BRITS LEAVING SPAIN
#106
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2019
Posts: 871
Re: BRITS LEAVING SPAIN
#107
Forum Regular
Joined: Jun 2021
Posts: 236
Re: BRITS LEAVING SPAIN
Eurotrash do you think only the Brits can live under the radar? I know one couple who were found out and had to pay a rather large fine. This was over 10 years ago. I think they were found out because they kept their foreign registered car. I know of another couple retired who don't want to register because it would affect their private health insurance in Germany.
The Brits who have 2 properties had to ask themselves: Do we want to stay more than 183 days in Spain? Do we want to change our driving licence to a Spanish one (making it difficult finding an insurance company for our UK registered car? Do we want to make annual tax returns to the Spanish Inland Revenue? What happens to our UK home which would now attract capital gains tax?
All this versus the 90/180 rule.
The Brits who have 2 properties had to ask themselves: Do we want to stay more than 183 days in Spain? Do we want to change our driving licence to a Spanish one (making it difficult finding an insurance company for our UK registered car? Do we want to make annual tax returns to the Spanish Inland Revenue? What happens to our UK home which would now attract capital gains tax?
All this versus the 90/180 rule.
#108
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 6,148
Re: BRITS LEAVING SPAIN
Eurotrash do you think only the Brits can live under the radar? I know one couple who were found out and had to pay a rather large fine. This was over 10 years ago. I think they were found out because they kept their foreign registered car. I know of another couple retired who don't want to register because it would affect their private health insurance in Germany.
The Brits who have 2 properties had to ask themselves: Do we want to stay more than 183 days in Spain? Do we want to change our driving licence to a Spanish one (making it difficult finding an insurance company for our UK registered car? Do we want to make annual tax returns to the Spanish Inland Revenue? What happens to our UK home which would now attract capital gains tax?
All this versus the 90/180 rule.
The Brits who have 2 properties had to ask themselves: Do we want to stay more than 183 days in Spain? Do we want to change our driving licence to a Spanish one (making it difficult finding an insurance company for our UK registered car? Do we want to make annual tax returns to the Spanish Inland Revenue? What happens to our UK home which would now attract capital gains tax?
All this versus the 90/180 rule.
#109
Account Closed
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 26,319
Re: BRITS LEAVING SPAIN
Isn't the padron just a local population register?
#110
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jan 2012
Location: Dépt 61
Posts: 5,254
Re: BRITS LEAVING SPAIN
To me I think of "living under the radar" as what EU citizens might do - not actually breaking any immigration rules or doing anything seriously irregular, but more bending the rules, abusing privileges, not bothering to do what technically you should do and you could do perfectly well if you could be bothered/were prepared to pay.
Actually being in a country illegally, because you need permission to be there and you don't have that permission, seems to me to be in a different league.
So EU citizens (and I don't know if any other nationalities have preferential deals for living in Spain) can live under the radar - they have the right to be there, subject to certain conditions, the only issue is that they're not meeting those conditions.
Since Brexit, Brits who overstay their 90/180, don't actually have the right to be there. That's a bit more than living under the radar not meeting a few conditions, it's being an illegal alien because you need official permission from Spain to even be there, which you don't have..
Actually being in a country illegally, because you need permission to be there and you don't have that permission, seems to me to be in a different league.
So EU citizens (and I don't know if any other nationalities have preferential deals for living in Spain) can live under the radar - they have the right to be there, subject to certain conditions, the only issue is that they're not meeting those conditions.
Since Brexit, Brits who overstay their 90/180, don't actually have the right to be there. That's a bit more than living under the radar not meeting a few conditions, it's being an illegal alien because you need official permission from Spain to even be there, which you don't have..
#111
Forum Regular
Joined: Jun 2021
Posts: 236
Re: BRITS LEAVING SPAIN
Freedom of movement trumps everything and I too know EU nationals who travel freely to Spain and Portugal and they don't count how many days they are here but equally the authorities don't come rapping on their doors insisting they register after 90 days. We all know that it's a grey area and the supposed 90 day limit is neither adhered to or enforced for EU nationals unless they intend to permanently relocate to another EU state. My British neighbours spent six continuous months in Spain for years without registering but obviously they can't do that now. Basically, EU nationals come and go as they chose but UK nationals can no longer do this and will be subjected to even stricter controls soon via EES and ETIAS.
Nata, have you written to the EU for advice on your particular situation? As an EU national, you can write to the Commission for clarification on this stating your personal circumstances. I'm an EU national and I found the service very helpful.
Basically, if your (British) partner travels with you, they will have their passport stamped on entering Schengen but they can stay within the zone for 183 days unhindered. You would need to show proof of a durable partnership but write to them and get it straight from the horse's mouth, don't take my word for it.
So let's all stop pretending that the 90/180 day ruling is business as usual and that nothing has changed for the British post Brexit because it has. Why do you think so many British holiday home owners have suddenly started whinging about only being about to stay in EU states for 90 days?
Nata, have you written to the EU for advice on your particular situation? As an EU national, you can write to the Commission for clarification on this stating your personal circumstances. I'm an EU national and I found the service very helpful.
Basically, if your (British) partner travels with you, they will have their passport stamped on entering Schengen but they can stay within the zone for 183 days unhindered. You would need to show proof of a durable partnership but write to them and get it straight from the horse's mouth, don't take my word for it.
So let's all stop pretending that the 90/180 day ruling is business as usual and that nothing has changed for the British post Brexit because it has. Why do you think so many British holiday home owners have suddenly started whinging about only being about to stay in EU states for 90 days?
https://www.theportugalnews.com/news...portugal/64663
So until they get their act together we will adhere to the 90/180. Although I am an EU national I do hold a UK driving licence which in effect I should exchange after 3 months.
#112
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2019
Posts: 871
Re: BRITS LEAVING SPAIN
Nata has a holiday home in Portugal and their non EU partner can only register via SEF which takes months just to get an appointment. By the time they were called to register, they would probably have left Portugal and gone back to the UK.
#113
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2019
Posts: 871
Re: BRITS LEAVING SPAIN
Lou as a Portuguese resident you are probably aware the utter mess the SEF (Portuguese immigration and border control) is in. This article makes you laugh or cry
https://www.theportugalnews.com/news...portugal/64663
So until they get their act together we will adhere to the 90/180. Although I am an EU national I do hold a UK driving licence which in effect I should exchange after 3 months.
https://www.theportugalnews.com/news...portugal/64663
So until they get their act together we will adhere to the 90/180. Although I am an EU national I do hold a UK driving licence which in effect I should exchange after 3 months.
Just mentioned SEF and yes, it's a mess. Check out the UK driving licence situation and definitely write to the EU!
#114
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Jun 2017
Location: Alicante
Posts: 928
Re: BRITS LEAVING SPAIN
You can use your S1 and letter to show your right to health care in order to obtain your TIE? Once you have your TIE you register your S1 and get your health card. If you need health care while TIE is being processed you use GHIC/EHIC, no requirement in such circumstances to have or pay for private healthcare. What I have outlined is exactly what we did when my wife got her TIE and Healthcard it was not an issue.
#115
Re: BRITS LEAVING SPAIN
Should start to find out this summer. I think a lot of younger Brits will still move out. Ones that can work from home. Maybe they will have to move about every 3 months to stay within the 90 days. Still probably would work out cheaper than the UK with its eye watering house prices,
You mention house prices, many students who perhaps only need to be in university two or three days a week may find it cheaper to stay with mom and dad and book into a cheap hotel for uni as needed rather than rent a full time place, certainly in London and in fact this is happening according to interviews with students shown on TV recently.
#117
Re: BRITS LEAVING SPAIN
Cheers Fred, I'd read the article before and lets hope it comes off.
My lads a network engineer (software not cable laying) and can do a fare chunk of his job remotely but I found it interesting that when the company asked if people wanted to continue the work from home option a large majority said no, they want to get back to the office, my guess is that people want company and a zoom call don't hack it sort of thing.
My lads a network engineer (software not cable laying) and can do a fare chunk of his job remotely but I found it interesting that when the company asked if people wanted to continue the work from home option a large majority said no, they want to get back to the office, my guess is that people want company and a zoom call don't hack it sort of thing.
#118
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Jun 2020
Location: Valencia
Posts: 504
Re: BRITS LEAVING SPAIN
I think it depends a lot on the employer. We have 3 companies on our site, all of whom perform all of their jobs remotely. One lot are forced in and hate it, one has fixed days in and out of the office and the third have total freedom including working out of country. The third are happiest and are the ones who come in more than those with fixed days, stay the latest and always come on Mondays and Fridays. There are a few in the Tuesday , Wednesday, and Thursday club and they live up to their acronym.
#119
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Dec 2020
Posts: 702
Re: BRITS LEAVING SPAIN
There are plenty of hard of thinking Brexit supporters who didn't understand how freedom of movement worked prior to the referendum. They are about to find out. The EU are strengthening their borders and third country nationals (including UK nationals of course) will find themselves subjected to EES and ETIAS very soon meaning there is no way around the loss of freedom of movement. Some were dumb enough to think that the UK could have a hard Brexit but would be treated more favourably than other third country nationals.
I think you will find that huge numbers of UK nationals are very arsed about having part of their citizenship ripped away from them against their will.
I think you will find that huge numbers of UK nationals are very arsed about having part of their citizenship ripped away from them against their will.
#120
Banned
Joined: Mar 2021
Posts: 538
Re: BRITS LEAVING SPAIN
But the majority of Brexit supporters never used the freedom of movement. I read posts on you tube about Brexit supporters glad that expats have to come home. I’ve read how people are glad swallows can’t just move In and out of countries without contributing. Also heard pro EU people saying they are glad that the poorer more undesirable expats can’t just rock up and live in Spain anymore. There’s lots of interesting arguments. Maybe Brits went home because the economy and wages and the working conditions are absolute levels ahead of Spain’s. What I earn in a week is what a Spanish tradey earns in a month.