# Moving to Spain with Type-1 Diabetes



## taftaylor (May 30, 2018)

Hi, everyone! 

I have some seen some similar threads but none that quite match my situation so really hoping someone can share their knowledge with me. 

I work as an ESL teacher and I am going to move from the UK to Tarragona for 8 months in September. I am a type-1 diabetic and so I need a way of getting my medication while I am here. A lot of the jobs here are no-contract and so it seems like I will have to pay the 270 euro monthly social security fee myself, but I can't afford it on my salary. Most ESL teachers seem to just work without healthcare cover but as I said, I need to get insulin. 

I know that long-term, the problem is with my pay, and not with the system itself, and if I settle permanently, I will have to find a better paying job to cover these expenses. 

In the meantime, is there any way I can get my insulin in Spain?

Can I import it from the UK? Can I get my family to post my prescription and fill it here?

Is there any temporary cover I could obtain? Any other ideas? 

My trip seems impossible at the moment so I will be so so grateful for any help. 

Thanks!

Theo


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

taftaylor said:


> Hi, everyone!
> 
> I have some seen some similar threads but none that quite match my situation so really hoping someone can share their knowledge with me.
> 
> ...


If you are working, you should either have a contract with the company, or be paying autónomo.

In either case you'll be covered for state healthcare.

If you work with neither of those you will be working illegally.

problem solved


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## taftaylor (May 30, 2018)

Hi Xabiachica!

Thanks so much! That's good to know. How to travellers usually do it? I'm confused by the amount of the autónomo payment vs the amount people travelling and working usually earn. I don't want to avoid paying my contributions but it just doesn't seem possible. Feel like I must be missing a trick somewhere here. Or is there discounts? I remember hearing that the UK will cover you a certain number of months depending on your tax contributions, but I can't find any info on it at all (hopefully I didn't dream it)

Anything to help me would be so great.

Thank again! 

Theo


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

taftaylor said:


> I remember hearing that the UK will cover you a certain number of months depending on your tax contributions, but I can't find any info on it at all (hopefully I didn't dream it)


They used to (at one time people below retirement age who moved to another EU country could get what was called a residual S1 which would cover their healthcare for up to two years, depending on their NI contribution record) but that was stopped by the UK Government in 2014.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Would the OP qualify for the reduced rate contributions for new autonomos of €50 per month for the first year?

https://infoautonomos.eleconomista....-plana-autonomos-50-euros-mayores-30-jovenes/

I don't know if someone could register as autonomo if they were actually working for an employer (eg a language school) but other forum members know much more about the self-employent rules than I do.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Lynn R said:


> Would the OP qualify for the reduced rate contributions for new autonomos of €50 per month for the first year?
> 
> https://infoautonomos.eleconomista....-plana-autonomos-50-euros-mayores-30-jovenes/
> 
> I don't know if someone could register as autonomo if they were actually working for an employer (eg a language school) but other forum members know much more about the self-employent rules than I do.


Many language schools expect teachers to be self employed now, but there's no money in it for the teachers


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## cermignano (Feb 9, 2017)

Could you not go on to the uk gov website and find out if you can get it with your EHIC card?


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Lynn R said:


> *Would the OP qualify for the reduced rate contributions for new autonomos of €50 per month for the first year?
> *
> https://infoautonomos.eleconomista....-plana-autonomos-50-euros-mayores-30-jovenes/
> 
> I don't know if someone could register as autonomo if they were actually working for an employer (eg a language school) but other forum members know much more about the self-employent rules than I do.


Yes, the OP will qualify for that.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

cermignano said:


> Could you not go on to the uk gov website and find out if you can get it with your EHIC card?


That's for holidaymakers, not for people moving to work.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

xabiachica said:


> Yes, the OP will qualify for that.


Good. Hopefully that would solve his problem then, as he was asking if there were any discounts available on the normal €270 per month contributions, and said he is planning to stay in Spain for less than a year. I suppose there would be additional costs if he used a gestor to complete the necessary returns, though.


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## taftaylor (May 30, 2018)

Thanks, everyone. This has been so helpful.


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## kaipa (Aug 3, 2013)

Your post seems to imply you are moving somewhere definite for a specific time and you then say you are a ESL teacher. Do you have work lined up already or are you hoping to find work when you arrive?
If you have work then you should have some kind of contract. If you don't have a contract then the work is illegal and the school will most likely be rubbish and not worth trusting. Even if you only have a few hours a week you will have some kind of contract and therefore be eligible for state care. Where you get the notion that English teachers don't have cover or are all autonomo is beyond me and sounds apocryphal. 
Quite simply if you have a legal job you are covered if not you are illegal are therefore not covered. The rest of your ideas are just a waste or time energy and possibly money


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