So it’s after Brexit, you want to move to Spain and you haven’t a clue how to do it. Well then, you’re just like Walter Ego. Skatz helps Walter understand in this enlightening conversation.

Prefer to watch the video? Click above for the conversation with Skatz and Walter Ego.

Walter wants to move to Spain

Walter: I want to move to Spain!

Skatz: Okay, what passport do you have?

W: British! But it still says EU on it.

S: Doesn’t make any difference, you’re not an EU citizen anymore. 

W: Yes, I’m British!

S: Which means you’re now a citizen of what’s called a ‘third country’.

W: British!

S: Yes, we’ve got that. And you want to move to Spain?

W: Yes, I already said that!

S: Okay, so things are a bit different for British immigrants now.

W: Immigrants? I’m not an immigrant! I’m British.

S: You will be an immigrant if you move to Spain permanently. That’s what it means.

W: I’m not coming to Spain in a dingy.

S: You don’t have to. Let me tell you what you have to do. Are you going to be retired?

W: Not yet, I’m not that old!

S: So you want to find a job?

W: I thought I could do odd jobs, a bit of this and that, I’m a handyman.

S: Unfortunately, since Brexit, you can’t just turn up and get a job or set up your own business.

W: Why not? I’m very good. I’ve got awards for my table legs

S: Sorry, it’s the rules. You need a special visa whether you want to work or not.

W: I’ve got a mate in Alicante who’s a builder, he’ll give me a job.

S: It’s not as easy as that anymore. First of all he has to offer the job to EU citizens, and prove he’s done that.

W: Then he can give it to me?

S: Well, then he has to sponsor you and do all of the paperwork to get your visa for you. There’s a lot of jumping through hoops.

W: He used to be a gymnast.

S: That’s unusual for a builder.

W: He’s very nimble.

S: I hope he’s good at paperwork.

W: No but he’s good at balancing bricks.

S: Maybe that’s not your best option then.

W: What if I start me own business?

S: Then you’d need to apply for a self-employment visa.

W: That sounds more like it. So should I go to Spain and do that?

S: No, you need to go to one of the three Spanish consulates in your country of residence…

W: Britain!

S: That’s right, and you fill in the application form with all of your great qualifications.

W: I don’t need qualifications! I’ve worked with these hands all my life

S: Ah, maybe you’ll get away with experience if you’ve been doing it for years successfully.

W: I’m the best!

S: You’d need a very strong business plan of course.

W: Eeuurgh!

S: And the finances to back it up, and money to live on while you’re getting started, and you need to show how it benefits the local community, provides work for people and doesn’t act in competition with an existing Spanish business in the area so it needs to be different.

W: Bleedin’ Nora, they don’t ask much do they!

S: They need to know you’re going to not only survive but thrive and you won’t need to get money from the state.

W: Ohhhhhh I may as well retire.

S: Ah, now that’s a different visa.

W: Another visa?!

S: Yes, it’s called the Non Lucrative Visa. Some people call it the retirement visa because it’s what retired people need.

W: Okay, what do I need for that one then?

S: You need enough money to live on.

W: That’s it?

S: Yeah, it can be savings or any kind of passive income like a pension for example.

W: Well, I’ve got a bit squirrelled away and I could take early retirement and get a bit of an early pension.

S: There’s a minimum amount you need to have as a third country citizen.

W: How much is that then?

S: It goes up a little bit every year. It’s just over 27 thousand Euros a year at the moment. 

W: What, 27 thousand?! Every year?

S: Yes.

W: You don’t need that much to live on in Spain!

S: Well, that’s the amount that non-EU citizens need to get their temporary visa.

W: Temporary? But I want to move permanently!

S: For the first 5 years you’re classed as a temporary resident, then you can apply for it to be permanent.

W: I’ll have to do some odd jobs to make sure I’ve got enough then.

S: Sorry, you’re not allowed to do any kind of work on the Non Lucrative Visa.

W: Well, I did a bit of online work when I was in lockdown, could I do that again?

S: No, that’s still working.

W: How would they know?

S: They’d see your bank statements when you renew your visa. 

W: Euurgh, so there’s nothing I can do?

S: If you’ve not got enough finances, then no.

W: There must be a way, lots of people have moved to Spain!

S: Before Brexit, loads of Brits did, but they were all EU citizens then, it was easier.

W: So no one’s moving any more?

S: There are plenty of Brits applying for visas, they just need to be a bit better at planning their finances. People from America and Canada and Australia and lots of other non-EU countries have been doing it for years.

W: Ooh I wonder if I could move to America, the US of A!

S: You’d need a visa.

W: Oh b****cks!

S: Sorry, it is what it is.

W: Thanks for nothing.

S: Actually you got a lot of information there.

W: Did it do me any good?

S: Maybe, you learned a lot, and that’s valuable.

W: I’m not paying you!

S: You could buy me a coffee, or become a patron.

W: How do I do that?

S: Here are some links for both of those websites, the first one is www.buymeacoffee.com/YouToo and the other one is www.patreon.com/YouTooSpain 

W: I’ll think about it

S: That’d be a first

W: Cheeky!

S: So do you know what to do now to move to Spain?

W: Win the Lottery?

S: Well, that’s one way, but I would carry on watching some of the videos on our YouTube channel or if you’d prefer to read about it, go to our website

W: That’s where I am now!

S: That’s right, so join the mailing list on here for regular updates.

W: I’m so excited!

S: Are you really?

W: No!

S: Oh well, there’s no pleasing some people.

W: Are you finished now?

S: Nearly, I just need to say peace and love, and see you in the next blog article!

W: Bye

S: Bye!

Article by Skatz and his alter ego, Walter Ego