Info a on residencyn

Hi,

To be able to be a resident in Spain you will need firstly to apply for residency at the Spanish embassy while you are still living in the UK.

To gain residency you will need to meet the income and healthcare requirements. It would not be worth opening a bank account until you have been successful with your application for residency. 

Steve 

Hi Jack,

Are you a UK citizen (rather than Irish)?  Since 1 January this year, the route to apply for residency has changed for UK citizens, who now need to apply for a visa if they want to stay longer than 90 days.  If this applies to you, which type of visa would you want: Non-Lucrative Visa (you can't work), Work visa, Student visa, etc?

If you could give us a bit more information, we can point you in the right direction.

Kind regards,

Kim

Thanks Steve for info

Jack

Thank you  for reply  Kim.. i am retired  now and looking to move to torrevieja ..

When I come to torrevieja I plan to stay 3months and then decide during that period  find weather residency or non lucrative is best course for me..

I would appreciate  any advice Kim

Many thanks Jack.

Hi Jack,

As a retired UK citizen, your route to residency in Spain is now via the Non-Lucrative Visa.  This has to be applied for at the Spanish Embassy in the UK (London, Edinburgh or Manchester).  If granted, it lasts 3 months and 15 days; during that period, you need to travel to Spain and apply for the Non-Lucrative Permit, which you must do within 1 month of arriving in Spain.  The initial permit lasts 1 year, then you have to apply for an extension, which lasts 2 years; a further extension of 2 years gives you the right to permanent residency in Spain.

The process, post-Brexit, is more complex than it was when the UK was a member of the EU.  The financial requirements are also more onerous: you now need to prove annual income, or a lump sum, of around Eu 27,200 per year (Eu 34,800 for a couple).  You also need to prove health cover - as you're retired, you should apply to the NHS Business Services Authority for a Form S1 - you can email them at:

[email protected]

Kind regards,

Kim

Thank you so much for your help its really appreciated   .. May I ask whats your view on living life  in Spain regarding lifestyle,..

Many Thanks 

Jack 

Hi Jack,

The lifestyle is wonderful, the weather makes a huge difference.  

It's not as cheap as some people may think - electricity costs are high, water is very reasonable, but the standing charges for utilities are surprisingly high.  Mains gas is rarely available outside of large cities, but bottled gas can be used for cooking and heating.  However, Spain's equivalent of Council Tax, known as IBI, is much cheaper than the UK. 

Food, drink and entertainment are still very good value for money, and there are nice ways to pass the day that don't cost anything, such as walking, cycling and going to the beach.  Driving in Spain is easy compared to the UK, even allowing for those who don't know how to negotiate roundabouts, because the roads have much less traffic (except for the N332 in high season!😄).

Depending on where you live, it is possible to get away without speaking Spanish, but it will make a big difference to your experience if you learn.  Needless to say, the Spanish really appreciate it and become much more helpful when you try.

Kind regards, 

Kim

Thank you Kim ..The weather and also says its one of healthiest places in world to live ..I was really pleased to find Torrevieja has u3a . So many of my interests are there  ie dancing  playing music playing golf  .. my ideal life .

Once again thank you for your help 

Jack

I wholeheartedly agree with Kimmy....the lifestyle here in Spain is much slower, satisfying and relaxing than in the UK but as said, it helps if you just learn a little Spanish. I retired early to come and live in Benidorm and never regretted a single day. The healthcare service is exceptional and in my opinion, much better than the NHS. I live in a rented apartment and have been in this lovely place for years. All the rental laws in Spain are geared up to protect the tenants so very few worries about eviction. Our landlord is very good in regards to repairs and replacing any worn out white goods etc. I mention this as I don't have to worry about IBI, water bills, repairs, insurances, community fees etc, etc all I pay is rent and electricity........Your pension will also go further in Spain. Go for it Lakeview!!

Steve