Applying for Residency post Brexit

I was lucky enough to have been able to move prior to Brexit. However, I do keep on top of the regulations in order to try and help people who these days wish to start the process of moving over here.  I also know a number of people who have made the move using the Non-Lucrative visa.  Some used a professional, one warned that he was ripped off, and some did the whole process themselves.

If you need to work then I would say for the vast majority of people it will not be possible. One way to move and be able to work is through a Golden Visa, if you have the finances to be able to invest 500,000€ in Spain.

However, if you are retiring here, it's not easy in terms of gathering all of the necessary paperwork together, but is more than possible if you have the financial and health requirements.

As a start, check out this article which takes you through the steps: https://fuerteventuranow.com/moving-to-fuerteventura-2/

Thank you so much for your prompt reply… My Wife & I are looking to retire in the next 2 years and have had property in Fuerte for nearly 20 years but definitely not looking to work 😎 Unfortunately we fall short of the Golden Ticket rules.. Thanks again..

If you have property did you have a NIE issued. If so this does make life a little easier. Beware there are many unscrupulous people who will charge and do very little.

A disabled friend of mine used one who let's at Gala Cafe and 8 months later are still waiting. 

There are a few hoops but not many. The major ones are.

1. Healthcare, but if you are UK pensioners you can still get an S1 certificate from the NHS. If you are in receipt of an exportable DWP benefit for example disabiluty, you can also request an S1. Otherwise you can pay for private healthcare or into the Spanish Health system.

2. Tax. If you move here you should also register for tax. This means you will not pay tax in the UK but in Spain. This can be an admin nightmare but if you know what to do and have help prof a professional, not a back street advisor, it can be easy.

3. Having sufficient funds to not be a burden on the state. There has been a lot of misinformation written about this, especially in the Daily Express and on Facebook. Basically, as of 2021, a steady income per household of at least €2,259.60  plus an additional €564.90 of income per month per dependent is also required. A dependent could be a child, or an adult that travels with you who has no income of their own. 

So if you are a couple with one income, then you would need to have access to €2,259.60 (your income) per month + €564.90 (to cover your dependent partner) = €2,716.26 per month. 

 If you don’t have a regular monthly income, you will need to prove that you have at least €27,115.20 in your bank, every year that you are a resident.

4. Driving in Spain and changing your license. If you have a UK photo card driving license dating from 1997 or after (or full UK licence dating from 1990) it will be sufficient to allow you to drive legally in Spain. However, when it expires, or if it gets lost or stolen, you will not be able to renew it with the DVLA if you are now permanently resident in Spain. You will need to organise converting your UK license to a legal Spanish document that complies with Spanish driving laws.

I always used this website for ALL advice on moving as some others are out of date or region specific.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/living-in-spain

I am not an expert but helped a friend through the hoops. Always best to start planning in the UK. As you also have property to move into this will help.

Good luck and I hope this had helped..

@Cyberion

Just a couple of points.

3.  After your first year you renew your NLV for 2 years and have to have finance for two years to show.  Same when you renew again for years 4 and 5.  Therefore double the financial amount is required at those times.

4. This is totally incorrect.  When you get your TIE you have 6 months to get a Spanish driving license. After which time you are not allowed to drive legally in Spain.  You can not simply exchange your license and will have to take lessons and test. https://fuerteventuranow.com/getting-a-spanish-driving-license/

My wife and I have obtained residency this past year. The paper work in U.K. getting non lucrative visa was a nightmare so many forms but we waded through it and arrived here June 2021. 

The pardon, residency and registering for healthcare we engaged some help because neither the council ( pardon) or police (residency)  spoke English. We now have everything we need for first year. 

Thanks for replying & thanks for all the info..We do have N.I.E's however the financial requirements year on year will make it impossible for us to make the dream move..we've had property in Fuerte for almost 20 years however Brexit has put the nail in the coffin for us :( 

Thanks for your reply, just reading the few responses it seems such a long drawn out process (Thanks to all the Brexiters for screwing this one up) which I can handle , however the financial burden year on year is a huge commitment which we cant afford ..