Since 1 January 2021 British citizens are third-country nationals: they can visit Spain without a visa, but need a permit to live here. At the end of 2025 more than 380,000 Britons held a registration certificate or Withdrawal Agreement TIE, one of the most established foreign communities in Spain. Here are the routes used today, the UK documents you will be asked for, and what people who lived here before Brexit keep.
Key facts
- Entry: on a British passport you can stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa, but not work. The Entry/Exit System (EES) records each entry and exit electronically.
- Residents before 2021: people legally living in Spain before 1 January 2021 are protected by the Withdrawal Agreement, and their document is the TIE that mentions it.
- Documents: the UK is party to the Hague Convention: documents are apostilled by the FCDO Legalisation Office and, being in English, need a sworn translation.
- Driving: since March 2023 there is an exchange agreement. As a resident you can drive on your UK licence for six months and exchange it without a test.
- Citizenship: 10 years of legal residence, DELE A2, CCSE and a declaration of renunciation: Spain does not recognise dual nationality with the UK.
- Healthcare and pensions: there is no bilateral social security agreement, but UK–EU coordination keeps the S1 form for State Pension recipients.
How people usually move
- Non-lucrative residence. The usual route for retirees and people living on their own means: consular visa, own resources, private health insurance without co-payments or waiting periods, medical certificate and criminal record certificate. It does not allow work. Non-lucrative residence
- Digital nomad. For people working remotely for companies or clients outside Spain with a relationship of at least three months. Apply at the consulate or from Spain while legally there. Digital nomad
- Work in Spain. A job offer from a Spanish company, a highly qualified profile or an EU Blue Card, the last two through the UGE. Employment permit
- Family. Spouse or registered partner of a Spanish or EU citizen, including one with an Irish passport. Family member of a Spanish or EU citizen
- Studies. Degree, master’s or vocational course with a study authorisation, which allows work up to 30 hours a week; that time does not count towards citizenship.
- If you already lived here before 2021. You keep your rights with the Withdrawal Agreement TIE; after five years of residence you can obtain permanent residence.
Documents and apostille
- Criminal record certificate: usually the ACRO Police Certificate; depending on where you have lived, the consulate may accept one from Disclosure Scotland or AccessNI. It usually has to be recent, apostilled and with a sworn translation. Documents and translations
- FCDO apostille (Legalisation Office) on criminal records, birth and marriage certificates and degrees.
- Birth and marriage certificates from the civil registry of England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, apostilled and translated, if your family is moving with you.
- Health insurance: private, with full cover in Spain, no co-payments or waiting periods, plus a medical certificate for the non-lucrative visa; if you receive the State Pension, the S1 to register with the INSS once resident.
- Proof of income or resources: pensions, bank statements or remote work contract, depending on the route.
What to keep in mind
- Residence visa applications are filed by appointment at the BLS International centres (London, Manchester and Edinburgh), which receive applications for the Consulates General of Spain in London and Edinburgh depending on where you live. The decision always rests with the consulate.
- Order certificates in good time but not too early: the criminal record usually has to be recent, and the apostille and sworn translation add time.
- Tourist days count towards the 90/180 limit and are recorded in the EES. Do not overstay while waiting for a decision: an irregular stay harms any later application.
- In Spain: TIE within the first month if you arrive with a visa, padrón and, with more than 183 days a year here, Spanish tax residence. Spain and the UK have a double taxation agreement.
Frequently asked questions
I have lived in Spain since before 2021 with the green certificate. Do I need to do anything?
The UK government and Spanish authorities recommend exchanging the green certificate for the Withdrawal Agreement TIE, the document that expressly records your rights. After five years of legal residence you can hold permanent residence, and the TIE must be renewed when it expires.
Can I work on a non-lucrative visa?
No. Non-lucrative residence does not allow work in Spain, and under the usual interpretation that includes remote work. If you will work remotely for foreign clients or companies, the right route is the digital nomad visa; if you have a job offer in Spain, a work authorisation.
What happens to my UK driving licence?
As a resident you can use it for six months. Before that period ends, apply for the exchange at the DGT; you will need a check code from the DVLA (or the DVA in Northern Ireland). Jersey, Guernsey and Isle of Man licences cannot be exchanged and require a test.
Official sources
- GOV.UK: Living in Spain (residencia, Acuerdo de Retirada, permiso de conducir)
- GOV.UK: Healthcare in Spain (S1, convenio especial)
- DGT: acuerdo de canje de permisos España–Reino Unido (2023)
- BLS International: centro de solicitud de visados de España en el Reino Unido
- La Moncloa: población extranjera con documento de residencia a 31-12-2025
- Código Civil, arts. 22 y 23