Dances with Red Tape
Nov. 20th, 2004 01:50 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
desayunoencamaAs I've mentioned, I'm in the process of going through the bureaucratic dance to get my health card here in Spain (despite not having residency). This has involved officially registering with the census and getting a social security number, both of which I did before going to NYC.
So, yesterday, I did the penultimate step, which was going to the local hacienda (Spain's IRS) office to get a Certificado de Renta Negativa (basically a certificate of non-contribution, since I'm living here but am not paying into the system) which my local medical office needs before they can give me my card.
Now, in all of these offices, one is given forms to fill out in triplicate. But at Hacienda, one has to BUY the forms, which cost 15 centimes. Although that was just the form REQUESTING the certificate, I then had to fill out a few other forms (including the certificate itself) which they didn't charge for. I was mildyly amused, though, that Hacienda is the one place that charges you for the paperwork.
All that's left to do now is go back to the medical center for my district, turn in all the above forms and a copy of my passport, and to pick a doctor. So I've been asking neighbors to see who likes or doesn't like their doctor. The doorwoman from the building where Sara's parents live was also helpful.
(One has to choose appointments in the morning or the afternoon, and then select from the available doctors who work one shift or the other. But one can later change doctors if you're not happy. Or from morning to afternoon or vice versa. Still, so far, there's only been one doctor that anyone has said anything good about, and everyone seems to love her--even people who don't currently see her as their primary doctor--so that's probably who I'll request to start with.)
So, yesterday, I did the penultimate step, which was going to the local hacienda (Spain's IRS) office to get a Certificado de Renta Negativa (basically a certificate of non-contribution, since I'm living here but am not paying into the system) which my local medical office needs before they can give me my card.
Now, in all of these offices, one is given forms to fill out in triplicate. But at Hacienda, one has to BUY the forms, which cost 15 centimes. Although that was just the form REQUESTING the certificate, I then had to fill out a few other forms (including the certificate itself) which they didn't charge for. I was mildyly amused, though, that Hacienda is the one place that charges you for the paperwork.
All that's left to do now is go back to the medical center for my district, turn in all the above forms and a copy of my passport, and to pick a doctor. So I've been asking neighbors to see who likes or doesn't like their doctor. The doorwoman from the building where Sara's parents live was also helpful.
(One has to choose appointments in the morning or the afternoon, and then select from the available doctors who work one shift or the other. But one can later change doctors if you're not happy. Or from morning to afternoon or vice versa. Still, so far, there's only been one doctor that anyone has said anything good about, and everyone seems to love her--even people who don't currently see her as their primary doctor--so that's probably who I'll request to start with.)
