1sexsmith

Interesting reading how Spain has insisted that there will need to reciprocy when it comes to dealing with any post Brexit dealings. Yet as it stands in the UK all non EU applicants for residency require a set level of English. So if the UK becomes a third country and insists all Spanish have English would Spain insist a similar level of Spanish?

spainrico

A certain level of competency in Spanish is required for the Citizenship application but I have not heard anything about residency.

Boseley

Those who apply for Nationality, now have to sit an exam in Spanish.

Moses2013

Are you maybe confusing residency with citizenship or a permanent resident card?
https://www.gov.uk/apply-for-a-uk-re...residence-card

1sexsmith

Yes I know that no such thing happens at present but I'm just mulling over the hypothetical point that if the UK required non EU persons to have a proven level of English ( which I think they do for visas) wouldn't Spain feel it's nationals were being treated differently if it didn't impose same conditions on UK non EU nationals after Brexit. Just a thought

BritInParis

The UK doesn’t require this at the moment from EU citizens unless they wish to naturalise. The new UK immigration system, which is due in 2021, may well do. I wouldn’t assume that the Spanish will act in kind for all types of British residents. They wouldn’t get many pensioners retiring there in future if that was the case.

amideislas

I'm rather sure that virtually no country imposes language tests for residency. If the UK decided to impose such restrictions, then so be it. But as English is widely spoken as a first or second language, it would be a rather silly way of keeping foreigners out.

Another point worth clarifying is that there are actually many nationalities other than Brits that live gainful first-world lives and retire with comfortable pensions to places like Spain and Portugal. The reason why Spain isn't interested in reciprocating petty British restrictions on immigration isn't because it somehow gets rich from Brits. It's because it's stupid.

bobd22

The UK does not require any form of language test for residency or visas and all be it that some right wing nut jobs would want that, personally I doubt it ever will. As in many countries there is a language test as part of obtaining citizenship if of a different nationality, as I believe there is in Spain? I don't see either country making any changes to that current system.

Pollyana

Australia has a system whereby it asks skilled migrants to show that if they are not citizens of certain English speaking countries then they must demonstrate a reasonable level of English in order to obtain a visa. Adult dependents also have to demonstrate this or pay an extra fee. (its a complex system but theat sums up the basics!)

BritInParis

Simply incorrect I’m afraid. The UK, along with France, Germany, etc.., does have a language requirement for non-EU nationals in order to obtain a residence visa. Most other major Anglophone economies you care to mention - the US, Canada, Australia - also have a language requirement for their visas. Not having a language requirement is the exception rather than the rule.

1sexsmith

Yes I know that many language schools were angry because the visas required B1 level English which meant they lost a lot of low level learners which were the staple form of finance for many. I don't know maybe that was for student visas

amideislas

Well, aside from the fact that it's beside the point, your retort is incorrect. At least with respect to Germany and Spain, the two I know well. Both EU and non-EU nationals indeed need to meet all kinds of criteria (sustainable income, health insurance, clean criminal record to name a few), but language skills are not one of them. We are close to many non-EU nationals legally living in both countries who never were required to pass a language test to acquire legal residency visa.

Citizenship, on the other hand (I have direct personal experience here), does indeed require language skills testing. But that's another topic.

But back to the point: Spain doesn't refuse to reciprocate any potential barriers put up by the UK because it somehow depends on low income British pensioners' money (and there's plenty of other EU nationalities who are generally equally wealthy if not wealthier, and enjoy better pensions), rather, it's because such barriers are useless façades which might satisfy a xenophobic electorate, but fail to achieve anything of tangible consequence.

1sexsmith

UK does have a requirement for English language for some non EU visas. I worked in a college which tested and it was certainly true of certain visas however certain nationalities were exempt for example Saudi Arabia ( UK gov always wishes to not upset wealthy countries. )This was brought in to combat Chinese who were using temporary student visas to enter the UK and sign up to bogus language schools and then disappear into the system. This was about 8 years ago

bobd22

I stand corrected re work or residency visa.

Notdunroamin

I think you have to take into account the status of non EU and ex EU which clearly are very different !