When we moved to Spain, our friends asked to what extent Brexit had influenced our decision to re-locate. That is not a simple, easy to answer, question. There were so many reasons that have brought us to Spain. The sense of adventure that comes with living in a different country, the challenge of learning a new language, our wonderful house here, the fabulous views and countryside and of course the glorious sunshine that’s around for most of the year.
31 January 2020, waving the European flag on our Spanish house
But also, on reflection, I think that the Brexit referendum did have a bearing – perhaps more than I’d admitted to myself. As a Dutch national, I’d lived and worked in the UK for 40 years and felt totally at home. After the referendum results, my feelings changed, and it reminded me of when I first came to the UK as an 18-year-old, and I had to stand in the passport queue marked ‘aliens’ – a word that sums up what it feels like. And so we are very happy to have made the decision to move house and country, to be Europeans and to have freedom of movement (within Europe).
This blog will focus on some of the post-Brexit practical implications for Brits already living in Spain and those who may want to move here in the future. This is not an exhaustive factual checklist – it is about what I’ve experienced, talked about with friends, or read about on the Web since living here. At the end of the blog there are links to helpful websites providing factual information and further guidance.
Happy to be European
Whenever we meet up with friends, the conversation inevitably moves onto Brexit and what’s going to be different for those of us who live in Spain. We found that there are some new procedures, which inevitably involve bureaucratic red tape and lots of stamping of documents, but actually once you find your way around the system, it’s not so bad.
Now the UK is no longer in the EU, Brits living in Spain are advised to apply for a TIE (Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero, or a foreigner’s identity card). This card acts as proof of permission to reside in Spain. It contains personal details, a photograph, and is also the principal form of ID. Many Brits still have the original residency papers, though these are likely to be phased out over time, and in some cases they have not been accepted by airlines – so applying for a TIE is definitely the best approach.
Although I’m a Dutch national, I was also quite keen on applying for a TIE, because my proof of residency is a very flimsy piece of green paper that could easily get lost, and I have to carry my passport everywhere I go. But when Hilary and I went to the ‘oficina de extranjeros’ in Cordoba with all our paperwork (for the necessary stamping!), my application was rejected because I’m a European citizen and there is no need for me to have a TIE. I totally get this, but I hope that one day residency papers will also be updated to a more modern credit card type version.
Generally, the application process for the TIE cards proved to be relatively simple, though in some parts of Spain it has been difficult to get an appointment with the authorities. This is being sorted out, and for us it was only a one week wait for an appointment, but it does depend on where you are in the country.
We have some friends here who are ‘swallows’ – they want to spend six months of the year in the UK, and six months in Spain. Brexit has made it a bit more difficult for them to do this, because they are only allowed to be in Spain for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. So they can be here for three months, but then have to go back to the UK and stay there for three months, before they can come back again. There is a special non-lucrative visa they can apply for, though it certainly is less easy than the ‘come and go as you please’ policy that was in place before.
One of the key differences that has come about because of Brexit has been the significant increase of the income threshold for those who want to retire to Spain. This is being discussed and debated in many of the Brexit-related Facebook groups that I follow, and it really brings home the changes to freedom of movement post-Brexit. Currently, it looks like UK citizens will be treated in the same way as non-EU citizens, and so have to prove they have a larger annual income (4x as much) than was the case when they used to be part of the EU.
Brexit has made no difference in terms of the health cover needed to move to Spain – it has always been a requirement to have proof of medical cover, whether that comes through being a UK pensioner (in receipt of an S1 form from the NHS), being employed or having private medical insurance.
The EHIC card (European health card for tourists) has also recently been hotly debated in the press, and UK residents in Spain continue to be eligible for health cover when traveling in Europe. They were advised to apply for their EHIC card through the NHS. The application process was exceptionally easy – at least for my husband Hilary, who is British. As I am a Dutch national, but am covered by Hilary’s S1 form, we were advised to apply for an EHIC card too. Well, that didn’t work. The system was not set up for unusual situations of Brits being married to Dutch, living in Spain. However, to my utmost surprise, I received a Spanish EHIC card in the post – without applying for it. Maybe because I am a Dutch national with Spanish residency, or perhaps because I am registered as self-employed here in Spain. Either way, I was mightily pleased, and Hilary is still waiting for his EHIC card to come through!
Europe, Spain, Andalucia, Granada flags
We had to exchange our UK driving licences for Spanish ones before the end of 2020 (or within six months for those moving to Spain post-Brexit). If you don’t do this, you will have to sit a Spanish driving test, both theory and practice. So definitely something to avoid!
Whenever we go for an ‘official’ appointment, we bring along our massive Spain folder with originals and photo copies of all possible documents they might require (eg our residence permits, passports, wedding certificate – officially translated into Spanish, empadronamiento (registration with local town hall), health cards, driving licences and a number of passport photos). Plus the right forms, signed and completed, and proof that we’ve paid the ‘tasa’ (fee) for the service.
When we went to the Malaga Traffic office with our Spain folder, we waited our turn, and when we finally got to one of the windows, the clerk told us to leave our documents with the men at the door. The only men we saw by the door were security guards, and we very hesitantly approached them because – surely – they wouldn’t be able to log our forms?! But things are different in Spain, and the security guards knew what they were doing, took our papers, stamped them and gave us a proof of receipt and a reference number for a follow-up appointment.
Because Hilary’s UK driving licence was due to expire within one year (or because he was over the age of 65, we’ve never found out the true reason), he had to have a medical test. Always worrying, these medicals. But actually, just down the road from the Traffic office in Malaga were a number of offices advertising medicals, and we simply walked into one, Hilary was asked about his health and any medication he was taking, there was a (flimsy) eye test, and five minutes later we were out with a medical certificate (and 40 euros lighter …).
For the past few months, we’ve been holding off exchanging our UK income into Euros, because we had hoped that with a Brexit deal, the pound would go up – maybe even substantially – as there would finally be an end to the uncertainty. However, the Brexit deal came and went, and the pound did go up, marginally, before going down again. The highest peak so far has been an increase of two eurocents to the pound, from quite a low base of 1.10 – not quite what we had hoped for. Like most British expats here in Spain, our income is in GBP, and so the exchange rate continues to be a point of conversation and sometimes hot debate in our house. The current low rate means for us that Spain is a little more expensive compared to when we first moved here, though even with current exchange rates, it seems to me that the cost of living is still considerably lower here in Spain than in the UK.
There are dozens of Facebook groups where people tell their story, share their experiences and provide advice on how Brexit is impacting their lives in Spain. It’s important to understand that the situations discussed in these groups may not reflect specific regional differences and may only apply to an individual’s own circumstances. I therefore also visit the site of better-known official information providers – my favourite official links below:
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Add your voice22 Jul. 2022
22 Jul. 2022