I am moving to Spain early next year and looking into travel insurance. I have got my EHIC card which i understand will cover me for basic and emergency treatment whilst in spain but that I also need to get travel insurance to cover me for other eventualities. Although I plan to stay in spain long-term, i will be popping back to the UK on occasion (particularly in the first few months) so need travel insurance that covers me not just for my stay in spain but also trips back and forth. Therefore single trip cover is no good for this reason and annual insurance is no good because it only covers me in spain for a maximum number of days at a time (around 45). So I am now looking into ‘long stay’ travel insurance which will cover me for an unlimited number of days in spain at a time but also for trips to the uk and back.

This so far seems straight forward but what I am struggling with is what I do for the long-term. From what I understand, once I am working in spain and have my social security number I should be covered by the spanish national health service, so does this mean that at that point I will no longer need travel insurance cover? Under the spanish ‘NHS’ will I be covered for all medical needs as I would be in england? Because surely British expats that have moved to spain do not continue to take out travel insurance from their home country for the rest of their lives?!

So for example, if I take out travel insurance to cover me from March 2011 to august 2011 (giving me 5 months to find employment and get a social security number and be covered by the spanish NHS) I will be covered for that period for most eventualities. Then, after august, if I take any trips back to the uk, i will just need to buy travel insurance through a spanish insurer as I would do if I were living in england to cover me for my travel only. Is this correct?

If all the above is true, what happens in the following situations…(i know its a bit grim but…) what if I die in spain or have a serious illness/injury and my family want to bring me back to the uk, who would pay for that if I am in spain? the spanish NHS wouldnt, neither would any temporary spanish travel insurance that i may have covering me for trips to the uk. So what would happen?!

Im finding this all very confusing! Any help is appreciated. Thank you.