***FROM EU INSURANCE DIRECT*** CHRISTMAS OFFICE HOURS 20th – 23rd December from 10 through till 4 pm
24th closed, 25th and 26th closed (weekend)
Reflection on 2021….
Its been a tough strange year for everyone. Just when we thought we were coming out the woods, we are slapped down with the same restrictions even if vaccinated or not when travelling back to the UK. This is a huge blow to all of us who travel coming up to Xmas. For myself last year being the first year we have spent in Spain at Xmas was very hard. This year whatever it costs we are returning to see much loved family and grandchildren.
Travel I think has been the hardest to cope with when like myself all my family is in the UK. But again another hurdle which we have to overcome. Like most people I speak to, the virus is going to be with us for a long long time, like the flu, every year we have another variant of the flu and we are all put on guard.
Heres wishing all our clients a very happy and healthy Xmas, take care, keep safe and roll on 2022!
GOOD NEWS FOR EU INSURANCE THIS YEAR…
We have been awarded Star Team for our work this year with Liberty in the Ex Pat market for our strong teamwork in the office. When many companies this year have struggled to keep afloat EU Insurance have managed to increase our business, the award was based on how we worked throughout lockdown and throughout 2021 we were awarded this commendation from Liberty which was a huge boost
I also wish to thank my staff for remaining loyal and hardworking throughout these difficult couple of years. All my staff have been with me for several years, Ashley has been with me for over 8 years, Emma over 4 and Claire over 3 years. Some photos of our celebration below…. Also was awarded a lovely coffee machine for the office too!!!
Who are we all (see photo above)? From left to right:
Rafael (Regional Manager for Malaga), Ashley, Wendy, Claire, Emma and Pedro (Area Manager)
Having been working since I left school at 17 where I started at The Prudential Assurance Company in Holborn I have been in the Insurance Industry for many many years, working also with Allied Dunbar, Rothchilds in Mayfair and several UK Brokerages before moving to Spain in 2005.
EU Insurance was set up in the September of 2005 and so we are over 16 years old. From working from home and meeting clients at their homes or local cafes to take their money seems like another lifetime ago. It was an interesting and fast learning curve as UK insurance is different to Spanish but we got there. My staff have different roles in the company but can assist clients whatever their needs and give advice when necessary.
It has come to a time in my life where I feel the need for some personal time and over the last few months I have been able to reduce my days in the office down to 3 (Monday through to Wednesday). I am still available on the phone if staff need me for anything but would ask that my own personal mobile number (if you still have it) be replaced with the office mobile (635592610) as if I am off Thursday and Friday and have no access to a computer I cannot help anyone.
When originally arriving in Spain in the August of 2005 I thought I could ´LIVE THE DREAM´of having a small part time business and more time… both my husband and I had our own businesses in the UK and didn’t want to get back to the 24/7 hours of working as we had for years…. But hey ho…. Guess what - EU Insurance took over my life and living the dream and working part time didn’t happen. After 16 years I feel I now need to do this!!!
Whats important to relay to customers is that Service will not be affected, my staff have great work ethic and know how important it is to deliver good Customer Service as well as advice and competitive premiums and I am always around as mentioned. Even on a Bank Holiday you will note I am preparing this Newsletter!!
So roll on 2022 we are ready for you…..
EMERGENCIES
Liberty Car insurance 24 hour assistance: 900101369 (from Spanish mobile or landline)
0034 934 955 125 if calling from a non Spanish phone
Liberty Home 24 hour assistance: 900556000
0034 917229123 if calling from a non Spanish phone
CASHBACK OFFER EXTENDED TILL 22 DECEMBER WITH LIBERTY!!! Our Cashback offer has been extended until 22 December with Liberty, so if you are interested in changing your car and/or home insurance to Liberty if you aren’t with us already, the cashback is available till 22 December.
Only available for new policies taken out and paid by direct debit (though Spanish bank account) and applicable for car insurance (above 360 euros a year), home insurance (above 250 euros a year) and life insurance (above 200 euros a year).
For existing customers with Liberty 60 euros cashback if in the above criteria.
Also available cashbacks for new clients of 30 euros cashback.
Not available for renewals.
CANCELLING AND MOVING BACK TO THE UK?
If you are moving back to the UK and need to cancel your car insurance and/or home insurance/health insurance please remember that there is a procedure to follow. Many clients do not give us the correct documents to cancel so I wanted to confirm what we need in order to cancel and make a refund of unused premiums:-
Car Insurance: We need to see a copy of the Provisional Justificante from a Gestor (legal representative) or Trafico to confirm actual change of ownership. A Compraventa (Bill of Sale) is not enough to qualify for a refund, we can suppress the policy but until the Justificante has been received no refund can be authorised.
Home Insurance: We need a copy of the Note Simple from the lawyer to confirm change of ownership to enable us to cancel and effect a refund.
Automatic Renewals:All Spanish Insurances operate on an automatic renewal system, please also remember that 30 days written notice must also be received if you don’t want to renew any of your insurances at renewal. These are not our rules please understand but the Insurers. We try and confirm renewal prices as soon as we receive notification ourselves so if you know you are moving back or sold the car or home please confirm as soon as possible so we can cancel legally.
Health Insurance: All Health Insurances need one months written notice before the annual renewal to cancel legally with the Insurer. With DKV the renewal date is 1st January so we would need notice before the end of November. With AXA we would need written notice again one month before renewal date (All AXA renewals have a renewal date of when a client started the plan). The letter must be signed (can be emailed) and accompanied by ID Documents (i.e. passport, TIE/NIE). This is the same for any changes needed on a policy, if a client needs to downgrade or upgrade a plan it can generally only be effected at renewal date. Sometimes we can upgrade a plan mid term if the reason is for residency or Visa purposes.
Please remember that all policies in Spain are annual covers and as such without the documents outlined above we are unable to cancel. We cannot authorise a cancellation of any policy just with a phone call, it needs to be in writing. Any queries let us know.
CLOSING OF BANK ACCOUNTS IF LEAVING FOR UK!!! Please do not close your Spanish Bank accounts before receiving the refund due to you! We have had many clients close their accounts and we are still waiting for funds to be returned by the receiving bank, these could be lost forever if they are not returned. Also to remember that we are now unable to send refunds to a UK Bank account as the costs are extortionate since Brexit.
IS YOUR LIFE INSURANCE STILL VALID IF YOU ARE NOW A RESIDENT IN SPAIN AFTER BREXIT!
One of the many questions we are asked as since Brexit there has been many changes in the law. Firstly check with your UK provider if you are paying into a life insurance contract and are now resident in Spain. We are reliably informed that the answer may disappointingly to be no! The UK is no longer part of the EU and as such is now a ‘third country’ and operates outside of the EUs economic structures. Following Brexit, the UKs relationship with the EU has changed and ex-pat residents should realise that this new situation could make all UK Life Insurances invalid. We also know that many ex-pats now resident in Spain do not even have the comfort of a UK Bank account as many have been closed due to being a non uk resident.
We can offer Life Insurance, Mortgage Protection at very competitive costs and if you do find your UK Life Insurance is invalid please contact us for a quote. We also offer accident plans covering work accidents paying out a lump sum. Enquire for details.
Retiring in Spain and healthcare from Chris Goodacre from Upsticks
Since Brexit has happened there is much confusion about residency and Visas and whether people need to keep their private healthcare or not. Chris Goodacre at Upsticks is a really great source of information and he has provided me with some very useful information which could be useful for all those who are still looking to make residency applications via the many different Visas. I hope it helps to clarify some of the points we are often asked:-
The last few months have been a roller coaster ride for Brits, both for those already living in Spain and others wanting to relocate for a new life in the sun. Whether you managed to get residency under the Withdrawal Agreement, or are now looking to retire on a non-lucrative visa, or indeed are lucky enough to have access to an Irish passport, the one common theme across the board is that you need healthcare.
For retirees, thankfully, the UK government has kept up the agreement with the EU regarding healthcare and S1 forms are still being issued to people who qualify. For those of you who are residents under the Withdrawal Agreement, you will continue to receive state healthcare. Though, lots still find the comfort of backing it up with a private policy.
If healthcare and if you are retired and don't qualify for an S1 then healthcare needs to be via private health insurance. Only a few years ago, proving healthcare for a residency application was a real pain. When a client took out a policy, we had to dig deep into the T&Cs and pull out the bits we required to prove the policy was good enough for approval. A policy can not have any excess, so the infamous "sin copagos" statement had to be in there somewhere, and any exclusions were very much frowned upon! Jump forward to 2021 and most private health insurance providers will provide a single page Certificate, summarising the key points to show the immigration authorities that the policy qualifies for residency. Experts like EU Insurance know exactly what policy works for their clients.
So does one policy fit all types of residency? Unfortunately not, and there are many reasons why this is the case.
Firstly, for any residency or visa application, we always advise our clients to pay the full policy upfront and take proof of payment to the appointment. Although starting a policy with a monthly payment and getting the correct documents in place could be accepted, any residency or visa application is assessed by the agent on the day. If the agent decides they want to see the full year paid, then that's what you need. No one goes in half-hearted to a residency application, and you will need the full year anyway, so it's best to get it paid there and then
Requirements can change, though, depending on which type of residency you're going for within Spain. Companies offer two types of policy; annually renewable or renewable by calendar year.
For policies that are annually renewable, you will be given a Certificate, clearly stating the start date and the renewal date, covering the full year.
For policies covering the calendar year, you will be given a certificate that states the policy will renew automatically on 1st January each year.
Both policy type is valid for residency applications under the Withdrawal Agreement or for EU passport holders, but this is not the case for a visa application from the UK. the Spanish Consulates in the UK have recently changed their criteria, and will only accept policies that are annually renewable, not calendar policies. They want to see the full year paid with a full 12-month certificate, which would only work for annually renewable policies taken out at the end of the year.
Not all private health insurers provide annually renewable policies and so this rule change restricts the number of companies that non-lucrative visa applicants can use.
What about renewals, can you dump your policy after the first year?
The answer is no - even the healthiest people need a backup for the unexpected, and being without any healthcare is irresponsible. There could be an argument that if you have enough money, you can pay for healthcare ad-hoc. But if you were in an emergency situation, are you really going to be reaching for your wallet?
But practicalities aside, if you cancel your policy, then you could face problems when you come to renew your residency or visa.
We don’t yet know what the requirements will be when the Withdrawal Agreement beneficiaries come to renew their residency cards. However, recently we have seen an increase of withdrawal agreement exchanges (green EU residency document to the new TIE card) come under increased scrutiny, with people being asked to prove they have had finances and insurance in place. For non-lucrative visa applicants, when they come to the end of their first year and need to renew, they will definitely need to show continuous private health insurance in place. So if you want to guarantee your residency, keep your insurance and don't risk your health or residency status cancelling it.
Chris Goodacre (Upsticks) 0034 711008474 chris@upsticks.es www.upsticks.es
TRAVEL INSURANCE
We are now offering Travel Insurance once again as mentioned in our previous newsletter. However just also to confirm that you can take out a policy directly through our website (www.euinsurancedirect.com) click on Travel cover option which takes you straight to the quote page. If you need further information let us know. We have currently also received some updated information on cover for Covid when travelling.
Before you travel:
Cancellation Cover if you, your travel companion or someone you were due to stay with receives a positive COVID-19 (coronavirus) test within 14 days of your trip.
Missed Departure Cover as a result of a failed health screening test (failed COVID test, including a failed temperature check) at your departure point.
While you’re away:
Covid-19 Emergency Medical Expenses and Repatriation. The 24 hour Emergency Assistance team is there to help and provide guidance, cover emergency medical costs and arrange a medical repatriation back home if it’s medically necessary to do so and liaise with local doctors.
Additional accommodation and transport costs as authorised by our Emergency Assistance team. Additional costs if you are required to compulsory quarantine on the advice of a medical practitioner only whilst on your trip for example should you test positive only for covid while travelling.
Curtailment Cover (if permitted) as a result of a positive COVID-19 test requiring your compulsory quarantine for a minimum of 24 hours on the advice of a medical practitioner whilst on your trip.
With the exception of losses under the above Policy Sections, this policy does not cover any claim arising directly, or indirectly, from any coronavirus disease (including but not limited to COVID-19) or any related or mutated form of the virus. This includes the fear or threat of catching coronavirus, and the advice or action of any government not to travel or preventing travel.
You are not covered for a change in government travel advise that prevents you travelling, please check these costs are covered by your tour operator.
You are NOT covered under this policy in any way if you travel against the compulsory/legal restrictions imposed by your Government.
Should you travel to a country that your own Government advises against travel for reasons either directly or indirectly due to Coronavirus, your policy will NOT provide any cover for claim costs associated with Coronavirus. Always check your Government restrictions and those of the location you plan to visit before booking and travel.
CHANGES TO RULES WHEN TRAVELLING TO THE UK
From 4am on 7 december the UK Government has announced travel measures to tackle the new Omicroncoronavirus variant. So for anyone who enters the UK must now take a PCR or Lateral flow test 48 hours before travelling , then on arrival a PCR test by the end of the second day and self-isolate until they have received a negative result.
It is no longer possible to use the cheaper Lateral flow tests on arrival in the UK
It is worth noting that the PCR tests don’t need to be taken on the second day after your return from overseas – they can be taken at the airport immediately after you land. The period of self-isolation ends if your PCR test result is negative.
What are the rules if you’re not fully vaccinated?
If unvaccinated, you will also need to take a pre-departure test up to 48 hours before travelling to the UK. Also you must still take a PCR test for your day two test, and another on day eight, and self-isolate for 10 days. How do I get a PCR test for my ‘day two’?
There is a government list of approved providers; prices for these tests range from £20 to £399. Book your test in advance while on your trip to avoid a longer quarantine period and remember to put your confirmation code when the test is booked on yourPassenger Locator Form in order to travel back to the UK. What happens once you have taken your test?
Arrivals to the UK must self-isolate until they receive the result of their day two PCR test. If negative, fully vaccinated travellers can end their self-isolation. If positive, they must isolate for 10 days and register their result with the NHS. Travelling with children
For those travelling with children, the testing requirements are:
InEngland, Wales and Northern Ireland, children aged four and under do not need to take any tests on their return to the UK. Children aged 5-17 only need to take a day two test (lateral flow or PCR).
In Scotland: children aged 10 and under do not need to take any tests on their return. Children aged 11-17 only need to take a day two test (lateral flow or PCR).
We have also been advised that Spain has banned anyone entering Spain who hasn’t had their full vaccinations. This will be in place at least until 31 December. It is no longer possible for travellers to come to Spain just with a negative PCR test.
More restrictions in Portugal who has reimposed restrictions, meaning that anyone who enters the country must show a negative test certificate on arrival. This will come into effect on December 1.
THE BRITS ARE STILL SELLING UP AND NOW GERMANS HAVE TAKEN OVER THE HOUSING MARKET AND IN TOP SLOT FOR PURCHASING HOMES IN SPAIN!!!
The percentage of home purchases by foreigners in the third quarter has once again exceeded 10%, reaching 10.7%, after two quarters below double digits. This was more than the 16,100 transactions by foreigners last summer.
Despite these good figures, the impact of the pandemic and the consequences of Brexit are still being felt by British citizens, whose weight in the Spanish housing market is at an all-time low. In fact, for the first time since the statistics have been compiled by the Registrars, the British are not at the top of the results for home purchases by foreigners during a quarter.
It is the Germans who on this occasion top the list, with a weight of 10.4% of the total number of home purchases by foreigners in Spain, exceeding 1,680 transactions. The British, therefore, have moved into second place, with 9.9%, and almost 1,600 transactions. They are followed by the French (7.8% and 1,262 sales and purchases), Moroccans (6.5% and 1,055 purchases), Belgians (5.6%) and Romanians (5.3%).
The areas with the most property purchases by foreigners as a percentage of their total are the Balearic Islands (34.3%), the Canary islands (23.6%), Valencia (19.7%), Murcia (17.4%), Andalusia (11.3%) and Catalonia (11%).
"The island and Mediterranean autonomous communities are those that focus the greatest intensity of foreign demand for housing, preferably corresponding to nationalities with higher per capita income, while the nationalities that choose Spain as a work destination and opt to buy a home have a more balanced geographical distribution throughout the Spanish geography," say the registrars.
FOR ALL YOUR INSURANCE NEEDS UNDER ONE ROOF CONTACT
EU INSURANCE DIRECT
www.euinsurancedirect.com email:info@euinsurancedirect.com
0034 952830843/ 951080118 /635592610 Speak to Wendy, Ashley, Emma or Claire
