I want to move to Spain but how is this possible now that we are fully out of the EU?

Brexit has now become a reality as we are now past the end of the transition period.  For those British nationals who are still planning to move to Spain this is still possible but under requirements as third country nationals rather than EU nationals. 

Once the COVID-19 related travel restrictions on entering Spain are lifted British nationals will still be able to come on holiday to Spain visa free and they will not notice much of difference besides having to use the Non-EU Citizen queue on arrival at the airport and having your passport stamped.  These temporary stays however are now limited to 90 days in a rolling 180 day period which applies not just to Spain but the whole of the Schengen area. 

For those who plan to come and live in Spain, British citizens are now considered third country nationals which means they will require a visa.  The initial step is applying for your visa at the nearest Spanish Consulate.  There are three in operation in London, Manchester, and Edinburgh.  Regarding which visa is the right one for you there are a wide variety of visa types but the most common are the Non lucrative Visa and the Investors Visa which is more commonly known as the Golden Visa.  These visas need to be applied for prior to entering Spain.

The Non lucrative Visa allows you to stay for up to one year in Spain.  To apply you need to show you have at least around €26,000 or equivalent in a bank account.  In addition, private health insurance and a criminal records check is required amongst other documentation.   Once the visa is obtained and you have entered Spain you have one month to apply for your residence card.  In order to be able to renew your residence card when it expires you will need to show you have lived in Spain for at least 6 months.

For the Investors Visa this requires you to purchase a property in Spain for 500,000€ or more mortgage free.   This gives greater flexibility as it does not require you to live in Spain for at least 6 months.  You only need to have visited Spain once during the period of the visa whilst maintaining your investment  and on that basis you would be entitled to renew.  It also needs to be applied for from your local Spanish consulate.

For more information on living in Spain and applying for visas, please contact Victoria Westhead.