Moving to Spain with Teenagers

Hi Tim,

Mojacar Playa is an excellent place in which to retire and use for holidays especially over the winter/spring months. But, for teenagers at that time of year Mojacar Playa is Deadville (some restaurants open but few people). I can nearly see the daggers coming out for me at this stage.

If you can afford it, retire asap. Do not sell your home in the UK. Your teenagers have a long way to go yet and no need to inflict more worries on them re learning Spanish (least worry) and settling in what could be an adverse "climate."

My Main Advice if you retire:- Live in the UK for most of the year. Let your teenagers complete their schooling and university there. You can rent a good 2 bedroom, low rise, centrally located apartment for under €700 per month (inclusive of all utilites) whenever you wish. 

Look on it this way, if you take my advice:- You're backing 2 horses in a 2 horse race. (Translation into English:- You can't lose).

I agree with Matthew don't think of moving to Spain at this time and with teenagers.  keep your feet firmly in the Uk and rent here when you want to let them finish their education when they can and if they still want to come with you to Spain they can consider the pros and cons themselves.  with social distancing rules at the moment there is definitely no opportunity to dance or play football.  we see very few teenagers out and about here.

On the flip side, if you are planning to move here permanently at some point, and only have a UK passport, then it’s best to have residence prior to 31/12/2020.

After the end of the transition period, UK becomes a “third country” and the pathway to actually settling in Spain - for both you AND your kids becomes that much more difficult, with increased financial requirements and much more onerous residential requirements.

If you were to arrive and apply for Residencia as a family prior to the end of transition period, with the kids the ages they are, you could get in as a family.  You are then required to spend a minimum of 183 days a year in Spain to retain your Residencia.  That means, if you wanted, you could spend 6 months (182 days) a year in the UK.

After the end of the transition period, quadrupled financial requirement aside, you are required to spend no more than 6 months aggregate in 5 years (I believe) outside Spain to maintain your residency.

Kids are resilient - and at that age, they will pick the language up reasonably quickly.  The Spanish are very sociable and there are many active soccer clubs in and around Mojácar.  I would ask your teens what THEY want .... but just remember, if they decide to stay and then you all come out after they turn 18, then it’s no longer a family application and they would have to be able to justify their residency in their own right.  At 18 years old? Forget it.  Unless they both manage to land jobs here that pay in excess of 27.000€ per annum.

Were Brexit not “a thing” I’d be wholeheartedly in agreement with Matthew et al.  But now the clock is ticking unfortunately and when you arrive may well end up dictating your ability to actually retire and live here, or only visit twice a year for two 90 day periods, separated by 180 days in between .....

at this moment forget about Brexit,we (I) have lived in various countries before the EU and we will continue to do so,yes there may be more paperwork but the Spanish are famous for that anyways,Re your children,when they finish school work for them in Spain will more than likely be very difficult, for I think, 3 to 4 years, the Spanish WILL look after their own first,and I agree with that.

Mojacar Playa is a wonderful place to live/stay if you are not worried about earning money,but again for the kids not much to do unless you are prepared to travel to Garrucha/Vera etc, both easily done on the bus.

As Matthew has rightly said,spend apx 4K renting a place for a year and see how it goes.

lastly, learn Spanish,learn Spanish,learn Spanish,it will open many doors for you all

Unfortunately, you can’t just “forget about Brexit”. It’s not a case of there just being more paperwork.  What MUST be borne in mind is that once UK becomes a “third country”, freedom of movement is over and done with.  There is no more moving from country to country in the EU (except for those who already have residence in an EU country)

At the moment, until end of transition period, you can come to Spain and your pension will quite comfortably meet both the financial and health cover (via S1 form from DWP) requirements.  you do this once; and after 5 years you become automatically eligible for permanent residency.

After the end of the transition period, it changes.  As an immigrant from a third country, each applicant must prove an income of 27.000€ per annum.  Your application for temporary residency must be renewed after 1 year and that renewal is valid for 2 years; you would then have to renew again for another 2 years - and income requirements again proved until you apply for permanent residency at the 5 year point.  Under the TIE (general immigration regime) there is also a Spanish language test.  Much like UKs new immigration rules, whereby applicants will have to speak English, in Spain applicants under TIE must have an understanding of Spanish.

Again, much like the new immigration rules in UK, the existing general immigration rules in Spain make it virtually impossible for a UK or any other countries pensioner to retire to Spain. Get in while Residencia lasts, then sort language etc out at your leisure.  There IS an international school the kids can attend near Vera Playa I think it is.  Any move is going to be difficult; I have moved countries a few times in my life and settling in to a new way of life, language, customs and making new friends can be a wrench - especially for a teenager; but it can also be exciting and fun.

It’s a lot more fun than being stuck in the UK, looking at Spain saying “I wish we’d actually moved when we could ....”

Fear is temporary ... regret is permanent.

EDIT:  Edited 8/6/2020 to correct the third-country temporary residence application and renewals.

Fear maybe temporary,and easily spread !

Yes the UK will become a 'third country' outside of the political EU system,BUT deals will be done especially with countries like Spain where foreign money is VITAL to their economy, even more so now after Covid.

Covid has shown how much our economies rely on each other and I believe the Tit for Tat games will be put aside by the EU club.

Also Covid has shown how shallow and weak the EU club is with all countries ignoring/suspending the Shengen agreement and inventing their own rules on free movement.

I think we will have to agree to disagree on this matter

Keep safe

Thank you for the responses, which are very helpful. As we feared, perhaps (or perhaps not!) Brexit could be the biggest spanner in the works. Being in Spain ahead of 31 December was always a long shot, even more so now with Covid 19. I think we'll have to wait and see what the new year brings, although I'd still hope that we could follow our dream, if that's what we decide to do (no doubt with more red tape and a higher cost than it would have been pre-Brexit!).

With reference to a minimum income level of 27kE pa per person. That's unlikely for many, particularly those thinking of retirement. Instead of a minimum income requirement, is there an alternattive, minimum capital requirement (e.g. everyone must have 100kE in cash)?

Thanks again and take care. 

Chrisso50 is on top of this and may know more - hopefully he’ll take a look in and may be able to answer you question.

One thing is for certain - there will be no sweetheart deals done to allow UK Nationals an easier passage to residency; the belief that the EU needs UK £££ is a complete fallacy and is born from the mistaken belief that “they need us more than we need them”.  It is something that will catch many by surprise at the end of the transition period when people expect a sweetheart deal, and instead find they are now treated just like every other third country national.

Tourism starts again, probably, in July, although whether the borders will immediately reopen to UK / US Nationals remains to be seen.  There are ... rumbles ... that suggest this will not be the case.

If you can get here before 31/12 though, all you need is to show you took up residency prior to that date - you then have until 30/6/2021 to actually apply for residency under the transition period rules.

Interesting, thanks.