help. The receptionist was being stern, unhelpful and unwilling to even allow me to use Google Translate to get my thoughts across. It will be fun when we actually need to use the centre for real!

I hope this is of help.

Now for the final hurdle. Buying a Car!!!

Regards
EB


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Well done and congratulations.

I can't emphasize enough the need to learn some basic Spanish.

There are a few, English, car dealers on the Costa Blanca. I'm sure even the Spanish ones will be helpful and have some English when you show that you are interested in buying a car.

Are you buying new or second hand? I found it really tough when I started looking for a new car - not one of the salesmen were interested in 'doing a deal'! They showed me the price list and it was a very much 'take it or leave it' attitude even when we tried to bargain (and yes, we speak Spanish).


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## gus-lopez (Jan 4, 2010)

ericban said:


> Hi again,
> 
> Sorry it has taken a few days to update. I took the forms that our S1s had been exchanged for to the Torre Pacheco address that was given to me by the Roldan Medical Centre on Thursday. It turned out to be a Medical Centre too. I handed over my appointment card to the receptionist and was shown to a seat.
> 
> ...


Here , when you register & get the documento acreditativo when you register this at the health centre the paper is valid for the same 4 years that the card will be. Last time my wife's never turned up for 2 years , mine came after 3 weeks 
When we renewed last july same again. mine after 3 weeks & wife' s arrived this february .
funny that we are both in Murcia & they do it different over there ?


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## ericban (Oct 18, 2012)

I was warned about discrepancies in how regional centres did their business. I think is has been fairly relaxed here. I have got nothing translated, apostiled and have not had to use a Gestor to date. However others have done those things and more. So I think we have been quite lucky.

Regarding the car, we have been trying to buy one for weeks. We have a limited budget of around 2k euros ans I will only have a Diesel. There are lots about but they are all private sales, and it frankly horrifies me going to someone's house to view it and negotiate with my limited Spanish and the Spanish paperwork.

Basic Spanish is definitely needed. I am kicking myself for not learning earlier, but back in December we didn't even know which country we were going to move to. lol

Regards
EB


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