Think healthcare when moving to Spain - or it could cost you time, worry and money, warns new video
Living in Spain without having thought about how you will look after your future health could cost you time, worry and money, warns the Department of Health in a new video about the importance of registering for healthcare.
Britons coming to Spain to live permanently, as well as those who have recently arrived, must register properly with the Spanish authorities to ensure they are fully protected by the country鈥檚 state health system. But many expatriate Britons don鈥檛 get round to it and, as Mr Thomson finds out in the video 鈥淢oving to Spain? Think about Healthcare!鈥�, this adds worry to illness or injury and, in the worst cases, can result in big bills.
Even Britons in Spain who do think about healthcare then sometimes fail to finish the job. Last year 7,888 Britons received healthcare forms from the UK but didn鈥檛 then register with the authorities in Spain. A lady from Gandia in Valencia now faces a large bill after being treated for cancer. It is estimated there could be up-to 20,000 UK state pensioners who have not registered correctly for healthcare in Spain.
皇冠体育app new video points people in the right direction. Hannah Thronicker, head of the Department of Health team in Spain, says,
If there is one thing you must do when moving to Spain, or anywhere else abroad, it is to make sure you are covered for healthcare.
And if you are already resident in Spain but haven鈥檛 yet registered, the video is a must-see. Get registered 鈥� don鈥檛 wait until you鈥檙e ill.
Britons living in Spain are encouraged to share the video as widely as possible with friends and family who are living in or thinking of moving to a place in the Spanish sun.
You can share the video via , or through using the hashtag #healthcarevideolaunch and #movingtoSpain. Alternatively you can embed it in a website or include it in an email or blog.
Further information on accessing healthcare in Spain can be found at or at Gov.uk.