Advice on emigration.

Hi . Great to hear you've been cancer free for 3 months!

What a great opportunity but I'm not sure I'd be able to offer any information! Since Brexit things have become even more complicated and I think perhaps only the NHS might know the answer if they'll still cover your treatment should it become necessary.

When we moved to Spain in 2003, hubby and I became residents (although not working) as we thought it was a one way trip. As we were both under 65 we weren't entitled to any health cover unless private. You could however buy prescription drugs OTC quite easily up until about 2008 then it all changed. I do recall my Levothyroxine was inexpensive. (I'd had a sub total thyroidectomy as I'd had Hyperthyroidism, then became hypo). Many expats where we lived just came back to the UK for treatment, there again many hadn't legally registered as Spanish citizens, they still drove their cars illegally on English plates. The rules tightened from about 2008 and Spanish red tape is complicated.

Once hubby was 65 I was covered as his wife. Seems ridiculous as EU citizens coming to UK automatically were covered. Yet we were in limbo. Looking back we took a risk for 5 years.

Some friends of ours who live 6 months in UK and 6 months in Spain had all sorts of problems with medical cover. Now Brexit has happened they can only spend 90 days at a time in their Spanish property. They even spent the best of 2 months getting paperwork sorted so they can legally go back to the Spanish property they've owned for 17 years!

To be honest, I hate to say it, but I don't have a clue! If you're working you'll need a work permit. Hopefully someone will come along with an answer, sorry I can't help. 

Buena suerte! Bxx

Thankyou- any advice is helpful! I think I can go out there as a detached worker, instead of the rigmarole. 

I believe that access to the NHS is based on residency, not nationality, which means that people can't come back JUST to access treatment if they've been living abroad. However, what I don't know, is how long you need to be out of the country to be lose that residency.

If you're going to work in Spain, will you be applying for Spanish residency? If not, I think you have to leave again after 3 months. So it would be fine as a temporary role, but if you plan to live there, you'll most likely lose your 'rights' to UK NHS care.

But, as the previous poster said, everything is up in the air post-Brexit so you need to look into all the legal aspects. Keep in mind that at the moment with the amber status and quarantine, testing, self-isolation etc. you probably would find it quite difficult to get back in a hurry if you needed to.