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That is, access to public health, employment, residence of

Following the terms of the agreement, until March 2019, the date on which the United Kingdom will finally leave the European Union, rights of citizens who decide to change their permanent residence to Spain will no longer be the same.

That is, access to public health, employment, residence of citizens of the European Union and the United Kingdom will change.

Until now, as we all know, there was a free movement of people, and residence, which allowed a large number of British resided in Spain, making use of the infrastructure in terms of public health, education, work, and employment. As if they were Spanish citizens.

“Official figures indicate that the number of Britishs residing in Spain is about 300,000. But, as TLA has been reporting for a long time, this figure is a lot much higher, because many of the British citizens residing in Spain are not currently registered at the “Padron” (“electoral roll” in UK), so they are not part of the statistics. The actual numbers of British residents in Spain could be around 500,000- 700,000 (unofficial estimation).”

The terms of the agreement indicate that the status of all British who currently have permanent residence in Spain will not change. That is, they will have access to public health, education, etc., in the same way they have done so far.

However, after March 2019, this will no longer be the case. A British citizen, to reside in Spain, must pass through a residency process as a citizen of a country outside the EU, to access residency status and access to public health, education, work, and employment, etc. as if he/she was a citizen of the United States, Latin America, Asia, etc.

ACCESS TO RESIDENCE IN SPAIN. As regards access to residency, Spain, with a long tradition of receiving citizens from other countries over the last few years, will continue to welcome requests for residence of British citizens even if they are outside the European Union.

Simply, the process will be different.

Before it was much easier to access permanent residence in Spain, being members of the European Union. Now, simply, the process is going to be a little more complicated. But not impossible!. Similarly, that, as we say, the process will be similar to that followed by other citizens of Latin America, or the United States, or Asia, who access the Spanish residence without any problems.

It would simply be a formal change in the residency application process.

Therefore, as far as access to permanent residence status in Spain is concerned, there will not be much difference beyond the new formal requirements implied by the request for it.

ACCESS TO PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE – PUBLIC HEALTH, EMPLOYMENT, ETC.

However, if there is to be a more marked difference in the use and enjoyment of public infrastructures such as public health, education, etc.
All those who come a future to reside in Spain under employment, education, or work, will access resources and rights of public health, education, employment, etc without any problem.
But, what will happen to all those who come to Spain to reside for reasons other than employment or studies?, that is, with retired who decide to come to Spain without the intention of developing a work or business activity ?.
– For those who, in March of 2019, are permanently residing in Spain, and who do not exercise any professional or employment activity, in Spain, that is, British retirees without employment in Spain, will be able to access all kinds
of privileges in a way comparable to Spanish as access to public health, mainly, as they had been doing so far. That is, their situation will not change. They will have access to public health, education, etc., as a Spanish citizen or the European Union would have access.
– However, for those citizens who, as of March 2019, apply for permanent residency in Spain, their situation will be comparable to those resident in Spain from countries outside the European Union. The direct result with respect to health, is that they will not have the right to public health in the same terms that Spanish, or European citizens enjoy, and therefore must obtain private health care to reside in Spain in terms of permanent residence.

That is, those retired who, as of March 2019 do not have residence in Spain, will not have access to public health, and they will require these citizens to hire private healthcare to acquire residence in Spain .
This will be the most important point that will affect the British citizens who in the future decide to come to Spain to reside. They are not going to have any other option than to hire private healthcare, as other citizens of other countries like China, Korea, the United States, Mexico, etc. do.

Obviously, we are in a process that has not yet been formalized through the confirming approval of the British parliament. But, TLA, anticipating the questions and questions that our British customers, which are very numerous, have decided to create this report to update the information they can receive from other information points.

From this office, we make ourselves available to any person for any type of question or suggestions that may have about it.

We will be delighted to help you

GOV.UK BREXIT

Living in Spain

Official information British people moving to and living in Spain need to know, including EU Exit guidance, residency, healthcare and driving.

EU Exit: what you need to know

There will be no change to the rights and status of UK nationals living in Spain while the UK remains in the EU. While the government continues to negotiate EU Exit, you should:

  • Make sure you’re correctly registered as resident in Spain
  • Read UK nationals in the EU: essential information
  • Follow the British Embassy, Madrid, on Facebook and Twitter
  • Attend one of our citizens outreach meetings

Before you go

See travel advice for Spain and sign up for up-to-date information on local laws and customs, safety and emergencies. See moving or retiring abroad.

See useful information for British nationals living in Spain

Visas and residency

You must register with the Spanish government if you are planning on staying in Spain for more than 3 months.

See residency requirements for Spain for information about registering and applying for permanent residence.

The UK and EU have agreed the full legal text of the draft Withdrawal Agreement in principle. The agreement on citizens’ rights will allow UK nationals to stay in their Member State of residence after the UK leaves the EU on 29 March 2019.

In the event of changes to residency rules or registration processes after 29 March 2019, we will update this page as soon as information is available.

Healthcare

The NHS also has information about healthcare for British people living in or visiting Spain.

You need a free European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) to get emergency medical treatment during temporary stays in EU countries. You also need comprehensive travel insurance to cover anything not covered by your EHIC.

Once you’re registered as a resident, you can access the Spanish healthcare system. You can find English-speaking doctors in Spain.

You should also check your prescriptions are legal in Spain. You can email Spain’s medical agency in English (La Agencia Española de Medicamentos y Productos Sanitarios) to ask about prescriptions.

S1 form – healthcare paid for by the UK

You may be entitled to state healthcare paid for by the UK if you live in Spain and get an exportable UK pension, contribution-based Employment Support Allowance or another exportable benefit.

You need to apply for a S1 form – contact the Department for Work and Pensions’ International Pensions Centre.

Working in Spain

Some jobs may require a:

  • UK criminal records check (known as a DBS check)
  • Spanish criminal records certificate (Certificado de Antecedentes Penales)
    Certificate from the Spanish sex offenders registry (Certificado de Delitos de Naturaleza Sexual) – this is needed to work with children You can ask Seguridad Social for a record of your employment history in Spain (a Vida Laboral certificate).

Tax

See tax if you leave the UK to live abroad and tax on your UK income if you live abroad.

We recommend you seek professional advice on paying tax in Spain. You can use a registered ‘gestor’ or find an English-speaking lawyer.

If you are resident in Spain, Spain will tax your worldwide income, regardless of the country in which it arises. If you are not resident, you will only pay tax on income arising Spain.

In addition to an annual tax return, Spain requires all residents, including UK nationals, to file an annual declaration of overseas assets (Modelo 720), if they meet the minimum filing requirements. There are severe penalties if you fail to file or provide incorrect or incomplete information.

You may be able to pay National Insurance while abroad in order to protect your State Pension and entitlement to other benefits and allowances.

Pensions

If you last worked in Spain, you should make your claim for your Spanish and UK State Pension from the Instituto Nacional de la Seguridad Social.

If you haven’t worked in Spain, you should claim your UK state pension by contacting the International Pension Centre. If you’ve worked in several EU countries, see state pensions abroad.

Life certificates for UK state pensions

If you get a ‘life certificate’ from the UK Pension Service, you need to respond as soon as possible – your payments may be suspended if you don’t.

Benefits

Find out which UK benefits you might be able to get while you’re abroad and how to claim them.
Many income-related benefits such as Pension Credit and Housing Benefit can’t be paid if you’re abroad for more than 4 weeks.

Spanish benefits

You may be entitled to Spanish benefits, including:

  • Unemployment benefit
  • Incapacity benefit – only if you have worked and paid social security contributions in Spain
  • Income-related benefits
  • Find out more about claiming benefits in an EU country and see what benefits you may be able to get in Spain.

You can find out more about what income-related benefits are available by speaking to a social worker (trabajador social) at your local town hall (ayuntamiento) or visit your nearest Instituto de Mayores y Servicios Sociales office.

You can request proof of time worked in the UK from HM Revenue and Customs, if you are asked for this information.

Driving licences

If you are resident in Spain, you will not be able to renew a lost, stolen or expired licence with the UK Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). It may be easier to convert your UK licence to a Spanish licence before it expires.

If your UK driving licence is lost or stolen, you can apply to the DVLA for a ‘certificate of entitlement’ in Spanish that can be used to apply for a Spanish driving licence.

See how to exchange your UK licence for a Spanish one (PDF) on the Dirección General de Trafico website. If you hold an old-style UK licence, which doesn’t have a 10-year validity period, you must renew or exchange it for a Spanish licence once you’ve been a resident of Spain for 2 years.

Importing a UK-registered vehicle

If you spend longer than 6 months of the year in Spain with your UK-registered car, you must register your vehicle with the Spanish authorities. For information on how to do this, including how to change your licence plate, contact the Dirección General de Trafico.

You may need to pay taxes when importing and registering your UK vehicle, including:

  • registration tax (impuesto de matriculación)
  • road/traffic tax (impuesto de circulación del ayuntamiento)
  • VAT (impuestos sobre el valor añadido, IVA)

You may be exempt from some of these taxes in which case you will need certificates of exemption. See the Agencia Tributaria’s information on car registration tax.

Voting

British citizens living abroad who meet certain eligibility criteria can vote in some UK elections. To do so, you’ll first need to register as an overseas voter.

UK nationals cannot vote in general or regional elections in Spain.

In order to vote in local elections in Spain, you must be registered on the municipal register where you live (padrón municipal) and have formally declared your wish to vote in municipal elections. You can do this at the same office where you register on the padrón by completing a simple form to register on the local electoral roll.

Town halls may periodically update the lists of citizens registered with them, for example via padron status checks, and remove citizens from the register if they are unable to confirm they still live in the town. If you are in any doubt as to your status on both the padrón and the municipal electoral roll, check with the padrón office at your local town hall.

Once the UK leaves the EU, UK nationals will no longer be eligible to vote in European elections. However, the Spanish Electoral

Census Office has confirmed that UK nationals currently remain eligible to register to vote in the next local elections which will be held in May 2019. If you wish to vote in those elections you must declare your intention to vote before the deadline of 30 January 2019. As your right to vote in local elections will not automatically continue once the UK leaves the EU, the Spanish Electoral Census Office has said UK nationals will remain on the voting register until the end of March 2019. However, as part of the preparations for the UK’s exit from the EU, the UK government is seeking a bilateral agreement with Spain and, if agreed before March 2019, it would allow you to remain registered to vote past this date. Discussions with the Spanish Government are underway and, as and when further information is available on the progress of a bilateral agreement, we will update this

Pets

UK nationals will still be able to travel to and from the UK with a pet (cat, dog or ferret) when the UK leaves the EU, but the rules will change. See pet travel to Europe after EU Brexit for more information.

Emergencies

As well as the European emergency number 112, Spain also has:

  • 091 – police
  • 061 – health emergencies
  • 080 – fire fighters
  • 092 – local pólice

If you need urgent help, contact your nearest British embassy or consulate.