Residencia after Brexit

Who needs a Spanish residence route after Brexit?

Any UK national who wants to live in Spain and was not already resident there before the end of the Brexit transition period. Without a residence route you are a visitor, limited to the Schengen short-stay allowance (GOV.UK: Spain entry requirements). With one, you hold a residence authorisation evidenced by the TIE card, and that is what allows you to register for healthcare, become tax resident and import your household goods under the change-of-residence relief.

Which residence routes are open to UK nationals?

The routes UK government guidance lists for UK nationals include retirement and living on your own means, work (including remote work), study, family reunion, research and volunteering (GOV.UK: Living in Spain). The ones our customers use most are below; the complete guide describes each in more depth.

Non-lucrative residence visa: for people who will not work in Spain and can show sufficient means, measured against a multiple of the IPREM indicator that is revised each year, plus health insurance from an insurer authorised in Spain that covers what the public system covers (or a registered S1 for UK state pensioners). Applied for at the consulate covering your UK address (London consulate requirements).

International teleworking (digital nomad) visa: for remote workers whose employers or clients are mainly outside Spain, introduced by Ley 28/2022.

Work and self-employment: a Spanish employer obtains the work authorisation before you apply for the visa; self-employment needs a viable business plan and the relevant qualifications. Separate routes exist for highly qualified professionals.

Family routes: spouses, partners and certain relatives of Spanish or other EU citizens apply under a dedicated family-member regime. Family reunification (reagrupación familiar) is for relatives of a non-EU national who is already legally resident in Spain.

The investor (golden) visa was abolished in 2025 and is no longer available to new applicants, so a property purchase does not by itself create any right to live in Spain.

How do you get from a visa to a TIE card?

For most people moving permanently, the sequence is: apply for the residence visa at the Spanish consulate covering your UK address, in person, with the documents and apostilled certificates the consulate lists; travel to Spain once the visa is in your passport; then, within the short window after entry that the consulate sets out, apply in person for the TIE (Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero) at the Oficina de Extranjería or the Policía Nacional station that issues foreigner cards in your province.

The TIE application uses form EX-17 and carries a government fee on modelo 790 código 012. At the appointment your fingerprints are taken; you then collect the card at a later appointment. Register on the padrón at your ayuntamiento in parallel, because many offices ask for the certificate. Waiting times for appointments and card collection vary by province, so book as soon as you can.

Until the card is issued, keep the visa, the receipt for the TIE application (resguardo) and your passport together. That combination is what you show if asked.

What if I lived in Spain before Brexit?

UK nationals who were legally resident in Spain before the end of the transition period at the close of 2020, and their protected family members, keep their residence rights under the Withdrawal Agreement. Their residence document is a TIE issued under the Agreement (requested on form EX-20). UK guidance asks anyone still holding the old green EU registration certificate to exchange it for a TIE, because the TIE is the document listed in the Withdrawal Agreement and recognised at the Schengen border (GOV.UK: Living in Spain).

If you are in this group and moving within Spain, or returning after a period away, check whether your status is affected before you move: long absences can end Withdrawal Agreement rights.

How do renewals and long-term residence work?

Temporary residence is renewed before it expires, showing that you still meet the conditions of your route, including income and health cover for non-lucrative residents. After a period of continuous legal residence set by Spanish law, you can apply for long-term residence (residencia de larga duración), which no longer depends on the original route and is broadly comparable to settled status in the UK.

Time spent outside Spain can break the continuity that long-term residence requires, so keep records of travel if you spend extended periods in the UK.

What causes problems with residence applications?

Evidence of means. Consulates want stable, documented income or savings at the level the current IPREM multiple requires, not a one-off balance. Pension statements, investment income and bank statements covering a sustained period are what persuade them.

Health cover. Non-lucrative residents must keep qualifying private health insurance in force throughout their residence, not just at the application stage, unless they are covered by an S1. See the healthcare guide.

Document legalisation. UK certificates generally need an apostille and a sworn translation into Spanish. Allow for both when you plan the application.

Regional language documents. In Catalonia, the Basque Country, Galicia, Valencia and the Balearics you will meet forms and letters in the co-official language. A bilingual gestor helps.