Talk Quesada forum

Are there other members of this forum who come out to Spain for months at a time? If so do you bother to take out travel insurance?

The reason I am asking is that we are hoping to come out at the end of summer and spend 5-6 months in our apartment in Quesada. We will be applying for residency and SIP cards with an S1 form so we dont need to worry about the usual holiday pitfalls of accommodation or health problems which are 2 of the main reasons people take out travel insurance. Given the fact we book cheap flights with Vueling, we only take hand luggage and it is only a 2 1/2 hour flight, is there any need to have any travel insurance. I mean if they cancelled the flight, the cost of the fares is probably cheaper than the excess anyway. Is there any other reason for needing travel insurance to go to Spain and back again several months later?

I hope I have managed to make this understandable, I cant seem to find anything on Google about it.

We always take an Annual Travel Insurance but only stay a month at a time. Most Annual travel insurances only cover up to about 31 days per trip though so not sure whether you would get cover easily for multi months at a time.

I get all our insurances through the compare the meercat or Confused websites and the prices are always very reasonable that way.

As for the reason to take Travel Insurance I agree there's no real need for it to cover the actual travel to and from Spain as we also only take hand luggage and even when Monarch went belly up last year we were refunded without the need for our insurance but the health insurance part I consider most important as the EHIC will cover emergencies but it won't fly you home in an air ambulance if need be or cover up to £1 million pounds or more worth of medical care should it be needed. So it's a very small price to pay to be fully covered for any eventuality like health issues or accidents.

PS Sorry just noticed that you said you would be applying for Residency - Why would you do that to stay only 5 to 6 months? I think you can get a temporary Sip card without becoming Resident.

Jan wrote:PS Sorry just noticed that you said you would be applying for Residency - Why would you do that to stay only 5 to 6 months? I think you can get a temporary Sip card without becoming Resident.

There are a couple of reasons for applying for residency later this year. Firstly we are planning to spend more and more time at the apartment probably up to 7 or 8 months in 2 or 3 years time when our youngest grandchild is 16-17. And I would like to get residency sorted before the Brexit deadline just in case they make the rules different for people applying for residency after that.

Secondly because we are both on quite a lot of different medications each, which we get free in Wales. We currently have EHIC Plus Expand travel insurance which we can get to cover us up to 90 days and we can get 3 months prescriptions to bring with us at a time. That means we would have to pay over the counter for the other 2 or 3 months. However by becoming residents my husband (who's just turned 65) can get an S1 form and he can get reduced price prescriptions while mine should be free (due to our pensions and allowances).

Totally mercenary reasons I agree, but on pensions we cant afford to throw money away.

You are only supposed to use an S1 form if you are going to be permanently resident in Spain and no longer a UK resident

Re - Travel Insurance.
Have you ever thought that if one or other of you took ill while on board a flight and the flight had to be diverted, you could be held responsible for the cost of this? Never travel without your travel insurance. The cost nowadays is terrific and the annual policy is so handy for frequent travellers. Forget sickness, what about an accident...a bad fall resulting in the need to be repatriated is covered by travel insurance. I think you can be covered for longer periods than 30 days, make enquiries, do some research. Hopefully, you will both never have need to claim for any of the above scenarios but be covered incase you do.

TonTri wrote:

Jan wrote:PS Sorry just noticed that you said you would be applying for Residency - Why would you do that to stay only 5 to 6 months? I think you can get a temporary Sip card without becoming Resident.

There are a couple of reasons for applying for residency later this year. Firstly we are planning to spend more and more time at the apartment probably up to 7 or 8 months in 2 or 3 years time when our youngest grandchild is 16-17. And I would like to get residency sorted before the Brexit deadline just in case they make the rules different for people applying for residency after that.

Secondly because we are both on quite a lot of different medications each, which we get free in Wales. We currently have EHIC Plus Expand travel insurance which we can get to cover us up to 90 days and we can get 3 months prescriptions to bring with us at a time. That means we would have to pay over the counter for the other 2 or 3 months. However by becoming residents my husband (who's just turned 65) can get an S1 form and he can get reduced price prescriptions while mine should be free (due to our pensions and allowances).

Totally mercenary reasons I agree, but on pensions we cant afford to throw money away.

I can well understand your reasons but not sure if it's possible to be Resident in both countries. I think that it's one or the other because when you become Resident in Spain, in theory you would be paying all your taxes in Spain and would not be using the UK health service. Sounds like that could make it difficult for you to spend the other months in UK. Most people who spend 6 months or less stay Non Resident and get a temporary Sip card I believe.
I undrstand that you want to beat the Brexit deadline. However,none of us know how it will affect our situation in Spain yet, Resident or Non Resident.

If you are in Spain make sure you have your EC medical card .
You can not take out residency until you have left your country of Residence 6 months.
If you're here 6 months get private medical insurance
If you have flight insurance Che k the fine print . If you only book a one way trip it only covers you until you get here.

How do I know this ...
It has just happened too me . 10 days here and I had an accident .three weeks in hospital.

Life

I realise we cant be resident in both countries but if we are planning on spending over 6 months of the year in Spain we need to legally register as resident in Spain anyway for tax and the health system. It does mean that we would only be covered by the EHIC card while in the UK, the same as we currently are in Spain while there. It would just be a reversal wouldnt it?

It's mainly whether we should take out insurance for the flights. I appreciate your points MacBlade about being taken ill on a flight which is the main reason for my original question. And private medical insurance isnt an option I'm afraid Ross, it would be far too expensive with both of us having medical conditions. Travel insurance for us is expensive enough even with an annual policy.

Hi be safe and take insurance I did in May only cost £6.00 not worth risking it

cheflady wrote:Hi be safe and take insurance I did in May only cost £6.00 not worth risking it

Was that flight only insurance? If so, who was it with?