EU Citizens e-residency process & Health Care info for UK ExPats

MovingToTheMed wrote:

redmik wrote:

Original article reviewed and updated.

Thanks RedMik I almost panicked over the weekend. Just when I was going to get stuck into this for our forthcoming move it had gone! Now back and even amended and updated. Many Thanks 

My pleasure.
PM me if I can help any further.

Has anyone visited the new entitlements unit location yet? and found the office. Need to go myself but a tad concerned that the 'official' website doesn't mention the change. Are they always slow to change information?

PoshPB wrote:

Has anyone visited the new entitlements unit location yet?

I know someone who has, which is why I posted about it last week :-)

Great that re-assuring to know, will attempt it tomorrow.
thanks George

I was just declined for the RHA today. I think she was trying to be helpful but wouldn't accept I am unable to get an S1 as I "retired" in October 2011 and my 2 1/2 years has already expired. apparently I have to send them a detailed email of whom I spoke to at Newcastle, why I do not qualify for an S1 ( I think they think occupational pension payments attract NI deductions, which they don't) and why I am unable to get health insurance. I have had cancer in the past and recently had benign growths removed. also my last 5 years of healthcare is a bit hectic, so I have been declined for health insurance by a few providers.

can the British High Commission help me to get my entitlement to the RHA?

more importantly can I be deported after 90 days? or can I use my EHIC card to get a residency permit? Help please

I have sent you private messages. They explain the system (as in the article) and the misinterpretation and understanding of the word 'retired' by the Entitlement Unit.

yes that would explain it but what do I do about it? I am just worried in 2 months down the road I will be kicked out

more importantly can I be deported after 90 days?
no

or can I use my EHIC card to get a residency permit?
no

oh well I have 1 years travel insurance and an EHIC valid until 2019. I think only difference for me with an ID card is the 300 euro deposit I paid to Melita, and slightly cheaper bus tickets. other than that I cant see much difference.

an EHIC is only valid in countries you are a tourist in, so once you've been in Malta more than three months you are not supposed to use a UK issued EHIC in Malta any more

ps bus tickets are now the same for tourists and residents

yes I know but the one and 3 month bus ticket is only available to ID card holders. just slightly cheaper. so far I have been here one month

I think the best thing to do is email as she asked laying out all the issues. email she gave me is entitlement.doh@gov.mt and say I be back in on (insert date here) to get my interim RHA.

i was chatting to a friend of mine. they suggested I go back to UK every 2 months and 3 weeks to see my son. then come back for same period and repeat over and over. that way my EHIC card would remain valid and give pretty much same coverage as the RHA anyway. I assume that is "legal" assuming anyone actually notices how long you are here anyway?

redders61 wrote:

i was chatting to a friend of mine. they suggested I go back to UK every 2 months and 3 weeks to see my son. then come back for same period and repeat over and over. that way my EHIC card would remain valid and give pretty much same coverage as the RHA anyway. I assume that is "legal" assuming anyone actually notices how long you are here anyway?

Plenty of people do exactly that ( but not as often) and as an EU citizen you have the right of free travel between borders.
Is it legal? depends who you talk too or if you get caught, a better question would be "who cares"?
Its easier if you retain  a UK address for the NHS stuff otherwise its up to you and your conscience as to whether you are comfortable with the situation.

Terry

its legal according to the letter of the law, if not the spirit. However, you risk losing NHS cover in the UK if they find out that you are spending most of the year abroad.

yes I have a UK "address" and still registered with the GP but did you not know they are proposing to allow expats with 7 or more years NIC's to access the NHS? that is one of the reasons they have ended the S1 system. I am guessing the NHS reforms will be in the queens speech, where asylum seekers and economic migrants (non EU) have to pay a levy at the UK Border. around 279 quid if I remember correctly. Worlds cheapest health insurance !!

The S1 system is EU wide, not specific to UK. The UK will have to continue issuing S1 as its about free movement of people throughout the EU.

That might take a court battle to sort. people contacting Newcastle now are being told the UK government is no longer issuing S1's they told me that in December when I contacted them too (as of 1 april 2014 he said to me)

Are you of official state retirement age ? [edit - in the UK]

http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcare … ction.aspx

"If you are living in an EEA country or Switzerland and you receive a UK State Pension or long-term Incapacity Benefit, you may be entitled to state healthcare paid for by the UK. You'll need to apply for a certificate of entitlement also known as an S1 form. "

"If you are an early retiree going to live in another EEA country and have recently made National Insurance contributions in the UK, you may be entitled to UK-funded healthcare for a limited period of time (up to a maximum of 2.5 years), while you become established. Contact the Overseas Healthcare Team on 0191 218 1999 to see whether you can get an S1 form to cover you and your dependants."

no I am 52 I see the links you posted and quite correct however I am referring to S1's for early retirees not S1's for benefit claimants or pensioners. The S1 for early retirees as I understand it is unique to the UK. sorry I think I was confusing the issue by not specifying early retirees earlier. If you are an early retiree and ring them now they will tell you sorry we no longer issue S1's.

there has been some stuff in the UK press about it, also on other forums. It was in the briefing paper for MP's during committee stage of the NHS reform Bill too

OK, that makes sense now you've clarified

well I go to the top of my stairs. The DOH have just replied to my email saying I can have the RHA interim certificate just take my passport in to the office. Miracles do happen, I think it was the health insurance/cancer bit that was perplexing them, once I explained I could not get insurance and why. Obviously insurance is a much better idea if you can get it

quick update. I went to St Elmos Place yesterday. from being spoken to at the front desk to having my picture taken for the E-residency card took all of 20 minutes. I get a letter in about 7 days to go and collect the card. so the process is not arduous or long winded.

Same here, went today, took 15 minutes. Do your homework, make sure you have all the necessary documents, download and fill in the forms at home, and it should go pretty quick. (I have to say though that they barely check what you filled in, wouldn't it be better if they went through the forms with you while you're there? Could save some tedious rework/extra visits afterwards).

yes he didn't check mine too much. just that they were signed and each part had something in it from what I could tell. mine would have been quicker too but for an argumentative Russian lol. the most important thing is to take your evidence (self sufficiency) and COPIES, I actually gave them copies of my pension award letter and my last P60 just to confuse them lol

Picked up my card today, two weeks and one day (because of 1st May i guess ) after I applied.

I had read so many horror stories here, it looks like it was  a real shambles when they introduced the new system, but now I would say it's a pretty smooth and painless process (just make sure you're well prepared and have all the necessary forms).

wife and kids submitted papers on 18.3., same day i submitted request for address change

still no news

i wouldn't be surprised if they lost the applications, they manged to lose half of paper sand photos 2 days after we gave them, and after few emails managed ti find them
ofc, first they tried to convince me that we didn't give them to them

still waiting for a letter to go and get my card, today is 3 weeks since my application. apparently they are working day and night at the moment.

Small update: if you actually want an eID account, to use the services on https://mygov.mt/, you will need to activate the account. As far as I know, this does not happen automatically when you pick up the eID-card (after you got a letter with two PIN codes). I was waiting for an e-mail with the password to set up the account, but then I carefully reread the instructions on their page on how to get registered, and I realised I probably wasn't registered yet. So I went back to Evans building, 2nd floor, and they handled the registration there on the spot (should take 2-4 working days to complete).

So when you pick up your card, and are planning to use an eID account, my advice would be to get up to the second floor as soon as you have your card in your hands and register for an eID account. Make sure your hair looks good, they will take another picture of you

Also just to say you need to go to the basement at St Elmo as an expat.

Hi Redmik - I see you have removed the "EU Citizens e-residency process & Health Care info for UK ExPats"

Have you or do you have plans to repost at all?  Please!

Thanks
Matt

I tried unsuccessfully to PM you about this.

MovingToTheMed wrote:

Hi Redmik - I see you have removed the "EU Citizens e-residency process & Health Care info for UK ExPats"

Have you or do you have plans to repost at all?  Please!

Thanks
Matt

I tried unsuccessfully to PM you about this.

isnt this the thread ?

redmik wrote:

Removed due to thread going off topic and cluttered again.
No longer serving a useful purpose.

Ah, I see

I had to go to the police station the other day in Birzebbuga to file a report with my GF, they said my ID card is invalid as it isn't registered lol. so evans bldg. it is

Hi everybody,

Following the request of the initiator, this thread is now closed.

Thank you,

Priscilla