HEALTHCARE IN SPAIN FOR UK PASSPORT HOLDERS – THE GHIC
Now that the UK is no longer part of the European Union, there are now two types of healthcare cover available when travelling overseas – the UK GHIC (UK Global Healthcare Insurance Card) or if you have rights under the Withdrawal Agreement, the UK EHIC (European Healthcare Insurance Card).
For most people, the UK GHIC replaces the UK EHIC for new applications, although if you have the EHIC card, you can still use it until the expiry date.

What health cover is provided by the GHIC/EHIC?
Both cards give you access to medically necessary state provided healthcare while staying temporarily in an EU country, including things like:

• emergency treatment and visits to A&E
• Treatment for a long term or pre-existing medical condition
• routine maternity care, unless you’re going abroad to give birth
• Remember that not all state healthcare is free within the EU/Switzerland so you may have to pay for services that you would get for free on the NHS.

THESE CARDS ARE NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR TRAVEL INSURANCE AND NOR ARE THEY PROOF OF HEALTHCARE COVER FOR A RESIDENCY APPLICATION.

Where to apply for a new GHIC/EHICcard
You can apply for a new card on the NHS website and which card you’ll receive depends on your specific circumstances.

When to apply for for a new card
You can apply for a replacement EHIC/GHIC within 6 months of your current card’s expiry date. If you’re coming up to the holiday season, be sure to apply in good time, as demand is likely to rise and every family member will need their own card.

How much does a new card cost?
Nothing – both cards are available free of charge – be careful of some rogue websites trying to charge for the application.

Does the GHIC/EHIC provide cover in all countries?
No – the cards only provide cover in certain countries, as follows;
A UK GHIC or existing EHIC covers you when visiting an EU country and Switzerland. A UK GHIC may become valid in more countries in the future.
A new UK EHIC covers you when visiting an EU country, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, or Switzerland.

Good to Know
If you have applied for a GHIC/EHIC and it doesn’t arrive in time for your trip, or you forget the card, you can get a Provisional Replacement Certificate (PRC) from NHS Overseas to prove your entitlement to medically necessary healthcare if needed.
The NHS UK website has lots of information about the GHIC.

GHIC/EHIC, the S1 and a non-lucrative visa (NLV)
Healthcare cover in Spain is a key part of the residency application process, either with a visa or an EU passport.
If you haven’t got private health insurance (for example, if you’re using an S1 for health cover) then it’s a good idea to have a GHIC/EHIC to fill in any gaps in healthcare cover while you are registering your residency and processing the S1 with Spanish social security (INSS).
The information in this article was current on the date published from Chris at www.upsticks.es  Article last reviewed/updated 22/04/2022

SENDING DOCUMENTS IN SPAIN VIA A COURIER
We all need to send documents and post out and let’s face it, we do need to be sure that items arrive on time and to the right address/person.
Despite some bad press, Correos, the Spanish postal service is pretty reliable, especially if you use one of their premium services, but unfortunately, not everyone is able to receive postal deliveries at their home address and this is where courier services can come to the rescue.
Upsticks send out important documents all the time, so here’s their top tips for the best options to use, depending on the circumstances.

Correos – Carta Certificada – Registered Post
This is the service they use for both national and international packages that aren’t time-sensitive, but need to reach their destination safely. The advantages of Certificada over the standard service are:

• Each shipment is individually identified and registered with a unique barcode
• Deliveries have to be signed for and a note is left if delivery can’t be completed, saying where the package can be collected
• Online tracking available
• Ship up to 2kg, delivery between 1-4 days nationally, 7-10 days internationally
• Written/electronic proof of delivery (subject to destination country)
• Good value, prices start at €4.50 for national deliveries

You can register for a “My Correos” online account, so you can prepare your package, pre-pay the postage and then just take the parcel to the Correos office – ideally before 14.00 to make sure the package is sent out that day.

Courier Service
Use a courier service when you’re not 100% certain that post can be delivered to the recipient’s address and/or if the package needs to be delivered quickly (next working day). 
There’s normally a courier office (or two or three) in every town, but generally Upsticks use one of these three companies:

MRW
GLS Spain
Tipsa
All these companies offer online and app-based tracking (pretty much in real time) and it costs around €14 for a next day delivery (based on under 2kg weight, Spanish mainland address).

IMPORTANT – Courier companies always ask for a SPANISH mobile phone contact number – if you don’t have a Spanish number then it just makes the delivery process more complicated and increases the chances of the delivery not happening at all.
The information in this article was current on the date published by Chris at www.upsticks.es.
Article last updated 25.04.2022

How long can I drive a foreign plated car in Spain before registering it?  from Chris at Upsticks.es
 

It’s a question that is raised over and over again on social media, and we’re asked almost every week – ‘’How long can I drive a foreign-plated car in Spain before having to  register it?’’

There are hundreds of blogs out there that say you can keep and drive a non-Spanish registered vehicle in Spain for up to 6 months, but we always advise our clients that they can only actually drive them for 3 months (or less in some cases) before registering and here’s why:

To be clear, if you’re taking residency in Spain and intend to keep your vehicle in Spain, then you’ll need to start the registration process as soon as possible to avoid problems with local authorities.

If you’re on holiday in Spain, then you can keep your vehicle here for up to 3 months, at which point if you’re a third-country national (without a visa), you’ll need to leave the country and if you’re an EU citizen, then you’ll need to register as a resident. 

So, why is there so much confusion about being able to keep your vehicle here for 6 months rather than 3? 

The answer to that lies in the detail of the law, so bear with us here.

The law  ‘’Ley 38/1992, de 28 de diciembre, de Impuestos Especiales, actualizada por la Ley 39/2010, de 22 de diciembre, de Presupuestos Generales del Estado para el año 2011 ‘’

States the following:

Deberán ser objeto de matriculación definitiva en España los medios de transporte, nuevos o usados, a que se refiere la presente Ley, cuando se destinen a ser utilizados en el territorio español por personas o entidades que sean residentes en España o que sean titulares de establecimientos situados en España

The means of transport, new or used, referred to in this Law, must be subject to definitive registration in Spain when they are intended to be used in Spanish territory by persons or entities that are residents in Spain or that own establishments located in Spain.

OK, sounds fairly straightforward except that the “residente” means fiscal/tax resident, rather than physical resident and here lies the confusion: you don’t become fiscal/tax resident in Spain

until you have spent more than 183 days in Spain in any fiscal year (1st of Jan until 31st of December). 

So theoretically, you should be able to keep the vehicle on its original plates until you become a fiscal resident – which is where the 6 months (183 days) comes from.

BUT in practice, if you’re stopped by the Police, and they check your status, and it says “resident” they are very unlikely to check your ‘fiscal’ status, so they will issue a fine as a resident for driving a foreign registered vehicle (sanctions start at €500). Although you may have cause for argument, it’s very, very difficult to get the fines overturned once issued.

This is why if you’re taking residence in Spain, clients should start the vehicle registration process as soon as possible.

The Local Police say their ‘rule of thumb is’ to keep an eye on foreign-plated cars for 3 months; a vehicle that drives around for longer than that is liable to get pulled over for a document check.

It’s highly likely that a vehicle suspected of committing an offence will be seized and impounded on the spot, and it won’t be released until any fine and import tax is paid. Most of the time, they also request temporary P-plates that can be used as a form of pre-registration. 

Another reason you could find yourself in hot water is if the vehicle is illegal in your home country (i.e. lacking the relevant tax, insurance, roadworthiness inspection paperwork).  If this is the case Liberty are refusing to insure any UK vehicle that isnt legal, i.e. no MOT or Tax.

Getting an ITV inspection on a non-Spanish registered vehicle is pointless – all it does is confirm whether (or not) the vehicle can pass the inspection; it doesn’t make it legal to drive in Spain. 

Don’t be fooled into thinking that the Spanish Traffic Police (DGT Trafico) don’t understand foreign vehicle documentation. While the vehicle tax and registration markers can differ between countries, it’s not difficult to check the status of a vehicle online using national databases like the UK DVLA Website for example. 

We live in a digital world and if stopped, you are more than likely to get found out. 

Despite the horror stories, it may not be as expensive or as stressful as you think to register your vehicle.  

Talk to Upsticks about how they can help with registering your vehicle onto Spanish plates in Andalucia – Book a Call or email support@upsticks.es  Chris

Driving in Spain

At the moment you cannot renew or replace your UK, Gibraltar, Jersey, Guernsey or Isle of Man licence if you live in Spain.

From 1 May 2022, if you have been resident for more than 6 months and have not exchanged your UK licence for a Spanish one, you will no longer be able to drive using your UK licence, although our Insurers have confirmed that they will still cover you in the event of any claim even if you haven’t yet been able to change your licence to Spanish. 

However as this is a legal requirement the process of changing to Spanish or applying for a Spanish Licence is still necessary and unless the UK Government agree in the future to make it possible to change from UK to Spanish then you will have to now apply to take a Spanish theory and practical test..

if you were living in Spain before 1 January 2021, your valid UK driving licence will no longer be valid for driving in Spain, if you moved to Spain after 1 January 2021, your valid UK licence will be recognised for 6 months from the date you obtained residence.

The British and Spanish governments continue to negotiate on long-term arrangements for exchanging driving licences without needing to take a practical test but no extension has been granted for the foreseeable future at the moment.

If it is imperative that you drive, you should not wait for the outcome of the negotiations to take action. You must follow the Spanish Traffic Authority (DGT) process for non-EU nationals to obtain a Spanish driving licence. This includes taking both a theory and practical driving test.

If you have a licence issued by Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man,
If you hold a valid licence from Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man you must obtain a Spanish licence within 6 months of becoming resident.

The Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) has questioned whether those who registered their intent to exchange their licences and made an appointment before April 30, 2022, should have the right to continue driving on their U.K. licences until provided with the Spanish permit. Please visit their website to find out any update on this situation.

If due to the ruling of no validity, Spain considers your licence to have expired, then you will not be able to drive with your licence until exchanged. You may wish to call O61 for advice.

From the DGT, traffic department:  information taken from CAB Spain (Citizens Advice Bureau)