SpaintoUK

Hello!! I´m new here and desperate for some advice/help!! pretty please!!

I am British and moved to Spain when i was 18 because my mum was here, she passed away 8 years ago but i decided to stay because i had met who is now my Spanish husband.
Fast forward to now ... I am 30 and We have two young children both with Spanish DNI´s, a flat with a Spanish mortgage (the possibility of renting it out to cover the mortgage payments) and want to move to the UK.

I have so any questions!
What would my husband need to do to get British citizenship?
Are my children British citizens straight away? what do i need to sort out paperwork wise?

We would have nowhere to stay to start with (would need to rent) How do we go about this with no credit history in the UK?

We would arrive as if on holiday and then move belongings after, any advice on this scary situation?

We would have to find work straight away as saving are very tight ... would we be entitled to any financial help/benefits? How do we go about this?

When would be a good time to make this move to be able to get the children (the eldest) onto a school waiting list etc?

Do we automatically have access to NHS on arrival?

Eventually we would like to start up a buisness ... any advice on this?

AAAAhhhh scary stuff, its all still an idea because we are here in Spain, but have been discussing it now for at least a year because of the financial crisis here in southern Spain we feel we would have better options in England.

Has anyone ever been in a similar situation and been successful with their move/ career change?

Please help! Any advice andor success stories would be very appreciated!! Thankyou so much, Kathryn xxxx

Editha

Your children are British citizens. Your husband currently has the right to reside in the UK as an EU citizen. At the moment we do not know what the arrangements will be for EU citizens in the UK after brexit. The government has refused to guarantee the rights of the 3 million EU citizens in the UK, and intends to use them as a bargaining chip in negotiations on the terms of Britain's exit from the EU.

You will have access to the NHS immediately on arrival. You won't be able to claim Job Seeker's Allowance for three months.

SpaintoUK

Ok, thank you for your reply. It is good to know about healthcare. We understand that brexit could be a problem in the future, that's why we want to keep our options open by not selling our house here in Spain. Also, just in case the move/ business plan doesn't work out or we don't fit in back in the U.K.

Any opinions or advice on what our first steps should be? Especially housing wise, because as I said before our savings are tight and we would need accomodation and work immediately. Thank you!!

SanDiegogirl

You have to find your own accommodation and look for jobs.

No, you won't get any benefits or accommodation help from the local council or government.

For starting up a business your local Business Bureau or Citizens advice office might be able to help.

I would advise that before you move one of you visits the UK (you are only in Spain after all) and sets up accommodation and job prospects before the rest of the family joins them.

SpaintoUK

Thank you for your reply! Yes I think that would be our best option for one of us to go first.
Is it possible to rent somewhere without credit, references and income?? It's all bit daunting and scary ... that's why we have been putting it off. My husband has a career here but has the option of a "career break" without any pay, so it will all be a big risk to take the jump.

Has anyone been in a similar situation?

Novocastrian

You could book a short term UK holiday home while in Spain (assuming you have funds to do so).

Otherwise, not much hope until at least one of you has a job.

Editha

You could try Airb&b. Other people in your position have done this.

I think you are wise keeping your house in Spain. The economic outlook for the UK is very uncertain, and although the UK looks like the best option now, it may not in 5 years time.

HKG3

Kathryn

If you were born or naturalise in the UK, then your children born in Spain are British Citizens. All you need to do is to get their British passport using the link below -

https://www.gov.uk/overseas-passports

Currently, your Spanish husband can legally stay in the UK if he is exercising EEA treaty rights. EEA treaty rights activities include work, education and self employment. After 5 years in the UK exercising EEA treaty rights, he then can apply for a permanent residence card. He can apply for British Citizenship once he got his permanent residence card. However, the usual warning - Brexit could change things. You will need to take it a step at a time.

https://www.gov.uk/becoming-a-britis...ritish-citizen

Are you planning to get Spanish citizenship before returning to the UK if not already done so?

iNerd

I am not aware of your skill sets for employment but the growth area in employment in the UK is within the service industry or construction groups. Beware that a considerable amount of "employed" persons are struggling to make ends meet. Many people are employed on awful conditions such as zero hour contracts and many jobs pay the standard "minimum hourly wage" circa £7.20 ~ €7.99. You may wish to read the 2 following web pages.

UK Immigration & Visas and for self employed


In fact, the uk gov website will answer many more queries you may have.

Buena suerte

Editha

How do you think the husband is going to get 5 years treaty rights? Just curious.

HKG3

If you read my reply carefully, I am only stating what is the policy just now with a 'health warning' at the end. Yes, this country voted to leave the EU, but we have not yet triggers Article 50.

If there is no agreement on EEA nationals in the UK after Brexit, then the OP's husband may still be able to stay in the UK under the spouse visa route as his wife is British.

Editha

Well, I am going on the pro-EU demo on 25th March. If May hasn't triggered Article 50 by then, I suppose it is possible that she will be so awed by the collective protest of thousands of middle-class liberals like me that she puts off doing so indefinitely.

But back in the real world, it is already too late for anyone not already resident in the UK to accumulate 5 years residence for a permanent residency card.

SpaintoUK

All sounds very complicated ... but I'm confident that an EU citizen, married to a British national, working full-time and paying taxes ... won't have to just pack up and leave! The uncertainties of the negotiations are scary, but we are willing to give it a go. Keeping our options open here, just in case.

With regards to Spanish residency, yes, I have had a residence certificate and NIE number for the last 10 years. Would I have to cancel this? I thought I'd just have to change my "empadronamiento" in the town hall saying that I am no longer living here and therefore can't vote in the local elections.

I understand that we would have to sort out a few other things here paperwork wise, but my husband seems to know what to do and what not. More worried about on the other side.

holly_1948

I'll make the rather obvious comment, in case you are not aware, that housing is going to be enormously more difficult within daily commuting distance of London. As contrasted with elsewhere in the UK.

scot47

In my area you could get housing tomorrow but there are few jobs. In London you can get a job but there is no affordable housing !