Is there a SIP Card for non-resident?

We have a house in Quesada which we visit every two months. We are under the UK NHS, we have Travel Insurance and we have an EHIC Card. We are on the Padrón because we own a car over here ( it is a requirement) and also because I believe the Council gets an allowance from Central Govt for everyone on the Padrón to pay for eg bin collection etc.
We have been told by friends who live here that because we are on the Padrón, we qualify for a SIP card. We are in our 60s but do not yet receive our State Pension in the UK.
Can anyone tell us please if this is correct or where we can get more information. We do not want to take anything out of the Spanish System which we are not entitled to.

Not sure when you got your padron but the government has been clamping down and the padron should only be issued to those resident here.
The Spanish health system is contribution based and, as you don't contribute in terms of national insurance (or social security) then you wouldn't be entitled to it.
However, and there's always a however, if you update your padron (it must be within 3 months) the lady at the town hall in Rojales was issuing temporary SIP cards for up to 3 months. This enabled you to see a GP provided you had your EHIC as well.
Now, this was a couple of years ago so I don't know if you can still do it. Again, however, the chap at the town hall who updates the padron doesn't appear to carry out any checks when just updating so you may be able to do so. You would not get reduced costs on prescriptions, though.

Hi ...not at all...you have to have a padron to buy a car...you do not have to be a resident. As for a SIP card...you have to be a resident as you cannot be a resident in two places at the same time. I have a Spanish SIP ...my entitlement in England is NIL. EHIC for emergencies only...its to stop Health Tourists and works both ways.

I have a car in spain and was not asked for a padron when we bought

marcliff wrote:Not sure when you got your padron but the government has been clamping down and the padron should only be issued to those resident here.

I'm sorry to disagree but the chap in the town hall has always been very passionate about the Padron and he said to us that anyone who uses the local services either Resident or Non-Resident should be on the Padron.

He signed us onto the Padron knowing we are Non-Resident holiday-home owners, even when we were unsure whether we should be on it. He assured us it was the right thing to do and that we should be signed on.


Jan

the padron in spain is the equivalent of the electoral register in the uk...your habitual residence, a number of years ago most town halls on th costas bent the rules, that if you owned or had a long term lease on a property you could obtain a padron cert . this inflated the population figures and increased the the government grant to the town hall, so the guy in the town hall was very passionate about it because he was told be by the town hall, so if you are a non resident property owner or have a long term lease you can obtain a temp sip card for doctors appointments

What will be the situation for us when we rent for a year or so please? My husband is a Pensioner so will get his pension from UK. What will be covered for under the reciprocal agreement with our EHIC cards? We are driving over so know that after 6 months we have to register our car? Is this straightforward? This forum has been invaluable for finding out information. I would appreciate any words of warning and advice! If I wanted to find part time work would this be possible? I work in the New Homes industry here as a sales negotiator but wouldn't mind what I did really. Thanks

An EHIC only covers emergency treatments.
If you got to Rojales town hall with your identities - passports - proof of address of property - utility bill/suma/etc - they will issue you a padron certificate free.
(1st desk on right on first floor of town hall - not usually much queue.)
Then when you come downstairs again, there is a health desk under the stairs where a very helpful young lady will issue you with a temp SIP card - lasts 6 months and can be renewed repeatdly - which will allocate you a doctor in the Lo Malibu health centre.

Jan wrote:
I'm sorry to disagree but the chap in the town hall has always been very passionate about the Padron and he said to us that anyone who uses the local services either Resident or Non-Resident should be on the Padron.


Jan

You're not disagreeing at all. I did say you are only supposed to be on the padron as permanent residents (or those who reside in Spain for more than 180 days a year) but I also said Rojales town hall will (or did) do it for non-residents.
It is only those who go on to the electoral register that can be empadronamiento but Rojales town hall does it for non-residents who own property here.

DianeD wrote:What will be the situation for us when we rent for a year or so please? My husband is a Pensioner so will get his pension from UK. What will be covered for under the reciprocal agreement with our EHIC cards? We are driving over so know that after 6 months we have to register our car? Is this straightforward? This forum has been invaluable for finding out information. I would appreciate any words of warning and advice! If I wanted to find part time work would this be possible? I work in the New Homes industry here as a sales negotiator but wouldn't mind what I did really. Thanks

If you are staying in Spain for a year, I'm sure you will have to, by law, become Resident which will then mean you wouldn't then be able to use your EHIC card in theory.

There's quite a lot written about this on the forum but 6 months is the maximum that anyone can 'officially' stay in Spain, as a Non Resident, for any one year. If you become resident there are advantages for pensioners for healthcare in Spain, as far as I know, as our retired British neighbours in Spain get very good Spanish healthcare treatment.

I'm sure you will get lots of information about this from those that know more, on the forum.

Jan