Portugal health care for oldies without an S1

webcraft said:
I'm qualified for an S1, but I don't want to deregister with my GP in Scotland.

- W
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I can't speak for Portugal, but as far as the S1 is concerned you don't have to deregister. The paperwork that comes with the S1 clearly states that on visits back to the UK you will receive free NHS care 'as though ordinarily resident' so there's no reason why you couldn't use your existing GP on visits home. If you return permanently to the UK you simply revert to normal NHS care as now.

The one thing you do have to do in order to get an S1 is to tell the DWP the date you left the UK, so obtaining an S1 does let 'government' know that you're no longer resident in the UK. In my experience however that makes not one scrap of difference to anything.
 
I managed to register without an S1 but it was several years ago. Since then, in Lagoa, most people of retirement age are being asked for their S1 before they can get their Utente number. Occasionally they slip up and don't ask but it very much depends which person you get on the desk on the day. Only thing to do is to try it and see what they say.
I've just applied for a new S1 for myself as the old one is 2 years old now (Portuguese often don't accept old documents) and I intend registering it when I get back after xmas. Once registered S1 in Portugal, I can then apply for the New EHIC card from UK that gives foreign resident pensioners with S1 registration, the right to emergency healthcare across the remaining 27 countries of the EU. :) after Dec 31st. whatever happens in Brexit.
The Newcastle office said the S1 would take 2 weeks and it must be posted to your foreign address. They would not post it to where I stay in UK. So the 2 weeks will turn into 5 weeks by the time it arrives. :) If it arrives.
I have also filled in the application for the new EHIC and they said as soon as the S1 is registered in Portugal, it will trigger the system to issue my new EHIC automatically and that will also be sent to my foreign address.
So once it's all sorted out, I should have SNS in Portugal with a registered doctor, NHS in UK (maybe without a registered doctor if I'm unlucky and they catch up with me), and a new EHIC card for all of Europe. :):):):):):):)
 
Tony Cross said:
I can't speak for Portugal, but as far as the S1 is concerned you don't have to deregister. The paperwork that comes with the S1 clearly states that on visits back to the UK you will receive free NHS care 'as though ordinarily resident' so there's no reason why you couldn't use your existing GP on visits home.
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I understand issuing of an S1 stops NHS payment to GP so crossed off his/her list and possibly loss of income tax personal allowances? Anyway, don't want to go that route, I registered with health number and EHIC issued without S1.
 
Graham376 said:
I understand issuing of an S1 stops NHS payment to GP so crossed off his/her list and possibly loss of income tax personal allowances? Anyway, don't want to go that route, I registered with health number and EHIC issued without S1.
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Do you have any evidence of loss of income tax personal allowances?

So U.K. Government pensions and in effect, the State Pension would then be taxed in full. Increasing that individuals annual tax bill by about over £2,000 per annum.

The S1 system has been around for a very long time and used by, literally, thousands across the world so there should be hard evidence out there, one way or the other.
 
Note the ? after my comment. All I know is from talking to an expat who was moaning he'd lost his UK tax allowances after being declared non UK tax resident after going the official immigration route, including S1. No idea of his earnings circumstances.

P.S. I assumed he was resident here (Portugal) but can't be sure about that.
 
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Graham376 said:
Note the ? after my comment. All I know is from talking to an expat who was moaning he'd lost his UK tax allowances after being declared non UK tax resident after going the official immigration route, including S1. No idea of his earnings circumstances.
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I had already noted you uncertainty (?) but given the significance of this observation, confirmation, one way or the other, would be reassuring.

Tony’s #4 paints a rather different picture.
 
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Hard to cover all eventualities, people's circumstances vary as do the rules in the country in which they have residence, some having dual tax arrangements, others don't. My personal view is to tell authorities as little as possible but it seems in future we will be tracked more than in the past so far harder to keep under the radar. When my Portuguese EHIC comes up for renewal in a couple of years, I may be forced to provide an S1 as others have had to do. Just take it as it comes, no point in worrying.
 
Graham376 said:
Hard to cover all eventualities, people's circumstances vary as do the rules in the country in which they have residence, some having dual tax arrangements, others don't. My personal view is to tell authorities as little as possible but it seems in future we will be tracked more than in the past so far harder to keep under the radar. When my Portuguese EHIC comes up for renewal in a couple of years, I may be forced to provide an S1 as others have had to do. Just take it as it comes, no point in worrying.
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PMd you.

Understand some over 65s are still getting a health number, without getting into the S1 scheme.

Bearing in mind the EHIC is EU wide and some UK residents will new EHICs based on the S1 scheme issued by Newcastle, it will be interesting to see the level of confusion that will exist at the Centro de Saudes and hospitals next year.
 
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Tony Cross said:
I can't speak for Portugal, but as far as the S1 is concerned you don't have to deregister. The paperwork that comes with the S1 clearly states that on visits back to the UK you will receive free NHS care 'as though ordinarily resident' so there's no reason why you couldn't use your existing GP on visits home. If you return permanently to the UK you simply revert to normal NHS care as now.

The one thing you do have to do in order to get an S1 is to tell the DWP the date you left the UK, so obtaining an S1 does let 'government' know that you're no longer resident in the UK. In my experience however that makes not one scrap of difference to anything.
Click to expand...

On the paper work you receive with your S1 certificates it states clearly that you must inform your GP that you live abroad when registering your S1 in your country of residence.
If you do that at my surgery you will be struck off as I was warned of this 2 yrs ago. I didn't register my S1 at that time because of this and have remained on the GP's books ever since.
I am however going to register S1 in Portugal in the new year so I'll see what happens then.
If anyone needs more clarity on this, then ring Newcastle office for overseas healthcare and ask them. I spoke with them last week about it and they were very helpful.
 
greeny said:
On the paper work you receive with your S1 certificates it states clearly that you must inform your GP that you live abroad when registering your S1 in your country of residence.
If you do that at my surgery you will be struck off as I was warned of this 2 yrs ago. I didn't register my S1 at that time because of this and have remained on the GP's books ever since.
I am however going to register S1 in Portugal in the new year so I'll see what happens then.
If anyone needs more clarity on this, then ring Newcastle office for overseas healthcare and ask them. I spoke with them last week about it and they were very helpful.
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OK, I am being idle but please share your contact number for the Newcastle office for overseas healthcare.

Ta
 
When I applied for a Saude Number I was asked for S1.

I applied for S1.

Received 2 copies for me and 2 copies for wife (as a dependant on me but <65).

Applied again for Saude Number at Nazare health Centre but told I first had to register S1 at Social Security HO in Leiria for validation!

Went to Leiria and told we had to hand in both copies of S1 and they post it back to Newcastle for registration!!

I assume Newcastle then validated S1 and post it back to Social Security office at Leiria!!

About 2 months latter received an EU Form IIRC " SO 73" from Leiria Social Security HO that I took with a photocopy of S1 (Important in Portugal alway scan every document into computer and keep a colour copy as you often loose documents once handed in to officialdom) to Saude and finally issued with Health registration Saude number.

We could not believe the inefficient way the whole process was done!!

I am still registered with UK Dr at UK address and get repeat prescription through the new NHS website. Note 1 - I was previously registered on previous NHS website for repeat prescription but in 2020 there is a new NHS website requiring ID validation. Note 2 - To register on the new NHS website you have to register with a scanned photo ID of either passport or driving licence and let NHS facial recognition software on NHS website match you face as seen through your computer built in camera to scanned photo ID!

I think old non computer literate people have to get an official to complete application for NHS website. It was a right palaver for me and I am fairly computer savvy. IIRC I had to finally submit a photo of passport taken by mobile phone then shared to computer by e mail before I could get NHS Facial recognition software to work it would not accept scanned copies of either driving licence or Passport saying photo quality not adequate. From memory this "simple" process took me about 2hrs sat at laptop!

Currently I believe I can get free treatment in both UK and Portugal.

Yet to apply for EHIC card and to follow up trying to transfer Portuguese Saude registration to Bombarral health Centre for new house address!

Nothing surprises me and patience is the key.

I would add that I obviously do not believe I have been deregistered for NHS from my local Dr in UK nor do i believe the NHS computers are linked to HMRC.

In my case as I was applied for NHR Portuguese residency (10yrs pension tax free) I considered it important to apply for S1 plus register with HMRC as an overseas Landlord to clarify my relationships with HMRC taxation system. Just got Capital Gains tax to sort and pay once sale of our BTL Salisbury house is complete.
 
Graham376 said:
Note the ? after my comment. All I know is from talking to an expat who was moaning he'd lost his UK tax allowances after being declared non UK tax resident after going the official immigration route, including S1. No idea of his earnings circumstances.
Click to expand...
When we applied for our S1 forms and obtained Greek health are with them it had no impact at all on our UK tax position.
 
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