Moving To Spain During And After Brexit

 

 

With non-stop flights made available from many of the cities in the UK, Spain has for many years been one of the top destinations for Britons. The public over the years is known for scanning travel magazines and online sites for a permanent home or holiday in a warm and sunny climate.

Consequently, for people who have been in the process of making plans over the years, their dreams did not come to an end on 24 June 2016, it just means long-term futures will look a little bit different. Britain awoke to the realities of Brexit which was followed by the triggering of article 50, and then news about withdrawing from the European Union, with a date set for March 2019.

For those with plans to live abroad in the EU, along with some expatriates who have already moved, this has caused a lot of apprehension. It marked the end to freedom of movement, which was always provided for within the European Union Directive by facilitating easy accessibility to reside and move within all of the Member States.

Yet at the same time, it has become clear that many people from the UK are not deterred, and in fact have pushed forward to speed up plans in order to purchase properties abroad, before the looming date of March, instead of putting these plans on hold.

The regulations for the future associated with post-Brexit residence and entry into Spain are at this stage unknown. In addition, as the members to 1 of the EU28, the UK nationals in the past enjoyed benefits afforded to them in the EU Directive which Britain plans to actually dissociate from. So what will happen to people after March 2019 that have plans to settle in Spain that have plans to retire, set up businesses or enter the employment market?

Considering a hypothesis that after March 2019, UK nationals will settle in the EU, with their new status known as “third country citizens”, will this still be compatible to enter labour markets or set up businesses? The answer is yes. And more importantly, UK nationals will still be allowed entrance into Spain for a minimum of 90 days without visa requirements. Keep in mind that this is an option that is still attainable for the citizens from 43 of the non-EU countries.

When you take up occupation, it means you make contributions towards the Social Security system in Spain, which will provides healthcare for you and your family, along with contributions towards your pension. You might not be an EU citizen any longer, but you will still have protection from the EU Directives, that includes social-coordination which is the same as any EU citizen.

These regulations will still cover standard tributaries associated with social security and includes:

Maternity or paternity
Sickness
Death grants
Old age pensions
Invalidity pensions and pre-retirement
Occupational injuries or accidents that occur at work
The European health card for your family members and you
The coordination rule still applies to EU and non EU workers which is inclusive of job seekers, the unemployed, students, civil servants and pensioners who will be offered coverage in accordance to country legislation, and the same obligations and rights of nationals from this country without discrimination.

Retiring To Spain

The government in the UK has based the agreements it has made with the EU Commission only for the pensioners that have already made the decision to move to and retire in Spain.

Disregarding the information that is lacking from the various government bodies, it is still possible to offer a few positive aspects when it comes to pensions and healthcare. For pensions, the UK government has made agreements that are pension-reciprocal with 18 of the non-EU countries.

Pensioners will receive yearly increases from state pensions in each of these nations, which does not include Canada or New Zealand. The UK Government has made a promise to adhere to these increases for the pensioners that reside in the EU, which is why it makes sense that this increase will include people who decide to retire in another country like Spain after March 2019.

Britain already provides health cover for the state pensioners in Spain. This has to do with the bilateral agreement between the UK and Spain. This agreement involves the EU only in coordination with social security like the provisions set out in the S1 form.

More importantly, it is unrealistic to think that all of the state pensioners will decide to retire within the UK, with none of them wanting to move elsewhere abroad. After a cold and another long British winter along with an overburdened NHS and the continued rise in the with the cost of living, dreams about owning properties in a country like Spain is more popular than ever.