1. An ‘exchange’ closely monitored in 2023 was that of the Green Certificate. This document remains a valid way to prove Withdrawal Agreement beneficiary status and therefore, the right to work and reside in Spain. For the most part, it is recognised as such, but in response to some reports of non-recognition, we have created this letter on the Living In Guide to explain its validity, pointing to relevant Spanish Government guidance, which we hope will help. That said, the best and most reliable way to prove your rights under the Withdrawal Agreement is with the TIE. That’s why the Embassy strongly advise all British citizens in Spain to get one as, put simply, it will just make life easier. We are pleased that over 200,000 British people (a growing number) do now have a TIE, but we still have a way to go in encouraging take up.
2.
The Embassy also hope to make progress on pensions and healthcare
matters in 2024. On the former, we believe that many British people
living here may be entitled to a Spanish state pension without knowing
it. Even those who may have only worked for one year in Spain could be
eligible and, if they have worked in other EU countries as well, could
potentially combine Spanish social security contributions with those
from other countries. As for healthcare, many British citizens in Spain
have not yet registered with the Spanish public health system and
therefore, are missing out on their entitlement to receive basic state
services for free. This means that they could be charged privately for
their healthcare, potentially resulting in unnecessary and expensive
bills. It is also important that British residents in Spain receiving
UK-funded healthcare keep the NHS Business Services Authority updated on
their circumstances and contact information. The NHSBSA will be
engaging more proactively with British citizens in Spain and are
contactable through OHS.S1emailupdate@
3. The Ambassador is pleased to say that new legislation has come into force to enable British citizens living abroad to vote in UK general elections, regardless of how long they’ve been living outside the UK. This law removes the previous 15-year time limit and I know will be very welcome news for many British people in Spain. The Embassy has updated our Living in Guide accordingly and are calling on partner to help us spread the word, so British people can get registered and be ready to cast a ballot when the time comes.
Happy New Year!
