20 Jun 2012 2:16 PM:

I totally understand the sceptism, I'm not holding much store in the article either.  100,000 sounds too good to be true.  since the lowest tax bracket for income tax is currently 17,707 € i'm guessing 10,000 would be a more realistic figure.

what the el pais article does also confirm is that this is going to be restricted to LEGAL immigrants only, so if you don't have your residencia sorted out, you would not be entitled.  it is also specific this is resticted to those with low to no income, if you have massive savings or income from outside sources you probably wouldn't be elligible even if these proposals take effect.

also, as was pointed out below, this isn't something that is likely to take effect from september, more likely a proposal for debate then.  But it if does go through it would make me and my partner's lives a lot simpler.

 

Thread: Entitlement to Healthcare

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20 Jun 2012 10:09 AM:

I read last week that the ministry had changed its mind on the basic rules for free healthcare and wondered how true this was as I'm in a similar situation. 

What I read was that if you can prove your income is below 100,000 per annum (I'm guessing that is a typo as that was more than my salary back in the UK, which was much higher than minimum wage) and you were a legal resident in Spain, you would be entitle to claim free medical treatment (in otherwords obtain a SIP card without setting up an autonomo)  I suspect what this actually means is that the sin recursos regulation is being extended to close up several loop holes that meant some foreign nationals resident in Spain were not included in this category.

This may all change again of course but if true it means I might finally get into the Spanish system after 5 years of paying for all my own treatment privately.

(sorry the forum doesn't allow external links, to follow the article you will need to search for 

Ministry backtracks on healthcare entitlement restrictions

 

Thread: Entitlement to Healthcare

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17 Jun 2012 3:40 PM:

The situation in South America is not relevant, there the issue is political as many countries view America as "an enemy" or unfriendly nation.  Spain, being part of Europe views the US as an allie, so holding US citizenship should not be an obstacle.

That said, the Spanish banking system is in chaos at the moment, with many banks being forced to merge and government bailouts being given to keep them solvent.  So I would seriously think twice about banking here.

Before you can open a bank account in Spain, you will need to apply for a NIE number, this is an identification number for foreign nationals that permits them to hold money and property in Spain.  NO transaction is possible without one.   They are usually applied for via the local police office in the town you intend to live, you can find more information on the website of the American embassy (which I believe is located in Madrid).

Migration from America to Spain may require a visa, (I moved here from the UK so the rules were different) again the US Embassy is the best place to start.

 

 

Thread: New "kid on the block"

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17 Jun 2012 3:32 PM:

Yeah the bank crisis has been a headache for us too, we were with Banco De Valencia, but they are one of the banks that got compulsory purchased by the government, which in some ways makes it safer, but in others means we might be subject to the whims of the new government who could force it to merge with another bank.

We've tried to minimise our risks here by moving some of the assets to other banks, the best deal in terms of interest, stability and service was Santander.  They are one of the biggest in Spain and haven't needed a bailout (hastily touches wood). 

A few of my Spanish contacts are now moving their money into German banks,  Deutsche Bank [sp] seem like a safe bet and have branches throughout Europe, including Spain.

I must point out however, I'm not a financial adviser. 

 

 

Thread: Need some advice on banking in Spain

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17 Jun 2012 3:08 PM:

yes I'm still living in Gandia, and I'm available for work (almost) every day throughout the summer and into the next school term.

Like I said in my original post, my experience is mostly working in an office environment, but for the last 4 years I've also been taking one to one English language classes specialising in adults and older teens.

 The dream is to get an opportunity to write professionally, factual articles or fiction, but in the meantime I'm willing to try at almost anything legal, from dog walking to delivering advertising brochures to peoples' houses.  At the moment you can't be too picky.

 

 

 

Thread: Need work - Gandia

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