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Help from the Spanish government 

For any questions on moving to or living in Spain, you may be able to get help from the:

• Spanish consulates in Edinburgh, London or Manchester
• Embassy of Spain in the United Kingdom
• Spanish Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration (in Spanish)

The UK government, including the British Embassy and Consulates in Spain, cannot give personalised advice on moving to, living or retiring in Spain.

Professional help in Spain

You can also get help from English-speaking professionals in Spain, including:

• lawyers
• translators
• notaries
• funeral directors

You can also get help from a ‘gestor’. A gestor is a private professional agent who can help with administrative tasks and processes. You can find a qualified gestor in your area using the National Register of Accredited Gestores (in Spanish).

Help from the UK government  

Read the travel advice for Spain to understand the risks you may face if you live in or visit Spain. This includes the latest information on:  

• visas and entry requirements  
• laws and cultural differences
• safety and security  

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad.

Get help from the UK government abroad, including in an emergency.

Make sure you meet the entry requirements for Spain before you travel.

Visas and residence permits

Check which visa or residence permit you need to live in Spain.

Read guidance on:

• the different residence permits available to you (in Spanish)
• applying for a visa from the Spanish consulate in  London
• applying for a visa from the Spanish consulate in Edinburgh
• applying for a visa from the Spanish consulate  Manchester

You can get a visa to:    

• study
• retire
• work – including as a digital nomad
• carry out an internship
• receive medical treatment
• live with family in Spain
• perform missionary work or other religious activities
• volunteer
• do research

For more information, read the Spanish government’s guidance on living in Spain (in Spanish). 

You can also contact the Spanish consulates in London, Manchester or Edinburgh.

Registering as a resident and getting a TIE

Once you arrive, you need to register:

• as a resident
• on the municipal register (‘padrón municipal’) at your local town hall

Children must also be registered with their own residency documents.

Read our guidance on registering as a resident and getting a TIE.

Extending or replacing your visa or residence permit

Contact the Spanish police for information on how to:

• extend your visa or residency permit
• replace a lost, damaged or stolen visa or residency permit

Permanent residency

You may be able to apply for permanent residency in Spain.

To find out if you’re eligible and how to apply, read the Spanish government’s guidance on permanent residence.

Citizenship

Spain does not recognise dual citizenship with the UK. 

To find out if you’re eligible for Spanish citizenship:

• read the Spanish government’s guidance on getting Spanish nationality
• contact the Spanish Ministry of Justice (in Spanish)
• contact the Spanish consulates in Edinburgh, London or Manchester

Help with visa, residency and citizenship applications

The British Embassy and Consulates in Spain  cannot help with Spanish visa, residency or citizenship applications.

For any questions or issues, contact:

• your local foreigners’ office (extranjería) or police station (in Spanish)
• the Spanish consulates in London, Manchester or Edinburgh
• an English-speaking lawyer in Spain

If you moved to Spain before 1 January 2021, and have been legally living there since then, you and your family members have rights under the Withdrawal Agreement.

Residence documents if you moved to Spain before 1 January 2021

There are 2 types of residence document that you may have if you moved to Spain before 1 January 2021. These are the:

• foreigner’s identity card (‘TIE’ or ‘Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero’)
• ‘green’ certificate (‘Certificado de Registro de Ciudadano de la Unión Europea’)

If you have a green certificate, the Spanish authorities and the British Embassy and Consulates in Spain strongly recommend that you exchange it for a TIE.

The TIE is the only valid residency document listed in the Withdrawal Agreement. As a result, you cannot use a green certificate as proof that you do not need to register with the new EU Entry/Exit System (EES).

For more information, including how to make the exchange, read our guidance on registering as a resident and getting a TIE.

If you do not have a residence document

If you were living in Spain before 1 January 2021, but do not have a residence document, you must register as a resident and get a TIE now.

Read our guidance on registering as a resident and getting a TIE. This covers how to apply for a TIE and make an appeal if your application is unsuccessful.

Renewing your residence document if you moved to Spain before 1 January 2021

You’ll need to renew your residence document when it expires.

Read our guidance on registering as a resident and getting a TIE for information on how to renew.    

Bringing family members to Spain if you moved there before 1 January 2021

The Spanish government’s frequently asked questions about Brexit (PDF, 1,520KB)  explains:

• which family members can join you in Spain
• how and when they should apply for their residence document
• fees and processing times

If you want to bring a spouse or civil partner to live with you in Spain, read guidance on foreign marriage recognition certificates for British nationals.

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers how to:

• apply for a British passport from abroad
• travel urgently without your British passport

Always carry your passport and residence document (TIE) when entering, leaving or travelling within the Schengen area. If you’re asked to show your passport at border control, make sure you also show your residence document or other evidence of residence status. Your passport may be stamped if you do not.    

If you have dual citizenship of an EU or European Free Trade Association (EFTA) country, you should enter and leave Spain using your EU or EFTA passport.

Dual citizens travelling to the UK

When travelling to the UK, British citizens must carry a valid British passport or certificate of entitlement. Read guidance on dual citizenship.

Resident children travelling without a parent or legal guardian

Read our guidance on notarial and document services in Spain. This covers letters of authority for resident children travelling from Spain without a parent or legal guardian.

EU entry/exit system (EES)

Under the new digital Entry/Exit System (EES) there are new rules for entering, leaving or travelling within the Schengen area. Non-EU nationals entering, leaving or travelling within the Schengen area will need to have their photo and fingerprints taken or verified at the border. This data will be stored in a digital record and used to monitor how long visitors have spent in the Schengen area.

British nationals legally resident in Spain, and who have a biometric residence card (‘TIE’ or ‘Tarjeta de Identitdad de Extranjero’), do not need to register with the EES.

If you have a ‘green’ certificate (Certificado de Registro de Ciudadano de la Unión Europea), you will need to register with the EES.  

If you’re legally resident in Spain but do not have a TIE, read our guidance on registering as a resident and getting a TIE.

For more information about how the EES works, read:

• EU guidance on the EES
• guidance on the EES for UK nationals

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers how to:

• plan your healthcare
• take medicine abroad

To find out how to get medical treatment:    

• read guidance on healthcare in Spain and health in Spain
• find English-speaking medical facilities and doctors for British nationals in Spain

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers working abroad, including documents you may need from the UK government.

To work in Spain, you may need a work permit or work visa. Our guidance on travelling to Spain for work explains the different work permits and visas available to you.

You do not need a work permit or visa if you have been living in Spain legally since before 1 January 2021, as you have rights under the Withdrawal Agreement.   

To apply for a job, you may need to provide a:

• UK police certificate
• Spanish criminal records certificate (in Spanish)
• certificate from the Spanish sex offenders registry (in Spanish), to work with children
• record of your employment history in Spain

If you live in Spain and were regularly commuting to work in another EU or European Free Trade Association (EFTA) country before 1 January 2021, read guidance for frontier workers.

Recognition of qualifications

If you want to work in a regulated profession in Spain, you may need to get your foreign qualifications recognised. Read about recognition of foreign degrees in Spain.     

You may also need to get your qualification legalised before it can be recognised. Read about legalising UK documents in our guidance on documents for British people abroad.

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers how to:

• drive abroad legally
• take your UK vehicle abroad
• get driving licence letters

The Spanish Directorate General for Traffic (in Spanish) provides information on driving in Spain, including how to:

• apply for, renew or replace a Spanish driving licence
• exchange your driving license
• register a foreign vehicle in Spain

For more information, read guidance on:

• driving in the EU
• road travel in Spain, in safety and security in the travel advice for Spain
• the UK and Spain’s agreement on the recognition and exchange of driving licences

Driving in Spain using a foreign driving licence

You can drive in Spain for up to 6 months using a driving licence issued in:  

• the UK
• Gibraltar
• Jersey
• Guernsey
• the Isle of Man

You cannot replace or renew any of these licences if you live in Spain.

Exchanging a UK or Gibraltar driving licence

To continue driving after 6 months, you must exchange your driving licence if it was issued in the UK or Gibraltar.    

You’ll need to:

• get a check code from the DVLA – for English, Welsh and Scottish driving licences
• get a check code from the Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA) – for Northern Irish driving licences

You should apply for the exchange before the 6 months is over. Applications may take time to process, and you’ll need your Spanish licence to drive legally. 

Applying for a Spanish driving licence   

If your driving licence was issued in Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man, you cannot exchange it. You must apply for a Spanish licence as a non-EU national.

You will need to pass a theory test and practical driving test.

Disabled drivers

You may be able to apply for:

• an EU parking card for people with disabilities
• a Spanish disabled parking card – contact your local town hall or social services department

If you have a UK blue badge and live in Spain, you must return  it to the original UK issuing authority.

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers tax, including paying UK tax and National Insurance. 

The UK has a double taxation agreement with Spain so that you do not pay tax on the same income in both countries.

Contact the Spanish Tax Agency  for any questions about double taxation relief.

Consider getting professional advice on paying tax in Spain. To do this, find an English-speaking lawyer in Spain.

You can also instruct a ‘gestor’. A gestor is a private professional agent who can deal with your tax and accountancy for you. You can find a qualified gestor in your area using the National Register of Accredited Gestores (in Spanish).

Declaring your assets

If you’re resident in Spain, you: 

• must declare all assets you hold outside Spain
• may need to file an annual tax return

There are penalties if you do not file, or give incorrect or incomplete information.

Contact a tax adviser in Spain for more information. 

National Insurance    

Check if you need to pay National Insurance if you’re going to work in the EU, Gibraltar, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, or Switzerland.

Claiming your UK pension

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers:

• how to claim your UK State Pension
• where the UK government pays an annual increase in the State Pension

Your UK state pension is calculated differently if you’ve previously lived in Australia, Canada or New Zealand and now live in the EU.   

Claiming a Spanish pension

You may be able to claim a Spanish pension (in Spanish).

To find out if you’re eligible and how to claim:

• contact your local social security office (‘Instituto Nacional de Seguridad Social’ or ‘INSS’)
• read the Spanish government’s guidance for pensioners

Read our guidance on planning for later life in Spain. This covers how to plan your future medical and social care, estate and finances.

Claiming UK benefits

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers how to claim UK benefits abroad, including Child Benefit.     

You can also read guidance on benefits and pensions for UK nationals in the EU, EEA or Switzerland.

Claiming Spanish benefits  

You may be eligible for some Spanish benefits.  

To find out if you’re eligible and how to claim:

• speak to a social worker (‘trabajador social’) at your local town hall
• read the guidance from the Institute for Senior Citizens and Social Services (IMSERSO) (in Spanish)
• read the Spanish government’s guidance on social security benefits for workers (in Spanish)

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers buying and renting property abroad. 

You can also read about buying and renting property in Spain. 

Contact an English-speaking lawyer in Spain if you’re considering buying property or land.

If you plan to study in Spain, you must meet all  visa requirements before you travel.

You do not need a student visa if you have been living in Spain legally since before 1 January 2021, as you have rights under the Withdrawal Agreement.

For more information read guidance on:

• studying in the EU
• travel grants for students studying abroad or on placements (England)

You can also contact:

• your education provider in the UK or Spain
• the Spanish consulates in London, Manchester or Edinburgh

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers moving abroad with children, including:

• getting permission to take your child abroad
• claiming UK Child Benefit abroad
• child maintenance payments if a parent lives abroad

You can also read the Spanish government’s guidance on family benefits.

Schools and education

The European Commission provides information about the school system in Spain.

All children aged 6 to 16 must attend school in Spain.   

For information on schooling in each autonomous community, read the Spanish government’s guidance on how the education system is organised in Spain.

Childcare

The autonomous communities are responsible for state nurseries and preschools in Spain.

Read the Spanish government’s guidance on early childhood education and care in Spain.

Births

If your child is born in Spain, register the birth with the Spanish authorities as soon as possible.

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers how to:

• register the birth with the UK authorities to get a UK birth certificate
• apply for your child’s first British passport

Deaths

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers:

• what to do after someone dies abroad
• how to register the death with the UK authorities

If a British person dies in Spain, read guidance on:

• what to do after a British person dies in Spain
• English-speaking funeral directors in Spain

Marriages and civil partnerships

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers how to get married or get a civil partnership abroad.

You can also read guidance on:

• getting married in Spain
• how to confirm you’re free to get married in Spain if you live abroad

The Spanish government provides information on how to:

• get married in Spain
• get a civil union or partnership in Spain

Divorce and separation

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers how to get a divorce or end a civil partnership.  

The Spanish government offers guidance on how to get a divorce or separation in Spain.

Consider taking legal advice from an English-speaking lawyer in Spain.

Read our guidance on documents for British people abroad. This covers: 

• legalising and certifying UK documents
• marriage and civil partnership documents
• affirmations and affidavits
• witnessing signatures

You can also read our guidance on notarial and document services in Spain. This covers:

• the documents you need to get married in Spain
• marital status certificates for cohabitation agreements (‘pareja de hecho’) and other reasons
• certificates of foreign marriage recognition
• services the British Embassy and Consulates in Spain do not provide, including letters to support a transfer of address (‘baja consular’)

To find an English-speaking lawyer, translator or notary in Spain, read guidance on professional services if you’re abroad.