Living in Spain after BREXIT

You should:

• register as a resident in Spain
• register for healthcare as a resident in Spain
• exchange your UKdriving licence for a Spanish one

The UKis leaving the EU. This page tells you how to prepare for Brexit and will be updated if anything changes. You should:

• sign up for email alerts to this guidance with The Spectrum IFA Group*
• follow the The SpectrumIFA Group in Spain on Facebook and Twitter

Attend a citizen outreach meeting

The British Embassy regularly holds events across Spain for UK nationals.

Attend one of our citizen outreach meetings to keep up to date on working and living in Spain after Brexit.

You can also:

• read the Spanish government’s website on how to prepare for Brexit
• read Living in the EU: Prepare for Brexit

You must register as a Spanish residentif you want to stay in Spain for more than 3 months.

You will get a green A4 certificate or credit card-sized piece of paper from Extranjeria or the police.

Residency after Brexit

If you are resident in Spain before the implementation period ends on 31 December 2020, you will be able to stay.

If you arrive in Spain before the end of the implementation period, you will be able to register as resident in Spain under the current rules, and will have your right to residence in Spain protected for as long as you remain resident.

If there are changes to residency registration processes after Brexit, we will update this guidance as soon as information is available.

For more information:

• read the Spanish government’s guidance for UKnationals in Spain
• sign up for email updatesto this guidance on living in Spain

You must register for healthcareas a resident in Spain.

State healthcare: S1

If you live in Spain and receive an exportable UKpension, contribution-based Employment Support Allowance (ESA) or another exportable benefit, you may currently be entitled to state healthcare paid for by the UK. You will need to apply for a certificate of entitlement known as an S1 certificate.

European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)

If you are entitled to an S1, you are also entitled to apply for a UK-issued EHIC. If you are not an S1 holder, but are registered for public healthcare in Spain in another way and are travelling outside of Spain, you must apply for a Tarjeta Sanitaria Europea (TSE– a Spanish-issued EHIC) online (in Spanish), or go to your nearest social security office (Insitituto Nacional de la Seguridad Social).

You must also buy comprehensive travel insurance to cover anything not covered by your TSE, EHICor for travel to countries outside the EU.

If you are resident in Spain, you must not use your EHIC from the UK to access healthcare in Spain.

When you travel from Spain for a temporary stay in another European Economic Area (EEA) country or Switzerland, you can use your UKor Spanish-issued EHICto access state-provided healthcare in the country. During that short stay:

• the EHICcovers treatment that is medically necessary until your planned return home
• an EHICis not a replacement for comprehensive travel insurance
• for more information, read our travel advice pages and advice on foreign travel insurance

If you are a student, read the NHSguidance on healthcare and studying abroad.

You can also find an English-speaking doctor in Spain.

Healthcare after Brexit

There will be no changes to your healthcare access before 31 December 2020. You can also continue to use your EHIC, as you did before, during this time.

If you are living in Spain or move there permanently before 31 December 2020, you’ll have life-long healthcare rights in Spain as you do now, provided you remain resident.

Read the Spanish government’s guidance on access to healthcare and Brexit.

You will need to tell the UK government offices that deal with your benefits, pension and tax if you are moving or retiring abroad.

There will be no changes before 31 December 2020 to the rules on claiming the UK State Pension in the EU, EEA or Switzerland as a result of the UKleaving the EU.

If you retire in Spain, you can claim:

• your UK State Pension or new UK State Pension
• your Spanish and UK State Pension from the Instituto Nacional de la Seguridad Social if you worked in Spain
• pensions from working in other EU countries

Life Certificates for UK State Pensions

If you get a life certificate from the UK Pension Service, you need to respond as soon as possible. Your payments may be suspended if you don’t.

Pensions after Brexit

You can continue to receive your UK State Pension if you live in the EU, EEA or Switzerland and you can still claim your UK State Pension.

If you are living in the EU, EEA or Switzerland by 31 December 2020 you will get your UK State Pension uprated every year for as long as you continue to live there. This will happen even if you start claiming your pension on or after 1 January 2021, as long as you meet the qualifying conditions.

If you are living in Spain by 31 December 2020, you will be able to count future social security contributions towards meeting the qualifying conditions for your UK State Pension.

If you work and pay social security contributions in Spain, you will still be able to add your UK social security contributions towards your Spanish pension. This will happen even if you claim your pension after the end of the implementation period.

Benefits

There will be no changes before 31 December 2020 to the rules on claiming UK benefits in the EU, EEA or Switzerland as a result of the UK leaving the EU.

You may still be able to claim some UK benefits like child and disability benefits if you live in Spain.

• read our guidance on which benefits you can claim if you live abroad
• use our tool to check which benefits you can claim while your abroad

Many income-related benefits such as pension credit and housing benefit cannot be paid to you if you’re abroad for more than 4 weeks.

Spanish benefits

You may be entitled to Spanish benefits. To find out if you are entitled to Spanish benefits and how to claim, you can:

• read the European Union’s guidance on claiming benefits in an EU country
• speak to a social worker (trabajador social) at your local town hall (in Spanish) (ayuntamiento)
• visit your nearest Instituto de Mayores y Servicios Sociales office (in Spanish)

You can request proof of the time you’ve worked in the UK from HMRC if you are asked for this.

Benefits after Brexit

If you are living in the EU, EEA or Switzerland by 31 December 2020, you will continue to receive any UK benefits you already receive. This will continue for as long as you live there and meet all other eligibility requirements.

If you work and pay social security contributions in Spain, your UK social security contributions will be taken into account when applying for Spanish contributions-based benefits. This will happen even if you claim contributions-based benefits after the end of the implementation period.

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