# New member looking for advice



## June M (8 mo ago)

Hello, I’m looking into buying a property on Costa Blanca to retire from uk. When looking into non lucrative visa info, it states minimum financial requirements would be over 2K per month. Is that set in stone?
I live alone with no dependants. 
I would appreciate any info thanks.


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## tebo53 (Sep 18, 2014)

June M said:


> Hello, I’m looking into buying a property on Costa Blanca to retire from uk. When looking into non lucrative visa info, it states minimum financial requirements would be over 2K per month. Is that set in stone?
> I live alone with no dependants.
> I would appreciate any info thanks.


The non-lucrative financial requirements for a single person are: an annual income of €27,792.96 from pensions or other stable income. Some regions will accept a lower income along with savings in a Spanish bank of around €30,000. These income amounts will be checked again after years 2 and 4.
You will also need full private healthcare paid for a full year. 

Steve


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

tebo53 said:


> The non-lucrative financial requirements for a single person are: an annual income of €27,792.96 from pensions or other stable income. Some regions will accept a lower income along with savings in a Spanish bank of around €30,000. These income amounts will be checked again after years 2 and 4.
> You will also need full private healthcare paid for a full year.
> 
> Steve


There are no regional differences. The visa is applied for & issued at the Spanish Consulate in th country of legal residence. 

All consulates require 4 X IPREM for the first applicant, & IPREM is set nationally.

Savings can be accepted as funds, but the figure will remain the same.


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## June M (8 mo ago)

tebo53 said:


> The non-lucrative financial requirements for a single person are: an annual income of €27,792.96 from pensions or other stable income. Some regions will accept a lower income along with savings in a Spanish bank of around €30,000. These income amounts will be checked again after years 2 and 4.
> You will also need full private healthcare paid for a full year.
> 
> Steve


Thanks Steve, looks like I’m staying put then. I’m nowhere near that income.


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

June M said:


> Thanks Steve, looks like I’m staying put then. I’m nowhere near that income.


I'm afraid that's the cost of Brexit. When UK was in EU, someone with just UK state pension could move to Spain, but now the financial requirement is much higher.


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## June M (8 mo ago)

Joppa said:


> I'm afraid that's the cost of Brexit. When UK was in EU, someone with just UK state pension could move to Spain, but now the financial requirement is much higher.


Yes I thought it must have been brexit. So disappointed 😒


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## davexf (Jan 26, 2009)

Hola, 

Just a thought, Portugal does not have the same restrictions. The Algarve may prove to be a suitable alternative. I believe the income requirements are around 12,500€ for a couple but do check as it was a very long time ago that i read up on it. 

Davexf


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## dancingspider (Mar 4, 2018)

June, you can still buy a property and live here up to six months of the year.

The 183 day rule is what you have to be aware of.

If you have a base in the UK and also in Spain you can still enjoy Spain and keep a base in the UK, but you would remain a UK resident.

There are lots of very affordable properties here, if you compare to UK prices. Moving inland drops the price as does moving away from Madrid, Valencia, Barcelona and Bilbao, which are the main employment centres. 

In Andalucia, you can pick up a property for a dime!


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

dancingspider said:


> June, you can still buy a property and live here up to six months of the year.
> 
> The 183 day rule is what you have to be aware of.
> 
> ...


Yes, she can spend under 183 days a year a year in Spain, but also has to stick to no more than 90 days in every 180.


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## June M (8 mo ago)

xabiaxica said:


> Yes, she can spend under 183 days a year a year in Spain, but also has to stick to no more than 90 days in every 180.


Thanks. I understand the 90 days rule but wouldn’t really work for me as I was selling my home to buy and live over there.


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## manuka (May 26, 2014)

June M said:


> Thanks. I understand the 90 days rule but wouldn’t really work for me as I was selling my home to buy and live over there.


I feel for you..
Could you rent your UK home out long term and then rent a place in Spain long term? You keep your security then re your UK home


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

manuka said:


> I feel for you..
> Could you rent your UK home out long term and then rent a place in Spain long term? You keep your security then re your UK home


But where would she live when in the UK half the year?


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## June M (8 mo ago)

manuka said:


> I feel for you..
> Could you rent your UK home out long term and then rent a place in Spain long term? You keep your security then re your UK home


I don’t think that would work for me thanks. I’ve accepted the way things are so will just keep on visiting unless things change. 
Thanks for all your help and advice everyone.


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## manuka (May 26, 2014)

xabiaxica said:


> But where would she live when in the UK half the year? The suggestion was about full time living in Spain.


This would be renting all year round- - all year round on the visa she is exploring- non lucrative. If is about using her house in UK as income: 12 months rental Uk income would be considerably higher than on the long term Spanish rental. There still needs to be 26000euros proof of funds in bank account.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

manuka said:


> This would be renting all year round- - all year round on the visa she is exploring- non lucrative. If is about using her house in UK as income: 12 months rental Uk income would be considerably higher than on the long term Spanish rental. There still needs to be 20000euros proof of funds in bank account.


I know that rental costs are high in the UK - my daughter pays almost as much for a room in a shared flat on the outskirts of London as I pay for three beds, 2 baths, small private garden & shared pool & gardens in an expensive area of Spain. 


Would a funcionario at the Spanish Consulate accept rental income as a stable enough income for a NLV? Who knows?

Where does the figure of 20.000€ in the bank come from?


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## kaipa (Aug 3, 2013)

dancingspider said:


> June, you can still buy a property and live here up to six months of the year.
> 
> The 183 day rule is what you have to be aware of.
> 
> ...




TBH many people from the UK get a bit seduced by the Spanish dream. The main reason they wish to live here is because of the climate hence the reason that the southern peninsular has most of the Brits. They might make a nod to culture but alot live in urbanizations that effectively provide a sheltered existence from the rest of Spain. Now there is nothing wrong with. Each to their own. However, there are some negatives. One is that as you grow older your health becomes more of a primary concern. Whilst the Spanish healthcare is good it is not going to be a particularly nice experience if you are in hospital or need care and you cannot speak the language. Although some staff can speak English they are under no duty to do so and in fact some hospitals are being advised not to use English in circumstances where information needs to fully understood. Secondly the weather aspect often wears off after 4 or 5 summers. Most people find that lying in the sun for long periods is not so pleasant if you have months of heat in front of you. Recent years we have seen longer and longer periods of extreme heat and as strange as that sounds it can be just as horrible as the cold in winter. Today for instance parts of Spain have 40 degrees and that is extremely difficult to deal with unless you power up the AC ( which given recent energy prices and Spain having Europe's highest electricity prices is very costly). Thirdly Spain is no longer as cheap as it used to be with Spanish constructors very aware that foreigners like Brits thinking Spain is cheap. Many of the urbanizations where the Brits live have high property prices now. I do work for a very large construction company in Alicante and they are building around Punta Prima where the prices for small one bed room apartments are well over 200,000 euros. Older properties are available and cheaper but tend to be in areas that Brits dont like. Fourthly tax in Spain is higher than uk with nothing like the tax breaks the UK have. Allowances are lower and tax free savings are non existent. Plus you need to be careful when it comes to inheritance tax as again it is different to UK and can be a problem if you wish to leave any Spanish assests to family. All in all the 90 day rule is not that bad given that you can have 2 nice long holidays a year and one advantage is that as so many people own properties in Spain that they dont live in all year means that Airbnb is big here and as everyone and there dog seemed to think it would a great earner there are loads of available properties to rent at very low prices. I found a nice clean apartment near to where I live for a some friends and it was 23 euros a night!!!!


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## manuka (May 26, 2014)

xabiaxica said:


> I know that rental costs are high in the UK - my daughter pays almost as much for a room in a shared flat on the outskirts of London as I pay for three beds, 2 baths, small private garden & shared pool & gardens in an expensive area of Spain.
> 
> 
> Would a funcionario at the Spanish Consulate accept rental income as a stable enough income for a NLV? Who knows?
> ...


 UK rental contract covering you in Uk from an agent/solicitor . I was going to do this at one point and would have saved up the 26000 euro balance required from savings. Good luck June. 90 days is still enough to have a good long holiday each year


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## manuka (May 26, 2014)

kaipa said:


> "TBH many people from the UK get a bit seduced by the Spanish dream. The main reason they wish to live here is because of the climate hence the reason that the southern prices and Spain having Europe's highest electricity prices is very costly). Thirdly Spain is no longer properties to rent at very low prices.


 I found a nice clean apartment near to where I live for a some friends and it was 23 euros a night!!!!........."


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## June M (8 mo ago)

kaipa said:


> TBH many people from the UK get a bit seduced by the Spanish dream. The main reason they wish to live here is because of the climate hence the reason that the southern peninsular has most of the Brits. They might make a nod to culture but alot live in urbanizations that effectively provide a sheltered existence from the rest of Spain. Now there is nothing wrong with. Each to their own. However, there are some negatives. One is that as you grow older your health becomes more of a primary concern. Whilst the Spanish healthcare is good it is not going to be a particularly nice experience if you are in hospital or need care and you cannot speak the language. Although some staff can speak English they are under no duty to do so and in fact some hospitals are being advised not to use English in circumstances where information needs to fully understood. Secondly the weather aspect often wears off after 4 or 5 summers. Most people find that lying in the sun for long periods is not so pleasant if you have months of heat in front of you. Recent years we have seen longer and longer periods of extreme heat and as strange as that sounds it can be just as horrible as the cold in winter. Today for instance parts of Spain have 40 degrees and that is extremely difficult to deal with unless you power up the AC ( which given recent energy prices and Spain having Europe's highest electricity prices is very costly). Thirdly Spain is no longer as cheap as it used to be with Spanish constructors very aware that foreigners like Brits thinking Spain is cheap. Many of the urbanizations where the Brits live have high property prices now. I do work for a very large construction company in Alicante and they are building around Punta Prima where the prices for small one bed room apartments are well over 200,000 euros. Older properties are available and cheaper but tend to be in areas that Brits dont like. Fourthly tax in Spain is higher than uk with nothing like the tax breaks the UK have. Allowances are lower and tax free savings are non existent. Plus you need to be careful when it comes to inheritance tax as again it is different to UK and can be a problem if you wish to leave any Spanish assests to family. All in all the 90 day rule is not that bad given that you can have 2 nice long holidays a year and one advantage is that as so many people own properties in Spain that they dont live in all year means that Airbnb is big here and as everyone and there dog seemed to think it would a great earner there are loads of available properties to rent at very low prices.


Haha, thanks for the reality check my friend. I may have had a lucky escape lol. I’m out in September for 2 weeks in a private apartment and looking forward to looking around Villa Martin area.


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## kaipa (Aug 3, 2013)

June M said:


> Haha, thanks for the reality check my friend. I may have had a lucky escape lol. I’m out in September for 2 weeks in a private apartment and looking forward to looking around Villa Martin area.


My son goes  to school in Villa Martin. It's very nice and quite an old established foreigner urbanization. It is pretty much English speaking with bars with fish and chips etc. Not my cup of tea but it is a bit greener than the places nearer the coast.


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## tebo53 (Sep 18, 2014)

June M said:


> Haha, thanks for the reality check my friend. I may have had a lucky escape lol. I’m out in September for 2 weeks in a private apartment and looking forward to looking around Villa Martin area.


My sister has lived on the Villamartin estate for about 20 years and in that time her house value has dropped quite dramatically. 
You need to be physically active and capable if you are thinking of living there as its mostly built on hills. There is no bus service that actually runs through the estate and the only bus stops are on the main road through. It can result in uphill/downhill walks to the stops. It can also be a good walk to the minimum of shops in the area. The Plaza is excellent for going for a meal and a few drinks, otherwise the Villamartin area has little to offer.
It will be worth looking around the La Zenia area.

Steve


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## June M (8 mo ago)

tebo53 said:


> My sister has lived on the Villamartin estate for about 20 years and in that time her house value has dropped quite dramatically.
> You need to be physically active and capable if you are thinking of living there as its mostly built on hills. There is no bus service that actually runs through the estate and the only bus stops are on the main road through. It can result in uphill/downhill walks to the stops. It can also be a good walk to the minimum of shops in the area. The Plaza is excellent for going for a meal and a few drinks, otherwise the Villamartin area has little to offer.
> It will be worth looking around the La Zenia area.
> 
> Steve


Thanks for info. I’m staying right on plaza but good to know other important things. All a bit irrelevant now as I can’t afford to move to Spain, but thanks anyway.


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## tardigrade (May 23, 2021)

You never know. You could meet a nice European person on your visit..


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## dancingspider (Mar 4, 2018)

June, any chance of downsizing in the UK to release some funds to buy a property in Spain?


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## June M (8 mo ago)

dancingspider said:


> June, any chance of downsizing in the UK to release some funds to buy a property in Spain?


I would be left with same problem of income to get visa and I could downsize to be able to stay 6 months per year and 6 here, but not really enough capital left for what I would want.


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## dancingspider (Mar 4, 2018)

You can buy a property here without having to become a resident.

You would not need a visa, savings or income that now create the obstacle, post brexit.

You would require private healthcare here in Spain.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

dancingspider said:


> You can buy a property here without having to become a resident.
> 
> You would not need a visa, savings or income that now create the obstacle, post brexit.
> 
> *You would require private healthcare here in Spain.*


Not to visit as a holidaymaker she wouldn't!

Travel health insurance would certainly be recommended though.

And she'd still be limited to 90 days in 180 unless she had a resident visa.


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## dancingspider (Mar 4, 2018)

So what happens if she has a medical emergency without health insurance?

I don't know what age the lady is, or whether she is in her 50's or 60's, but that is the age when lots of medical issues start to arise! 

It would be an utter act of folly to travel out of the UK without medical insurance, which extends to medical repatriation, back to the UK! However, you are right that it would not be manditory!

As an aside, for a tiny amount, I was able to extend my medical insurance to cover the return of my copse, in the event I popped my clogs.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

dancingspider said:


> So what happens if she has a medical emergency without health insurance?
> 
> I don't know what age the lady is, or whether she is in her 50's or 60's, but that is the age when lots of medical issues start to arise!
> 
> ...


As I said, she'd be advised to take out travel health insurance, including repatriation, but the 'free' GHIC from the UK would cover her for any essential healthcare needs, especially emergency treatment while on holiday. The only thing that doesn't cover is repatriation. 

She definitely wouldn't need full private healthcare in Spain, which is what you posted.


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## dancingspider (Mar 4, 2018)

Actually, thinking about it one of the conditions in my policy was that I had to remain a resident in Spain for my Spanish healthcare policy to remain valid.

Once you go over that 6 months threshold, they would cancel the policy.

It would probably have to be a UK healthcare policy, if she wanted more comprehensive cover than just emergency treatment.

There are lots of scenarios which wouldn't qualify as emergencies, but you wouldn't want to delay treatment until you return maybe in some months or cut your stay in Spain off early, and fly back to get sorted by the NHS.

So my position remains the same that private medical healthcare would be the way to go.


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## davexf (Jan 26, 2009)

Hola, 

The OP said quite clearly that she wanted to move to Spain permanently, not for 90 days in 180. 

She also said she could not make the income requirements of the Non lucrative visa, which is why I suggested that a possibility might be Portugal as it has lower income requirements. 

Further to the EHIC card, remember that it is for emergency treatment only, it does not cover any convalescence required. 

Davexf


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

davexf said:


> Hola,
> 
> The OP said quite clearly that she wanted to move to Spain permanently, not for 90 days in 180.
> 
> ...





dancingspider said:


> Actually, thinking about it one of the conditions in my policy was that I had to remain a resident in Spain for my Spanish healthcare policy to remain valid.
> 
> Once you go over that 6 months threshold, they would cancel the policy.
> 
> ...


The EHIC even covers essential ongoing treatment such as dialysis, oxygen therapy & chemotherapy on holiday, if arranged in advance.

It can be used to visit the doctor for any, even minor, ailment such as a sore throat. I believe that the new UK version, the GHIC is the same.

You're correct that if you broke your leg, needed stitches for a cut etc. you'd be treated. Removal of a cast & stitches also would be covered should you still be on holiday here at that time.

If you fell & needed a hip replacement that would be covered, as would initial follow ups if you were still on holiday, but physiotherapy (if required), for instance, wouldn't be.


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