Marcos1974

I was born and raised in Watford, Hertfordshire on the outskirts of London. My mother is British and my father is Spanish. I have always loved Spain and in 1991 after finishing my GCSE's i moved out to Merida in the region of Extremadura (near Portugal) and have been living and working there ever since. I am a Graphic Designer and for 19 years i was never out of work and was earning really good money and living a very happy and successful life especially in the years i was self employed (2007-2010). But unfortunately when the economic crisis hit, it hit really hard, especially in my sector. I suddenly started to lose many clients and the few clients i did have weren't paying me on time and some still owe me money even now. Of course this lead to many problems, i had four bank loans that i couldn't pay, social security payments piling up, not to mention Tax debts. So in 2010 i had to shut up shop and have basically been living day to day ever since, getting odd jobs every now and then. The unemployment situation in Spain is currently at 25% and it is impossible to find a decent job anywhere. It's very sad, because it is a great country and my home.

So with a heavy heart i have decided to return to the UK after 22 years and try to find work and spend some time with my sister who lives in Northampton and has just been diagnosed with cancer. But i have some doubt’s and queries about the move back:

Firstly i have Spanish nationality, i have a Spanish national identity card, but i am also British because i was born in Britain and educated in Britain and my mother is also British. Will it be necessary for me to obtain a British Passport in order to live and work in the UK? What documents will i need to sort out in order to apply for a job? Also will i be entitled to the same benefits as any other British citizen? I have been researching a little on the government website but i am still a little confused? I would really appreciate some friendly advice from people in a similar situation to mine that have returned to the UK after many years abroad. I doubt the move back will be permanent because i would eventually like to return to Spain, or try further a field in the US, Canada or Australia, but the UK will be home again for a few years, that's for sure.

I hope for some helpful and positive responses, thanks in advance.

Englishmum

See the green 'wiki' section for UK links at the top of this forum.

Also http://www.gov.uk

winston_1

EEC citizens can live and work in the UK. Spain is an EEC country.

JAJ

If you were born in Britain in 1974 then you're also a British citizen as well as Spanish. There is no particular obligation to get a British passport, as you can freely travel into the U.K. on a Spanish passport or ID card. However, it may be useful to obtain a British passport in due course as there are certain things, for example full voting rights, that are not available to Spanish citizens.

You should make sure that obtaining a British passport does not cause you to lose your Spanish citizenship.

Mitzyboy

I returned to the UK after 7 years in Spain and the transition was seamless. Once in a property I was able to get health care on production of proof of address, only thing you might struggle with is credit, should you need it as you have no credit rating here.

Marcos1974

Thank you all so much for your responses they are all very helpful and have helped me greatly to set my mind at ease. Now i can concentrate on starting my job search. If any of you can recommend employment websites or any good employment agencies in the UK i would be most grateful.

Thanks again guys

holly_1948

You should write to DWP for a pension estimate. Especially if you do not have a record of your NHI number and they will dig it out for you. You can then decide whether you want to catch up on arrears of voluntary contributions once you have money again.
Almost any prospective employer will want to know your NHI number.
Address here
https://www.gov.uk/future-pension-centre

Marcos1974

Thank you so much for this information! I must say you have all been a great help and have practically solved all of my queries. Awesome! Moving back to the UK looks like it will be a lot easier than i thought… at least on paper.

ChrisTaylor

Good luck on your return to the UK, hopefully it'll work for you