NHS entitlement during and after slow circumnavivation

[roaringgirl]

We're due to start a slow circumnavigation. Neither I nor my wife will be employed, but we'll earn a rental income from our house and will pay tax in the UK. We'll be spending more than 6 months each year outside the UK, but will not be spending more than 6 months in any other country.

I haven't managed to find any info about our residency status, or what it means for our entitlement to NHS services in the UK during or after our circumnavigation. Can anyone here explain how it works?

 

[nortada]

We're due to start a slow circumnavigation. Neither I nor my wife will be employed, but we'll earn a rental income from our house and will pay tax in the UK. We'll be spending more than 6 months each year outside the UK, but will not be spending more than 6 months in any other country.

I haven't managed to find any info about our residency status, or what it means for our entitlement to NHS services in the UK during or after our circumnavigation. Can anyone here explain how it works?

Google ordinary residency.

To get you started:-

Ordinary residence guide: determining local authority responsibilities under the Care Act and the Mental Health Act

Already been extensively covered in threads in this forum.

From hat you have posted, provided you keep a presence in the UK (house, bank account, taxes, electoral role etc.) from experience, you should have no problems.

 

[Graham376]

You need to appear to be in the UK with an address, name on electoral role etc. Health care isn't the only problem, we had car insurance renewal refused one time when they found we had been out of the country for >6 months. Opening bank accounts also very difficult if not seen to be resident.

 

[nortada]

You need to appear to be in the UK with an address, name on electoral role etc. Health care isn't the only problem, we had car insurance renewal refused one time when they found we had been out of the country for >6 months. Opening bank accounts also very difficult if not seen to be resident.

The message is, retain your connections with the UK. As you are renting out property, I assume you already have UK bank accounts.

Graham is correct, you need a mailing address for things like renewing your SSR etc.

If you trawl through this forum, i suspect you will find answers to all of your questions.

Registered on an electoral roll. we always use or postal vote in UK elections.

If you are out bound through Portugal, at €15 per person, it may pay you to register for temporary (5 year) residency to give you alternative options (Schengen etc.) outbound and on your return. Depending on how the negotiations go , after the Transition Period this may no longer be available to Brits.

 

[PlanB]

Another vote for appearing to maintain a UK presence while off on a long holiday.

 

[Mistroma]

Another vote for appearing to maintain a UK presence while off on a long holiday.

+1

Our doctors and dentists both know we will be away from the UK for long periods. I don't ever say we'll be away for 7 months but vaguely mention possibly returning from time to time to visit relatives in England and check our house in Scotland. No problems so far. I believe rules were changed a few years ago wrt "normally resident" and it is easier to continue qualifying for NHS treatment. I doubt you will have any problems as you have a house in UK, pay tax, long time ties in UK and return for a while each year.

Our doctor is actually keen to hear about our travels and we've not yet had any problems getting sufficient prescriptions to tide us over for 6 months. We do a little stock-piling over winter and get 3-4 months worth before leaving UK. I think that we only spent 3 months in UK a couple of years ago because of trips to Japan, New Zealand, European parts etc.

I have heard that others do have problems with their doctor (and possibly dentist). I do see some signs of tightening up as my injections now come in a pack of 2 instead of 4-6. Not a problem for us yet.