Moving to Fuerteventura post Brexit

Hi, my wife and I are planning to move to Fuerteventura this year on a permanent basis. Our plan when our property sale is completed is to rent a property in Fuertes  (3/4 months) before buying. 

We intend to drive from the uk as we have a pet dog who would not survive in the hold of a plane!! Any advice or members experiences would be much appreciated.

We are both self employed and intend to continue working remotely from the island before retiring  in a couple of years.

Any advice regarding the visa/residency options/process would be much appreciated, what application etc would have to be completed before we leave the UK?

Best Regards

Mark

We are relocating on a permanent basis. Have already sold in the U.K. and waiting for covid restrictions to lift and we are off. Eventually our daughter and dog will join us. 

Like you we want to know what we have to do. 

Hi Mark

I did the same as you in May 2018 and have never looked back. 

The first thing is to ensure you get registered (unless you already are). As you are from the UK (post Brexit) this is even more important. The process is simple, just bit cumbersome with lots of paperwork (welcome to Spain)

I would take advice always from either the office UK Govt. website (Spain: register your residency - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) or from the CAB Spain (https://www.citizensadvice.org.es)

Registration will get you the new TIE ID Card, as without this ID you can't do anything! Including open a bank account, register for health - NOTHING.

Next is a Bank Account - Unless you have one

Then is Health Care. As you are both self-employed there are 3 ways you can do this:

1. Pay for Private Medical Insurance

2. Pay into the Spanish Health System

3. Register as Self-employed on the Island and pay tax here. You will have Social Security deducted from your bank, but this is to pay for your pension and Healthcare. Social Security is quite high (up to 300 Euro per month) but it is fully tax-deductible.

If you register here as self-employed you can declare to HMRC that you are Tax Resident in Spain and as such any work you do in the Uk will be UK Tax-free. There are many tax benefits but if this is the route you want to take I would suggest contacting a Tax advisor.

I registered here as Self-employed so as to pay into the very good Spanish Pension system. I reach pensionable age next year and the Spanish will take into account the Years I have paid into the UK, as well as Years paid into any other Countries, as well as any years in Spain and calculate my pension accordingly.

It really depends on if you want to be Fiscally resident as well as physically resident here. You can, if you wish, remain to pay tax in the UK on you your worldwide income. HMRC do find out so make sure you tell all government agencies in the UK about your move. Particularly if you are claiming any UK benefits (disability etc) as these are based on residency, not citizenship.

A final tip. Try to learn Spanish, no matter how little. It is appreciated by the Spanish who will always try their English on you, but some do not speak English at all and so you may need an interpreter, especially from Government paperwork. Also, make sure you have all the paperwork for the Dog. Remember the Pet Passport may no longer be valid Post-Brexit (Pet travel: to and from Great Britain - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

There are hoops to go through as with any relocation, but once it's all done everything is fine. I really enjoy living here and have decided never to return to the UK.

Good luck with your move.

Thank you for your advice, it’s much appreciated, we may have some more questions during the process but will keep you updated regarding our move,

Again Many Thanks

Mark & Nicky

My plesaure. Ask any time.

I have only just found this website, so am a little late joining the conversation.

Unfortunately, whilst the advice given above may have been ok for those already living in Fuerteventura (and of course all of Spain) PRE Brexit, it is not correct POST Brexit.

Your first step is to obtain the appropriate visa from the Spanish Consulate in the UK BEFORE you come over. 

There are various requirements dependent upon which visa you are applying for.  The 'easiest' visa to obtain is the Non-Lucrative visa, which means you cannot work.

To obtain permission to work here is now difficult.  You would need to apply (again in the UK) for one of the visas that allow you to work.  If starting a business here then you must provide a complete business plan, with proof that would satisfy the authorities that you would not become a burden on the state.  For employed work you must apply for the Employment Work visa and have a contract of employment.  However, such contracts are difficult to obtain as employers are not legally allowed to offer any position of work to a non-eu member, if the position can be filled by a local person, which would be difficult to prove it could not be.

The minimum requirements to apply for a non-lucrative visa include providing evidence of

1. having a minimum of the required finance, which is based on Iprem and currently 27,115.20€ for a single person, plus 6778.80€ for each family member. After the first year you must provide proof for two years (double the amount) for years 2 & 3, and then the 1 year amount for year 4.  After 5 years you no longer need to show proof as you become 'permanente'
   
2. Private health insurance, which must be provided by a Spanish company or one that is approved by the Spanish Authorities.   This must be equivalent to the Spanish Health System, ie no excess and no exceptions
3. A Criminal record check.

The current cost of a non-lucrative visa is 516€, which is non-refundable.  If rejected you do have the ability to appeal.
Once you have been granted your visa you have 1 month to apply for your TIE (permission to reside), which is done at the Foreign Office in Puerto del Rosario.  But the first thing you must do is obtain Certificado de Empadronamiento, which is done at the local town hall (Ayuntamiento) of where you are living.Hope that helps!