Moving to Spain from the UK

Non-lucrative residence

For retirees and anyone who can live in Spain on savings, pensions or investment income without working there. The non-lucrative visa is applied for in the UK, through the Spanish consulate or its appointed visa centre, and cannot be requested from inside Spain. I prepare the complete file: proof of means, private health insurance, a UK police certificate, the medical certificate, FCDO apostilles and sworn translations. I explain what you must do in person, and after you arrive I handle the residence card steps and every renewal.

Digital nomad residence

For employees of UK or other non-Spanish companies and for freelancers whose clients are mostly outside Spain. You can apply for the visa in the UK or, if you are lawfully in Spain, apply for the residence permit directly with the UGE-CE, the specialised unit that decides these permits. In that case I file electronically as your representative. I also review the employment or client documentation, your company’s track record and your social security position, which is the most common cause of delays.

Entrepreneurs

For innovative business projects with a favourable report from ENISA. I review the business plan and handle the ENISA application and the UGE-CE filing; I do not write the business plan. The investor “golden visa” was abolished in April 2025.

Permits sponsored by a company or institution

Highly qualified professional, researcher and intra-company transfer permits are applied for by the employer, university or research centre itself, not by the worker or the worker’s lawyer. In these cases I help you prepare and check your side of the documentation, such as degrees, apostilles, translations, police certificates and family documents, so that the institution can file without delays.

Britons already resident in Spain

If you were living in Spain before 1 January 2021, your rights are protected by the Withdrawal Agreement and evidenced by a TIE card. I help with card exchanges, renewals and applications that have stalled or been refused.

Family members

Spouse or partner and children can usually apply together with the main applicant. If you are the family member of a Spanish citizen, a separate and more favourable regime applies.

Renewals, long-term residence and refusals

Permits must be renewed within the legal window around their expiry date. After five years of continuous legal residence you can apply for long-term residence. If an application is refused, you can ask the same authority to reconsider it within one month, or go to the courts within two months. Sometimes a new, stronger application is faster than an appeal.

Fees

Fixed fees in pounds sterling, confirmed in writing before any work begins. Applicable taxes are confirmed in your written quote. Third-party costs such as notary, registry, taxes, translations and apostilles are paid in euros at cost, unless expressly included. How fees work.

Common questions

Can I apply from inside Spain if I arrived as a visitor?

For the digital nomad and entrepreneur permits, yes, as long as your stay is still lawful on the day the application is filed. British citizens can stay in the Schengen area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa. The non-lucrative visa cannot be applied for from inside Spain.

How long does a decision take?

For permits filed with the UGE-CE, the law gives it 20 working days to decide; if it does not answer in time, the application is deemed granted. Consular visa timescales vary with the season.

Do I need to speak Spanish?

No. There is no language requirement for these permits. Everything you sign or submit will be explained to you in English.

Will I pay tax in Spain?

Probably, if you spend more than 183 days a year in Spain. Tax residence is a separate question from the permit; where needed I work with Spanish and UK tax advisers so the two are planned together.