amideislas

Well, you'll need a good reason for it (e.g., your Spanish employer can't live without you), and if your reason is retirement, the bar will be raised considerably. I reckon that would tend to minimise the majority of wannabees who romanticise retiring in Spain on 1000 per month pension. Which may actually be a good thing.
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Joppa

Britons who are resident on or before the 31st December cut-off will be dealt with under the current EU rules, and once you get your residence certificate (or TIE under the withdrawal agreement when it is introduced, when criminal record check becomes mandatory), you don't have to renew it even after 5 years when you become eligible for permanent residence (though you can apply for one confirming your permanent status), and there is no requirement to show your financial resources. In contrast, a third country national (which a Briton will be if not eligible under the withdrawal agreement) will need an initial visa, residence permit with TIE within 30 days of arrival and annual renewal, when you need to show evidence of finance, health cover etc until you become eligible for permanent residence in 5 years. All this assumes no more favourable agreement about future UK-EU relationship is reached in the current negotiation (which looks most unlikely as UK is determined to end EU citizens' freedom of movement from next January under the proposed immigration reform). This doesn't of course preclude Spain and UK coming up with a bilateral agreement or Spain offering better deals to Britons wanting to move (but it has been rumoured that Spain will want something in return like Gibraltar sovereignty).

bobd22

My understanding is if you have the old card or new one is irrelevant as both totally legal. At some point those with green card may be told it has to be updated to new one which shouldn't be a huge issue. The 5 years permanent residency under the agreement my understanding again is if legally resident before 31 Dec so long as one remains legal in Spain then you will as always become entitled to permeant residency after 5 years. I also believe that one doesn't have to by law change your card from temp to permanent either as it shows on it date of issue ? Surely if resident you submit tax return every year in Spain pay what's due I can't see your legality being challenged? I personally am not worrying which card I have or should have untill told for definite which it should be then I will ensure I comply

Fred James

The advantage of the TIA card is that it has all your details and a photo so it can be used as ID whereas the green one cannot.

Barriej

Sorry to cut your post but.

Why is it not possible to live on 1000 a month.

​​​In my case if you remove the major outgoings.
Rent of 950 a month. Council tax at 190 a month. Gas and electric at 140 a month. Building and contents insurance at 120 a month in the UK. (haven't included car or food etc as these work out around the same overall)

In Spain we have no rent (own the flat) IBI is 40 a month. Electric is 60 a month. Building and contents insurance is 30 a month.

I'm going to be saving well over 1200 a month.
We reckon the two of us can live as good as we do now on around 700 a month, which is higher than the minimum monthly income to prove residence, and is what we live on in the UK (And we eat out and go to the pub a couple of nights a WEEK)

I can't see any issue with recently retired people finding the 24000 required for 3rd country as most would just do what I have done and move more of their savings over (I moved the 25% from my pension) as our living expenses.
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amideislas

I believe the minimum income requirement for non-EU nationals to retire in Spain is 24000€ per year? Or something like that. I might actually be understating it.

i only mention it because it's not uncommon in this forum for people to ask about retiring in Spain for under 1000 per month. And it's not uncommon for people to do so. Yes, you can, but if you're not an EU national, you can't.

Lynn R

Currently it's €25,816 per year for a single applicant, and €6,454 for each additional family member, so just over €32k for a couple.

Notdunroamin

When comparing the cost of living it's useful to consider minimum wages.

The figure of €25, 861 quoted represents roughly 2x the Spanish minimum wage e.g. €900/mth x 14 or €12,600

​​​​​​Based on a 40 hour week the UK minimum wage is £8.21 x 40 x 52 = £17,076 or €18,800, as near as damnit 50% more!

To further illustrate the point and rererring back to my earlier post with the link comparing the cost of living in Alicante with Peterborough, it's notable that the cost of living in the latter is almost 50% higher.

Vinny17

This is why the OP should take his/her time. For comparison, minimum wage here in Canada is equivalent of Euro 10.00. Looney tunes. Annual 20,000. Zero skills. Plenty of people here would be happy to pay the price of living in Spain. Taxes are similar or higher in Canada. Middle class in Canada is taxed at +50%