Food Bank Donations Urgently Required

 

Information from the British Embassy

 I quote:

"And now for the update -

 

1.       Residency information:

 

-          We know that there are still many rumours around that green residency certificates must be exchanged for the TIE by 31 December. Please be assured that this is not the case. While the Spanish Government has highlighted that there may be some advantages to having the TIE – it is more durable, contains biometric data and may speed up administrative processes and border crossing – they make it clear that the green certificate remains valid evidence of your residency status and rights under the Withdrawal Agreement, even after the end of the Transition Period. See their Q&A document for more detail.  

-          You may be aware that some UK Nationals have been issued with TIEs with incorrect wording. We continue to work with the Spanish authorities on this issue. The Spanish have emphasised that these cards remain valid documents, however, we appreciate the desire of UK nationals to obtain a card with the correct wording and are awaiting further information from the Spanish authorities on the process for doing this.

-          We know that it is still difficult to get residency appointments in many areas. Please encourage anyone who is struggling to obtain an appointment to make sure they have all the documentation necessary for their application and to prove that they are legally living in Spain by the end of this year.

-          We have published a series of videos on residency on our Brits in Spain Facebook channel: an FAQ video, a video specifically for first time applicants and a third on exchanging the green certificate for a TIE. In addition, we have updated our page on gov.uk on registering as a resident in Spain.

-          If people are particularly struggling with the residency process as first-time applications, please do signpost them to the organisations that have received funding from the UK Nationals Support Fund to assist them. The level of support may vary depending on where in Spain you are, but their helplines are open to people from across the country. You can find their details here.

 

2.       Driving licences

 

-          As you know one of the key actions for UK Nationals living in Spain is to exchange their UK driving licence for a Spanish one. However, recently it has been extremely difficult to get an appointment. We have a key update from the DGT:

-          The DGT is aware that UK and other licence holders are facing problems in obtaining an appointment. They will soon introduce a new process to streamline the current exchange process until the end of the year. UK licence holders will be asked to complete a form with the details the DGT needs in order to verify the driving licence with the UK authorities. This form must be submitted to the DGT by 25 December at the very latest. Once a person has presented their form, they will need to obtain an appointment with DGT to finalise the exchange process. However, as long as the form was submitted by the date above, and the licence verified by the DGT before the end of the year, the appointment to complete the process can be after 1 January 2021. We will share information on the new process as soon as we have it.

-          So, whilst further details are needed about the system and when it will come into effect, this should be welcome news to people who may be struggling to get through the exchange process. In addition, the UK continues to negotiate the rules on the recognition and exchange of UK driving licences from 1 January 2021 onwards with member states, so do encourage people to sign up to email alerts on gov.uk/livinginspain, so that they are kept informed of the latest information.

 

3.       UK bank accounts

 

-         We are aware that some UK nationals who hold UK-based bank accounts, but are resident in the EU, have received letters from their UK bank, informing them that these accounts are to be closed.

-      Most people living in Europe shouldn’t see any change to their banking at the end of the transition period (31 December 2020). Whether UK banks can service EEA-based customers is a matter of local law and regulation. Also banks are set up differently and may have taken different actions to continue to serve their customers.  Your bank or finance provider should contact you if they need to make any changes to your product or the way they provide it. If you have any concerns about whether you might be affected, contact your provider or seek independent financial advice.

-      Meanwhile, please be assured that your UK state pension can be paid into your Spanish bank account. This link from gov.uk may be useful.

 

4.       Passports

         From 1 January, passport validity rules are changing for travel to European countries. You’ll need to have at least 6 months left on an adult or child passport to travel to most countries in Europe (not including Ireland).If you renewed your passport early last time, any extra months added to the normal 10-year validity will not count towards meeting this requirement, so we encourage everyone to doublecheck their passport validity online now at: gov.uk/checkpassport

 

5.       Healthcare

 

-          We held a Facebook Live Q&A session with colleagues from DHSC on Tuesday. You may want to point people who have health-related questions to the video, which is now available to watch.

-          The team has also created a useful infographic (attached), which explains the different ways people can access healthcare in Spain. Please do share this with anyone who may need clarification on the system here, as well as signposting our healthcare page on gov.uk.

 

6.       Q&A sessions

-          We have a number of Q&A sessions coming up on our Facebook page. The current schedule is:

27 Oct: Travel and swallows

10 November: Education

1 December: Residency

10 December: General Q&A

        Please do signpost people who have questions to these sessions, but be aware that the schedule is subject to change, so do keep an eye on the page for the latest dates."

Please feel free to share this information.

home delivery of prescription medicines

Recomendations when shopping in Albox during the State of Alarm

An update from the British Embassy

Brexit: where we are now

As you will know, the UK left the EU Friday 31st January at 23:00 (CET), so it seems like the right time to send you an update on what this means for UK nationals living in Spain.

The Withdrawal Agreement which sets out how the UK leaves the EU has been agreed by both the UK and EU and is now in force. This is very positive news for UK nationals who are resident in Spain, as the Withdrawal Agreement contains some really important protections for your rights:

§  You will be able to continue to live and work in Spain

§  UK state pensioners will continue to have lifelong healthcare as long as they remain living in Spain. This also applies to residents who claim a UK state pension in the future

§  Your UK state pension will continue to be uprated. As above, this also applies to those claiming a pension in the future

Those rights will be protected for as long as you live in Spain, provided you are legally resident here by the end of 2020 – that means having the green residency certificate, which remains a valid document.  These citizens’ rights are not affected by the negotiations taking place on future trade and security.

The Withdrawal Agreement also provides an Transition Period (from 31 January until 31 December 2020) during which time nothing will change for UK Nationals in Spain. You will also be able to exchange your driving licence until the end of 2020 without taking a driving test.  

The rules for travel between the UK and Spain will not change during the transition period. We know that there are many swallows, who split their time between the UK and Spain, who are concerned about what the UK’s departure from the EU means for them. They will be able to continue as they have been until the end of this year, but after that freedom of movement will end, which will have an impact on how long UK nationals will be able to spend in Spain without a visa or residence permit. We will be providing further information on our Facebook channels specifically for swallows and would encourage them to also sign up for alerts to travel advice (https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/spain). 

What to do next

Residency: the most important thing UK nationals can do is to make sure they are registered as a resident before 31 December 2020. If you are not yet registered you should take steps to apply as soon as possible (https://sede.administracionespublicas.gob.es/icpplus/index.html). If you already have the green A4 or credit card-sized certificate you may need to exchange this for a foreigners’ card (or TIE). We will update gov.uk/livinginspain and facebook.com/britsinspain as soon as we have further information, but for now anyone with the green certificate does not need to take action.

Driving licence: we advise anyone living in Spain to exchange their UK driving licence for a Spanish one by 31 December as you will be able to do so without taking a driving test during this period. The DGT (dgt.es) has updated its website to confirm that UK licences will continue to be exchanged as before during the transition period (ie in the same way as any other EU licence). We recommend people take action as soon as they can as the number of appointments in some areas still seems to be quite limited, but do keep trying and remember that you do not need to exchange where you are resident if other areas have more appointment availability.

Healthcare: we urge people to check that they are accessing healthcare in the correct way. For example, if you are resident in Spain you should not be using a UK-issued EHIC to access healthcare unless you are a student or a posted worker. Please see https://www.gov.uk/guidance/healthcare-in-spain-including-the-balearic-and-canary-islands for further information.

Further information

The Living in Guide: gov.uk/livinginspain is the official source for government information. Please do sign up for updates, so you are aware if anything changes.

Facebook.com/britsinspain is our Facebook community for UK nationals and contains some really helpful guidance and videos

To view the latest video message from HMA Hugh Elliott to UK nationals visit: https://www.facebook.com/BritsInSpain/videos/1352265428277649/

To view the latest Facebook Live Q&A with HMA Hugh Elliott and Regional Consular Policy Advisor Lorna Geddie visit: https://www.facebook.com/BritsInSpain/videos/502630740662195/

We hope you find this update useful.

How To Install The AlertCops Mobile App

 The AlertCops App allows us to connect with the local police, either for personal assistance or to report a crime happening in your vicinity.

If you have a Smartphone it's well worth downloading this app; you never know when you or someone you know may need it.

Below are the instructions on how to install the app: 

Almanzora Group of Friends

Did you know that Albox has an English Library & Information Centre?

Serving the Almanzora Valley, it is called "Almanzora Group Of Friends". They are located in Plaza San Antonio in the Barrio Alto and membership is €12 annually, which gives you access to all their services.

Local Defibrillators and "Ariadna"

To my knowledge, there are two Defibrillators in Albox, one in the Pabellón Municipal/Sports Centre (Avenida América) and another in the Centro para Tercera Edad/Pensioners Community Centre (Plaza de San Francisco).

I have recently been informed about two Defibrillators in La Piedra Amarilla, one in the Bar-Restaurant The Sunburnt Arms and another in Cafe-Bar Lorena's.

I am also aware of two Defibrillators in Zurgena, one in the Pabellón Municipal/Sports Centre and another in the Piscina Municipal/Public Swimming Pool.

The details of all of these DEA's are recorded in the App "Ariadna", which is dedicated entirely to recording the location of Defibrillators. Unfortunately, the App is entirely in Spanish but, as it uses a map to record locations, it should still prove useful to non-Spanish speakers.

The App is free and relies entirely on user submissions so even if you aren't well versed enough in Spanish to use it yourself, do feel free to let me know of any Defibrillators in your area that haven't been recorded and I shall add them.

To do so, I would need as precise a location as possible with at least two pictures, one showing the overall location of the DEA and another with a close-up. I would also need to know if there is restricted access e.g: if the Defibrillator is inside a bar, what are the opening hours? Is there a way to access the Defibrillator when the bar is closed? How? etc...

With any luck, we will be able to build an up-to-date guide of Defibrillators in the Almanzora Valley.

New Website "Support In Spain"

SUPPORT IN SPAIN

This is a recently launched website supported by the British Consulate as an online guide for British nationals and other foreign residents in Spain, who may need extra help and advice. The web page is in English and Spanish and will be updated and evolved as time goes by. It's definitely worth taking a look and saving the link to your computer.

www.supportinspain.info

2019 Calendars - National, Regional and Local Holidays and when to pay your local taxes

The town hall has published two useful calendars showing all public holidays applicable to Albox and when you should expect to pay your local taxes.

Print them off and stick them to your fridge!

USEFUL GUIDES PROVIDED BY ALBOX FOREIGN RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION

Since its inception Albox Foreign Residents Association has created a number of useful guides which are now permanently available for your benefit on this blog. See "Useful Links" to the right of this text.

Here you can find out:

How to Register to Vote

Read all about the Services Provided by the Town Hall

Explore your Rubbish Collection and Recycling Options

Find your GPS Coordinates

Learn about the Salud Responde phone app for making Dr´s appointments

Find out how to obtain a Digital Certificate 

More will be added as we go along.