EU Citizens e-residency process & Health Care info.

gavinhuj wrote:

Hi - regarding the insurance requirement for Economic self sufficiency
If I have private health insurance that covers me in Malta, that means I dont have to go to the Hospital in St LUkes? Simply bring something from my Insurance company when I go to Valletta clarifying that I am insured in Malta?

And for the "proof of funds" stuff, copies of bank statements / investment accounts would be sufficient?

Thanks

As far as I am aware, Albania is not yet a full member of the EU, so not sure whether you would still have to apply as a Third Country National. If you can apply then make sure that all information you bring to show health cover and proof of income/capital is in English.

Not sure of the latest on Albania's application but last I read was the following;-

'On 26 November Germany announced that it would veto the opening accession talks until 2018'

Ray

Sorry, I am not Albanian, I just entered the first / default value. I am Irish

So based on being Irish, I can just attend with my proof of insurance, and printouts of proof of funds - I dont need that certificate from St Lukes?

I  think you might as well get it, as it doesn't cost anything, & might come in handy.

gavinhuj wrote:

Sorry, I am not Albanian, I just entered the first / default value. I am Irish

So based on being Irish, I can just attend with my proof of insurance, and printouts of proof of funds - I dont need that certificate from St Lukes?

Is that Irish as in Eire, if so, not sure if any Reciprocal Health Agreements exist between there and Malta.
If you are able to make use of an RHA it will be easier to access basic healthcare by showing the certificate than your insurers being billed every time you need to use the healthcare services.

Ray

Hello,
I would like to apply for an e-residence card. I'm self-sufficient. Where can I get the cheapest health insurance to be able to apply? There is no way to apply without a health insurance right?

Ask me,
after 35+ experience in relocation, we have a great cheap performing solution here in Malta
***

Hi
If you're an EU citizen you don't need private health insurance. Just show your EU insurance card and the clinic or hospital will issue a temporary certificate which lasts for a year. When you become a resident it will be renewed as a permanent one.

Laz2016 wrote:

Hi
If you're an EU citizen you don't need private health insurance. Just show your EU insurance card and the clinic or hospital will issue a temporary certificate which lasts for a year. When you become a resident it will be renewed as a permanent one.

If you are referring to the EHIC, that will not provide health cover once you apply for residency, as it is for use by non residents only. ie. tourists or people on short business trips.
The moment you apply for residency the EHIC ceases to be valid and is withdrawn by the issuing country.

Ray

F0xgl0ve wrote:

Laz2016 wrote:

Hi
If you're an EU citizen you don't need private health insurance. Just show your EU insurance card and the clinic or hospital will issue a temporary certificate which lasts for a year. When you become a resident it will be renewed as a permanent one.

If you are referring to the EHIC, that will not provide health cover once you apply for residency, as it is for use by non residents only. ie. tourists or people on short business trips.
The moment you apply for residency the EHIC ceases to be valid and is withdrawn by the issuing country.

Ray

But the EHIC card is evidence that you are elibible for health care in any EU country and once presented here allows you free health care and a temporary health certificate. The latter supercedes the card and it is this which is presented for health care. It also is one of the necessary documents required when presented to the immigration dept along with other criteria when applying for residency.

Laz2016 wrote:

But the EHIC card is evidence that you are elibible for health care in any EU country and once presented here allows you free health care and a temporary health certificate. The latter supercedes the card and it is this which is presented for health care. It also is one of the necessary documents required when presented to the immigration dept along with other criteria when applying for residency.

Once you have applied for residence here your EHIC is not evidence that you are entitled to health care in any EU country. If you look at the link shown below you will see that it has ceased to be valid at that point you say you are resident in a country other than the UK.

If someone gets treatment using an EHIC after applying for residence here then, if it is accepted, it is because the staff member is assuming they are a tourist or has been deliberately mislead!

For health cover here you need a 'Certificate of Entitlement' either by the RHA route or the S1 (if in receipt of a UK state pension). You can get the temporary RHA certificate by simply showing your passport and if that has been obtained by showing an EHIC then the holder was fortunate as the card is not normally valid once you leave the issuing country on a permanent basis.

The following link on the UK Government website tells you just that.

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

It states:- 'Most people will no longer be entitled to use their UK-issued European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) to access healthcare in Europe'

Ray

F0xgl0ve wrote:

Laz2016 wrote:

But the EHIC card is evidence that you are elibible for health care in any EU country and once presented here allows you free health care and a temporary health certificate. The latter supercedes the card and it is this which is presented for health care. It also is one of the necessary documents required when presented to the immigration dept along with other criteria when applying for residency.

Once you have applied for residence here your EHIC is not evidence that you are entitled to health care in any EU country. If you look at the link shown below you will see that it has ceased to be valid at that point you say you are resident in a country other than the UK.

If someone gets treatment using an EHIC after applying for residence here then, if it is accepted, it is because the staff member is assuming they are a tourist or has been deliberately mislead!

For health cover here you need a 'Certificate of Entitlement' either by the RHA route or the S1 (if in receipt of a UK state pension). You can get the temporary RHA certificate by simply showing your passport and if that has been obtained by showing an EHIC then the holder was fortunate as the card is not normally valid once you leave the issuing country on a permanent basis.

The following link on the UK Government website tells you just that.

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

It states:- 'Most people will no longer be entitled to use their UK-issued European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) to access healthcare in Europe'

Ray

The latter supercedes the card and it is this which is presented for health care.

well i dont have a EHIC card and if I understand correctly I dont qualify for the national health program by malta.

I also dont want to get a private insurance because once I get one in malta I would be forced by my home country to insure myself in a private insurance again when I return to my country in future -   which is alot more expensive than the government programs..

Anyone has a solution for this?

Laz2016 wrote:

The latter supercedes the card and it is this which is presented for health care.

Let's hope that all new expats following your advice and applying for residency using a 'Certificate of Health Entitlement' obtained the way you are suggesting don't have problems!
If those who try it that way would post on this site and let us all know how they got on it would be very interesting.

(probably better to put it in a new topic than keep cluttering up 'Pinned Posts'

Ray

AAronbalake wrote:

well i dont have a EHIC card and if I understand correctly I dont qualify for the national health program by malta.

I also dont want to get a private insurance because once I get one in malta I would be forced by my home country to insure myself in a private insurance again when I return to my country in future -   which is alot more expensive than the government programs..

Anyone has a solution for this?

Try checking with the Spanish government health ministry website to see if there is anything similar to the UK 'Reciprocal Health Agreement' but between Spain and Malta. If there is then you should be able to use that.

Ray

Should have gone to specsavers springs to mind. I have said the temporary certificate supercedes (that has become superannuated, obsolete, or otherwise inferior) the EHIC card. But you need to show that card to be entitled to get the certificate. Then that certificate is one of the requirements along with a tenancy contract, passport, passport photo, bank statements or proof of self sufficiency to obtain residency. That is the process by which I got my residency.

Laz2016 wrote:

Should have gone to specsavers springs to mind. I have said the temporary certificate supercedes (that has become superannuated, obsolete, or otherwise inferior) the EHIC card. But you need to show that card to be entitled to get the certificate. Then that certificate is one of the requirements along with a tenancy contract, passport, passport photo, bank statements or proof of self sufficiency to obtain residency. That is the process by which I got my residency.

If from the UK, all you need to show to be issued with a 1 year temporary RHA certificate, which is what you need to accompany your residence application, is your passport.

Ray

Hi i would just like to ask how long it took for you to get your residence card?

Annamaerollo wrote:

Hi i would just like to ask how long it took for you to get your residence card?

When the cards were first issued they literally took months but now I believe it's only a few weeks.

Thank you so much been waiting for 4 weeks now hope it will arrive soon

Mine only took 3 weeks last August. Maybe it depends on the amount of requests.

@Laz2016

May I ask you in which hospital you got the certificate ? I would like to apply myself using my EHIC

Thank you

I first went to the clinic just off St Francis Sq in Victoria, Gozo because my thumb joint was painful. After showing my EHIC card I was given a temporary hospital/health number. I went to the hospital in Victoria and was given an appointment to see a specialist doctor in 3 weeks. I also went to the billing department at the hospital where I was given a temporary health certificate. When I applied for residency in St Francis Sq I presented this certificate, my rental agreement, bank statements, passport, passport photos and filled in 3 forms. Although I was told by a friend I needed to apply for a form S1 from the UK tax office this wasn't necessary. I am self sufficient so this route is probably the easiest. The staff at the immigration dept are very friendly and helpful. From applying to receiving the card only took 3 weeks.

for the economic self sufficiency stuff:
are printouts of bank account statements and investment accounts sufficient? most of my accounts dont have any paper statements at all these days, will I get any hassle about "original documents" and so on?

I don't know for certain, but the staff are very accommodating so I'd imagine printouts would be okay, but maybe best to check with them first.

They did originally accept printouts but then tightened up the rules and said all had to be originals, but they may well have relaxed this again by now.
A lot will probably depend on which of the staff you see on the day!

Ray

I used print outs from my on-line bank statement and these were accepted with barely a glance.

Thanks for replies.

is the "rental declaration" form necessary to prove my lease (filled out by my landlord) or a copy of my lease etc?

I gave my original of which they took a copy so I don't know.

gavinhuj wrote:

is the "rental declaration" form necessary to prove my lease (filled out by my landlord) or a copy of my lease etc?

@gavinhuj.

No.

an EHIC card is NOT acceptable for medical care once you have exceeded 90 days your stay  (and even thenit it is only valid for medical emergency and treatement as a tourist or visitor) and is defineitley not acceptable once you have applied for residency.

THE RHA card is valid for two years and renewable .

But it's worth keeping in case of visits to other EU countries.

sorry but once resident in Malta you should apply for the malta isseed EHIC - sadly once you have the RHA you are not entitled to either a UK or Malta issue ehic card

Toon wrote:

sorry but once resident in Malta you should apply for the malta isseed EHIC - sadly once you have the RHA you are not entitled to either a UK or Malta issue ehic card

So just to clarify things. I have a PEC (Provisional Entitlement Certificate) which expires on 23rd March 2017 and an id residency card which I received on 31st August 2016. On the certificate it states a Health Care Entitlement Card from this office (Victoria hospital, Gozo) will be issued once a copy of the residence permit is presented.

When I took the PEC and my residence id card to the billing department at the hospital the manageress stated that I wouldn't get the Health Care Entitlement Card but I would automatically get the permanent certificate once the temporary one expires.

Is this procedure correct?

cant help you on that  all i can say for sure is the RHA is exactly what Ive posted and can be confirmed here

https://health.gov.mt/en/cbhc/Pages/Ent … ltaUK.aspx
this is only valid as long as you are a UK national and dont work and you give up the EHIC and you cant have a malta one either



I am surprised the EHIC has been accepted unless it was treatemnt whilst a tourist and staying for under 90 days -----as its clearly only valid for visitors and tourists for temporary emergency medical treatment not healthcare on stays of upto 90 days ..  but i suppose the reality is the authorities  dont know when you arrived - so i guess it could be used illegally ad infinitum

= many permanent residents already do this lol

It may well be exactly what it says it is on the basis of the ehic being for 90 day stays and emergency treatment but i would be very surprised if the PEC you mention will be acceptable for your residency application under the healthcare requirements - the only things i can remember being acceptable is the 1) RHA certificate of entitlement  2)private medical insurance policy 3) if you are working then evidence of SSC payments or 4)S1 form for pensioners

the RHA if you dont work - and are a UK national i had this for 6 yrs

Toon wrote:

cant help you on that  all i can say for sure is the RHA is exactly what Ive posted and can be confirmed here

https://health.gov.mt/en/cbhc/Pages/Ent … ltaUK.aspx
this is only valid as long as you are a UK national and dont work and you give up the EHIC and you cant have a malta one either



I am surprised the EHIC has been accepted unless it was treatemnt whilst a tourist and staying for under 90 days -----as its clearly only valid for visitors and tourists for temporary emergency medical treatment not healthcare on stays of upto 90 days ..  but i suppose the reality is the authorities  dont know when you arrived - so i guess it could be used illegally ad infinitum

= many permanent residents already do this lol

It may well be exactly what it says it is on the basis of the ehic being for 90 day stays and emergency treatment but i would be very surprised if the PEC you mention will be acceptable for your residency application under the healthcare requirements - the only things i can remember being acceptable is the 1) RHA certificate of entitlement  2)private medical insurance policy 3) if you are working then evidence of SSC payments or 4)S1 form for pensioners

Thanks for the info and link. Perhaps it's best if I apply for the RHA anyway. I am aware of requirements changing often here eg; have been told conflicting things regarding residency application etc. Also it's best to get a Maltese EUHC as my UK one is presumably now defunct in case I want to travel. I note that when I get the RHA card I am not eligible for UK health care any more but I assume the Maltese EUHC card would counter that so I would be. I find some things rather confusing as the info appears to be conflicting.

Sorry Loz once you have the RHA you are not entitled to have or legally use any EHIC from any country

see the web page
https://health.gov.mt/en/cbhc/Pages/Ent … ltaUK.aspx

​Registration for Healthcare Entitlement for UK Nationals under the Reciprocal Health Agreement between Malta and the UK
The purpose of this registration scheme is to facilitate access for national public healthcare services for UK nationals who otherwise would not be entitled.

Follow this information to obtain this service:

Description
Persons registered with the Entitlement Unit under this scheme will be issued with an entitlement card hereinafter referred to as RHA Entitlement Card.
Persons issued with the RHA Entitlement Card will be entitled for free healthcare services in local public healthcare institutions on an in-patient and out-patient basis as well as other specialist services provided for Maltese nationals.

RHA Entitlement Card holders will not be entitled for:
treatment abroad including the UK
the European Health Insurance Card
long-term care and other things and services provided for under the Social Security Act and other legislation.

As from the 1st July 2010, UK nationals covered by the Reciprocal Health Agreement will be required to present the new Entitlement Card or Provisional Entitlement Certificate to be issued in terms of this agreement to access public healthcare services.

This has even been raised with the EU Commisssion as a PETI petition as its seems to me to be a black hole