Posted: Wed May 10, 2023 11:11pm
Income requirements do apply to EU citizens but are far less. EU citizens need to prove they have an income of the IPREM which is equivalent to 600 euro a month per person. Non EU citizens need 4 times that amount for the first applicant and then 1xIPREM for everyone else in the household.
EU citizens are also allowed to work in Spain without a work visa and can simply gain residency by going on the register of foreign EU nationals resident in Spain which enables them to stay and become fiscal (tax paying) residents. Non EU citizens must obtain a visa in their home country to enable them to visit Spain and apply for residency; The cost of applying in UK for the visa can come to several thousand pounds as you need medical documentation, police records (or proof of no police records) all translated and notaries into Spanish. There are also restrictions on leaving Spain for non EU residents. You cannot be away from Spain for more than 6 months in any one year and for no more than 1 year in total in the first 5 years as you are classed as a temporary resident.
Unless you are a certain category (pensioner, under 18, pregnant or registered disabled) you will need private medical insurance for the first year (as would a EU citizen) and then apply to go on a Spanish health scheme but even that will cost 65 euro a month each and will not cover the cost of prescriptions).
You can, as a non EU citizen, apply for a Golden visa by purchasing property for more than 500,000 euro (not including taxes). This visa does not put onerous residency stays on you and you keep it by just spending 1 week per year in Spain (like George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Paul Hollywood, Gwyneth Paltrow, Mel Gibson etc.).