# dual citizen - husband has irish./ uk passports - is my wife also covered.



## Rufus9999 (May 22, 2021)

HI all, my wife and I plan to retire to spain in the next few years. 

I have irish parents (both) and when checking the irish gov website, I was surprised to find that I am already considered a citizen of the irish republic and can apply get an irish passport.

If I got the irish passport, would this give my wife the right to retire with me and become a permanent resident.in spain.
Also would having the irish (EU) passport entitle both of us to free health care or would my wife have to get private insurance as she has had a stroke previously and this would prove, difficult /expensive.

Any other advantages to having an EU(IRISH) passport as apposed to the UK passport.


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## kaipa (Aug 3, 2013)

One possible problem ( which is being flagged up by some people through experience) is the UK driving licence. Even if you are a European citizen if you have a UK licence you can not exchange it for Spanish one. In other words you need an Irish one and to get that you need to be resident in Ireland not simply a citizen. That appears to be the situation so far.


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## kalohi (May 6, 2012)

If you get your Irish passport then yes, your wife can get residency in Spain through you - as a family member of an EU citizen. However, the residency wouldn't be permanent until after having lived in Spain for 5 years (true for both of you).

Working out healthcare could be trickier. Having an Irish passport does not entitle you to Spanish healthcare. If you are a UK pensioner you might have a right to it, but I'm sure how that would work if you came here on your Irish passport. I'm not from the UK so I'm not the one to be advising you about this. Maybe someone else will pitch in.


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