Extended stay in Almeria.

[Norm2]

Reference car insurance- I would suggest you look at insuring through SAGA who do not restrict your European car travel. Plus you can take out additional European Breakdown cover. That said keep your travel documents to at least show your entry date into Spain.

[gus-lopez]

The insurance will not be invalid but will revert to the absolute minimum of 'road traffic acts ' only , as it is known in the UK .
It is 90 days before registering on the EU foreigners registration list. This is consecutive , so if you leave after 89 days & stay out for 1 day & return the clock starts again. Try telling it to a half-wit though.Especially one whose boss thinks an "NIE" number means you are a resident !!
180 days is when you become Fiscally resident.This is cumulative over a calendar year. You can be resident without being tax resident & tax resident without being resident.

[hurlez]

Most car insurance companies only give 30 days, LV do 180 days foreign cover and this is given for a small extra premium. You must not exceed the 180 days or your insurance will be invalid.also you are not supposed to stay on Spain for mor than 180 days without becoming resident .
Not trying to be pedantic just stating the rules.

[LANDI]

Thanks very much for your feedback.

I'm afraid I neglected to say that we will be staying in our own house and we therefore have NIE numbers.

[awaywiththefairies]

Some of these questions depend on how your 'extended' stay could be viewed.   If you are 'on holiday' moving around from place to place and your home address is in the uk then your uk car insurance should be enough, but only to start with as most insurance only give 90 days of cover.  Not sure about breakdown, but assume it is the same as the insurance.

Your EHIC will cover you for medical but you may want to 'top it up' with a private insurance because in does exclude things such as being flown home.

The problems start when you want to stay in one place for any length of time.  Say you want to rent somewhere and they want an NIE number...then trafico stop you and 'decide' your NIE makes you a resident and you must matriculate your car. Or you get stopped twice and they 'decide' you are a resident despite you telling them you are 'on holiday'  You are only supposed to keep/drive a car in Spain for six months anyway before matriculating it, which is going to be an issue with your long stay. As a resident this is only 30 days. 

If you are bringing a motorhome/camper this would not be such a problem as if you are stopped they are more likely to believe you are just travelling, but with a car there is always going to be the possibility of problems.

[LANDI]

Mywife and I are driving to Almeria this year and are planning an extended stay from six to possibly eight or nine months.

Has anyone any advice regarding how to go about us getting adequate cover for health insurance, car insurance and car breakdown services.

Thanks in advance.