Estate agents on the Costa del Sol
Have You Stopped to Think About Healthcare?
How is your search for Costa del Sol properties for sale going? Moving to Spain is exciting, fun, scary and overwhelming at times! It can feel like you're forgetting something important, and thankfully most issues simply take some planning and common sense to overcome. However, something that may have been keeping you up at night is healthcare. In the UK you are guaranteed NHS coverage, but you may be wondering, what happens to this coverage in Spain?
It is first of all important to let the authorities know that you are moving to Spain, and getting registered correctly upon arrival in Spain. The first step in doing this is obtaining your NIE number, and then going to your local health centre and asking for the corresponding paperwork and advice. You may want to recruit an interpreter for this, as the presence of a member of staff fluent in English will not be guaranteed in every centre, though some do have volunteer interpreters.
If you are staying temporarily, you may want to register with EHIC which provides healthcare coverage to some degree or another for all EU citizens throughout the EU. You will get a card which will allow you to register with a GP and obtain care. However, if you are staying on a permanent basis, you will have to register for proper healthcare. You will be able to be advised on how to do this in a health centre. In this case you will receive a tarjeta sanitaria (health card) which will serve the same purpose as the EHIC card, on a more permanent basis. This may take some time, but you may need it! In any case, you will have to make sure you have correct health insurance in case of an emergency - you don't want to be stuck with a huge hospital bill just because of forgetfulness!
There are quite a few tramites (formal processes) you will have to go through when moving to Spain, but your life will be a lot easier when you have all of your proverbial ducks in a row. Here at The Spanish Estate Agent we believe in open and honest communication, and will be happy to answer any questions you may have about healthcare while we show you the lovely homes for sale on the Costa del Sol.