Mnemosyne

I am a UK citizen and have two questions concerning applying for Spanish Residency : (1) Do you have to wait until you have been resident for three months, or can you apply beforehand ? (2) What is the current minimum monthly income you need to show to satisfy the authorities that you have sufficient resources to be self financing ? Thanks in advance to all those able and willing to reply.

snikpoh

You can apply on day 1 of being in Spain IF you intend staying longer than 90 days.

Regarding income/savings - this is a movable feast. Your best bet is to ask at your nearest extranjeria (foreigners office). A figure normally quoted is 7000€ per annum

You will also need private health care until you are working or until you are in receipt of an S1 form

If you are a state pensioner, then you need to get an S1 form from the DWP in UK (assuming you are a British citizen)

Mnemosyne

Thanks very much for your reply snikpoh. I take your point about the minimum income requirement. I have seen 800€ per month quoted.

I am surprised there is not one nationwide figure.

Moses2013

Prices will always differ from region to region. Someone who is considered wealthy in Wrexham might be considered poor in London. No different in Spain and that's why there is not a nationwide figure.

teuchterpete

The exact interpretation of the rules can and do vary not only from area to area but also from official to official. Some people seek the help of an abogado ( lawyer) and others tackle the process by themselves. My wife and I are both retired and on state pensions. We did the latter. We were told catagoriically by one official on a visit to the Seville office that our Health card did not entitle us to health care ( even though the official checked with the Polica national who confirmed it did!) and that our state pension was insuffecient for us to live on . Our application was rejected. On our next visit ,and armed with certified translations of our pensions rights. The same official agreed that our state pensions did provide suffecient funds to prevent us being a burden on the state. ( we own our home outright.) The issue of our health care was not even mentioned, neither was the amount of money we had in our Spanish bank account. Be prepared with all the necessary documents and oficially certified translations where necessary,

bobd22

You may get a better answer re monetary amount required if you say where you plan to apply for residencia? Someone in that area may then be able to advise you on current situation specifically for that area. I did mine 12 months ago and in my area as I owned a property outright with no debt against it then I didn't have to prove any income whatsoever. Medical wise I had to prove full private medical cover no co payments allowed (I was under state pension age).

el collado kid

[QUOTE=teuchterpete;12725282]The exact interpretation of the rules can and do vary not only from area to area but also from official to official. Some people seek the help of an abogado ( lawyer) and others tackle the process by themselves. My wife and I are both retired and on state pensions. We did the latter. We were told catagoriically by one official on a visit to the Seville office that our Health card did not entitle us to health care ( even though the official checked with the Polica national who confirmed it did!) and that our state pension was insuffecient for us to live on . Our application was rejected. On our next visit ,and armed with certified translations of our pensions rights. The same official agreed that our state pensions did provide suffecient funds to prevent us being a burden on the state. ( we own our home outright.) The issue of our health care was not even mentioned, neither was the amount of money we had in our Spanish bank account. Be prepared with all the necessary documents and oficially certified translations where necessary,[/Quote hi all total agree with teuchterpete,i would add we did our residencia at denia our selfs, not to bad only three visits ,because then we were on private insurance we had to provide a certificate of insurance and a bank certificate with 5000e on it each. bank refused but gave us a 6 month statement, hay presto success .ps take every thing you can think of with you just in case, duplicated good fortune, if at first you dont succeed try try again

Fred James

That's because the EU Directive on Residency states that:- Member States may not lay down a fixed amount which they regard as "sufficient resources", but they must take into account the personal situation of the person concerned.

When incorporated into Spanish law it is covered here:-

Provision of sufficient resources, for themselves and for their family members, so as not to become a burden for the social assistance of Spain during their period of residence.

The accreditation of the possession of sufficient resources, whether for periodic income, including work or other income, or for the possession of an estate, will be carried out by any means of proof admitted by law, such as property titles, certified checks , supporting documentation for obtaining capital income or credit cards, providing in the latter case an updated bank certification that accredits the amount available as credit for said card.
The assessment of the sufficiency of means must be carried out individually, and in any case, taking into account the personal and family situation of the applicant.

Essentially, it gives them the right to make it up as they go along, hence the differing reports of what the requirements are.

Notdunroamin

And of course just because they can!

chrisjolly

Thats your first lesson about life in Spain..everything is inconsistent and you have to learn to live with it. Local councils can be autonomous and can make their own regulations regarding a multitude of things. The best thing is to find out what the regulations are when you have decided on a place to live. To give you an example..we had to get an official Boletin( Certificate) from a plumber but he had to be registered and they are not many of those around. Once found we arranged a time and he arrived only to do a quick check of the mains which cost 80€. I asked him why so much and he explained that every Town Hall has different laws regarding domestic plumbing and he had to wait in our Town Hall for ages to see the Town Architect to find out what they were in our village. So there you are and thats why we love it here!

el collado kid

hi chrisjolly, just read your post to the wife.while its raining at ashes cricket:zzz,,,. her reply,yeah just about sum,s it up

chrisjolly

Mnemosyne

Good point. I am looking at two areas - Murcia and Extremadura.

bobd22

Hi that's not near my area but I'm sure someone from areas you mention will be able to advise you on current situation and requirements there, good luck.

bfg69bug

when I helped my dad through his residency application they wanted to see his pension payments going into the bank, and were not concerned about what he had in the bank. He was a pensioner so has free healthcare.He owns his house outright. no debts at all. edit to add, that was in malaga, about 2 or 3 years ago.