We had a great but busy time yesterday accompanying the Brexit representative from the British Consulates office in our partnership role. Thanks to everyone who attended the meetings, over 200 in total. Lots of questions and answers. Please stay up to date by signing up for updates to the Living in Spain guide https://www.gov.uk/email-signup/ and share with a friend.
Thanks also to those of you who have commended that you appreciate our regular updates.
There are 5 key points that we would like to remind you of again;
Residency: If you have not already done so and you wish to apply for residencia then do so now, most likely your appointment will be for after 29th March but this will not matter, if you have been a resident for 5 years then you should apply for residencia “permanente”. If your green A4 paper or card says “permanente” then there is no need to change it.
Healthcare: If you are a resident then insure you are registered at your local cento de salud do not rely on your EHIC card. It was advised that visitors should also have private healthcare cover as well as their EHIC card. For residents traveling outside of Spain it was advised that you should also have private health care as well as your European health card.
Pensions: Deal or No Deal UK pensions will still be paid in Spain (up rating of pensions will depend on the Deal or No Deal) Remember when you apply for your pension you should include all the countries you have worked in and these can be taken into account.
Driving Licences: It is advised that all residents should (if they have not already done so) apply to change to a Spanish licence.
Travel: Check your passport expiry date, you will need at least 6 months validity when traveling, it is advised that residents take residencia documents with them when traveling for re-entry into Spain.