Moving to Spain
 

Hello all,

My wife (USA) and I (UK) applied for UK spouse visa in March 2020 but things lately have changed drastically and we may need to decide to try to settle in a different country in the EU. We are leaning toward Spain as she speaks the language, thinks she can get a work visa for there for sometime next year, and I do not have any commitments to the UK other than family (I will be made unemployed soon).

As far as I understand, I can move to Spain before 31 December 2020 and have until 30 June 2021 to apply for a residence permit.

1. Will I need a job to apply for a residence permit? Is there a minimum income to apply for the residence permit? (I think it's known as TIE but I'm not sure).
2. What documents will I need to prove my residence in Spain? Under EUSS (for EU citizens residing in UK) I've seen people simply provide a boarding pass proving entry to the UK and be accepted. Would something like this work?

I am likely to move mid-October or early November but unsure how long I need to be resident in Spain for until I'm eligible to apply for a residence permit. I may not be able to obtain a job in Spain until early 2021. Do you know if this will be an issue?

I have about 4/5 months savings for accommodation upon my arrival so it's imperative I find a job as soon as possible.

3. Finally, if I wanted to bring my non-EU wife over, is there a way I can do so using my EU rights post-2020? Or will I need to sponsor her under Spanish law? (this is assuming she cannot get a work visa, even then the work visa is temporary for one year or so).

I have been searching for jobs in Spain however I don't know if it's going to be easier if I just search for a job once I'm there. I'm not sure of what jobs I can do and I have considered going back to university there to get a degree to make myself more employable.

If anybody could share their experiences I would be very grateful. We are also open to other EU countries however Spain is the one we're leaning toward the most.

Thanks.

Re: Moving to Spain
 

What do you do? - What qualifications and experience do you have, and how much Spanish do you speak?

Unemployment in Spain currently appears to be estimated at 16.6% and some predictions are that covid-19 may push it back to 20% - unemployment peaked prevously in 2013 at around 27%. :blink:

Re: Moving to Spain
 

I used to work in UK government, I have customer service experience, a little bit of teaching experience (unofficially) and speak little Spanish. My wife has lived in Spain before and speaks it fluently and I have visited multiple times for several months at a time.

I realise my employment prospects are not great, but I wanted to establish my residence first and understand I'll need to get a job like hotel or bar work, and in time develop my language skills and possibly a degree to make myself more employable so I can expand my prospects. I want to begin working as soon as possible.

I am just struggling to get my head around some stuff at the moment like how to get a rental agreement in Spain when unemployed (I have some savings) and if I can apply for TIE after 31 Dec 2020 but before 30 Jun 2021. Some sources say I need to have an appointment prior to 31 Dec 2020 which is near enough impossible given I will need to be employed and renting somewhere before then, which I doubt I'll be able to.

Re: Moving to Spain
 

Hi,
You can apply for residency as soon as you arrive in Spain. You need to apply for residency within the first 90 days of living in Spain full time. To achieve residency and still get the benefits of the uk withdrawal agreements you will need to apply for residency before 31st December 2020. You would need to prove that you have enough income to satisfy the authorities you won't become a burden on the state and at the moment you would need to prove that you have an income of around €750 per month going into a Spanish bank account for the last three months or savings of €9000 for a 3 months period in a Spanish bank account. You would need to prove that you have full healthcare cover for you and any member of your family. Applications for residency after 1st January 2021 the income requirements will be around four fold and you will need to prove that you have an income of around €32000.

Jobs in Spain such as bar work, waiters or building maintenance would be virtually impossible to to find as the Covid problem has made a lot of hotels and tourism industry businesses go bankrupt resulting in the redundancy of many people in that sector. The building industry has also come to a virtual standstill. I wish you well with your future.

Steve

Re: Moving to Spain
 

Ask yourself this question
"How many immigrants arrive in the UK with little or no language skills and no 'needed' job qualifications live a nice life" The answer is not many do, the vast majority end up living hand to mouth living in poor housing. In Spain you'd be up against unemployed local folk who speak the language, know the system and hopefully have family to fall back on when life goes pear shaped. Unless you have a good few quid in the bank you have no safety net to fall into, no benefit system that will support you and I think your move would be foolhardy.

Just my pennies worth.

Re: Moving to Spain
 

Applications for residency after 1st January 2021 the income requirements will be around four fold and you will need to prove that you have an income of around €32000.

Damn it, really? I doubt I could find employment before 31 Dec 2020 and I can practically guarantee I won't find employment after Jan 2021 that pays 32k per year.

Unless I can find employment and make a TIE appointment before 31 Dec 2020, I guess this can't happen. Thanks for the reply.

Re: Moving to Spain
 

Lots of useful stuff here

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/living-in-spain

Re: Moving to Spain
 

You are right and even people from poorer African countries trying to make a living don't consider Spain first choice and move on if they can. And another thing would be the conditions for non EEA family members of British citizens (Visa). In Ireland it is also unclear:Currently, thanks to EU free movement rules, an EU citizen (in this case, British) can move to another EU country (in this case, Ireland) with their non-EU spouses with ease and without having to meet domestic requirements, such as income thresholds.

Post-Brexit, arrangements under the Common Travel Area will continue to protect the rights of British citizens to live and work in Ireland. But these do not cover their non-EU family members living with them.

And on the inis.gov website: Details of further arrangements for non-EEA family members of British citizens will be announced closer to the end of the transition period.

Re: Moving to Spain
 

I suspect this may change now that Dorris has re-neighed on the agreement previously agreed with the EU.

Re: Moving to Spain
 

Looking at doing a similar thing ourselves.

My wife is a US Citizen with UK residency since last year and I hold an Irish passport as well as a British one. We're looking to move to Spain although not sure when this is doable.

IF we went before the end of the year, would my wife would technically be giving up her UK residency if she took residency in Spain?

Thanks.

Re: Moving to Spain
 

Welcome to BE.

Depends, when you say she's got 'UK residency', what do you mean? Has she got Indefinite Leave to Remain? Or is on a spouse visa? If you can clarify her exact visa status, somebody can try and help, but the likelihood is that yes, she'd lose her status at some point, the only way to ensure she has the right to return to the UK is for her to get British citizenship when eligible.

If you've got an Irish passport, then you'll still have EU freedom of movement after Brexit, so no urgency to move before the end of the year.

Re: Moving to Spain
 

Think she's still on Leave to Remain? Via a spouse visa? She's only been here in the UK for a year.

Re: Moving to Spain
 

Maybe you ought to check her status, or risk her being deported.

Re: Moving to Spain
 

99% certain the OP's wife is on leave to enter/remain, valid for 30 months. Indefinite leave to remain isn't granted until 5 years in UK, also passing Life in the UK test (no English test required for US citizen). Gaining Spanish visa as family member doesn't cancel her UK visa, but she will find it difficult to get it renewed because she won't be ordinarily resident in UK.

Re: Moving to Spain
 

I am sure you are correct.
It is rather important and my post was to urge OP to check.