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Retiring to Spain

Posted: Mon May 23, 2022 11:36pm
7 replies371 views6 members subscribed
Sophielucy

Posts: 38

6 helpful points

Location: Villamartin

Joined: 15 Jul 2020

What is the ruling for emigrating to Spain? We have wanted to do it for a while but friends have been saying tax is expensive for residents and it’s not easy to get residency. I’ve looked it up and I know the tax is based on a scale but I can’t see much about residency rules that makes sense. It’s sounding as if it’s not all straightforward and attractive. Just doing some homework before we sell up!

Cheers

Liz

MeathMaria

Posted: Mon May 23, 2022 11:59pm

MeathMaria

Very helpful member

Posts: 599

580 helpful points

Location: Alicante City

Joined: 9 Jun 2019

Posted: Mon May 23, 2022 11:59pm

Sophielucy wrote on Mon May 23, 2022 11:36pm:

What is the ruling for emigrating to Spain? We have wanted to do it for a while but friends have been saying tax is expensive for residents and it’s not easy to get residency. I’ve looked it up and I know the tax is based on a scale but I can’t see much about residency rules that makes sens...

...e. It’s sounding as if it’s not all straightforward and attractive. Just doing some homework before we sell up!

Cheers

Liz

Perhaps read below link.

NLV Requirements

tebo53

Posted: Tue May 24, 2022 12:56am

tebo53

Legendary helpful member

Posts: 4826

5023 helpful points

Location: Benidorm

Joined: 29 May 2018

Posted: Tue May 24, 2022 12:56am

Sophielucy wrote on Mon May 23, 2022 11:36pm:

What is the ruling for emigrating to Spain? We have wanted to do it for a while but friends have been saying tax is expensive for residents and it’s not easy to get residency. I’ve looked it up and I know the tax is based on a scale but I can’t see much about residency rules that makes sens...

...e. It’s sounding as if it’s not all straightforward and attractive. Just doing some homework before we sell up!

Cheers

Liz

Hi Liz,

If you are a UK passport holder and want to live in Spain permanently you will need to apply for a visa from the Spanish consulate in London, Manchester or Edinburgh. 

If you intend to retire to Spain then you will need to apply for a non lucrative visa (NLV) You will need to meet the income and healthcare requirements. 

The income requirements for a NLV is around €28,000 per annum for the first person and around €6,500 for each additional family member. The income figures will again be checked at years 2 and 4.

You will both need to have full private healthcare paid for a full year. After the first year you can apply for the S1 healthcare scheme which is paid for by the UK government. You can get S1 healthcare if you are receiving UK pension. 

If you gain a visa you can then move to Spain and apply for residency within the first 90 days of arrival. 

Many people who have applied for the visa are rejected for many reasons so don't sell your property until you are certain to gain a visa. 

There will be some other documents to submit but easily done such as marriage certificate(translated into Spanish) etc. 

Also look at this:

NLV 30 days in first year?

If you are an EU or Irish Passport holder there are different rules. 

Steve 

NigeF

Posted: Tue May 24, 2022 7:16am

NigeF

Helpful member

Posts: 190

208 helpful points

Location: Alicante City

Joined: 14 May 2020

Posted: Tue May 24, 2022 7:16am

Sophielucy wrote on Mon May 23, 2022 11:36pm:

What is the ruling for emigrating to Spain? We have wanted to do it for a while but friends have been saying tax is expensive for residents and it’s not easy to get residency. I’ve looked it up and I know the tax is based on a scale but I can’t see much about residency rules that makes sens...

...e. It’s sounding as if it’s not all straightforward and attractive. Just doing some homework before we sell up!

Cheers

Liz

Strongly advise you take long holiday wherever your thinking of buying ie try before you buy and if your selling in UK take tax advise as the sale proceeds may attract Spanish tax.

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Sophielucy

Posted: Tue May 24, 2022 7:54am

Sophielucy

Original Poster

Posts: 38

6 helpful points

Location: Villamartin

Joined: 15 Jul 2020

Posted: Tue May 24, 2022 7:54am

tebo53 wrote on Tue May 24, 2022 12:56am:

Hi Liz,

If you are a UK passport holder and want to live in Spain permanently you will need to apply for a visa from the Spanish consulate in London, Manchester or Edinburgh. 

If you intend to retire to Spain then you will need to apply for a non lucrative visa (NLV) You will need to meet the income and healthcare requirements. 

The income requirements for a NLV is around €28,000 per annum for the first person and around €6,500 for each additional family member. The income figures will again be checked at years 2 and 4.

You will both need to have full private healthcare paid for a full year. After the first year you can apply for the S1 healthcare scheme which is paid for by the UK government. You can get S1 healthcare if you are receiving UK pension. 

If you gain a visa you can then move to Spain and apply for residency within the first 90 days of arrival. 

Many people who have applied for the visa are rejected for many reasons so don't sell your property until you are certain to gain a visa. 

There will be some other documents to submit but easily done such as marriage certificate(translated into Spanish) etc. 

Also look at this:

NLV 30 days in first year?

If you are an EU or Irish Passport holder there are different rules. 

Steve 

God this would put you off! Not as straightforward as we thought.

Liz

Sophielucy

Posted: Tue May 24, 2022 7:56am

Sophielucy

Original Poster

Posts: 38

6 helpful points

Location: Villamartin

Joined: 15 Jul 2020

Posted: Tue May 24, 2022 7:56am

NigeF wrote on Tue May 24, 2022 7:16am:

Strongly advise you take long holiday wherever your thinking of buying ie try before you buy and if your selling in UK take tax advise as the sale proceeds may attract Spanish tax.

Thanks for that. I think I’d be best to get advice.


Liz

John123456

Posted: Tue May 24, 2022 9:58pm

John123456

Super helpful member

Posts: 1464

1064 helpful points

Location: Benidorm

Joined: 27 Feb 2021

Posted: Tue May 24, 2022 9:58pm

You might find the contents of this link helpful:

https://www.immigrationspain.es/en/visas-and-residence-permits-in-spain/ 

COLVIC

Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2022 2:51pm

Posts: 18

19 helpful points

Location: Benidorm

Joined: 4 May 2022

Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2022 2:51pm

tebo53 wrote on Tue May 24, 2022 12:56am:

Hi Liz,

If you are a UK passport holder and want to live in Spain permanently you will need to apply for a visa from the Spanish consulate in London, Manchester or Edinburgh. 

If you intend to retire to Spain then you will need to apply for a non lucrative visa (NLV) You will need to meet the income and healthcare requirements. 

The income requirements for a NLV is around €28,000 per annum for the first person and around €6,500 for each additional family member. The income figures will again be checked at years 2 and 4.

You will both need to have full private healthcare paid for a full year. After the first year you can apply for the S1 healthcare scheme which is paid for by the UK government. You can get S1 healthcare if you are receiving UK pension. 

If you gain a visa you can then move to Spain and apply for residency within the first 90 days of arrival. 

Many people who have applied for the visa are rejected for many reasons so don't sell your property until you are certain to gain a visa. 

There will be some other documents to submit but easily done such as marriage certificate(translated into Spanish) etc. 

Also look at this:

NLV 30 days in first year?

If you are an EU or Irish Passport holder there are different rules. 

Steve 

Thanks for the useful information, I didn't realise the UK would pay our health care after the first year. We are in the same situation as 'Liz', We did not move fast enough because we had not found the villa we wanted.  We are both retired and do not have a combined income of £34,500 our money is in savings and Premium bonds.

I t also looks as though we would pay fat more tax in Spain on £34,500 than we would in the UK

It looks like we will not buy, just rent in EU & non-EU countries, the 90/180 rule also make it less desirable to buy in Spain if we decided not to go for residency.  We can find other places to spent our money.

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