OK folks, just to prove I'm not dead, here's another posting.

If you were thinking of retiring to Spain, think twice.  First, what will happen when you get too infirm to look after yourself?  Second, who will take care of you when you need it?

In Spain, they still work on what is known as "Roman Law".  This means that if you are the second, third or younger child of a family, you have very few rights to look after your parents.  I am lucky, I am an only child, had I not been, I would have needed proof in writing from any older siblings that I had permission to generate a Power of Attorney to look after my father's affairs.

Any how, you search around to find a solicitor or factor to prepare the "Power" they then make an appointment with a Public Notary to witness the parent's signature and hear a statement that they know what is going on, thank goodness he remembered!  Now comes a week long wait for the Notary to finish what they have to do (possibly sending a copy to Madrid, like they do with wills) then it comes back and you get a copy of it to go to all the people you have to.

It seems, from past experience, that most legal papers have to go off to Madrid for storage.  When my mother passed on, her will had to be retrieved from storage in Madrid, but in this day and age of technology there is still a built in wait of a week to ten days while the copy from Madrid is brought down by horse!  Alright, it's not a real horse, but there is a built in delay that represents the time it would take by horse.  (This is the explanation given to me by the solicitors while we were waiting for Mum's will, I don't know if it is really that reason.)

Spain has a reputation of "Mañana" or "tomorrow", that is if you want anything done, you have to wait.  There is no question of rushing official stuff it all takes ages.  If you need to do anything, you need paperwork, or a passport, or both. 

There is an annoying thing that all Ex-pats are supposed to have and that is an N.I.E. (Number Identificacion de Extranjero) that and the Passport number (which changes every ten years for us Brits) sit comfortably alongside the Spanish Social Security Number, which you will need if you have a reason for visiting a doctor or clinic.  Obviously enough, the numbers most Brits have, like the National Insurance Number, and the National Health Number are not used, as this is a totally separate system, but if you are relying on a British pension, you need to keep the NINO for dealing with the Pensions Service.

The NIE is obtained from certain Police Stations but it's a palaver!  You go to the office with a form already filled in, they stamp it, tell you to go off to a bank to make the required payment for the fee, then back to the office to hand your form in, when the Chief Commissar of Police deigns to sign the application, you go back and get your number on a printed and rubber stamped form.  Spain would collapse if there were no Rubber Stamps.  Everything has to be stamped and signed over the stamp, even a form from a doctor to the local council for a "Lifeline" type button.

If your parents retire to Spain, prepare for a lot of hard work!  The thing to remember is that they are happy, sort of warm, and possibly drier!  The Winter Heat Payments to pensioners is another argument, for another time!

Keep smiling!