Hi, me and my girlfriend were thinking of working and living in Spain, we are both british citizens, and i was wondering what sort of paper work would we need for example do we need a visa? we are also thinking of buying a Villa there are there any laws that may restrict us on the purchase of it? another question is about health or any type of emergencys, what will the procedures be if we ever need any type of medical attention? I would be very greatful if someone could answer all my question. Thanks in advance.
Other - Spain - 6 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
Being British you have the right to live and work in Spain because of the UK being in the EU. Along with about a million other Brits you can buy a villa. However, my advice to you would be to come for a visit, make an appointment to see an English speaking abogado (lawyer) and get their professional advice on how to proceed. You can do much of it yourself, but I chose to do it through my abogado. As for health care, if you are under 65 you will need to make the necessary arrangements once you are here, and it will not be with the Spanish health service. Furthermore, if you do everything correctly, when you leave the UK you should inform the NHS that you are leaving. Once you do that, you will not be able to use the NHS in the UK even though you are British citizens. There are some very good private health clinics here. You may also like to contact a private health insurer.
2 :
Carajillo is right about buying property. ALWAYS, ALWAYS,ALWAYS, get a good Spanish speaking lawyer, as some properties , especially in the south of Spain are illegal and you could buy in good faith , only to have it bulldozed. There are many people who have spent their life savings only to have a house worth nothing. Be careful what you buy because if you change your mind you will have a lot of problems selling in the short term as people can't get mortgages and unemployment is sky high. If a miracle happens and you do get a job and your employer makes the social security payments i.e. you are working legally, you will then be entitled to Spanish " NHS " health care. You will only need to go private until you find legal work. I cannot stress enough how difficult this will be for you. Unemployment is around 27 % but in some places is at 50 % and the few jobs that are available go to friends and family of people involved. In Spain it is very much WHO you know and not WHAT you know. Do you speak Spanish ? I lived in Spain 20 years and speak Spanish better than some native Spaniards and I found it difficult to find work lately. Do not expect to have the same workers rights as you have in the U.K. because although the law gives you those rights, they are rarely respected in practice and as unemployment is so high you have to take whatever job is available. When you arrive you must go with your passport and preferably birth certificate to the local police station and register. they will then give you a document ( with an I.D number ) which gives you permission to live in the country. If you are there full time you really should do this. You must carry your passport or driving licence at all times as you MUST have photo I.D. on you at all times and you can be fined if you are stopped and do not have it. You can have a great life in Spain if you adapt to their way of doing things, learn the language and are lucky enough to have a stable job, which really is the hardest thing. edit * If you have a medical emergency phone the emergency services 112 and they will help you but you will be charged. if you take out private medical insurance this should cover the cost, but as I stated before this will only be necessary until ONE of you is working legally as the you can both go on that medical card.I don't know if the British NHS will cover you for the first 3 months in case of emergency , check that out. You can then get a permanent doctor at the local ambulatorio (clinic). Be ready for a lot of red tape which can be infuriating and you will be asked for a lot of photocopies !!!!! The first thing is register at the Police station ( Policia Local ) to get your N.I.E. ( I.D.number) good luck and enjoy.
3 :
You do not need a visa, we are all in the EU. However, here is a local website that some of us use and it may be of help to asnwering alot of your questions. http://costablanca.angloinfo.com/ I have lived here 20 years, but would not advise you to buy a villa, and hope to work here........that sadly is not even possible for many of us already here (including Spaniards) Feel free to contact me if you need more info
4 :
Being British, you don't need a visa. But where the heck do you think you're going to find work in a country where the unemployment rates are over 20%? I don't know about your medical emergency question, but I think it's less paperwork than if you weren't EU...Good luck with that.
5 :
over 20% unemployment!!!! forget finding work
6 :
As a British Citizen you do not require a Visa to live or work in Spain, but once you have been living here for over 90 Days you are required to apply for a Residency certificate ( Link to article - http://www.tumbit.com/how-to-guides/articles/2-applying-for-residential-status-residencia.html ) You should also look into each getting your NIE number, without which you can not buy a House, Car, Get a Job, open a Bank Account or have a Contract for any utilities ( Link to article - http://www.tumbit.com/how-to-guides/articles/27-nie-number.html ) If you are serious about coming to Spain get your NIE number straight away, and RENT before you buy as this will give you the chance to see if you are suited to living abroad and allow you to change your mind about the area and you want to be in and the type of property you prefer, if needs be.
