Visa question

You can't. There is no such thing as a temporary type visa. To not work, you need a non lucrative visa but you would need to move to Spain permanently and you would not be allowed to be absent from Spain for more than 10 months in the first 5 years (yes, 10 months in total) which is classed as temporary residency. The longest stay away at any one time would be 6 months in one year but that is added to the 10 months in total. 

Spain does not have a long stay visa and, if you are not a EU citizen, you are restricted to a stay of 90 days every 6 month unless you apply for full residency. If EU then you don't need a visa.

"you would not be allowed to be absent from Spain for more than 10 months in the first 5 years (yes, 10 months in total)"

Now I didn't know that. I knew about the minimum 183 days a year, but I've never seen that before.

In fact, I thought you were wrong as I've read a few articles about NLVs.

I'm informed. Thanks marcliff.

Of course, this is a bit of a nonsense because, whilst your ins and outs are logged in airports, nobody checks when you cross the French border, for example, by car.

You would also find that it would entail you becoming tax resident here and, assuming you are under retirement age, required to hold fully comprehensive health insurance.

Which is fine until you go back to the UK.

I don't think they're checking ferries or the tunnel just yet, but it won't be long until they are.

As soon as you cross a EU border then your transit will be logged, you have to use your UK passport regardless of whether EES is involved or not. 

Travel around the Schengen zone as much as you like, unless the Spanish authorities have a link to google, which always knows where you are! Just pointing it out, not recommending doing it.

Aitch.

Well that's where things will get interesting.

Having looked at the official EU app for Shengen rules, I think I'm going to be at least 10 days over my 90 day maximum on my next stay in Spain.

I say I think, because I'm not sure if my recent 1st of three trips involved EES or not. I remember using the face scanner, but don't remember using the fingerprint reader. I'll have been tracked, but maybe not digitally and I've never been questioned by a border officer.

Whatever, I might well prove to be a very early case of sanctioning, where I hope it's a small fine or being banned for a short while. I'll take either of them and just plead misunderstanding 

It doesn't matter if it were EES or not. Visits were still recorded which is why overstaying the time out of Spain is the second highest reason for NLV renewals being refused. (the first being insufficient proof of funds as they are now asking for a full year's record of funds instead of simply the amount of funds on the day of renewal).

I assume you have access to one of the many Schengen calculators that are available and that the 180 days is a rolling period so each day you are out of Spain reduces the period by a day.

However, this is another case of good old Fred Drift. The original question was about getting a visa to extend the stay in Spain and there is no such thing as an extended stay visa as France has. 

There are many visas available but the NLV is for those moving to Spain as their permanent residence and absences from Spain are designed to show your commitment to becoming a full time resident. Once the 5 years is up and you have permanent residency then the allowed absences from Spain are far laxer. 

There are some reports of people being fined or even banned from returning for overstaying but the Spanish appear to be a little easier on this and a week or two is overlooked. Unlike France where quite a few have been fined and received bans on returning. Apparently, according to many, Spain, Portugal and Italy are pretty relaxed about it all but France and other N European countries not so much.

Whether this will change with EES is to be seen.

Well, I was using Hello Schengen and I thought I was okay.

But checking the official app, which is the only one that counts, told a different story.

Even though days roll off, it's not as quick as you might expect.

I think many will get caught out because of this and I'm hoping they'll be lax because of it.

I also think old fogey British are not the sort that Europe is worried about, but who knows?

And yes, I see we're getting OT, but I think the original question has been answered and what has followed is informative generally.