I will accompany you every step of the way!

15 years living and working on the island, I am not a qualified solicitor nor do I pretend to be one!, but I can help you with registering at the doctors and any day to day transactions with most public bodies, including the Police or Guardia Civil, Utility companies and the local council, for a sensible fee - 20 euros an hour, and more importantly I know where to obtain trusted, professional advice and can translate for you, should that become necessary.

Di McGlone

Bank Accounts?
It is very easy to set up a Spanish Bank account. You simply need a permanent Spanish address, your Passport and your NIE number. An NIE number is a "Numéro identificación extranjero" and is your Tax Registration ID in Spain. You need an NIE to do a lot of things including property purchase (this includes time shares as well as real estate) and car purchase. I can guide you through this and can also introduce you to one of several English speaking Bank officers who will have your account open within a few minutes.

Can I get Health Care?
The Spanish National Healthcare Service is considered to be one of the best in Europe. Most statistics show the Spanish service to be better and certainly the equal of the UK NHS. Access to this service is freely available to EU citizens as long as you have taken the necessary steps to prove your entitlement to the Spanish authorities, which in the case of E121 and E106 will include applying for a residencia permit. For UK residents who spend more than 6 months in Spain at a time you need either an E121 or E106. The E121 is designed for people of retirement age who are receiving a UK State Pension and it entitles them to permanent and continuing access to the Spanish National Healthcare Service. The E106 is based on up to date UK NI contributions.

Once you have obtained al the necessary permits, you then have to register with your local GP to finalize the process, I can translate at this initial meeting and accompany you to any subsequent doctors or specialist appointments. You would be wise to bring any records of previous medical history with you.

Prescriptions are free for Pensioners.

If you are not retired and are working in Spain either self employed or legally employed you need to pay Social Security contributions. If you are employed the employer pays these, if self-employed there is a standard monthly rate. If you are working for yourself here are various ways of paying your taxes and you may be able to sign up for the simplified modulo system, I can give you information on this and introduce you to local assessors

Can I draw my Pension?
You can be paid a UK State Pension (with an extra amount if you are aged 80 or more), in any other EU country. You will get the same as you would get in the UK. This will usually be paid straight into your bank or building society account in the UK or your bank account in Spain or, if you wish, you can choose to have payment orders sent straight to you by post. Whichever you choose, payment is made every 4 or 13 weeks in arrears.

What about Tax?
The Spanish Income Tax system is similar to that in the UK. I can make an appointment with a professional for you to seek advice if you are a high net worth individual. However, in general it is likely that, on a similar income, you will pay less income tax in Spain than the UK. There are all the other usual Tax Classes such as Capital Gains, Gift Tax, Inheritance Tax etc., as you would expect. In the case of Capital Gains and Inheritance Tax it is recommended that you take professional advice, as there can be extremely large savings to be made here.

What’s this I’ve heard about crime?
The UK press occasionally reports a very untypical incident. People in glass houses should’t throw stones! Fact is that crime is only 17% of UK levels. You can walk the streets in Spain without meeting mindless thugs. You decide where you're safest! But in the unfortunate event of you suffering a break-in or having possessions stolen, I can take you through the procedures to make a claim on your insurance company and translate at the Police station for you

I will accompany you every step of the way!