UPDATE: 30th May
Services seem to be back to normal
UPDATE: 20th May
Still no appointments available on the London Consulate booking system.
Manchester and Edinburgh responding to requests in a few days and offering appointments around 2 to 3 weeks ahead.
UPDATE: 10th May
There are still no appointments available on the London Consulate booking system.
Manchester are now replying a lot faster to requests for appointments.
There are a few steps involved in the process for registering a car from and EU country in Spain. Fortunately because of European standardisation, or homologation as it’s known, in most cases, provided you know the steps, it’s relatively straight forward.
The following is a basic run through of the steps and process.
Spanish residency requirements for British citizens / UK nationals changed on January 1st 2021 when the UK left the EU.
British citizens / UK nationals now have to follow the same process as other non-EU national citizens of third countries to get Spanish residency, i.e. there is a requirement to first obtain a visa.
The minimum income required for a British Citizen / UK national to obtain a residency visa, is a lot higher than it was to get residency before Brexit. In most cases a single applicant needs to have at least €28k per year, whereas previously less than €6k income would have been sufficient.
You also have to obtain a police criminal check report, and medical certificates are also required for most visa applications.
Understanding and planning fiscal residency and Spanish tax is a very important when making the transition to become a resident in Spain. Tax in Spain is very different to the UK, and has become even more complicated since the UK left the EU as the way certain types of income are treated changed.
Here we provide an overview of the tax related requirements and key points that most need to consider when becoming a Spanish resident.
The ETIAS Visa Waiver is a visa waiver program created by the European Union to protect and strengthen its borders. It copies the US Visa Waiver Program which provides prior travel authorization through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA).
ETIAS stands for European Travel Information and Authorization System. The main goal of the ETIAS visa waiver for Europe, is to identify possible threats or risks associated with visitors traveling to any of the Schengen Area countries. The ETIAS visa waiver will be needed to enter a Schengen member country. By the end of 2022, all visitors that currently do not need a visa to enter Europe will be expected to apply for an ETIAS travel authorization.
There are two main healthcare requirements for the Non-Lucrative Visa. Firstly you must be free from any of the diseases listed under the International Health Regulations 2005, and secondly you need to have unrestricted access to healthcare in Spain.
The first requirement is satisfied by obtaining a Doctors letter or medical certificate. The Doctors letter or medical certificate can be provided by your own GP, or a private Doctor either in the UK or Spain. The letter or certificate has to be signed by the issuing doctor, have their medical practice stamp, and their registration number. In the UK this is known as a GMC (General Medical Council) number.
The are quite a few steps and costs involved to import and register and car from a non-EU country in Spain.
First and foremost EU conformity, import and registration costs must be taken into account as these can make the import and registration in Spain impossible or too expensive to be worth while.
This said, under EU rules if you are moving from a non-EU country to live in an EU country, such as Spain, you can bring your possessions including cars, and avoid paying the costly duties and taxes and having to pay for expensive EU conformity certification.
These transfer of residence rules give you up to12 months form the date you get your residency to import your car and avoid paying customs and VAT. However you only have 60 days from the date you take up residency, to register your car and avoid registration tax (if it applies).
The UK is no longer in the EU and the process and costs to register a UK car in Spain after Brexit have changed considerably.
This is because UK cars now are now treated as vehicles from third countries and must either clear customs, or get a customs certificate if your car qualifies for customs exemption.
The process you follow will depend on your situation as will the cost. You’ll need to budget for costs of around €1,000 with taxes as applicable on top.
Updated 15/10/2021
The Spanish Consulate in London covers the southern counties of the UK, Crown Dependencies and British Overseas Territories. So if you live in East Anglia, the South East or the South West, you’ll need to go to the Spanish Consulate in London to apply for a Spanish residency visa.
The Spanish Consulate in Manchester covers Central UK. So if you live in the Midlands, the North West, Isle of Man or Wales, you’ll need to go to the Spanish Consulate in Manchester to apply for a Spanish residency visa.