Since Brexit, British nationals are third-country nationals and need a residence visa to live in Spain — you can no longer simply move under freedom of movement. As a visitor you're limited to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period. The main routes are the Non-Lucrative Visa (retirees and the financially independent) and the Digital Nomad Visa (remote workers). Britons who were legally resident in Spain before 1 January 2021 are protected by the Withdrawal Agreement and keep broadly the rights they had — a different position from new movers. This page explains both, plus the practical steps to move now.
What Brexit Changed
Before 2021, a British citizen could move to Spain under EU freedom of movement, register relatively easily, and live and work without a visa. That route is closed. British nationals are now third-country nationals — the same immigration category as Americans, Canadians or Australians — and that single change cascades through everything: you need a visa to reside, your time as a visitor is capped, your healthcare and driving arrangements changed, and the way you're taxed once resident is governed by the UK–Spain treaty rather than EU coordination.
None of this stops you moving — it just means the move now needs planning and a visa rather than a one-way flight and a registration appointment. The Britons who find it smooth are those who treat it as a structured process: choose the right visa, prepare the documents, plan the tax timing, and arrange healthcare before they go. This page focuses on the Brexit-specific change in status; for the full move, see our moving to Spain from the UK guide.
The 90/180 Rule
As a post-Brexit visitor, you can spend up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period across the Schengen area without a visa. It's a rolling window, not a calendar one: at any given day, you look back 180 days and count the days you were present — they can't exceed 90. This is fine for holidays, extended visits and scouting trips, and many second-home owners structure their visits around it.
What the 90/180 rule does not allow is living in Spain. Overstaying it carries real consequences — fines and potential bans on future entry — and you can't "top up" by leaving and immediately returning, because the rolling window keeps counting recent days. So if Spain is to be your home rather than a frequent destination, the 90/180 allowance isn't a workaround; the answer is a residence visa. Plenty of people get caught out treating long stays as a substitute for residency, which is exactly the trap this guide helps you avoid.
Second-home owners: the 90/180 limit still applies to you
Owning a Spanish property does not give you the right to stay longer than 90 days in 180 as a visitor. If you want to spend more time at your Spanish home than the limit allows, you need a residence visa — owning the property doesn't change the immigration position.
If You Were Resident Before Brexit
There's an important distinction between new movers and those already here. British nationals who were legally resident in Spain before 1 January 2021 are protected by the Withdrawal Agreement — the deal that preserved the rights of citizens already exercising free movement when the UK left. If that's you, you generally keep broadly the residence, work and healthcare rights you held, evidenced by the TIE card issued to Withdrawal Agreement beneficiaries, and you did not need to apply for a new visa.
This matters in two practical ways. First, if you were resident before Brexit but never formalised it, your position needs careful, prompt attention — late regularisation under the Withdrawal Agreement is more complex and shouldn't be left. Second, Withdrawal Agreement status can affect family members joining you, and the rules differ from those for new third-country movers. We help both groups: confirming and protecting Withdrawal Agreement rights for pre-Brexit residents, and guiding new movers through the visa routes. Our family reunification service covers the family side, including for Withdrawal Agreement beneficiaries.
Visa Routes Now
For new movers, the choice usually comes down to two main routes, with a third for families:
Non-Lucrative Visa
For those living on pensions, savings or investments without working in Spain — the typical route for retirees and the financially independent.
Non-Lucrative Visa →Digital Nomad Visa
For remote workers and freelancers earning from outside Spain — lets you live here while working for UK or other foreign employers/clients.
Digital Nomad Visa →Family Reunification
For joining a family member who already holds Spanish residency, including Withdrawal Agreement beneficiaries.
Family reunification →The right route depends on how you'll support yourself: passive income points to the Non-Lucrative Visa; remote work points to the Digital Nomad Visa, which can also be more tax-efficient via the regime it can unlock. Each has its own income thresholds and document requirements, and post-Brexit your UK documents need apostille and sworn translation. Our eligibility checker is a quick start; a consultation confirms the fit.
How to Move Now
The post-Brexit move follows a clear sequence:
Choose your visa and plan the timing
Pick your route, check you meet the requirements, and consider when to move relative to becoming Spanish tax resident.
Apply from the UK
Most residence visas are applied for from the UK before moving, with documents that need apostille and sworn translation.
Register and settle
Register on the padrón, sort healthcare, exchange your driving licence, and set up banking.
Get tax and your will in order
Set up your Spanish tax position and make a Spanish will aligned with your UK estate.
For the full detail on each step — documents, healthcare, belongings, pets — see our dedicated moving to Spain from the UK guide and the checklist.
Tax & Pensions After Brexit
Once you become a Spanish tax resident — broadly, more than 183 days a year here, or making Spain your main centre of life — Spain taxes your worldwide income, including UK pensions, rental and investments. The relationship is now governed by the UK–Spain double-taxation treaty rather than EU coordination, which decides which country taxes what and prevents you being taxed twice. Different pension types are treated differently — UK government-service pensions often differ from the state pension and private pensions — so it's an area for proper advice, ideally before you move, because the timing of becoming tax resident is a one-time planning opportunity.
Brexit also shifted some tax detail for those who keep a foot in both countries. For example, UK residents are now treated as non-EU for Spanish non-resident tax, paying the higher flat rate and losing the EU expense-deduction on Spanish rental income — relevant if you'll keep a UK base or a Spanish property let out. Residents with significant overseas assets also file the Modelo 720. Our tax in Spain for expats pillar and the non-resident vs resident tax comparison cover this in depth.
Healthcare & Driving
Two practical areas changed with Brexit. On healthcare, UK state pensioners can still access Spanish public healthcare via the S1 (the UK funding their care in Spain), which survived Brexit for pensioners — a real advantage. Those moving before state pension age generally need private health insurance to meet the visa requirements until they reach pension age. Our partner Spanish Health Insurance (Sanitas) arranges visa-compliant cover, and our health insurance for visas guide explains the requirements.
On driving, after a period of post-Brexit uncertainty, the UK and Spain reached an agreement allowing British residents to exchange a UK licence for a Spanish one without re-sitting the test, within the applicable timeframes. The key is not to let your position lapse. See our driving licence exchange guide for the current process and deadlines.
Common Mistakes
- Thinking you can still just move. Freedom of movement is gone — you need a residence visa first.
- Treating 90/180 as a way to live here. It's a visitor limit; overstaying risks fines and entry bans, and owning property doesn't extend it.
- Confusing Withdrawal Agreement status with new-mover rules. Pre-2021 residents have different, protected rights — don't apply new-mover assumptions, or vice versa.
- Leaving pre-Brexit residency unformalised. If you were resident before 2021 but never regularised, sort it promptly — it gets harder with time.
- Ignoring the tax-year timing. Becoming tax resident at the wrong point can pull a whole year's worldwide income into Spanish scope.
- Forgetting documents need apostille and translation. Post-Brexit, UK documents must be legalised and sworn-translated — start early.
How We Help
We help both new movers and pre-Brexit residents. For new movers, we confirm the right visa, handle the application from the UK, and guide you through NIE, TIE, padrón, healthcare and the tax timing. For those resident before 2021, we confirm and protect your Withdrawal Agreement rights and help regularise any unformalised position. Either way you get one English-speaking team, a clear sequence and a clear quote up front. It sits within our moving to Spain service and wider expat legal services. Your consultation tells you exactly where you stand and what to do next.
Related Guides
Retiring to Spain from the UK
The retirement-specific version, pensions and S1 healthcare.
Retiring from the UK →Non-Resident vs Resident Tax
How your Spanish tax changes once you're resident.
Non-resident vs resident tax →Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Many Britons move every year. What changed is that you now need a residence visa first, because UK nationals are non-EU since Brexit. The common routes are the Non-Lucrative Visa for retirees and the financially independent, and the Digital Nomad Visa for remote workers. You apply from the UK before moving.
Up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period across the Schengen area. It's a rolling window, not a calendar one, and overstaying risks fines and entry bans. It's fine for holidays and long visits but doesn't allow you to live in Spain — for that you need a residence visa. Owning a Spanish property doesn't extend the limit.
If you were legally resident before 1 January 2021, you're protected by the Withdrawal Agreement and generally keep broadly the residence, work and healthcare rights you had, evidenced by the relevant TIE card. If you were resident before Brexit but never formalised it, get advice promptly — late regularisation under the Withdrawal Agreement is more complex.
It depends on how you'll support yourself. Living on pensions, savings or investments points to the Non-Lucrative Visa; working remotely for UK or foreign employers/clients points to the Digital Nomad Visa, which can be more tax-efficient. Family reunification applies if you're joining a resident family member. A consultation confirms the right route for you.
UK state pensioners can access Spanish public healthcare via the S1 scheme, which survived Brexit — the UK funds your care in Spain. If you move before state pension age, you'll generally need private health insurance to meet the visa requirements. The NHS is for UK residents, so once you live in Spain it's not your routine healthcare.
Yes. Following the UK–Spain agreement, British residents can exchange a UK licence for a Spanish one without re-sitting the test, within the applicable timeframes. Don't let your position lapse, as that can complicate things. See our driving licence exchange guide for the current process.
Once you're a Spanish tax resident, Spain taxes your worldwide income including UK pensions, governed by the UK–Spain treaty. Different pension types are treated differently. Brexit also means UK residents are now treated as non-EU for Spanish non-resident tax (higher flat rate, no EU expense deduction on rental). Advice before moving is worthwhile.
As early as possible. Post-Brexit, the visa, document apostilles and translations, healthcare and tax-year timing all need a head start. An early consultation lets us confirm your route (or your Withdrawal Agreement status), map the sequence, and time the tax side to your advantage.