Retiring in Santa pola

Gaining "Residency" here (the right of long-term abode) is a bit more tricky now. But Spain is still a great place to retire to.

Initially, you can't come for >90 days. So plan to come here, get familiar with what's what, and maybe arrange to rent long-term, or to buy a home. Then sort out a solicitor here to do all the legal stuff while concurrently applying for your Non-Lucrative Residence Visa.

The hurdles to obtaining this visa have become higher, as Brits are now treated like any other non-EU citizens.

Nobody has gone through this new process yet, but on paper the requirements are ...

- demonstrable income of around 28k Euros per year for one, or 33k Euros/year for a couple (with, potentially, the need to repeat the demonstration once or twice of during the first 5 years of Residency)

- healthcare (usually around 2k to 2.5K Euros/year for a retirement age couple without serious pre-existing conditions)

- a medical report showing no illnesses of "public concern"

- a criminal record check 

Worth checking you can meet these criteria before getting too emotionally invested in the idea.

Thank you , yes you are right we need to look carefully into everything but you reply was spot on it gives us an insight of what we need to do but obviously not as straight forward as it used to be we are not considering a move until 2022 when hopefully things will be a lot clearer but it gives us plenty of time to check everything 

Have a look at the Citizens Advice Bureau Spain website for information regarding bureaucratic stuff.

May I say and I'm not disputing your figures that I think having to have an income of 33000euros equivalent to around £30000 at current rate of exchange, my wife and I both receive state pension and even with both having small private pensions fall short of that judging by cost of living in Spain  I think quite a high target

This figure does seem very high we bought our own house here and our living cost are around 900 euros per month for the two of us. We have been residents here for 2 years. We could certainly not afford this amount per year if going through the process now. The UK pension is one of the lowest in Europe so if Spain wants to attract pensioners from the UK something will have to change. Maybe only the wealthiest pensioners will be able to come from the rest of Europe where pensions are higher. Hope you get through the process it's a great place to live and we have no intention of leaving. 

You state a criminal record check. Would an CRB suffice?

Thank you will do I sat here last night feeling quite deflated looking at all the stuff that needs to be done we are financially independent here in the uk with our pensions and we have savings  but it seems that Spain only seem to want people now who are mega funded.... anyway will keep hoping and pursuing our goal .

Sorry, I don't know what a CRB is.

These are the words from the Non-Lucrative Visa application form ...

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5. Certificate of criminal record (only in the case of persons over 18 years of age, criminal age in Spain) issued by the country or countries where the applicant has resided within the five years preceding the date of the visa application. It cannot be older than 3 months, unless the certificate itself specifies a longer expiration. These certificates must be legalised through the consular representations of the issuing country or, in the case of signatory countries to the Hague Convention of October 5, 1961, hold the Hague Apostille, except official documents issued by a Member State of the European Union, which will not require to be legalised. Sworn translation into Spanish is also required. 

6. Public or private health insurance taken out by an insurance company authorised to operate in Spain. 

7. Medical certificate, issued no later than 3 months prior to the date of application, it must be formulated in the following terms or similarly:  If the medical certificate is issued in the United Kingdom: “This health certificate states that Mr./Mrs. (…) does not suffer from any of the diseases that may have serious public health repercussions in accordance with what is stipulated by the International Health Regulations of 2005” Certificates issued in the United Kingdom must be accompanied by a sworn translation into Spanish.

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Here is the link to the form

http://www.exteriores.gob.es/Consulados/LONDRES/en/Consulado/Documents/RES%20ES-EN.pdf

(Spanish & English)

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Here are the words relating to the income requirements

8. Financial means required to cover the living expenses and, where appropriate, those of their family members, for one year, in accordance with the following amounts: - For the support of the main applicant, monthly, 400 % of the IPREM (Indicador Público de Renta de Efectos Múltiples), which in 2020 amounts to 537,84 €, being 2.151,36 € or its legal equivalent in foreign currency. - For the support of each of the family members in charge, monthly, 100% of the IPREM, which in 2020 amounts to 537,84 € or its legal equivalent in foreign currency. The availability of sufficient financial means will be evidenced by the submission of original and stamped documents that verify the perception of a periodic and sufficient income or the holding of an estate that guarantees the perception of that income. If the financial means come from shares or participations in Spanish companies, mixed or foreign companies, based in Spain, applicants shall prove, by certification thereof, that they don’t carry out any work activity in such companies and will submit an affidavit to that effect. 

Others on this forum have indicated that the IPREM figure mentioned above has increased slightly, leading to the EU 28k/33k figures.

Note the reference to periodic and sufficient means (or investment estate of equivalent yield). It remains to be tested if these conditions can be met by having EU 30k in the bank.

Hello, I rang the U.K. department this morning and was told that if you have a U.K.

government pension there is a reciprocal agreement in place and once you have a Spanish address, residency, you can apply for an S1 for free Spanish Healthcare which usually takes 15 working days. This is great news as I thought this had ended in December.