Residencia

Hi Albert, yes, Residencia allows you at this time to stay longer than three months in Spain.  A caveat is that Spain is gearing up to put UK nationals onto a TIE, which has a completely different set of regulations governing it..... my Asesoría advised me only Friday that the advice from her collegiate was “wait and see”, but that there were no appointments left before 29/3 and should UK actually pass a withdrawal agreement, all new applications would likely be for a TIE ..... that aside, assuming Residencia is still the route Spain goes between 29/3 and <insert date of choice here> then yes, that will allow you to stay more than three months.

To answer your second question, I doubt very much that travel insurance will cut the mustard simply because it is holiday insurance - it is the same reason that an EHIC Card is not accepted for Residencia and that is because once Residencia kicks in, the EHIC falls away as you are no longer “on holiday”. - I dare suggest that travel insurance will be the same; it covers you whilst you are temporarily holidaying abroad, but once you take residency, you are no longer holidaying.  I could be way off track here, and I’m hoping someone else will jump in and offer some expertise 

Thank you for your detailed reply. I'll have to get a price for private medical cover as I'm only just 60 but retired.

If you’re retired and receiving a pension, then an S1 form will provide the necessary health indemnity and indeed the required income 

I am retired and receiving a private and government pension but not a state pension. This comes when I'm 66! Is the S1 applicable to me do you know?

Not to you are receiveing your state pension.you can’t apply till 30days before you leave the uk.and have a address in Spain for it to be sent to..

As Carol points out, S1 only applicable to State pension however the good news is that the private pension gets you over the line for the income requirement.

Just something that I don't know that  others might. In the current climate as for the moment we remain part of the EEC, if I were to obtain private medical insurance and proof of income to meet the requirements of residencia, does this mean that I am relinquishing my British residency?. Using this scenario, the plan would be to have England as my primary address but residencia would allow us to stay for perhaps 10 months in any one year straight off should we wish to. What are the repercussions please for both a life in Spain and life in England as it were, in respect of citizenship etc.

You’d never relinquish British residency - or the ability to have residency there - whilst you held a U.K. passport.  

If, however, you live in Spain more than 183 days a year, you will be required to be TAX resident, which is wholly different from Residencia.  Your green EU Citizens resident card, your Residencia, allows you to remain in Spain for more than 90 days in any 180 day period ....

... however, once you spend more than 183 days here (6 months), you are required to pay your taxes in Spain and to advise HMRC that you are now resident in Spain for tax purposes.

As an aside, you will also be required to swap your U.K. Driving Lucences for Spanish Driving Licences