Residence card - comprehensive sickness insurance

[miko77]

Hello,

I am planning a little in the future. Let's say my wife (Venezuelan) and I (German) want to apply for a residence card.

In the EE2 form I read:

"As evidence of comprehensive sickness insurance:
You must provide either a private comprehensive sickness insurance policy document that covers for medical treatment in the majority of circumstances, or a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). The EHIC is only valid when your stay in the UK is on a temporary basis. Therefore if you do provide your EHIC as proof of comprehensive sickness insurance you should also provide a covering letter stating whether it is your intention to stay in the UK on a temporary or permanent basis and your reasons for this. This must be signed and dated by you."

I do not quite know how to understand this. The situation is:
* We both have health insurance in Germany, so we could get an EHIC.
* My wife is working in the UK, I am "self-sufficient." To the best of my understanding we both are covered by the NHS.

So, what precisely is it that they want? Do we have to take out private health insurance? And if so, is there any particular product or class of products one can suggest? (Criteria: It has to be cheap and good enough for UKBA. If we rally get sick, NHS or German doctors will help us. I don't see that we need a third insurance, other than fulfilling UKBA's requirements.)

And what is their definition of "temporary"? Weeks, months, years? As I currently see if my wife and I want to stay in the UK for some years, but that of course might change…

Thanks!

[Jambo]

You are covered by NHS but in order to meet the HO requirements for self sufficient you need additional insurance. Just get a German EHIC and declare a temporary intent. No one knows what will happen in future and if you decide to stay permanently in the UK, this letter will not have any negative effect on future applications.

[miko77]

Thanks, Jambo!

Two more questions though, if you don't mind:
If I declare "temporary intent", do I have to specify how temporary the intent is, i.e. when I am planning to get private insurance?

Also, does this declaration of temporary intent mean that the residence card will be valid for less than 5 years?

[Jambo]

Don't know. I think you can get away with it by being vague as much as you can without providing any dates. That could also prevent them from issuing a shorter than 5 years RC.

From your other posts, you said you would still work for your German employer, then you might be able to claim you are a worker (CSI is not required).

[Jambo]

Maybe something in the lines of "we intend to stay in the UK on a temporary basis as we might in future return to Germany to take care of my parents".

No idea if this would work.

[miko77]

Thanks! Let's assume we would like to get some proper health insurance. Does anyone know where we could get this, and what kinds of insurance will be accepted?

Thanks in advance!

[EUsmileWEallsmile]

Or you might consider working yourself and make life very easy.

[miko77]

Yes. Working definetly is the mid to long term solution

It's just that I'd like to apply for the residence cards before I have a job in the UK. We are slightly under time pressure because the family permit will only be valid for a few more months...