FAQ: Basics

All the information about these basic documents is HERE. Basically, though, a NIE (white) is just a number to identify foreigners when they are conducting official transactions in Spain, whereas the Registro (green) was a certificate given to foreigners who registered (as we’re all required to do by law) as foreigners living permanently in Spain. The document was issued up to 2 July 2020 but from 6 July 2020, with the UK having left the EU on 31 January 2020, the Registro system has been replaced by the third-country nationals’ TIE: please see the above link and HERE.

Yes, you can do it yourself! The details for applying for the TIE, and those for transferring from the Registro, are HERE.

No. Initial registrations are not permanent until five years have passed. At that point, and since under EU Directive 2004/38 registrants cannot be made to register twice, registrations become permanent in effect.

This is not an actual requirement but it is very difficult to imagine a situation where a resident wouldn’t have one. Whether working or self employed, or retired and bringing pension funds over, a bank account would be essential. And to pay rent, or set up direct debits for utilities, again a bank account would be essential.

Registration is a declaration to the immigration authorities of our details as foreigners legally resident in Spain, and so the immigration authorities must be informed of any changes that might affect our right to do so. These are all the obvious changes, namely nationality, marital status or address, or any other factor that might affect a right to reside in Spain.

They aren’t. A temporary NIE was introduced a few years ago to try to encourage foreigners living here to register with the police after three months, but since early 2017 NIEs are again permanent. The number itself has always been permanent anyway.

When someone comes to live in Spain, they have to register with the police. The document they are given makes their residence legal and allows them to open or maintain a “resident” account, for example. A non-resident is someone who has interests here but who doesn’t live here: if they have a bank account it will be a non-resident account, and for this they require a Certificado No Residente (non-resident certificate). See THIS page for a more detailed explanation. Tax residence is a different issue, and is automatically deemed to take place wherever you’re living after you’ve been out of the UK for around six months: see THIS page for a definition from a tax expert.

The resident travel discount is available for anyone living in the Canaries, Balearics, or the two Spanish cities in North Africa, Ceuta and Melilla. It is for any type of travel within Spain, and is available to anyone with a passport and registration document proving legal residence in Spain, and who is also registered on the padron of a local Ayuntamiento – this is to show that the traveller actually does live in an area where residents are entitled to the discount. Under the Government’s automated travel booking system (SARA), registration on a council padron is checked automatically, but the systems fails sometimes and occasionally details don’t match precisely, so it is advisable to carry a paper Empadronamiento in case the system rejects the discount – please note you specifically need an Empadronamiento “para viajar” (for travel) not just a regular Certificado de Empadronamiento.

Until mid 2018, the discount is of 50% on travel within Spain and 75% on travel between the Canary Islands. From July 2018, the discount is being increased to 75% across the board, flights and ferries, and for travel not just to the mainland but also to the Balearics and Ceuta and Melilla (see HERE).

Please also note that this is a Government system for resident travel discount. Discounts for entry to events and venues, and indeed so-called “resident discounts” on goods and services, have nothing to do with this scheme, and are unofficial, and organized privately and separately.

Yes, it’s correct for assets over a certain amount. Please have a read HERE for the full information.

First of all, you don’t need a “financial adviser”. This used to be a legal requirement for foreigners in Spain but it is no longer so. There is, though, a range of professionals and the names can be confusing. In order, these are:

• gestor – a general purpose administrator who deals with bureaucratic procedures (Tráfico, licences, etc) and who should have basic qualifications since the profession is regulated;
• asesor – an adviser as well as an administrator, what we might easily call an “expert”, and will normally specialise in a particular area – e.g. an asesor fiscal, an asesor laboral, etc. Foreigners normally come across them in their asesor fiscal guise, where they might be most easily compared with a certified as opposed to a chartered accountant. An asesor has a higher level qualification than a gestor, and will also be registered since the profession is regulated. It is actually an offence for someone to call themselves an asesor if they are not, which puts them on a level with accountants and lawyers;
• contador – a fully qualified accountant who is normally only needed if tax affairs are complex or international in nature;
• abogado – a lawyer, who has all the legal and professional status and qualifications that one would expect a lawyer to have.

Only in local elections. Anyone who lives in Tenerife can register with their local council. When they do so they are added to the list of local residents – the “padron”. To register, you need to show that you’re resident in the council area, and so will need to provide ID plus proof of where you’re living, either a rental contract or escritura if an owner. Once on the padron, residents can also request to be added to the census, which is the equivalent of the electoral list, and it is this that entitles them to vote. Municipalities welcome people registering because their regional funding depends on numbers: the more people registered, the more funds a municipality receives, and so it is in everyone’s interest that local residents register on the padron.  

If you have been legally resident in Spain for under five years residency status is lost after six months outside of Spain. Some few exceptions exist allowing for up to 12 months, such as serious illness, study etc. Those with permanencia, and so resident for more than five years and therefore with permanent status will only lose their status after five consecutive years out of Spain. Please note that this also applies to any rights guaranteed by the Withdrawal Agreement for those registering  as resident before end 2020: they will be lost along with residency status for these absences.

There are certain requirements for anyone leaving Spain to go back to the UK. Apart from anything else, a registered certified proof of this from the authorities here will help to show “intent to remain in the UK” should you need to pass an habitual residency claim for any benefits. The first thing is to deregister with the police and revoking your residence registration. Then you should inform your local town hall so that they can remove your details from the padron. You should also tell your surgery that you’re de-registering with the doctor. Bear in mind, too, that you might be asked for a criminal record certificate when applying for work in the UK, so it might be worth sorting that out in advance because it’s easier to do here than after you’re back in the UK. Details in English on how to do this are HERE.

It is important to be aware that if you are registered for social security contributions here, you must deregister otherwise your obligations and debts will continue to mount up in Spain – and could be recoverable through the UK Inland Revenue. On a positive note, however, any contributions made here can contribute to your future pension in the UK so if you’ve worked at all in Spain you should apply for a Vida Laboral. As far as I’m aware you can ask for this at any social security office, but there’s more information HERE.

Residents can marry legally in Tenerife, and if Catholics, can marry in a church as the registering body. For non-Catholic residents, the normal route is a register office, and for this, the most straightforward way will be to go to a local Juzgado de Paz (Justice of the Peace) – a translator can go along if language is a problem. The Registry Office will explain the documents needed, which will include full ID, proof of legal residence (i.e. registration document), birth certificate, a “certificate of no-impediment to marriage” which is obtained from the consulate who can also validate the birth certificates. It is also possible that certified proof of marital status will be required in addition to the “no impediment”. In all this, the consulate will be able to advise.

It won’t be the cheapest exercise to get all this documentation together, and I’ve known people pay several hundred Euros previously, and together with the “language issue” it means that many people choose to go to Gibraltar for the legal marriage ceremony. This is a far less onerous options in terms of paperwork because it’s British, and the civil ceremony can then be complemented here by a wedding celebrant doing a “wedding” celebration. Do note that wedding celebrants do not actually “marry” people because they are not legally empowered to perform the ceremony, and so what the celebrant is equivalent to a blessing rather than an official wedding ceremony as such, but for those who have a legal civil ceremony in a Spanish register office or go to Gibraltar for a British ceremony, wedding celebrants can offer a tailored wedding blessing in a dream environment.

The Winter Fuel Payment was made until 2014 after which it was abolished for some pensioners living abroad as part of the Conservative Government cuts. Now those who live in Cyprus, France, Gibraltar, Greece, Malta, Portugal or Spain are no longer entitled to it.

Just to clarify, because I’ve been asked more than once, someone living here permanently but using a UK address is not entitled to the payment … because anyone claiming benefits to which they are not properly entitled is committing benefits fraud.

Yes, carrying ID is a legal requirement, but the new Citizen Security law (aka the gag law) does not require this to be a passport: it allows for the ID to be an EU driver’s photo licence instead. Spanish police say, however, that although this is the case as far as they are concerned, private businesses or non-police legal entities, e.g. banks, may impose other requirements. Since this is the case, a passport is the safest thing for ID purposes, but obviously many people worry about it being lost or stolen. The easiest solution is for people to go to a notary and ask for a notarized copy, which is a photocopy made by the notary himself, on notarized paper, and with a notarial stamp and seal on it. It becomes an “original” passport as far as Spain is concerned … and so avoids the need to carry the booklet one issued in the UK. It costs just a few Euros. That will satisfy the police and anyone else.

Technically no. The most important thing is to have a UK Will because without a valid Will of any sort in place, your assets could end up being disposed of according to Spanish Law which could even mean, in the worst case scenario, that a spouse could not inherit all the entire estate. Having said that, a Spanish Will will make the whole process more straightforward and less expensive. The procedures will also be able to be completed much more rapidly, and so ensure that no late submission or late payment problems arise with inheritance tax.

For foreigners fiscally resident in Spain, EU regulation 650/2012, in force from 17 August 2015, requires Wills to contain a specific clause of preference as to the national law applicable – most British people will want British law to apply, and this must be expressly stated for security and peace of mind. Anyone making a new Will will find that this clause is automatically inserted; anyone with an existing Will drawn up in the last year or so should check their Will to ensure that the clause was inserted; anyone with an older existing Will, or a recent one without the clause, should get a new Will drawn up if they wish to ensure that British law applies to their Will in the event of their death. Please note that this applies only to those who are resident for tax purposes in Spain. Non-residents do not need to be concerned about this because the law applicable to their Wills will be that of the country in which they are resident – i.e. the UK.

To draw up a will, just go to any notary. All notaries have staff dedicated to foreigners’ wills, and they all speak good English. Obviously if the provisions of a will are not basic or standard, then qualified legal help from a lawyer is preferable to draw up the will properly. For most basic cases, however, it is not necessary.

You need to request a digital certificate and then you’re given a code which you take to the town hall. There you’ll be put in the computer with the code and will be sent an email with a link to finalise the process. Once you click the link it downloads the digital cert onto your computer, and then any time you try to do anything online, it automatically recognizes you from your computer … which is why you should only do any of this from your own computer. THIS link has the full information of how to do it.

Licences are issued by the regional government in Santa Cruz, see the link HERE. There are various categories and the normal is the third-class – angling and inshore fishing. (The first two categories are for fishing from recreational boats up to 3 nautical miles from the shore, or freedive spearfishing in certain areas). Of course, many anglers don’t actually bother, but for those who want to be legal, the place to start is the local council which will be able to advise whether it actually polices fishing in the municipality because it would be the Policía Local who would be responsible for any sanctions, and if they do, whether the council itself can issue a local licence or equivalent to serve as validation if the angler is checked by the local police. For those who go to Santa Cruz, this is how someone has described the procedure to me:

Just to let you know that I managed to get my fishing license without any fuss, and would like to pass on how easy it was. To get the permit, go to Oficino Multiple Usos 2 in Santa Cruz. Cross the road from the bus station, go down right to the bottom and the office is on the corner. You get a ticket from the machine on the ground floor, button P for Pesca. Wait for number on screen. Take passport. (not copy as stated on application form). You will be given an A4 document in tripulate to take to the bank. Pay €15.18, documents stamped & bank will retain one. Go back to the Oficina and get licence. I was given info from many different people not to go without interperator, but everyone I dealt with spoke very good English and were all extremely friendly, which make the whole thing very pleasant and pain free.

I’m afraid there’s no fast track for this. It’s a multi-stage, multi-location application, first to the town hall, who will ask for a medical report from the doctor: you can’t do this bit in advance because you need the town hall to specify what they need the report to say. Then you’ll be called for an assessment appointment with the Canarian Government in Santa Cruz, but there is a very long waiting list for this. After the assessment, you get a “level of disability” notice, and then you return to the town hall to apply for the badge, the type of which is given depending on the level of disability granted. In terms of length of process, I’m afraid that you are probably talking of a minimum of a year, perhaps nearer two.

Just to clarify a couple of things that often confuse people. First, UK blue badges are valid here, but only for visitors: anyone who lives here is required to apply for a badge issued here. Secondly, blue badges here entitle holders to park in designated disabled spaces and blue zones, but don’t allow drivers to park just anywhere, on double yellow lines, for example, or parking spaces reserved for (or owned by) private individuals. 

Yes, and not only a dog, but cats too. The law requires all pets to be microchipped and registered. Registration is done at local councils. See HERE, and the Animals section of the Resources page on the tabs at the top of this page.

No. It used to be the case, but the law changed in January 2016 so that policy holders only need to give one month’s notice to be able to change insurer and not renew with an existing provider. The law is HERE, and the relevant article is 22.2.

The best is THIS free e-book written by traffic police on the mainland (and who post on Facebook as N332): it was translated into English by several people including myself.

Yes, HERE.

The ITV is a road-worthiness test applied to all vehicles over a few years old (varies depending on type of vehicle) and has to be renewed regularly at periods as specified in the car papers (varies depending on type of vehicle). If the ITV has expired, the vehicle may only be used to take it to the ITV centre or to a garage for work necessary for it to pass an ITV. In both cases, an appointment has to be made to prove that the vehicle is on the road without an ITV but for a permitted reason. Everything is online now and so most drivers find that they don’t need to prove insurance but insurance is a legal requirement for all vehicles, even if off the road and on your own property. 

You need to check every 24 hours because signs are frequently put up saying that parking is restricted for one reason or another between particular times, and 24 hours are required as notice after which a vehicle is towed away at not inconsiderable cost for towing, storage and fine. This means that drivers really must check if a car is just parked on the side of the road for more than 24 hours but it is not actually illegal to do so.

Yes, either within two years of registering as a resident or at the point the licence expires. There are nothing but advantages for anyone living here to exchanging a UK licence for a Spanish one, e.g. its effective use as an ID card, and you don’t have to pay fines on the spot if you have one, and the UK authorities confirm that Spanish licences will always be accepted in the UK.

The maximum – and minimum! – speed limits on Spanish roads, and the fines imposed and points lost for speeding offences, are all explained HERE (also see THIS post).

This is possibly a confusion with the requirement to register with the police once living here for three months. The key words are “living here”, so if you’re here more than 90 days but not actually “living here”, e.g. on a long holiday, then no, you are non-resident and do not have to register with the police – or change your licence. The best thing will be to have a Certificado No-Residente – if you have any dealings here, like a bank account, then you will need one anyway – which will  be accepted by the traffic police as proof that you’re not resident should you find yourself in a situation where they’re considering fining you as a resident who hasn’t changed their driving licence. See THIS page too. 

There are two procedures you go through with a driving licence: a canje, and a renovación. The first is an “exchange”, which you do when changing a UK driving licence for a Spanish one. The second is a renovación, which you do when your old licence expires. Either now requires a medical test even though some time ago one was not needed for a canje.

No. Anyone who drives in Spain must have a valid licence. A provisional licence is for learner drivers only, and not valid for qualified drivers in the UK, let alone elsewhere; indeed, learners cannot drive in Spain even if accompanied by a qualified driver, but must be accompanied by a qualified registered driving instructor. Needless to say, apart from any fine incurred, anyone driving without the correct licence for Spain will not be covered by insurance even if they think they are.

To be clear, because I am astonished at how often I am asked this, under Spanish and EU law, drivers are only allowed to drive outside their home country if they have a valid licence. A UK provisional licence is a learner’s licence, issued by the UK and used by British drivers in the UK only while they are learning to drive before they take their test. It is therefore not a full licence, and therefore not valid. There is no exception to this rule.

The answer is a slightly qualified “yes”. They are legal but there are data protection issues because they film publicly and could contain images of police doing their job which is not normally permitted. And so, police may never be filmed, and indeed, unless permission is obtained, footage which shows the faces of members of the public or their vehicles’ numberplates cannot be published in any way including posts on social media. Dashcams are also only legal if properly fitted and secured, and not actually manipulated while driving, and they may not affect the drivers’ view of the road and surroundings. 

You’ll need to provide the permiso, registration document, ITV, road tax and your own ID. There’ll also need to be a sale contract – leaving the sale price blank (this is put in by Tráfico themselves according to their official valuation and the tax for the transfer is based on that). There’ll also be a form to fill in with Tráfico itself. Almost more importantly than all this, though, is to retain control of the process: obviously the buyer will want to have control as well, and in fact the transfer is the buyer’s legal responsibility, but there are far too many stories of vehicle owners “selling” their car and then finding that the paperwork was never processed. This means that any fines or charges levied against the vehicle will come straight to the old owner’s door, and involve them in having to make official declarations, etc. My recommendation would be that both seller and buyer agree an independent gestor to take care of the process, then both sides can be reassured that it is done properly, and that it is actually done at all!

The police say that the following rules govern mobility vehicles, invalid carriages and electric wheelchairs:

• You don’t need a licence to drive a mobility scooter or powered wheelchair.
• All vehicles can be used on footpaths, pavements, bridleways, and in pedestrian areas. The specific rules are dependent on bylaws established council by council, and so will vary. When it comes to the use of personal mobility vehicles on roads, police supply THESE criteria from Tráfico in the absence of specific regulation. Needless to say, mobility vehicles must never be used in bus lanes, ‘cycle only’ lanes, or on the motorway.
• All normal parking restrictions apply.
• They do not have to be registered.
• Insurance is not a legal requirement, though police strongly advise a policy to cover personal safety, other people’s safety and the value of the vehicle.
• There is no vehicle tax.
• Drivers will be required by law to pay compensation if they have an accident which was their fault.
• Vehicles designed to carry two people are not defined as an “invalid carriage” and so cannot be used on public pavements or roads. With regard to children, the law does not explicitly ban an adult carrying an infant in a sling but it is not permitted to carry anyone else on a mobility vehicle e.g. children standing on the vehicle, or another adult sitting on the drivers lap, etc

You can bring you car here and drive it perfectly legally provided it’s legally on the road in the UK, but after six months it will need matriculating, i.e. to be put on Spanish registration plates (regulations HERE). This can be tricky and/or expensive, so it’s best to check whether it’s possible before you start. Ask mechanics as well as paperwork people because there will be mechanical work involved in adapting the vehicle to Spanish specifications in order to matriculate, and a garage which would do this would almost certainly also take care of the paperwork for you.

Some second-hand car businesses argue that they are only obliged to give a six month guarantee, others that the guarantee only covers certain parts of the vehicle, and yet others argue both! All are wrong. For second-hand vehicles bought from a business the law requires a one-year guarantee against any fault at all that was not obvious at the time of purchase. The relevant legislation is article 125 of Ley General para la Defensa de los Consumidores y los Usuarios, and articles 1461 & 1484 of the Código Civil. When vehicles are bought from private individuals rather than garages, there’s a six-month period in which the vendor has to respond to any problems.

The legal limits are strict: 0.50 mg alcohol per litre of blood/0.25 mg per litre of exhaled air (for professional drivers and those within the first two years of their licences, those limits are reduced further to 0.30 and 0.15). In August 2013 fines were increased from €500 to €1,000. As a general guide, two small glasses of wine or one small can of beer reaches the limit for a man of average build and weighing around 12 stone. When it comes to drugs, the limit is zero, and police say that detectable traces can remain even six hours after taking drugs. For more information see HERE and HERE.

Children under three years of age or any child under 135cm tall regardless of age must be seated in the rear in a child car seat; those between three and twelve years of age and who are over 135cm tall must sit in a booster seat, which can be in the front or rear. For more information see HERE and HERE.

It’s not illegal to drive in flipflops BUT, the law requires footwear to be comfortable and, above all, safe, and Tráfico says that it does not consider flipflops to be safe primarily because they have no heel. So, although technically not against the law, a fine for driving unsafely is always a possibility if wearing flipflops or indeed any mules or shoes without heels, and if involved in an accident whilst wearing them where there is no other obvious cause, a charge of dangerous driving is an actual likelihood. And for all those who think this is a “Spanish oddity”, the same applies in the UK! See HERE.

Despite popular mythology, there are clear rules for use of roundabouts in Spain. HERE is a Guardia Civil Tráfico page with links to explanations, including an infographic HERE. In a nutshell, the rules work exactly as in the UK except in the case of going straight on at a roundabout. In the UK, one can use either lane of a two-lane roundabout. In Spain, one must use the right hand (outside) lane, leaving the left hand (inside) lane for cars taking an exit more than halfway round the roundabout. All cars must exit the roundabout from the outside lane, so even if using the inside lane to go more than halfway round a roundabout, drivers must move into the outside lane before exiting. HERE is a Policía Local animation video of the correct way to use roundabouts. The speed limit on roundabouts, regardless of all other factors and unless explicitly stated otherwise, is 40 km/h.

 Article 65 of the Reglamento General de Circulación says that drivers have priority except:

a) at pedestrian crossings.
b) when turning into another road where pedestrians are crossing, whether there’s a pedestrian crossing or not,
c) when the vehicle has to go onto a pavement.

The law is clear: if someone is on a crossing, drivers must stop, but pedestrians cannot just walk onto a crossing and expect a driver to stop on a sixpence. Indeed the law requires drivers to stop safely, and if they cannot do so because a pedestrian steps out unexpectedly, the pedestrian will be the one at fault.

Despite widespread belief to the contrary, cyclists can ride two abreast in Spain, but only if there is enough visibility for oncoming traffic … and providing there are not vehicles waiting to overtake. So, to be clear, if cyclists are two abreast and there are vehicles behind them, they must ride in single file. An important related rule is that cars overtaking cyclists must leave a minimum of 1.5m leeway on all roads and in all circumstances, and if a car is coming from the opposite direction, a cyclist may not be overtaken even if a 1.5m leeway exists. Tráfico confirms (link) that drivers can even cross a central white line where safe to do so in order to leave this required overtaking margin. All cyclists under 18 must now wear a safety helmet on all roads, regardless of where they’re cycling (previously youngsters were only required to wear a helmet on urban roads). Despite pressure groups requesting for legislation requiring adults to wear safety helmets, this has not been included in the latest law (see HERE). I’m not aware that cyclists are required to have insurance. Finally, drink driving rules and penalties apply equally to cyclists as to drivers and riders of motorized vehicles.

It is compulsory for drivers to carry the following in a car:  two warning triangles, one reflective vest, spare wheel plus tools to change it. As of 2015, it is no longer mandatory to carry spare light bulbs or a spare pair of glasses. In addition, drivers must have the following documentation with them (or compulsados – officially stamped or notarized copies): driving licence; ITV sticker and report; permiso de circulación (equivalent to the log book). It is not obligatory to carry the following documentation in the car, but it is advisable: impuesto de circulación (road tax paid to the ayuntamiento); insurance certificate and proof of payment; European Accident Form which should be filled out by both parties involved in an accident – here is a police graphic on how to fill out the form.

Driving and road safety legislation focuses on drivers having good vision and safety, eg footwear must be “safe” rather than specifying any type that’s banned, and in respect of animals, this legislation requires packages and animals inside a vehicle to be appropriately secured.

Tráfico says that “appropriately secured” for animals is that which prevents movement which could interfere with the driver’s vision and command of the vehicle. The three approved methods are anchored harnesses, separation grilles (behind which the animal doesn’t need to be tied), or closed carrying transporters – bags, boxes, cages, crates etc.

So, dogs must be secured, and there are various “advised methods”, but nothing is prohibited. Leads, which police say don’t contain animals properly and can risk strangling, are specifically named, in the same way as flipflops, as “not recommended”, but they are not banned. And so, just as with drivers wearing flipflops, if there were an accident and the police felt that something was inappropriate, they could and probably would issue a fine on that basis.

Anyone who is making social security contributions – either employed or self-employed. The S1 system provides cover for pensioners who registered before the end of the Brexit Transition Period.

Apart from that, permanent residents in Spain are entitled to apply for Spanish state healthcare on the basis of their permanent residency status. Please note the word “permanent”: this is only applicable when someone has a document that shows their residence is subject to EU rights of permanencia – ie after five years. The following information about how to access it comes from the FCO via the British Embassy in Madrid:

• Call the Overseas Healthcare Service on +44 191 218 1999 and ask for a ‘legislation letter’. This tells the Spanish authorities that the UK does not cover your healthcare
• Complete the Spanish Seguridad Social healthcare application form (https://bit.ly/3jNEGMe)
• Upload both of these documents, along with your passport and your permanent residency certificate to the INSS online application service (https://bit.ly/2EzgCwB) Make sure you select ‘No certificate’ (or ‘Sin certificado’) at the bottom of the page.
  Please note, the application forms are in Spanish.

The British Government’s Healthcare in Spain team have produced THIS guide on seeing a doctor. It covers tourists and temporary visitors, permanent residents who are registered with a doctor, and permanent residents who are not.

In an emergency, patients can go straight to a hospital. In the north there are several hospitals, primarily Candelaria and HUC: both are on the TF5 between Santa Cruz and La Laguna. The south is not so well served, but there is a state system Accident and Emergency Unit in the new El Mojón Hospital in the Chayofa area five minutes drive up from Los Cristianos. There is also an A&E Unit in Hospitén Sur (usually called the Green Hospital) in Playa de las Américas: this is a mixed state-private hospital, however, and they will always try to treat with insurance. Until further notice, anyone who needs to be admitted after being seen as an emergency under the state system will be sent to one of the hospitals in the north.

Please also see HERE for information on the GHIC, the new EHIC.

The EHIC has been replaced now that the UK has left the EU. Those with an EHIC may continue to use it until it is out of date. Please see HERE for full information on the new system.

Yes. Please see HERE for all your rights under the Patients’ Charter

Until you are in receipt of UK state pension there’s no reciprocal assistance, so until the elder one reaches retirement age, you would need private cover. The future of S1 system that has been in place for retirees is currently uncertain. Those registering with the police as permanently resident in Spain before end 2020 will continue to be able to register, and if one of a couple does so the other can be registered as a dependant. Beyond 1.1.21, however, the system needs clarification – negotiations on trade and future political relationship and other social factors like the S1 continue throughoug 2020 but as yet there is no confirmation of how healthcare will be affected for new registrations after the end of the Transition Period..  

The most frequently used ones, I think, are Sanitas, DKV, Adeslas and Mapfre, all of which should show up on a google search very easily, with sites in English.

Yes, it is called the Convenio Especial, and the information is HERE.

Generally, cover continues for three months after you stop working, unless there is an existing condition for which you are receiving treatment, in which case cover increases to a year. Once cover has finished, you can still apply to be in the system as a person “sin recursos”, which would involve proving lack of resources to pay for private healthcare. You would also need to prove legal residence in Spain, and get a document from your home country confirming lack of entitlement to cover from that country in Spain. For absolute certainty with regard to your own particular circumstances, check either with your gestor, or local social security office.

There’s no reason that I’m aware of to prevent you receiving medication through the post other than the risk of it going astray. As far as posting tobacco to the UK, that’s not allowed at the UK end.

There are often calls for blood donations, whether because supplies in general are running low or because a particular group is needed. Unfortunately, anyone, whether British or not, who was in the UK for more than twelve months (consecutively or in total) between January 1980 and December 1996, the period in which meat was not controlled cannot heed these calls because Spain, like most other EU countries, has rules in place due to fears about CJD. This information has been confirmed to me personally by the British Foreign Office, and in addition, the Spanish emergency services confirm it thus:

En relación a su consulta, por normativa de la UE, no puede trasfundirse sangre de personas (británicos o no) que hayan estado más de 12 meses (consecutivos o en total) en Reino Unido entre 1980 y 1996, la etapa en la que la carne no estaba controlada.

Yes, in Santa Cruz. The address is Sanidad Exterior, Rambla Santa Cruz, 169. 38001 – Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Tel: 922 99 92 10. You need an appointment, and you can make on online HERE.

Yes. If you’re a legally recognized partner of someone who is covered for healthcare you can be registered (at Granadilla Social Security offices) as a dependent, and then you can register with a doctor too. You won’t need to be paying social security yourself, but you will need to be registered as both living here legally (and so having a police registration document) and can prove you’re a live-in partner, so either with a marriage certificate or a Certificado de Convivencia which you get from your local Ayuntamiento.

Social security contributions are actually between €250 and €300 a month – and that’s the minimum rate which does not entitle the self-employed to unemployment benefit. The EHIC/GHIC system is just for visitors, not those living and working here. Please see HERE.

You need to show that you are legally living here, and so registered with the police as legally required for all foreigners living here, and that you are either employed or have a job offer – job offers are proven with a pre-contract letter from the prospective employer. The self-employed need proof of registration as an autónomo with the Hacienda.

As far as I’m aware, it is only the owner of an establishment who is in breach of the law by employing someone illegally.

A national of an EU member state can work here legally provided they have a NIE and pay social security contributions either through contracted employment or by registering as self-employed.

Yes, it is possible, provided that your chosen bank will agree to do it, though you will probably find that even if everything is set up in advance, you will still need to visit your new bank to finalise paperwork with signatures when you arrive.

Yes, you need a certificate per name per account.

Everything can be reported to Hacienda now, but more importantly, Hacienda can request full details of anybody’s bank account at any time. The limit you’re thinking of is the amount that can be paid in in cash without identifying the person making the transaction, and two years ago that was reduced to €1,000 … or rather, €999.99. Banks are required to identify the customer making any cash operations of €1,000 or over and to store a digitised copy of their ID. Of course, if the person making the transaction is the same as the account holder, the bank is already obliged to have their ID digitised anyway.

To prevent customers avoiding this limit by splitting large transactions into smaller ones, banks are also instructed that if the sum of smaller transactions exceeds €1,000, the customer must be identified just the same. It’s perhaps also worth noting that banks are now also required to report to Hacienda all other countries in which a customer may have tax obligations so that tax authorities can share information internationally, and also to report to Hacienda any change in a customer’s personal details or circumstances right down to modifications of their contact details.

Apart from the fact that “best” is a subjective term – what is best for one person may not be best for another – the key is to recognize that banks here are very branch-focused. This means that once you’re with a particular branch, it is very difficult sometimes to do anything in any other branch – even of the same bank. And this can even extend down to a simple withdrawal of cash, let alone more complicated transactions. And so my advice is always to choose the branch that is most convenient, regardless (pretty much) of which bank it is. The charges will be much of a muchness – and appalling – regardless of which actual bank you choose, and will only vary really according to the “products” they are able to sell you as part of a new account.