A Great Day.

We have had a few good days since we have been in Fuengirola, and by that I mean that we have felt that we have made some progress towards our goals. Moving into our apartment was a great day and that was only a week ago. Since then, we have spent most of our time trying to fulfil the requirements necessary to obtain a residence permit.

NIE

First you need a national registration number, called an NIE. This is where the problems (for us) started. Our solicitor said that we needed health insurance to get that. So, obviously, we started down that track. However, no health insurance company will give you a policy unless you have a Spanish bank account to pay the monthly direct debits.

Sounds fair enough, but no banks will open an account without an NIE.

So, you can’t get an NIE without health insurance and you can’t get that without an NIE!

We trudged from office to office meeting office assistants who were delighted to meet us at the prospect of new business, only to see their faces fall when we explained our predicament.

The last place we called into was a clinic, hoping for a recommendation. Nothing. Then, as we were on the way out, the man behind the desk came after us and suggested an office we could try.

It was only 500m away, so off we went.

It is a small office opposite the block called Las Camellias in Fuengirola. We entered and were greeted warmly by a woman who spoke English well.

Bank Problems

All was going well until she asked for my bank account number. I gave her my Citibank number. ‘No, sorry, it has to be a Spanish bank’.

‘I can direct debit from my UK Citibank to you,’ I said hopefully.

Health Insurance

But, it was against the terms of the insurance. She suggested that I obtain an NIE, so I ran through the complications. However, she and her partner did not agree, so the lady phoned the police station. She did not reveal to me the results of that call, but after a brief chat with her partner, she suggested that the company used its own account to pay my first premium.

Five minutes later, my wife and I were insured!!! It looked as if it was going to be a great day after all!

‘But you do need a bank account’, she advised. ‘Do you want me to try to find a bank that will open an account with only a passport, no NIE?’

‘Yes, please!’ I said gratefully.

Ah hour later, she had found me a bank that would do it, but I would have to do it in person. That will give me an instant bank account number, which they can put on my policy instead of theirs and everything is pukka, as it should be.

It was a huge weight lifted from our shoulders and we will never forget what the people in that small unpretentious office did for us.

Oh, and the premium for both of us?

BUPA?

Less than half what BUPA wanted for me alone. If you are having any problems similar to the ones I had above, go and see the great staff in the Adeslas insurance office and have a great day like we did.

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All the best,

Owen

Podcast: A Great Day