As you may now, on 1st January 2021 the UK said goodbye to Europe, and a whole bunch of new rules came into force.
From Alannia Resorts, we want you to ease this path giving you a short guide with Brexit changes. If you are planning to travel to Spain or to live here, keep reading.
There are two main groups:
- New residents (stays for more than 90 days).
- Travellers (stays for up to 90 days in any 180-day period).
But whatever your plans are, there are some common rules for both groups:
- Driver’s license. You might need an international driving permit (DP) to drive. If you are taking your own vehicle, you might also need a “green card” or a valid proof of insurance and a GB sticker.
- You need your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) when you are travelling to Spain. However, remember that EHIC is not a replacement for travel insurance. Make sure you have both before you travel. You can find information about how to apply for an EHIC here.
- Pet travel. You can’t use a pet passport issued in Great Britain for travel to an EU country or Northern Ireland. You can still use a pet passport issued in an EU country or Northern Ireland. In addition, there are some requirements that your pet must apply. You can check them here.
Travel to Spain (stays for up to 90 days in any 180-day period)
Take into account that you will must renew your passport before travelling if it has expired or if you do not have enough time left on it. For further information please click here.
If you do not renew your passport, you may not be able to travel to most EU countries and Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. If you’re a tourist, you will not need a visa for short trips to EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. You’ll be able to stay for up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
Living in Spain (stays for more than 90 days)
If you are planning to live in Spain, there are three different scenarios. It depends on when you’re planning to come:
(2020 Withdrawal Agreement)
- If you are already living in Spain and registered as a resident before 6 July 2020: you may still have the green A4 certificate or credit card-sized piece of paper from Extranjeria or the police. This is still a valid document and prove your rights under the Withdrawal Agreement. You can exchange your paper residence document for the new TIE, but you do not need to.
- If you are living in Spain before 1 January 2021 and register as a resident after 6 July 2020, you may have been issued with a biometric residence card called “Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero” (TIE). This card prove your rights under the Withdrawal Agreement. If you want to obtain information on the address, telephone numbers and opening hours of the immigration offices, visit this link. For more information on this procedure, as well as on the documentation you must provide, visit this one.
- If you move to Spain after 31 December 2020, different immigration requirements will apply. If you are considering moving to Spain on or after 1 January 2021 and you are not covered by the Withdrawal Agreement, the rules depend on negotiations with the EU and may change. Here you have more information about it.
Alannia partnerships
We want to make your trip to Spain easier, that is why we have recently established some partnerships with different companies to offer you discounts and advice.
More useful information
Pensions
There were no changes after 31st December 2020 in terms on the rules for claiming the UK State Pension in the EU, EEA or Switzerland as a result of the UK leaving the EU. 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 claimed your pension after 31 December 2020. You can find more information about pensions and working in Spain here.
Healthcare
If you are living in Spain or moved here permanently before 31 December 2020, you have life-long healthcare rights in Spain as you do now, provided you remain resident. For more information about healthcare, please click here.
COVID-19
You can consult the safety measures here in Spain on this link.
To keep update, we recommend you to consult official sources:
http://extranjeros.inclusion.gob.es/
http://www.interior.gob.es/es/web/interior/portada