Elderly UK Expats in Spain Face Post-Brexit Care Challenges
A recent Reuters report has examined the growing difficulties faced by elderly British expatriates in Spain whose adult children want to move there to provide care. Before Brexit, UK citizens could live and work freely in Spain as EU nationals. Since the UK left the EU, however, British relatives are generally limited to short stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period unless they qualify for a visa.
The report focuses on the case of Daniel Northover, who moved from Liverpool to southern Spain to care for his 80-year-old mother after she suffered strokes and was left disabled. Because he was unable to qualify for a work visa, and standard family reunification routes did not apply, he and his partner sold their UK home to fund a non-lucrative visa. This allowed them to live in Spain but not to work there.
Spain is home to a large British population, including many retirees, and the number of older UK nationals has continued to rise. Around a third of British citizens in Spain are estimated to be pensioners. Although those Brits who became legally resident in Spain before Brexit retain many rights under the Withdrawal Agreement, those protections do not automatically extend to their adult children, who may have had plans to relocate later in order to look after their relatives.
For expat families, the issue is significant. Many older Brits have built their lives in Spain and may not wish or be able to return to the UK if their health declines. At the same time, their children may find that immigration rules make informal family care difficult or financially unsustainable. Local activists say that the attitude of the authorities has been that elderly expats should simply return to the UK, but that this is unrealistic given that many have made their homes and lives in Spain.
The Reuters report underlines the need for British expats to plan ahead for later-life care, including residency status, visa options, healthcare access, family support and the costs of paid care.
Health Insurance in Germany
A German court has ruled that health insurers cannot block an insured person’s electronic health card simply because they have fallen behind with their premium payments. The decision, issued by the State Social Court in Bavaria, challenges a practice that has been widely used by health insurance providers.
Under German law, insurers are permitted to suspend certain healthcare entitlements if an individual fails to pay their premiums after receiving two payment reminders. Although access to routine treatment may be restricted, insurers must continue to provide essential services, including emergency care, maternity care, pain relief and preventive health screenings.
Many insurers have responded to these suspensions by deactivating patients’ electronic health cards and replacing them with paper eligibility certificates. However, the court found that while insurers may lawfully limit the range of services available, they are not entitled to block access to the electronic health card itself solely because a policyholder has outstanding premium arrears.
Age in Spain Remains Open
Despite the recent heatwave, the charity Age in Spain has told the local press that it intends to remain open throughout July and August rather than follow the traditional summer shutdown. It says that its three central pillars will remain fully operational, as follows:
Casework and Advocacy: Volunteers will continue to assist seniors with bureaucracy, such as residency renewals, accessing state healthcare, and navigating post-Brexit civil rights.
Befriending Networks: Telephone and in-person companionship programmes will be staffed, providing crucial daily or weekly social contact.
Emergency Navigation: Multilingual coordinators will remain on standby to help seniors communicate with emergency medical services during severe heatwaves. This is particularly necessary during the summer, when local hospitals, often with skeleton staffing, have to deal with tourists.
The charity has recently been expanding its reach into Murcia, an increasingly popular destination among British and other expats.
The charity’s website can be found here and contains information on how to cope with the heat.
Saudi: Changes to Medical Screening
We reported in June that Saudi Arabia is tightening checks on medical examinations for foreign workers, and this process is now being rolled out in three phases.
The first phase requires pre-employment medical assessments for new recruits. Employers must submit results through an approved electronic system, and a new employee may not begin work until an occupational health specialist has approved the assessment.
The second phase, lasting 12 months, extends screening to existing employees, beginning with higher-risk workplaces while employers are integrated into the electronic platform.
The final phase extends the rules across all sectors and types of employment, including permanent, temporary and seasonal staff, trainees, remote workers and workers with disabilities.
Employees who do not meet the fitness requirements for their current role may not continue in that role. Employers are expected to consider appropriate measures, including reassignment where necessary, and further examinations may be required for particular duties.
Additional assessments may also be required after occupational injury or work-related illness, following changes in duties or the working environment, and as part of periodic health checks for certain professions.
The stated purpose is to standardise occupational-health procedures, improve compliance with labour rules and strengthen workplace health and safety.