27 Apr 2013 7:51 AM:

You could try Lightspeed Spanish, they offer a range of free podcasts and helpsheets, plus some stuff  to pay for including Skype lessons.

Lightspeed Spanish is owned and run by Cynthia who is from Madrid and Gordon who is from the North East of England, they both have language degrees, are qualified teachers (working in schools and colleges in the UK) and best of all they truly understand what it is like to learn a foreign language and so make lessons practical and fun. My husband and I both did our GCSE Spanish with Gordon before moving to Spain.

There is also a Facebook group for Lightspeed Spanish where you can write in Spanish and ask questions etc.

Gordon and Cynhia are both great teachers and because of their close links with Spain (all Cynthias family live here) they are also able to give cultural insights as well as language lessons (they are also able to to do translation and interpreter work too)

In a nutshell I  can't recommend them highly enough

http://www.lightspeedspanish.co.uk/

Thread: What is the best way of learning Spanish at home?

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19 Feb 2013 6:09 PM:

Hell0 66d35

 In response to your recent post:

 Firstly I used the word “granted” in relation to residency in Spain because the UK Embassy website refers to applying for residency and generally speaking when one applies for something it is either granted/approved/accepted or refused/rejected or denied.I agree it is confusing when what is actually required is registration, however I assume the authorities have some power to refuse to allow people to register in certain circumstances, and the current information on the Embassy website suggests that it is now far from a formality of simply turning up to register as a resident.

The UK Embassy website published changes to Spanish residency requirements for all EU citizens as follows:

 Residence requirements

“From 28 March 2007, Royal Decree 240/07 requires that all EU citizens planning to reside in Spain for more than 3 months should register in person at the Oficina de Extranjeros in their province of residence or at designated Police stations. However, you will no longer be issued with a residence card with a printed photograph. Instead you will be issued an A4 printed Residence Certificate stating your name, address, nationality, NIE number (Número de Identificación Extranjeros) and date of registration

On 10 July 2012 the Spanish Government introduced details of the new residency requirements for all EU citizens, including British nationals.

Under the new rules, EU citizens applying for residency in Spain may be required to produce evidence of sufficient financial means to support themselves (and dependants). Applicants may also be asked for proof of private or public healthcare insurance.

The Ministerial Order sets out the new residency requirements and some of the documentation applicants may be asked to present.”

Please follow the links on my previous post to access the full information on the Embassy website.

I am aware that there is some dispute as to whether the Spanish authorities have the right to make such an alteration regarding residence as it is in direct conflict with EU law and treaties, however my research indicates that there is a legal loop hole that allows them to do this, and if the Embassy say this is so then I guess it must be true, at least for the time being.   I have no idea what systems are now in place to investigate income or healthcare provision for anyone currently applying for or registering for residence in Spain. (if anyone has any experience of this a post on here would be useful)

Secondly – With regard to my use of the word fastidious, you seem to be confusing the meaning of consistent with fastidious. I did not say that the authorities are consistent I said they are fastidious which means they are fussy over details and difficult to please. I totally agree they are not consistent and when they fuss over details, they are not always the details that are most important or efficient

I trust this clarifies my comprehension of the situation, however if you feel I have not grasped the facts on the Embassy website please feel free to tell, me, I think it is fair to say that most of us on here want to learn,  more than we want to be right.

Dalmata

Thread: Im moving to spain SOON Residence in Spain how easy/hard is it to get

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19 Feb 2013 4:01 PM:

Hi again

In answer to your original question I am posting 2 links to the UK Embassy website which covers the issue of how easy/difficult it now is to obtain residence and health care in Spain.

Based on my experience and hearing the experience of many other ex-pats here, I would urge you to take care and plan your move carefully,

As many others on this Forum have pointed out  Spanish bureaucracy can be so slow  to get started so at first, though it appears as though things are very easy going,  but when and if officials catch up with you and /or decide to enforce the letter of the law - they are absolutely tenacious and fastidious.

I really hope you can find your way round the system and make the move to Spain - but I would hate to think you are in any way mislead into thinking that these days you can just turn up and it will all somehow work iteslf out - this might have been true years ago but not anymore.

http://ukinspain.fco.gov.uk/en/help-for-british-nationals/living-in-spain/residence-req/

http://ukinspain.fco.gov.uk/en/help-for-british-nationals/living-in-spain/access-healthcare/healthcare/

Thread: Im moving to spain SOON Residence in Spain how easy/hard is it to get

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19 Feb 2013 3:38 PM:

Hi in answer to your question about how to obtain a Spanish health card, to the best of my understanding you have to be either working legally and paying NI and tax, self -employed and paying tax and NI or be registered unemployed (assuming you meet the criterion) If you are state retirement age you also get cover but not sure if it is the same type of card.

My husband is self -employed and pays tax and NI here in Spain. We obtained our Spanish health cards by firstly registering as self -employed with the Social Security office, once you have completed the paperwork including the Direct Debit authorisation to pay €250.00 per month NI, they give you some forms to take to your local health centre. The health centre then processes your application and gives you temporary documentation until your plastic card arrives.

Initially I was self-employed too and had a health card issued based on my own tax and NI contributions but when I closed the business,  I became covered for health care and basic pension contributions on my husbands record.

On the back of the card, it says "This card permits access to all the services of the National Health System" I have to produce it for every Dr's appointment, specialist appointment, nurse appointment and to get subsidised prescriptions.

This morning I got 3 items on prescription and 3 non prescription items and the cost was €12.60 for the whole lot.

Hope this helps :)

Thread: Im moving to spain SOON Residence in Spain how easy/hard is it to get

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13 Feb 2013 6:57 PM:

Hi there,

moving to Spain can be both exciting and daunting and the red tape and rules can be overwhelming, I would really recommend that you look at the British Embassy website called UK in Spain for clear advice and also consult a solicitor, accountant or gestor as the various Regions of Spain are all autonomous there are some slight variations on how the rules are applied or interepreted.

Before we moved out we consulted with a company called Advoco (English speaking) they gave us free advice and now we use them for my husbands business and our personal taxes etc. and their services have been top notch.

Fiscal residence (where you pay tax on your income) and your country of residence are not the same thing, though they are connected. As I understand it these are the new rules:

1)  Country of residence is established if you live in Spain for at least 3 months without a significant break (3 months I think) Until recently it was an easy matter to apply for residence in Spain and get your Residencia papers.  But the rules changed and now before residence is granted you have to prove that you either qualify for health care as a state age retirement pensioner, have a job which will cover NI contributions or that you have a business that will generate enough income to cover at least the €250.00 monthly compulsory Spanish NI contributions plus living costs for self employed people. If you cannot do any of these things you either have to prove you have sufficient savings or income from an early pension to cover private treatment for you (and all the family members you bring with you) or you must have private health insurance. (The Embassy website confirms all this)

People of below state pension age who were already resident when the rules change can get healthcare if they have been working and paying contributions or if they register as unemployed, in my friends case all but basic emergency treatment was witheld until he registered as unemployed.

2) Fiscal residence -  The country where you pay your tax is determined by several things - if it is a pension special rules might apply to allow you to pay tax in your country of origin or where the pension is paid from. But if you are a Spanish resident as in item 1, and you work and earn your income in Spain (even if your actual clients are elsewhere) you will probably be a fiscal resident in Spain

Neither 1 nor 2 above is a matter of personal choice (the taxman who visited my husband who is self employed wanted to know who his clients were, which countries their businesses were based in and why we had chosen to live in Spain when, at the time he had no Spanish clients but had clients in USA/Australia/Czech Republic/UK/Greece and many other countries - The taxman accepted his explanation and issued a special certificate which confirms that my husband is a fiscal resident in Spain and should pay his taxes here)

Plenty of people have manipulated the systems in the UK and Spain to get the best of both worlds, but I think the Spanish authorites are tightening up their processes in direct correlation to the shortage of money for things like health and benefits, and the same in the UK too.

My experience of the Spanish health service has been excellent, it is very efficient and professional and the staff with one exception have been kind, committed professionals. That said I have had to produce my Spanish health card for every single appointment, including visits to the ER.

 

Hope this helps clarify thingsand best wishes for your move to Spain and all the adventures to follow

Thread: Im moving to spain SOON Residence in Spain how easy/hard is it to get

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