New EHIC from Jan 2021

[REC]

Might be worth some of us getting the S1 form and apply for this if you want to get medical cover in EU

Applying for healthcare cover abroad (GHIC and EHIC)

Find out if you're eligible to apply for a new UK EHIC or UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC).

www.nhs.uk

Not sure if link will work. Took a lot of finding!

 

[Derekoak]

You need to be a uk pensioner and living in Spain before 2020. The first is ok for me, how do you define the 2nd bit.?

 

[barryd]

Yes its Ex Pat residents only I believe. No EHIC card for us in the UK which is a PIA as one of us always ends up in Hospital!

 

[iampatman]

We’re pension age residents in Spain and from Jan ‘21 our UK EHIC card covers us in the rest of the EU.

Pat

 

[witzend]

Theres a bit in here that covers travel after and the EHIC card

https://uk.style.yahoo.com/******-travel-european-union-2021-132133468.html

 

[Driventemple]

You cannot get an S1 Form if you are a UK Resident.

 

[Derekoak]

My brother who has one says you need a spanish residence and a "padron" to show minimum residence. Whether you must get the padron or the S1 form before 2021 I do not know. As above it may be incompatible with uk residence, I do not know, just trying to find out.

 

[Pauljenny]

We’re pension age residents in Spain and from Jan ‘21 our UK EHIC card covers us in the rest of the EU.

Pat

Just copied this from the newspaper article on the yahoo site..
QUOTE...
One bit of latitude: if you enter an EU country by 31 December 2020, your Ehic will remain valid until you leave that country.
QUOTE..

So you'll be ok, so long as you don't leave the EU...?

 

[Derekoak]

So long as you do not leave the country, so overland across France will be a short risk

 

[barryd]

Just copied this from the newspaper article on the yahoo site..
QUOTE...
One bit of latitude: if you enter an EU country by 31 December 2020, your Ehic will remain valid until you leave that country.
QUOTE..

So you'll be ok, so long as you don't leave the EU...?

Yes but you will have to leave after 90 days from 1 January anyway as we will be a third country then and no more freedom of movement.

 

[Clunegapyears]

Yes, just sorted Greek residency and applied for James' S1 ... present this to social services and will get state health care. Two big benefits .. James is a pensioner and as his dependent, I will get cover too. And we will get UK EHIC cards. We can elect to have medical care in UK too ... just present the S1.

 

[REC]

Yes, just sorted Greek residency and applied for James' S1 ... present this to social services and will get state health care. Two big benefits .. James is a pensioner and as his dependent, I will get cover too. And we will get UK EHIC cards. We can elect to have medical care in UK too ... just present the S1.

Just spoken to the overseas dept, S1 is only given for permanent residents abroad, as far as the UK are concerned.The person I spoke to said that if we are permanent residents, then if we go back to UK we will only get emergency cover. Didn't seem right to me but hard to argue with an official! I asked about EHIC and he said " different department". I do despair getting correct information which is reliable and consistent...Is James a permanent Greek resident?

 

[Trotter]

Pretty sure James has an Irish passport. Katherine may confirm.

 

[Clunegapyears]

Just spoken to the overseas dept, S1 is only given for permanent residents abroad, as far as the UK are concerned.The person I spoke to said that if we are permanent residents, then if we go back to UK we will only get emergency cover. Didn't seem right to me but hard to argue with an official! I asked about EHIC and he said " different department". I do despair getting correct information which is reliable and consistent...Is James a permanent Greek resident?

Yes we now have permanent residency ... a temporary document until 31.12 when they should sort out biometric cards .. but no news on that from the government yet.
Part of our decision about health was that we will only spend a few months a year in the UK. We will have to be in greece a minimum of 6 months for 5 years before moving to the next level and then able to be absent for 2 years. We will bring the motorhome over in the 2nd half of this year and travel in E Europe using this as our base.
One annoyance is that it is our responsibility to gather our Dr records ourselves.
Won't fully move everything out ... Still have UK address and properties.

 

[Clunegapyears]

Pretty sure James has an Irish passport. Katherine may confirm.

Yes and under EU legislation, I can travel freely with him as his spouse.
But we have elected to go for a Greek base and residency so we have the right to return here. Covid has really made us think about where we want to be locked down.

 

[REC]

Just had an email answer to query to Healthcare.Portugal@fco.gov.uk asking them to clarify our position regarding healthcare, as (temporary)residents in Portugal. Anybody who is living in Portugal for more than three months can apply for residence ( passport, address, and proof of means of support needed) and then can apply for state healthcare. A leaflet was also attached explaining how to apply. Just in case it helps others. Spain is probably different but Portugal seem to want us to stay.