HEALTH CARE

Please click on the a link below to find out more:-         

People Living Overseas                       
Retired People
Working People
Preliminary Research
People neither Working nor over UK Retirement Age
People with Holiday Homes Abroad
Chemists                      

PEOPLE LIVING OVERSEAS

Once you have left the UK  to live overseas you will become dependant upton the local healthcare system.  You will, generally, have no right to use the British National Health Service except in the same way as any other EU citizen.  The EU has rules that stipulate that member states must offer emergency treatment to citizens of other member states. This means that you will not be entitled to arrange to go to the UK for free treatment but if you are visiting the UK you will be entitled to receive if from the NHS.

The detailed rules as to eligibility for medical treatment in other EU countries, naturally, vary from country to country.

RETIRED PEOPLE

If you are over UK retirement age you will be entitled to receive medical care in any EU country in which you live on the same basis as any local person. So will your dependents.

You will need to understand the local rules as they will differ from the rules to which you are accustomed.  Some things that you might expect to be covered might not be covered but at the same time the overseas system might cover items that are not covered by our NHS.

Many local people take out an insurance policy – usually quite cheaply – to cover aspects of healthcare that are not automatically covered by the local system.

Your passport to this free care is in your form E121, obtained from the DSS before you leave England.

WORKING PEOPLE

People who are working and  are paying social security contributions – will also be covered by the local systems. So will their dependents.

The self employed who are paying local social security contributions will be similarly covered.
Both will need to understand the local rules.

PEOPLE NEITHER WORKING NOR OVER UK RETIREMENT AGE

You will not automatically be covered by the local scheme but will need to make arrangements to join, paying whatever fee they charge in your case, or you will need private health care insurance.  You can obtain this from a number of local and international companies.  There is a wide variety of cover available and considerable variation in the cost of cover. You will need proof of insurance when applying for a resident’s card.

PRELIMINARY RESEARCH

Before you decide to move overseas it is worth checking your eligibility to healthcare and the cost of both top up insurance and full private health insurance. If you take any medicines on a regular basis it is also worth checking whether you are going to have to pay all or part of the cost of those medicines and, if so, the likely sums involved.

PEOPLE WITH HOLIDAY HOMES ABROAD

You will be covered by the EU emergency arrangements referred to above if you have a holiday home in an EU country which you will visit for three or four weeks at a time.  You will not need health insurance.  You should take the form E111 when you travel.  This is available from the DSS.

Despite your entitlement to emergency treatment it is worthwhile taking out an annual travel insurance policy. This usually covers you for more than the bare emergency arrangements (such as cover for repatriation or loss of luggage) and costs very little. Check the policy carefully as the period for which these policies offer cover is limited.  Most will only cover you for individual visits of up to either 30 or 90 days duration.

CHEMISTS

Farmacias - chemist shops, display a large green cross outside. They are open normal shop hours - usually 09.00 to 13.30 and 17.00 to 21.00 but are only open on Saturday mornings. There will be an emergency chemist on duty in each town outside these hours; details will be displayed on the door of all chemists. To find out which chemist is on emergency duty, either telephone the local police, the health centre or check on the door of any chemist’s shop where the duty rota will be displayed. The chemist will always offer advice on medication for minor ailments

EDUCATION

The standard of education in Spain is very high and since entering the EU; it has become simple to transfer between systems with full recognition of qualifications.

Schools and colleges are available in all areas, although Alicante boasts two of Spain’s premier universities. If your children are still young it is recommended that they are educated in a Spanish school.  State education is free and most young children are quick to learn the language.

Alternatively, they can attend private international schools where study is in English.  Most British schools in Spain belong to the National Association of British Schools (NABS) whose members are visited and approved by British School inspectors.

Further information about Spanish schools, both state and private, can be obtained from the Spanish Embassy.