Hi there, just popping in with a quick question, which probably may not have a quick answer....Or it a stupid question (my philosphy is its only stupid if you don't ask )

We are considering our options at the moment and we are very interest in moving into Europe (France, Spain, Germany or Italy) so with regard to Spain...... I cannot for the life of me find any info on remaining a resident of the UK living with relatives not as a house owner, owning a home in France living in it for the majority of the year and living off an Army pension and the tax/cost implications of what we should/shouldnt be paying

Oh and we are not of retirement age as such being 48 and 52

I got the living in the UK, owning a house in France but whre does Spain come into it??

Oops rushed message... ... meant owning a property in Spain

If you were living in a house you owned in Spain (or rented, for that matter) for the majority of the year, you could not (legally, at any rate) remain a resident of the UK. If you spend more than 183 days a year in Spain then you are deemed to be tax resident in Spain. After living in Spain for 90 days you are also required to sign the official register of foreign residents. New rules introduced last year mean that when doing so, you will be required to provide proof of either sufficient income being received into a Spanish bank account, or a lump sum in a Spanish bank account, to demonstrate that you would not be a burden on the state, plus either confirmation that the UK Government will pay for your health care (via an S1 form from the DWP - as you are below state pension age, if your NI contributions record is up to date you can obtain an S1 form which would give you up to 2 years state health cover in Spain - after that you would need to take out private medical insurance).

Having said all that, we probably all know people who have been living in Spain for years and have never registered as residents and who either rely on using their EHIC cards to obtain medical treatment in Spain (which is risky because they only entitle you to emergency treatment) or return to the UK when they need medical treatment (which is an abuse of the system as entitlement to use the NHS is dependent on being resident in the UK).

Thanks for the information....

Another question, is there a minimum financial figure in proving you can support yourself?

Yes, but this varies by area and is not written down anywhere. It seems to be completely open to interpretation by the individual that you are speaking to.

Some say 6k euros in the (Spanish) bank and a regular monthly deposit into your Spanish bank of 650 euros per person.

However, I have heard much larger sums mentioned.

Isn't it also the case that should they say you are below the required amount and decline you residency there is nothing that can be done i.e. they can't kick you out? yet you would be liable to be taxed on income worldwide assets after 183 days but not allowed residency??