On Spanish residency Brexit and Parachuting

Before you begin reading my article on Spanish residency Brexit and parachuting:

Are you from the USA? Please read my 2022 guide all about moving to Spain from the USA
Are you from Canada? Please read my 2022 guide all about moving to Spain from Canada
Are you from South Africa? Please read my 2022 guide all about moving to Spain from South Africa
Are you from Australia? Please read my 2022 guide all about moving to Spain from Australia

Or perhaps you would like to know more about:

The 2022 definitive Spain visa guide and types of Spanish visas for non-European Union citizens

Spanish residency for non-European Union citizens married/family members of European Union citizens

Are you ready to become a citizen of Spain? Please read my article Spanish citizenship

If you are from the United Kingdom, then this article is for you

Article updated on 4 January, 2021

You are in a small aeroplane arriving at twelve thousand feet preparing for the jump.

Looking down through the small windows of the aircraft you can see a beautiful sunny Spanish day.

Not a cloud in the sky.

The Mediterranean Sea is calm.

From this distance you can see the coastline of almost the entire Costa Blanca.

Suddenly, a voice shouts: Stand up!

Doors open.

You can feel the air coming in.

To the left you have a stranger, smiling, in regular blue jeans, white t-shirt and sport shoes. He is holding a parachute, his arms extended towards you.

To the right you have the jumpmaster, the expert, in his proper parachute equipment, special safety glasses and helmet. He is also trying to offer you his parachute.

Which one would you take?

(Definitely, not the right moment to find out which parachute is better)

It’s quite obvious, isn’t it?

Well, not really.

In the real world I witness too often many British citizens picking up the parachute from the stranger who has no professional experience.

This story I just told you is a metaphor of something that’s happening these days:

There are British citizens who are living in Spain and have not got their Spanish residency yet (the aeroplane).
The final outcome beyond 31/12/2020 is around the corner (the inevitable jump).
Misleading websites and anonymous people on social media are telling you to do one thing (the complete stranger holding the parachute bag).
Professional advisers are telling you to do something different (the jumpmaster).

Would you jump off the aeroplane using a parachute bag which might not even have a parachute inside?

No, you wouldn’t

Spanish residency Brexit… why don’t you apply for your Spanish residency card before it’s too late?

The inevitable jump is around the corner. Something will change beyond 31/12/2020, and nobody knows what it is, despite all the noise.

It could be a final unexpected agreement that leaves things in a similar way or a complete different scenario that transform the UK into a non-EU country.

As mentioned in previous articles this would imply a visa at the Spanish embassy in the UK (one of them could be Spanish non-lucrative visa), as well as requirements such as:

High financial means
Private medical insurance
Criminal records
Medical examination
Apostilles and official translations
More expensive government fees
Waiting for months until you obtain a resolution to travel to Spain

However, if you apply now for the Spanish residency card you’ll have it already by the time the new rules comes into effect after 31/12/2020 and becomes whatever it’s decided in the end.

(Obtaining your Spanish residency card could become very difficult)

Spanish residency Brexit: Jump now using the right parachute

But… what’s the right parachute?

It’s really easy, following these three steps:

Applying for the Spanish permanent residency
Using the correct information required by the relevant police station where you have the appointment at
Getting assistance by a professional adviser so that everything is done to perfection

There is still time, but the clock is ticking.

Don’t postpone it.

Don’t wait until the last minute.

Don’t do whatever a stranger (or even a friend who’s not a professional adviser) is telling you to do. Chances are they don’t even know the difference between the NIE number and the Spanish residency card. Also, they won’t pay the consequences for their “free advice”.

Another thing to take into account the is the appointment system: there is a delay of months in some Spanish provinces. If you let it go too long it might be too late, there might not be any appointments available and you’d go beyond 31/12/2020.

And, very important too: I strongly recommend you to obtain your permanent status before Brexit if you’ve already had your residency card (or A4 sheet) for over 5 years but without the permanent status printed on it. Why? Same reason: nobody knows what’s beyond Brexit.

Are you ready to move to Spain?

You are either from an EU or non-EU country… and chances are you don’t know where to start.

But, good news, we are relocation specialists

Here is the starting point.

Please click / tap on the image below:

Coverage areas

Alicante Province

Costa Blanca: These are my usual in-person coverage areas in Costa Blanca Spain, Altea, Calpe, Orihuela Costa, Guardamar, Javea, Moraira, Alicante, La Marina, Denia, Pilar de la Horadada, Benidorm, El Campello, Santa Pola, and, of course, Torrevieja; as well as other towns near Alicante.

Inland Alicante province: Orihuela, Elche, Pinoso, Almoradi, Alcoy, Orba, Rojales, Crevillente, Los Montesinos, San Miguel de Salinas, Benijofar, Algorfa,

Murcia Province

Costa Cálida: including Costa Calida Spain: San Pedro del Pinatar, Los Alcazares, Santiago de la Rivera, , San Javier, Mazarron, Aguilas.

Cities and towns in Murcia province:

Cartagena, Yecla, Sucina, Totana, Alhama, Molina de Segura, Fortuna, Murcia city.

Other areas in Spain

I have collaborators almost everywhere all over Spain, so no worries, I can assist you anywhere you are in Spain, in cities such as: Zaragoza, Vitoria, Bilbao, Albacete, Almería, Logroño, Avila, Badajoz, Caceres, Majorca, Zamora, Barcelona, Burgos, Oviedo, Cadiz, Santander, Castellon, Pontevedra, Ciudad Real, Cordoba, Cuenca, Gerona, Granada, Guadalajara, San Sebastian, Huelva, Huesca, Jaen, Navarra, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Gijon, Leon, Lleida, Lugo, Madrid, Malaga, Orense, Palencia, Salamanca, Segovia, Sevilla, Soria, Tarragona, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Teruel, Toledo, Valencia, Valladolid.

Credit image: R. Girard, Ann W, Duncan Hull