Moving to Spain from the UK after Brexit

For Britons planning a move to Spain. What changed in 2021, the visas most UK citizens use, the London consulate's paperwork, your State Pension and NHS cover in Spain, driving, and tax.

Until 2021, a UK passport let you live and work in Spain without a visa. That ended when the Brexit transition period finished on 1 January 2021. Britons who arrive now need a Spanish visa or residence permit, much like Americans or Canadians. Moving is still very possible, and some UK-specific rules help, such as the S1 for pensioners. This guide covers what changed, the routes Britons use, and the UK details: the London consulate, your State Pension, healthcare, driving and tax. Our Spain guide covers every route in more depth.

What changed after Brexit

• Visits are limited to 90 days in any 180. Your total stay in the Schengen area, Spain included, must be no more than 90 days in every rolling 180-day period. The days count across all Schengen countries together. Use our Schengen calculator to count yours.
• You cannot work on a visit. Working, or staying longer than 90 days, needs a visa or permit.
• Residence needs a permit. You apply for a Spanish visa before you move, or for some routes a permit from inside Spain.
• Spain does not recognise dual nationality with the UK. Becoming Spanish means formally renouncing British nationality before Spanish authorities.

Our Brexit guide explains the new border checks and how the 90-day count works.

If you lived in Spain before 2021

If you lived legally in Spain before 1 January 2021, the Withdrawal Agreement protects your right to stay, work and use public services. GOV.UK says the TIE card is the only valid residence document listed in the Withdrawal Agreement. If you still hold the older green certificate, the UK Embassy strongly recommends swapping it for a TIE. TIE holders do not need to register with the EU’s Entry/Exit System. If you have no residence document at all, you must register and get a TIE now.

The routes Britons use most

Non-lucrative visa. This is the main route for retirees. It allows no work at all, including remote work for UK clients. Our non-lucrative visa guide covers the income test, insurance and renewal.

Digital nomad visa. This fits people who keep a UK job or UK clients. Freelancers can earn up to 20% of their income from Spanish clients. Our digital nomad visa guide covers both ways to apply and the tax regime.

Family of a Spanish citizen. Under RD 1155/2024, the spouse, partner and children under 26 of a Spanish national they live with can get a residence permit for up to five years. It lets them work anywhere in Spain.

For the non-lucrative visa, the London fee list adds GBP 9.60 for the initial residence permit.

Applying at the London consulate

You apply at the Spanish consulate whose district covers where you live in the UK. The London consulate asks for proof that you live legally in its district. You apply in person through BLS, its visa centre. For the non-lucrative visa, the London consulate sets these UK-specific rules:

• Criminal record. Submit an ACRO police certificate. You need certificates from every country you lived in over the last five years. Each must be under six months old, carry an apostille and come with a sworn Spanish translation.
• Medical certificate. It must be issued by a registered doctor within three months before you apply. It must say you have no disease with serious public health effects under the International Health Regulations 2005. London accepts certificates issued only in the UK or Spain.
• Health insurance. You need a policy from an insurer authorised in Spain. A UK pensioner can instead show that an S1 form is registered with Spanish social security.
• Timing. The legal period to decide is two months from the day after you apply. It can be extended if the consulate asks for an interview or more documents. Collect the visa within one month of approval.

The London digital nomad checklist, dated May 2023, also accepts ACRO certificates. It asks for certificates covering the last two years, plus a signed declaration covering five. Its sterling income figures predate the 2026 minimum wage, so use the euro figures above.

Your State Pension in Spain

You can claim the UK State Pension while living in Spain if you have paid enough National Insurance contributions. Claim within four months of reaching State Pension age, through the International Pension Centre. Your pension increases each year while you live in the European Economic Area, which includes Spain. Payment can go to a Spanish or a UK bank. GOV.UK says payments to overseas accounts carry a 0.39% conversion charge.

Healthcare: the S1 and the alternatives

If you live in Spain and receive a UK State Pension or an exportable UK benefit, you may get an S1 form. The UK then funds your Spanish state healthcare. Register the S1 with the INSS, Spain’s social security institute. It sends you a Spanish social security number, which you take to your local health centre. S1 holders also get a UK-issued GHIC or EHIC for travel.

Without an S1, cover usually comes from working and paying Spanish social security, or from private insurance. After one year on the padrón, the local town register, you can usually join the national health system through the convenio especial, for a monthly fee. You cannot join the convenio especial if the UK funds your healthcare through an S1.

Driving

You can drive in Spain on a UK licence for up to six months after you become resident. After that, you need a Spanish licence. Under arrangements in force since 16 March 2023, you can exchange a UK or Gibraltar licence. GOV.UK says to apply for the exchange before the six months are over. Jersey, Guernsey and Isle of Man licences cannot be exchanged, so holders must pass the Spanish theory and practical tests.

Tax

You become a Spanish tax resident if you spend more than 183 days in Spain in a calendar year, or if the main base of your economic interests is there. Spanish tax residents pay Spanish income tax on worldwide income. GOV.UK also says Spanish residents must declare assets held outside Spain.

The UK and Spain have a double taxation convention, signed on 14 March 2013 and in force since 12 June 2014. Under article 17, pensions paid to a Spanish resident are taxable only in Spain. The exception is in article 18: pensions for UK government service are taxable only in the UK, unless you are also a Spanish national. Spain exempts those pensions but counts them when it sets your tax rate on other income. Interest from the UK is taxable only in Spain. Where both countries can tax the same income, Spain gives a credit for UK tax. Speak to an adviser who knows both systems before you move pensions or savings.

What catches people out

• The 90 days are shared. A month in France and two in Spain use your whole Schengen allowance.
• Non-lucrative means no work. Remote work for a UK employer still counts as work.
• Medical certificates must be UK or Spanish. London refuses those issued elsewhere.
• The licence deadline. Six months after you become resident, a UK licence stops being valid in Spain.

This is general information, not legal, tax or immigration advice. Confirm every requirement with GOV.UK, your Spanish consulate and HMRC or the Agencia Tributaria before you act.