Guidance

Living in Spain

Information for British citizens moving to or living in Spain, including guidance on residency, healthcare and passports.

From:
Foreign & Commonwealth Office and Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
Published
22 March 2013
Last updated
111 March 2022 — See all updates

This guide sets out essential information for British citizens moving to or living in Spain.

Read about the services our consulates in Spain can provide.

This information is provided as a guide only. You should get definitive information from the Spanish authorities. Read the general guidance on moving to and living in Spain from the Spanish government. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) is not liable for any inaccuracies in this information.

Read general guidance on moving or retiring abroad.

To stay up to date:

If you were living in Spain before 1 January 2021

Some parts of this guide only apply if you were living in Spain since before 1 January 2021. You should read these in addition to the rest of the guidance in each section.

You should also read our Living in Europe page for detailed guidance about citizens’ rights under the Withdrawal Agreement.

Coronavirus

Follow the advice of the Spanish Government and your local authority. You should also read the Spain travel advice.

For information on getting a COVID-19 vaccine as a UK national in Spain, read the coronavirus travel advice.

Visas and residency

You must tell the UK government offices that deal with your benefits, pension and tax if you are moving or retiring abroad.

Check the entry requirements for Spain.

Before you move to Spain you must apply for the appropriate visa from the Spanish consulates in London or Edinburgh, or the Spanish consulate in Manchester (details available from the Foreign embassies in the UK list). You must apply for your residence document as soon as you arrive in Spain. Your children must also be registered with their own residency documents.

Read the Spanish government’s guidance on:

Visas and residency if you were living in Spain before 1 January 2021

If you have been living in Spain legally since before 1 January 2021, you and your family members have rights under the Withdrawal Agreement. You must ensure you are correctly registered as a resident. Your children must also be registered with their own residency documents.

If you are registering for the first time, you will be issued with a biometric residence card called a Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero (TIE). This card shows that you have rights under the Withdrawal Agreement.

If you registered as a resident before 6 July 2020, you will have a green A4 certificate or credit card-sized piece of paper from Extranjeria or the police. This is still a valid residency document. You do not have to exchange this document for the new TIE. However, we and the Spanish government strongly recommend that you do.

The TIE biometric card is more durable. It will also simplify administrative processes and border crossings. Read the Spanish government’s guidance on how to apply for the new TIE.

Both the TIE and the green A4 certificate or credit card-sized piece of paper, exempt you from European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) and visa requirements.

If you have difficulty using your green A4 certificate or credit card-sized piece of paper, read the Spanish government’s informative note on documentation for UK nationals. This explains which documents you can use to prove your residence and Withdrawal Agreement rights in Spain. You can refer to this informative note when accessing public services and dealing with businesses that provide services.

For more information:

If you need further information on how to register as a resident, you may find the information on the webpages from these organisations in Spain useful:

Region of Spain Website
Alicante, Valencia and Castellon Babelia
Andalusia, Castilla la Mancha, Castilla León, Ceuta, Extremadura, Madrid, Melilla, Murcia The International Organization for Migration
Aragon, Asturias, Balearics, Basque Country (Pais Vasco), Canary Islands, Cantabria, Catalonia, Galicia, La Rioja, Navarra Age in Spain

For details of official Spanish government and non-government organisations including in the voluntary sector, visit the Support in Spain website.

Family members

Your close family members are able to join you and settle in Spain at any time in the future. Read more information on who this applies to in the Living in Europe guidance. They should apply online before moving to Spain (in Spanish) or through a third party in Spain, such as a lawyer. Alternatively, they can apply within 3 months of arrival to Spain.

Depending on their nationality, some non-EU family members may need a visa before travel. The Spanish authorities should issue Withdrawal Agreement family reunion visas free of charge.

Read the Spanish government’s guidance for ‘UK nationals and their family members residing in Spain’. This explains how you and your close family members can apply for the TIE and how to renew your TIE before it expires.

Appeal process

If your request to register under the Withdrawal Agreement is refused, read the refusal letter carefully. It will set out the decision, the reasons for it, and how to appeal. You have 1 month to appeal from the date of the refusal letter.

The appeal process usually has 2 steps:

  1. administrative appeal, where a different administrative authority reviews the decision
  2. court appeal

The outcome of an appeal is final. If you want to appeal, we strongly recommend you seek independent, specialised legal advice. The British Embassy cannot get involved in individual immigration applications and we cannot provide legal advice.

You can:

If you do not want to appeal, or do not meet the criteria to reside in Spain under the terms of the Withdrawal Agreement, you should consider other options:

Passports and travel

Coronavirus travel restrictions may affect may affect travel to and from Spain.

You can apply for or renew your British passport from Spain. The British Embassy does not issue passports.

Check the Spain travel advice for passport validity requirements.

Always carry your passport when travelling within the Schengen area. If you have citizenship of an EU or European Free Trade Association (EFTA) country, in addition to your British citizenship, you should enter and leave Spain using your EU or EFTA passport.

If you stay in Spain with a Spanish residence permit or long-stay visa, this time does not count towards your 90-day visa-free limit for the Schengen area.

If you visit other Schengen area countries outside Spain, make sure you do not exceed the visa-free 90 days in any 180-day period. You are responsible for counting how long you stay under the Schengen visa waiver, and you must comply with its conditions.

Different rules apply to EU countries that are not part of the Schengen area. Check each country’s travel advice page for information on entry requirements.

If you were living in Spain before 1 January 2021

When you travel, carry your residence document (the green A4 certificate or credit card-sized piece of paper or the TIE) or frontier worker permit issued under the Withdrawal Agreement, in addition to your valid passport.

You must proactively show your residence document (the green A4 certificate or credit card-sized piece of paper or the TIE) if you are asked to show your passport at border control. If you have applied for, but not yet received, your residence document, show proof that your application is in progress.

If you cannot prove that you are a resident in Spain, you may be asked additional questions at the border to enter the EU. Your passport may be stamped on entry and exit. This will not affect your rights in the country or countries where you live or work. If a passport is stamped, the stamp is considered null and void when you can show evidence of lawful residence.

If you have rights under the Withdrawal Agreement, you can enter and exit Spain with a valid passport. You do not need any additional validity on the passport beyond the dates on which you are travelling.

Children travelling from Spain

Children (under 18 years old) resident in Spain, who travel out of Spain without a person who has parental responsibility, may need a certified authorisation by that person. This is required in addition to a valid travel document.

The regulation does not apply to foreign children resident in Spain who are subject to the law of their country of nationality, or to non-resident foreign children visiting Spain.

The Spanish immigration authorities are aware that there is no similar standard regulation in the UK, and therefore British consulates do not provide travel authorisation documents.

British children do not need written permission to travel unless they are subject to a court order which states that written permission is required from those holding parental responsibility. If the child is subject to such a court order, or to ensure that an unaccompanied child will be able to leave Spain without delay, you must obtain a certified authorisation from a public notary in Spain.

If you have parental responsibility for Spanish children in Spain, you can obtain a certified authorisation at a notary, national police station (in Spanish, or at the Guardia Civil (in Spanish).

Flight discounts for residents in Canary Islands, Balearic Islands, Ceuta and Melilla

Read the Spanish government’s guidance on who is eligible to access discounts on flights (in Spanish), and on how this has changed for UK nationals since 1 January 2021.

Healthcare

Read our guidance on healthcare in Spain and make sure you are correctly registered for your circumstances.

If you are resident in Spain, you must not use your UK-issued EHIC or GHIC for healthcare in Spain, unless you are a student or a detached (posted) worker.

Travel insurance is also not intended to cover healthcare costs if you live overseas.

Read the Spanish government’s guidance on access to healthcare.

You should also read our guidance on:

Working in Spain

If you are planning to move to Spain and work, you must apply for the appropriate visa. Application processing times vary and you should only make travel arrangements once your visa has been issued.

Read the Spanish government’s guidance on:

Read the guidance on visas and applying for a visa at the:

To apply for a job, you may need to provide a:

Read:

If you plan to work in Spain, even if you work for a UK-based company, this may affect where you pay National Insurance-type contributions. Read the National insurance and social security contributions section for more information.

If you were living in Spain before 1 January 2021

You have the right to work without a visa, under the Withdrawal Agreement.You can use your TIE or green A4 certificate or credit-sized piece of paper as proof of your right to work.

If you live in Spain and were regularly commuting to work in another EU or EFTA country before 1 January 2021, read our guidance for frontier workers.

Professional and academic qualifications

You may need to get your professional qualification recognised if you want to work in a profession that is regulated in Spain.

Read guidance on:

Recognition and legalisation of UK academic documents

If you need your UK academic qualification officially recognised in Spain, follow the Spanish Ministry of Education’s guidance (in Spanish).

Your degree certificate or other documents need to be certified by a UK notary public and then legalised by the FCDO Legalisation Office. This legalisation service is not provided by the British Embassy in Madrid, UK consulates in Spain, or the British Council in Spain.

Read guidance on getting your UK degree qualification certified and legalised in the UK.

If you were living in Spain before 1 January 2021

If the relevant regulator in Spain officially recognised your professional qualification before 1 January 2021, or you started the recognition process by this date, make sure you understand the terms of your decision. You should get advice from the relevant regulator.

Studying in Spain

If you plan to study in Spain, carry out an internship or take up a placement as a language assistant, you must meet all visa requirements before you travel.

Contact the relevant higher education provider in Spain to check what fees you may have to pay.

Read guidance on:

If you were living in Spain before 1 January 2021

The studying in the European Union guidance includes information if you were already living in Spain before 1 January 2021.

Tax

The UK has a double taxation agreement with Spain so that you do not pay tax on the same income in both countries. Ask the relevant tax authority your questions about double taxation relief.

You should get professional advice on paying tax in Spain. Some English-speaking lawyer in Spain or registered ‘gestores’ provide this service.

Read guidance about:

Declaring your assets

As a Spanish resident, you must declare your global income to the Spanish authorities, no matter which country it came from. If you are not a resident, you will only pay tax on income that came from Spain.

You may need to file an annual declaration of overseas assets called a Modelo 720. There are severe penalties if you do not file, or give incorrect or incomplete information.

National insurance and social security contributions

National Insurance-type contributions (NIC) are called ‘social security contributions’ (SSC) in Spain. Find out if you need to pay National Insurance in the UK or social security contributions in Spain.

YouIf canyou requestplan proofto frommove HMRCto ofSpain theand timework, you’veeven workedif inyou thecontinue working for a UK-based company, you and your UKemployer Nationalmay Insuranceneed record.to pay social security contributions in Spain. These social security contributions would entitle you to certain benefits, such as healthcare, in Spain.

Read guidance on:

Benefits

UK benefits

Read our guidance on entitlement to UK benefits and pensions while you are living in Spain.

Check which benefits you can claim while abroad and how to claim them.

Many income-related benefits such as Pension Credit and Housing Benefit cannot be paid if you’re abroad for more than 4 weeks.

Spanish benefits

You may be entitled to Spanish benefits. To find out if you are entitled to Spanish benefits and how to claim, you can:

Pensions

Read guidance on entitlement to UK benefits and pensions while you are living in Spain.

Read State Pension guidance if you have lived in Australia, Canada or New Zealand and you are claiming or waiting to claim your UK State Pension.

If you retire in Spain, you can claim:

Read the Money and Pension Service’s MoneyHelper guidance on pension and retirement for more information on cross-border pensions.

Life Certificates for UK State Pensions

If you get a ‘life certificate’ from the UK Pension Service, you must respond as soon as possible. Your payments may be suspended if you do not.

Money and banking

Whether UK banks can provide service to customers living in the EEA depends on local laws and regulation.

Read the Money and Pension Service’s MoneyHelper guidance on banking, insurance and financial services for more information on cross-border banking.

Accommodation and buying property

Read guidance on how to buy or let property in Spain.

Driving in Spain

You cannot renew or replace your UK, Gibraltar, Jersey, Guernsey or Isle of Man licence if you live in Spain.

Read the guidance on:

The British and Spanish governments are negotiating on long-term arrangements for exchanging driving licences without needing to take a practical test. Sign up for email alerts to get notified when we update this page.

If you have a valid UK driving licence

If you were living in Spain before 1 January 2021, your valid UK driving licence will be recognised for driving in Spain until 30 April 2022.

If you moved to Spain after 1 January 2021, your valid UK licence will be recognised for 6 months from the date you obtained residence, or until 30 April 2022, whichever is later.

If you live in Spain, you must exchange your UK driving licence for a Spanish one. You cannot use an International Driving Permit (IDP) instead.

Read the Spanish Traffic Authority’s (DGT) guidance on using and exchanging licences in Spain (in Spanish, with English translation).

If you have lived in Spain since before 1 January 2021 and registered your intention to exchange with the DGT before 30 December 2020, you must request an appointment with the DGT to exchange your UK licence by 30 April 2022. You must do this so that you can complete the process without taking a test.

If you did not register with the DGT before 30 December 2020 and you need to drive in Spain, consider all your options. You may not want to wait for the outcome of the current negotiations. If not, follow the DGT process for non-EU nationals to obtain a Spanish driving licence. This includes taking both a theory and practical driving test.

If you have a licence issued by Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man

If you hold a valid licence from Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man you must obtain a Spanish licence within 6 months of becoming resident. You cannot currently exchange your licence for a Spanish one. You must apply for a Spanish licence as a non-EU national, which includes taking a driving test.

Disabled drivers

If you have a UK Blue Badge and live in Spain, you must return it to the original UK issuing authority. You can apply for a new Spanish disabled parking card. The process is different in each region of Spain. Contact your local town hall or social services department for further information.

Read the EU guidance on the EU parking card for people with disabilities.

Bringing a UK-registered vehicle to Spain

Read our guidance on taking a vehicle out of the UK.

If you register as a resident or spend longer than 6 months of the year in Spain, you must register your vehicle with the Spanish authorities and you may need to pay some taxes. You may be exempt from some of these taxes. If so you will need certificates of exemption.

Read the Spanish Traffic Authority’s guidance on registering a foreign vehicle in Spain.

Driving outside Spain with a Spanish licence

You can use your Spanish licence when visiting the UK. Keep up-to-date with the UK Highway Code.

If you return to live in the UK, you can exchange your Spanish licence for a UK one without taking a test.

To drive in another country, in addition to your Spanish licence, you may need to apply for an IDP (in Spanish with English translation).

Read the EU guidance on:

Voting

You can vote and stand in local elections in Spain once you have been resident for 3 years. To do so, you must:

  • be registered on the municipal register where you live (padrón municipal)
  • confirm your registration on the electoral roll (censo electoral), within the dates set by the electoral authorities before each election

Your town hall may not allow you to register on the electoral roll at other times.

Read the Spanish government’s guidance on voting in local elections.

You can also read the bilateral agreement between the UK and Spain on participating in local elections. This is also available in Spanish.

The UK is completing ratification procedures for this agreement, so it applies provisionally until it is ratified. This means your rights to vote locally, and to stand as a candidate, are fully protected as explained in the agreement.

To stand as a local election candidate, read Spanish organic law 5/1985 (in Spanish) or consult with your local Oficina del Censo Electoral.

You cannot vote in general or regional elections in Spain or European Parliamentary elections.

You may be able to vote in some UK elections. You can:

Births, deaths, marriage and civil partnerships

If your child is born in Spain, you must register your child as a resident in Spain. You can also register the birth with the UK authorities in addition to registering locally. If your child has British nationality, you do not need to register the birth with the UK authorities to apply for a British passport.

If someone dies in Spain read our guidance on:

Find out how you can get married or get a civil partnership abroad.

You may also need notarial and documentary services for British nationals in Spain.

Pets

If you’re moving to Spain with your pet, read the guidance and ensure you comply with the regulations:

To visit other countries with your pet, check the rules for the country you’re travelling to. Contact your vet to get the travel documents your pet needs.

Read guidance on:

Emergencies

Dial the European emergency number on 112 in Spain for the police, ambulance or fire brigade, or dial:

  • 091 for police
  • 061 for health emergencies
  • 080 for firefighters
  • 092 for local police

Dial the EU 116 000 hotline to report a missing child in the EU country where you live or in another EU country.

Read the guidance if you have been the victim of a rape or sexual assault in Spain. 

If you’re the victim of crime, have been arrested, or are affected by a crisis abroad, contact the British Embassy Madrid or nearest consulate.

If your child is at risk of being, or has been, abducted, read:

Returning to the UK

Check the COVID-19 travel guidance for entering the UK.

Tell the UK and Spanish authorities if you are returning to the UK permanently.

To help prove you are now living in the UK, you should deregister with your:

  • local town hall (padrón)
  • the Spanish National Police (Residencia) (in Spanish)
  • your local health centre

If you get healthcare in Spain through the S1 form, you must contact the Overseas Healthcare Team on +44 (0)191 218 1999 or Seguridad Social to make sure your S1 is cancelled at the right time.

To move your pension or benefits payments to the UK, tell the International Pension Centre and the Instituto Nacional de la Seguridad Social.

Read the guidance on returning to the UK permanently which includes information on, amongst other things, bringing family members, tax and access to services.

Useful information

List of useful websites for UK nationals living in Spain.

Support for British nationals abroad: a guide sets out how to stay safe abroad, and explains how the FCDO can support you if you get into difficulty.

Published 22 March 2013
Last updated 111 March 2022 + show all updates

  1. Important information in the Working in Spain, and National insurance sections if you work in Spain, even if it is for an employer based in the UK.

  2. Voting section updated with information about participating in local elections including standing as a candidate.

  3. Updated 'Driving in Spain' section: extension to the grace period for residents to drive in Spain using a valid UK licence.

  4. Guidance reviewed and updated with new information, including in the visas and residency section.

  5. The grace period when UK driving licences will be recognised for driving for residents in Spain has been extended to 28 February 2022.

  6. Driving in Spain section updated: your valid UK driving licence will be recognised for driving in Spain until 31 December 2021.

  7. Visas and residency section updated: the additional support provided by the UK Nationals Support Fund to UK nationals making their residency application, will end on 31 December 2021. Contact the relevant implementing partner before this date if you need this additional support.

  8. Guidance reviewed for Passports and travel, Healthcare, Working in Spain, Studying in Spain,  Emergencies, and Returning to the UK sections

  9. Guidance reviewed for Money, tax and banking, Benefits, Births, deaths, marriages and civil partnerships, and Useful information sections.

  10. New guidance on professional and academic qualifications.

  11. Working in Spain section updated: new guidance for frontier workers

  12. Driving section: the deadline has been extended so you can now use your UK licence to drive in Spain until 31 October 2021, if you were resident in Spain before January 2021.

  13. Additional support section updated with link to guidance on UK Nationals Support Fund; healthcare section updated including guidance on the S1 form and applying for EHIC and GHIC cards; working in Spain section updated with links to Department for International Trade (DIT) guidance on working or providing services and DIT guidance on recognition of professional qualifications.

  14. Driving section updated on how to exchange your UK driving licence for a Spanish one.

  15. Coronavirus section updated with a link to guidance on vaccines.

  16. Visas and residency section updated with information on accepted residency documentation for UK nationals.

  17. Updated as the transition period ends with new information on driving, pet travel and moving to Spain.

  18. Passports and travel section updated on carrying proof of residence when travelling.

  19. UK Nationals Support Fund section updated with expanded geographical coverage for Spain

  20. Updated with latest information on exchanging UK driving licences.

  21. Healthcare section updated on how to apply for a new UK EHIC as a student or S1 holder. Working section updated with information on frontier workers.

  22. Passports and travel section updated to include information on passport validity and entry requirements when travelling to other European countries from January 2021.

  23. Addition to the UK Nationals Support Fund section regarding the provision of assistance with residency applications in Valencia and Castellon regions (Babelia Association).

  24. Visas and residency section updated to include information about how to access the UK Nationals Support Fund for those who may find it harder to complete their residency application.

  25. Driving section updated with additional guidance on how to exchange your UK licence for a Spanish one.

  26. Visas and residency section updated with information about the new residency document - Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero (TIE)

  27. Brexit update: includes further details on passport validity, healthcare rights and State Pension uprating if the UK leaves the EU with a deal.

  28. Updated information on children travelling from Spain.

  29. Brexit update: Driving section updated to include latest information on the process of exchanging driving licences.

  30. Updated information on children travelling from Spain.

  31. Brexit update: healthcare section updated to reflect transitional arrangements announcement.

  32. Brexit update: Pensions section updated to include further details on State Pension uprating.

  33. Information on new requirements for minors travelling from Spain from the 1 September in the passports and travel section

  34. EU Exit update - additional information added to the passports and travel section.

  35. Information on voting in the European Parliament elections.

  36. EU Exit update: Added in new information on EU Exit in pensions, passports, healthcare and returning to the UK section.

  37. EU Exit update: updated information added to the visas and residency section.

  38. We have updated this guidance with what you should do to prepare for EU Exit and what the Royal Decree means for UK nationals.

  39. We have updated the contact details you need to apply for an S1 form.

  40. EU Exit update: links added to Spanish governments' brexit website and Spain's no-deal contingency measures as published in the Royal Decree

  41. Updated information on passports: you must use the checker tool to see if your passport is still valid for your trip

  42. EU Exit update: updated information on double taxation

  43. EU Exit update: updated information on access to healthcare

  44. EU Exit update: New information on voting in local elections in Spain added to the voting section

  45. EU exit update - updated information on pensions and driving

  46. We have added the latest information with the new website of the Spanish Government for UK Nationals in Spain

  47. EU Exit update: Added information about the Spanish government announcement on EU Exit in the Visas and Residency section.

  48. EU Exit update: New information on voting in local elections in Spain.

  49. EU Exit update: New information in residency and visa section on draft withdrawal agreement in principle between the UK and EU. Plus information on travelling with pets in Europe in Pets section.

  50. Brexit update: Added in information about citizens outreach meetings across Spain

  51. June 2018

  52. Updated March 2018

  53. Complete revision of guidance to ensure it's up to date and accurate.

  54. Updated hyperlinks and corrected a grammar error.

  55. Taxation information updated.

  56. Updated the information on UK benefits abroad

  57. Information added on returning to the UK

  58. Updated Life Certificate information

  59. Updated to include details of the double taxation treaties between Spain and the UK

  60. updated arrangements for signing of life certificates in Spain

  61. guide and category changed.

  62. First published.

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