Hi all. New to the forum. Planning to move to Spain. Not a whim. Been planning for about 2 years now. Several house/research finding trips. Pretty much know what's involved for residency etc but really want to know from those who have done it (post Brexit) is it really worth it?
Has anyone had issues with the visa/residency process? It is quite a performance I believe now.
I really need the sun, for every reason, cost of living cheaper, want a better life for me and doggies (quite important), love the lifestyle etc etc. Not retirement age but would be coming on NLV.
Income would be profit of sale of house (yes aware of Tax year tax, CGT). I have been told I won't be taxed on money as not 'income'??
But will want to get on autonomo after first year.
How hard/easy is it in reality to do this?
I know it sounds weird as not even there yet but how much is exit tax and on what and how long resident before it applies? I believe CGT applies when you sell your house?
Any recommendations for Private Health insurance, that are 'accepted'/in Spain? Average cost?
Anything else useful to know?
My mum is still in UK (not an issue really) but with the process now so more complicated post Brexit I'm debating whether to move somewhere in UK and wait a while - but on other hand desperate for me (and partner) and doggies to get out into the sun and our own land (doggies are getting on now too).
Apologies for long thread but grateful for any input.
TIA
V

Something to consider: you talk about your dogs and Spain but one thing people from UK don't realize is that the extreme temperatures in July and August ( 40 degrees or more) are not good for many breeds of dogs. Basically during the summer months you will find it hard to walk your dogs during daylight hours especially on asphalt surfaces where their paws can burn. Plus you can't be outside walking miles in this type of heat. Dogs become very lethargic in extreme heat and can get ill. Two summers ago I took my son's husky for a walk by the sea so she could swim but on the way she developed heat stroke and Basically just lay down and refused to walk. After about half an hour I knew something was wrong and had to carry her home ( big dog). She was quite ill. So tbh dogs probably like the UK weather alot more than the Spanish one.

Rather intrigued by 'But will want to get on autonomo after first year.'

What do you mean by that?

As far as I know being 'autonomo' means working self-employed - and that you will be unable to do on an NLV.

You might these sites helpful:-

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

https://www.ageinspain.org/moving-to-spain

https://www.pellicerheredia.com/en/open-library/

Exit tax applies only to people who hold shares (or unit trusts, investment funds etc) worth €4m, or own at least 25% of a Spanish registered company with a shareholding worth over €1M.

Spain’s new exit tax system and how it affects those leaving the country – Spence Clarke & Co.

CGT on the sale of a principal residence is not payable if the vendor is aged 65 or over and the property has been their main residence for at least 3 years, nor if all the proceeds are invested in another property within 2 years from the date of sale.

Thank you all.
To clarify, lived in Dubai for 9 years. One of the dogs is actually my last of 5 rescues from there. Appreciate everything ref heat. Used to educate other people about that and more. Still a better life for them than here - especially on my own, extensive land (and pool).
Autonomo - once you have got residency on the initial 1 year NLV you can change to Autonomo - self employed visa but have been told it's not as easy as it used to be just going to town hall asking for licence. More involved now, just wanted to hear from someone who's actually been there, done it post new Brexit rules as nothing better than someone who's bought the T-shirt 😁. NLV for year 2+3 will require by then a lot of money in the bank (which I'll have) but don't want to be on NLV/not working for 3 years +.
Thank you for exit tax. Read on another (old ish post) forum someone asking about exist tax just with 'normal' life/house and less than 3 years residency I believe.
Any further advice/experience appreciated about actually making the move and how to stay there for several years who's done it with post Brexit requirements. It's a big decision to make and do to then get it wrong or make a mistake with rules to stay there.

You say extensive land, how much land are you talking about and where? As with eveything in Spain, you will need the right permits to start anything.

If you are relying on having a pool, think about the consequences of drought, likely to become even more serious in years to come. We are 3 years into a drought at present. It has been prohibited in my area, and many others, to fill or top up pools with drinking water for over 18 months, and people are now finding it difficult to get tankers of non potable water delivered as supplies are scarce. People who relied on wells on their own land are finding that they are running dry. In my large town the water supply has been turned off between 11.30 pm and 7.00 am since the end of June, and these kinds of restrictions are only going to get more stringent as there is no sign of enough rain on the horizon to make any significant difference. Our nearest reservoir is down to 8% of its capacity. Yesterday I got an email from my home insurance company to tell me there was an orange alert from AEMET for heavy rain in my area today, and suggesting precautions to take. So far we had one light shower, which did not last more than a few minutes, just after noon and that is all. That has pretty much been the pattern for the past 3 years, even when rain is forecast it mostly fails to materialise.

Whilst this is feasible I’m not sure (I’m an NLV holder) that this is how the NLV was designed to be used. This approach seems to be used but there’s a possibility it may get tightened up on. It used to be possible to work outside Spain whilst on NLV but they closed that loophole.

I recently read elsewhere someone who was rejected for initial NLV as they indicated on the application/appointment that they intended to switch to autonomo after first year. My understanding is to become autonomo needs a pretty solid, documented business case to be presented and is not a quick process.

Is DNV an option?

For me, it would most definitely be worth it because there is no way I would ever want to live in the UK again, particularly as it is now.

I'm sure there are some people on here who have been through the NLV process but my advice is to get professional help and find someone who can advise on the autonomo side of things too. We had a conversation with the bloke who runs the delivery business we use and he said he knows of quite a few British people who have had post Brexit visa applications turned down so don't risk doing it yourself.

I think Spain and Portugal are great places to live and my experience since first buying land here in 1998 has been extremely positive. The quality of life is excellent and the type of property you want (house with land and pool) is available in this area (inland and east of Malaga) although supply is low and they sell quickly now.

Re water, we have never had town water and if the well slows down, we buy a 10,000 litre tanker load and it costs €160 at the moment. We recycle all our grey water and we save all our rain water.

Health insurance is superb with cutting edge screening programs and it's far superior to anything the NHS has to offer. We pay €180 per month for two people which includes absolutely everything apart from dentistry. Our excess is €4.00 per appointment.

I don't remember our dog being unduly troubled by the heat and there were plenty of good places to walk her around here. She also enjoyed the doggie beach.

I would definitely recommend Iberia. We also have a place in Portugal which you might also want to consider.