# moving to Spain this year



## suiko (Dec 7, 2015)

hi everyone

Hope you're surviving lockdown.

I posted on here a couple of months ago about moving to Spain this year. Obviously with COVID this will have to wait a few months. 

I want to move this year because as a British citizen there's no way I'll be able to work in Spain afterwards (this is currently fairly easy for me, being an ex-EFL teacher). And if I take early retirement (I'm 55) there's no way I'll have anything like the minimum income requirement of about €26,000. 

The difference now is with COVID I'm expecting to be made redundant. So if I move it'll be full-time, initially to rent because I'll have to be in a city to find work.

As I understand it, if I move this year, I will be liable for capital gains tax on the sale of my house (will be about £100,000 "profit" - the other £300,000 will go on another house here to rent out). How much tax would I expect to pay on that £100,000? And is this the case if I move in November, say, and the sale is in June?

I think I understand the padrón and residency stuff, and private health insurance. Not a problem to have €26,000 in a Spanish bank account, and I have an NIE already. Driving licence not such an issue - I know I'll have to take the test again, but speak fluent Spanish so shouldn't be a major issue.

I will not be able to apply for Spanish citizenship until after ten years - is that right?

Thanks for any useful advice


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## Pipeman (Apr 1, 2016)

Hi Suiko, we're in a similar situation 

Regarding CGT, if you arrive in Spain after 6th July you won't be deemed fiscally resident for the 2020 tax yer (Spain is Jan - Dec) so no CGT on UK house sale. Otherwise it's 24% I believe.


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

Pipeman said:


> Regarding CGT, if you arrive in Spain after 6th July you won't be deemed fiscally resident for the 2020 tax yer (Spain is Jan - Dec) so no CGT on UK house sale. Otherwise it's 24% I believe.


It doesn't quite work like that. Living for 183 days plus is only one of the criteria for tax residency. Others include where the centre of your economic activity is, and where you have your main home with your family. So even moving in November can make you fiscally resident and liable for Spanish taxes for the whole of 2020, including CGT on the sale of your house. 
If you use the whole of the proceeds in buying a property in Spain, this will exempt you from CGT. 
You are eligible for citizenship after 10 years, but Spain doesn't permit dual nationality in most cases and you are expected to give up British nationality, though you aren't compelled to do so.


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## Pipeman (Apr 1, 2016)

Joppa, according to Blewin Franks and Pellicer & Herada the main home doesn't come into it if less than 180 days. Assume you have a holiday home in Spain as well as a home which you sell in the UK then move to Spain, this does not trigger fiscal residency if it's for less than 180 days.

Economic activity does, but there are dual taxation arrangements for that so no new penalty.


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## suiko (Dec 7, 2015)

Thanks.

I do intend to buy a place with the proceeds, but will not do this for at least a year or two. As I said, I need to work initially for financial reasons, and so I'd need to be in a city, where I wouldn't be able to afford to buy even if I wanted to. How does this affect CGT?

I don't understand what relevance having a holiday home has in relation to this?

Very happy to give up UK citizenship eventually, if needs be!


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

I think you can use the proceeds from house sale for up to 2 years before you become liable for Spanish CGT. 
If your Spanish holiday/second home ever becomes your main residence where your family lives full-time, you can be counted as tax resident.


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## suiko (Dec 7, 2015)

Thanks. 

Where I live when I arrive will be my main residence - I won't have a residence in the UK at this point. This will initially be a rented flat. I don't have a family.

Does this change matters?


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## kaipa (Aug 3, 2013)

The 183 rule is a bit of a strange one. Alot of people seem to think that if they are under this time period they will not incur tax liability. However, as I found out if you have registered for residency within that time period you will be liable. The hacienda see you as having made your centre of economic activity as soon as you have residency allowing them to tax you. I had to wait until the beginning of new tax year before I could get residency to avoid this situation


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## suiko (Dec 7, 2015)

Thanks. So what you're saying is that if I were to register in 2020, I'd be liable for £25,000 CGT on the sale of my house in UK?


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## kaipa (Aug 3, 2013)

suiko said:


> Thanks. So what you're saying is that if I were to register in 2020, I'd be liable for £25,000 CGT on the sale of my house in UK?


I think as the other OP said, it depends when you arrive. If you arrived in October you could ( 90 days) register for residency in Jan Then you would be a resident in a new tax year. Best thing to do which wont cost a penny and will give you a definitive answer is to phone the Spanish Tax authority. You speak Spanish so it wont be difficult. They are very helpful. Tell them your plan and they will get you the proper answer
The problem with lawyers is they will coerce you into being a client first


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## suiko (Dec 7, 2015)

Great, brilliant advice! So looks like the best plan might be to move in the autumn, then. The 90 days is the minimum period before applying for residency, right?


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## kaipa (Aug 3, 2013)

It is obviously a big decision for you and you really need to be dead sure of where you stand. So dont take anything you read here ( me included) until you have spoken to the tax authorities. They will give you the only legitimate answer.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

suiko said:


> Great, brilliant advice! So looks like the best plan might be to move in the autumn, then. The 90 days is the minimum period before applying for residency, right?


NO, it is the other way round. You have to register as a resident within 90 days of your arrival. If you move your family here, this becomes your country of domicile and you become liable for tax straight away.


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

I think in order to be eligible under the Withdrawal Agreement, you need to register as resident by 31st December. What I don't know is whether your residency starts from the day you register, or when you last arrived in Spain, or any date in between.
I don't think there is any correlation between residency and tax (fiscal) residency.


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## suiko (Dec 7, 2015)

So there is no way I can move before 31 Dec 2020 (as I have to do) and not be tax resident for the whole of 2020? 

Will be heartbreaking for me if I can't move to the country I've always wanted to move back to, but I really don't think I can afford to kiss goodbye to 25 grand with the massively reduced income I'm going to be living on in any case.


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## kaipa (Aug 3, 2013)

Joppa said:


> I think in order to be eligible under the Withdrawal Agreement, you need to register as resident by 31st December. What I don't know is whether your residency starts from the day you register, or when you last arrived in Spain, or any date in between.
> I don't think there is any correlation between residency and tax (fiscal) residency.


It seems to be a moot point this thing about residency and tax that is why the most sensible and correct thing to do is talk with the hacienda. Having people say they had residency but didnt make a tax return until the next year and nothing happened is not proof that it was legal. It simply wasnt checked


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

suiko said:


> So there is no way I can move before 31 Dec 2020 (as I have to do) and not be tax resident for the whole of 2020?
> 
> Will be heartbreaking for me if I can't move to the country I've always wanted to move back to, but I really don't think I can afford to kiss goodbye to 25 grand with the massively reduced income I'm going to be living on in any case.


I can only tell you that I moved to Spain at the end of November 2006 and I did not become tax resident until the following year (I registered as a resident in February 2007). In fact when I made an appointment at my local Hacienda office for them to complete my first tax return in June 2008, they said I had no need to submit one as I didn't have any income (we were living just on capital until our pensions became payable) and I did not need to make a tax return until I started receiving my pension. That's what I did, after 8 years and there haven't been any problems at all.


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## kaipa (Aug 3, 2013)

suiko said:


> So there is no way I can move before 31 Dec 2020 (as I have to do) and not be tax resident for the whole of 2020?
> 
> Will be heartbreaking for me if I can't move to the country I've always wanted to move back to, but I really don't think I can afford to kiss goodbye to 25 grand with the massively reduced income I'm going to be living on in any case.


I am not sure of your circumstances but TBH if you are able to buy a property in UK and have rent from that plus buy a property in spain you would be considered quite well off in many parts of Spain 
As for work well Spain is not the place to be looking for work. Unemployment is predicted to be 19% by end of summer and remember there are hardly any benefits compared with uk


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## kaipa (Aug 3, 2013)

Lynn R said:


> suiko said:
> 
> 
> > So there is no way I can move before 31 Dec 2020 (as I have to do) and not be tax resident for the whole of 2020?
> ...


Not sure why you didnt do a tax return in 2007 if you were a resident in February? You would have been living in spain for 10 months of the tax year
However, as you say if you didnt have an income or it was very small then you wouldn't need to pay tax anyway. The poster here is talking about 25,000 CGT and that would attract some tax that is why she should just talk to the hacienda


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## kaipa (Aug 3, 2013)

I seem to remember there being something about people arriving in Spain at the end of December but not having residency being given extra time to register providing they could prove they were moving to make spain their principle country of abode. If that is the case you could register in 2021 and not be liable for tax 2020. Plus remember that there is a good possibility that the Brexit talks will be extended meaning there could be another year where you are still a European citizen. So not all lost


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## Juan C (Sep 4, 2017)

At the end of the transition period there will be six months for those affected to get their documentation in order. 

That will only apply to those in the system not to those who arrive / start their application, after the end of the transition period.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

kaipa said:


> Not sure why you didnt do a tax return in 2007 if you were a resident in February? You would have been living in spain for 10 months of the tax year
> However, as you say if you didnt have an income or it was very small then you wouldn't need to pay tax anyway. The poster here is talking about 25,000 CGT and that would attract some tax that is why she should just talk to the hacienda


Because tax for the 2007 year would only have become payable in June 2008, of course, same as it does every year.

I sold my house in the UK just before moving to Spain in November 2006 and Hacienda were definitely not interested in any income or gains I had made in the UK in 2006 as they did not consider me to be tax resident until 2007.


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## Rich & Wendy (May 28, 2018)

I discussed this with a partner at Blevins Franks.
He told me straight that this will not be a problem if you move in the latter part of the year.
You will become resident for tax the following year, so sell your house before the end of this year, no tax to pay.


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## kaipa (Aug 3, 2013)

Yes of course . I thought you meant your first application was for 2008 . But obviously if you sold your house in 2006 then you wouldn't have needed to declare it in 2007 when you became a resident. That's quite straightforward and correct


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## kaipa (Aug 3, 2013)

There has been alot of people mentioning the same thing. I just dont understand why you dont ask the spanish tax authority. Afterall they are the ones who decide. I was " advised" to delay my eventual residency ( which was the whole 90 day period) so it started in January of a new tax year. As I say " advised" was the word. I could have ignored that but it would have been me not the lawyer who would have been fined.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

kaipa said:


> Yes of course . I thought you meant your first application was for 2008 . But obviously if you sold your house in 2006 then you wouldn't have needed to declare it in 2007 when you became a resident. That's quite straightforward and correct


But I had arrived in Spain (to live) at the end of November 2006 - which I told Hacienda - and they did not deem me tax resident until the 2007 year, contrary to all the stuff that gets posted about them considering people tax resident from the day they arrive if they relocate permanently.

I'd been a non resident property owner for over 3 years before that and they even changed my status on the system to resident which I asked them to so that they wouldn't be expecting more non resident tax returns from me in the future, even though I was following their advice not to submit resident income tax returns either.


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## kaipa (Aug 3, 2013)

Lynn R said:


> kaipa said:
> 
> 
> > Yes of course . I thought you meant your first application was for 2008 . But obviously if you sold your house in 2006 then you wouldn't have needed to declare it in 2007 when you became a resident. That's quite straightforward and correct
> ...


Yes I agree everything is as it should be
You arrived in November 2006 BUT you became resident in a new tax year 2007. So your tax obligation began on the year of your registering for residency.


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## suiko (Dec 7, 2015)

hello again

OK, well now I have a job offer, as an English teacher.

However, the salary is a quarter of what I earn now in the UK, and I'm not wildly enthusiastic about the job (it's what I did 25 years ago).

My question is:

What fundamental rights will I get now by making the financial sacrifice of moving now, in order to preserve (some of) my rights as an EU citizen under the WA, rights which I would not have if I were to retire to Spain in 3 or 4 years time?

*I would really appreciate it if someone could specify what specific advantage there would be in moving this year. *

I know that on a retirement visa I'd need to prove a relatively high level of income, and that I wouldn't be able to work formally (not so much of an issue as I'm 56 and not keen to be an EFL teacher in a school, which is pretty much the only option available). And that this type of visa would need to be renewed regularly. Is there anything else?


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## kaipa (Aug 3, 2013)

I think you point out the advantages if you wish to live in Spain permanently. If you wait then the income requirements could be more ( although nothing has been specifically decided yet). 
Welcome to the world of teaching in Spain. It's only worth doing if you regard it as a way of getting health care and it's a bit of a hobby. If you think of it as a job that provides a sustainable income forget it. Since the lockdown many teachers are unemployed so I expect wages to reduce even more. As you are 56 you should be able to draw your uk pension plus get an S1 entitling you to free healthcare.


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## Pipeman (Apr 1, 2016)

kaipa said:


> I think you point out the advantages if you wish to live in Spain permanently. If you wait then the income requirements could be more ( although nothing has been specifically decided yet).
> Welcome to the world of teaching in Spain. It's only worth doing if you regard it as a way of getting health care and it's a bit of a hobby. If you think of it as a job that provides a sustainable income forget it. Since the lockdown many teachers are unemployed so I expect wages to reduce even more. *As you are 56 you should be able to draw your uk pension plus get an S1 entitling you to free healthcare.*


I'm sorry, but this surely isn't true...

To the OP, the big advantages of moving during transition is the certainty that your state pension and post retirement healthcare rights are guaranteed. We don't know what arrangements will be in force wef 1st Jan 2021.


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## Barriej (Jul 23, 2012)

kaipa said:


> I think you point out the advantages if you wish to live in Spain permanently. If you wait then the income requirements could be more ( although nothing has been specifically decided yet).
> Welcome to the world of teaching in Spain. It's only worth doing if you regard it as a way of getting health care and it's a bit of a hobby. If you think of it as a job that provides a sustainable income forget it. Since the lockdown many teachers are unemployed so I expect wages to reduce even more. As you are 56 you should be able to draw your uk pension plus get an S1 entitling you to free healthcare.


Don't think you can get the S1 anymore, I retire at the end of this month (Im 57) and I can't get one. 

You also cannot take your Uk pension until retirement age either.

Would be nice as it would have saved me €650 for my private health care...


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

You still get your UK state pension from the age of 66, but it's not known if you get the annual increase when living in Spain if you miss the deadline of 31st Dec 2020. 
Plus UK is unlikely to pay for your healthcare in Spain if you aren't eligible under the WA. You are covered for healthcare if you are in work in Spain, and depending on your contribution record, you may be eligible for state healthcare upon reaching pension age (currently 65 in Spain). 
For immigration, if no new agreement is reached, as a third country (non-EU) national you will need to get a visa in advance from Spanish consulate if you want to live longer than 3 months, and then get a residence permit after arrival, which needs to be periodically renewed until you qualify for permanent residence after 5 years.


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

Barriej said:


> Don't think you can get the S1 anymore, I retire at the end of this month (Im 57) and I can't get one.
> 
> You also cannot take your Uk pension until retirement age either.
> 
> Would be nice as it would have saved me €650 for my private health care...


UK now issues S1 only to those who are getting or eligible for state pension (currently from age 65, due to go up to 66 next year), and their dependant (spouse, civil partner etc whatever their age).


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## suiko (Dec 7, 2015)

kaipa said:


> I think you point out the advantages if you wish to live in Spain permanently. If you wait then the income requirements could be more ( although nothing has been specifically decided yet).
> Welcome to the world of teaching in Spain. It's only worth doing if you regard it as a way of getting health care and it's a bit of a hobby. If you think of it as a job that provides a sustainable income forget it. Since the lockdown many teachers are unemployed so I expect wages to reduce even more. As you are 56 you should be able to draw your uk pension plus get an S1 entitling you to free healthcare.


Yeah, I taught in Spain for some years many moons ago. 

I can't get my UK state pension till 67, or my work pension till 60, so need to make some money at least in the meantime!

What I'm still not clear about is why it is a lot better to move now, assuming I will be able to meet those income requirements in future.


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## Megsmum (Sep 9, 2012)

kaipa said:


> I think you point out the advantages if you wish to live in Spain permanently. If you wait then the income requirements could be more ( although nothing has been specifically decided yet).
> Welcome to the world of teaching in Spain. It's only worth doing if you regard it as a way of getting health care and it's a bit of a hobby. If you think of it as a job that provides a sustainable income forget it. Since the lockdown many teachers are unemployed so I expect wages to reduce even more. As you are 56 you should be able to draw your uk pension plus get an S1 entitling you to free healthcare.


I’m sorry not correct information. There are no more S1s for anyone not drawing a U.K. state pension and that’s not at 56. I do not get mine until I am 66.

OP do not rely on state healthcare post retirement that’s still very much in there AFAIK


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## suiko (Dec 7, 2015)

Joppa said:


> You still get your UK state pension from the age of 66, but it's not known if you get the annual increase when living in Spain if you miss the deadline of 31st Dec 2020.
> Plus UK is unlikely to pay for your healthcare in Spain if you aren't eligible under the WA. You are covered for healthcare if you are in work in Spain, and depending on your contribution record, you may be eligible for state healthcare upon reaching pension age (currently 65 in Spain).
> For immigration, if no new agreement is reached, as a third country (non-EU) national you will need to get a visa in advance from Spanish consulate if you want to live longer than 3 months, and then get a residence permit after arrival, which needs to be periodically renewed until you qualify for permanent residence after 5 years.


Thanks for all this - very useful! Do you know how many years' contributions are required to be eligible for Spanish healthcare? I've already paid 4 years from back when.


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## suiko (Dec 7, 2015)

Megsmum said:


> I’m sorry not correct information. There are no more S1s for anyone not drawing a U.K. state pension and that’s not at 56. I do not get mine until I am 66.
> 
> OP do not rely on state healthcare post retirement that’s still very much in there AFAIK


As I understand it, eligibility for state healthcare is covered by the WA, in the sense that the UK commits to cover healthcare costs for those who are resident on Dec 31?


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

suiko said:


> Thanks for all this - very useful! Do you know how many years' contributions are required to be eligible for Spanish healthcare? I've already paid 4 years from back when.


You have to be actively paying social security contributions or be in receipt of paro in order to qualify for Spanish healthcare, unless you were a registered resident before April 2012 & have been so continuously since then.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

suiko said:


> As I understand it, eligibility for state healthcare is covered by the WA, in the sense that the UK commits to cover healthcare costs for those who are resident on Dec 31?


No, only S1 holders & the S1 is only issued to those in receipt of a state pension or certain other health related benefits.


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## suiko (Dec 7, 2015)

xabiaxica said:


> No, only S1 holders & the S1 is only issued to those in receipt of a state pension or certain other health related benefits.


Thanks. So there's no way of opting into the Spanish system (by paying contributions) after a period of time?


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

suiko said:


> Thanks. So there's no way of opting into the Spanish system (by paying contributions) after a period of time?


Yes, after a year as a registered resident, in most regions you can join what is known as the 'convenio especial' which is a way of buying into the healthcare system. 

The main advantage of this is that there no exlusions for pre-existing conditions, although you still have to pay the full cost of medications even on prescription.


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## kaipa (Aug 3, 2013)

Sorry , misread your age, thought you were 65 not 56. I think you need 15 years contributions for Spanish pension, with the last two worked. There is no qualifying time for healthcare. You have to be actively contributing by work

So in short. You will have to work for 10 years in Spain before you can get your uk pension, assuming it is all paid up now. So that's a long slog for an income that is 1/4 of UK income. No idea what you earned in UK but psychologically that level of cut ( plus the fact that teaching in Spain is often spread over a whole day with unpaid holidays- probably be a 9 month contract, as well) is going to affect you.
I teach and TBH after 20 plus years I have had enough. 9.000 euros last financial year!! It is fine if you are a young backpacker but ridiculous considering Spains minimum income for anyone with/ without work is approx 5.000 euros under this new law. So that means I recieve 4.000 euros more than someone without work or without any qualifications. I dont have anything against the law but everything against how much my labour is now worth!!


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## suiko (Dec 7, 2015)

kaipa said:


> Sorry , misread your age, thought you were 65 not 56. I think you need 15 years contributions for Spanish pension, with the last two worked. There is no qualifying time for healthcare. You have to be actively contributing by work
> 
> So in short. You will have to work for 10 years in Spain before you can get your uk pension, assuming it is all paid up now. So that's a long slog for an income that is 1/4 of UK income. No idea what you earned in UK but psychologically that level of cut ( plus the fact that teaching in Spain is often spread over a whole day with unpaid holidays- probably be a 9 month contract, as well) is going to affect you.
> I teach and TBH after 20 plus years I have had enough. 9.000 euros last financial year!! It is fine if you are a young backpacker but ridiculous considering Spains minimum income for anyone with/ without work is approx 5.000 euros under this new law. So that means I recieve 4.000 euros more than someone without work or without any qualifications. I dont have anything against the law but everything against how much my labour is now worth!!


Yes, what you say is very familiar - and was most of the reason I decided to move back to the UK 20 years ago. I do have a work pension too, which I can access at 60. But given that I want to spend the rest of my life in S Europe, I guess I just have to factor in private health insurance costs... perfectly feasible now, but must get tough when you're over 70 and living on pensions?


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## Juan C (Sep 4, 2017)

I think the minimum income has just be increased to 462 euros a month. 

As it is normal in spain to paid an extra month at Christmas and in summer, that means 6,468 € p. a.


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## Ilovepatnevin (Feb 26, 2009)

Joppa said:


> You still get your UK state pension from the age of 66, but it's not known if you get the annual increase when living in Spain *if you miss the deadline of 31st Dec 2020. *
> Plus UK is unlikely to pay for your healthcare in Spain if you aren't eligible under the WA. You are covered for healthcare if you are in work in Spain, and depending on your contribution record, you may be eligible for state healthcare upon reaching pension age (currently 65 in Spain).
> For immigration, if no new agreement is reached, as a third country (non-EU) national you will need to get a visa in advance from Spanish consulate if you want to live longer than 3 months, and then get a residence permit after arrival, which needs to be periodically renewed until you qualify for permanent residence after 5 years.


I thought that, at the moment, the annual pension increase was only guaranteed for those British immigrants in Spain who had *aleady* retired.
As someone who still has a few years to go before being eligible for a UK state pension, I'd be ecstatic if I was wrong about this.


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## kaipa (Aug 3, 2013)

Juan C said:


> I think the minimum income has just be increased to 462 euros a month.
> 
> As it is normal in spain to paid an extra month at Christmas and in summer, that means 6,468 € p. a.


That is my point. After 20 years teaching and numerous courses , and student debts I receive 2,500 euros more a than someone who has lived legally in Spain but possibly totally unemployable. Nothing against the law but surely its counterproductive to expect people to fund their education and be servicing debts for most of their working life if they are only going to be a few grand over the minimum level.


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

Ilovepatnevin said:


> I thought that, at the moment, the annual pension increase was only guaranteed for those British immigrants in Spain who had *aleady* retired.
> As someone who still has a few years to go before being eligible for a UK state pension, I'd be ecstatic if I was wrong about this.


Plus those who register under the withdrawal agreement by the end of the year. Then, once you start getting your UK state pension, it will be uprated each year.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Joppa said:


> Plus those who register under the withdrawal agreement by the end of the year. Then, once you start getting your UK state pension, it will be uprated each year.


It is also possible to make voluntary contributions to HMRC to get the intervening years until actual retirement, count towards your UK state pension. What is not yet known is whether the existing rules where you claim your pension in the country where you last worked or lived will still apply.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

baldilocks said:


> It is also possible to make voluntary contributions to HMRC to get the intervening years until actual retirement, count towards your UK state pension. What is not yet known is whether the existing rules where you claim your pension in the country where you last worked or lived will still apply.


Having got an online state pension forecast, I'm in the process of arranging to do this (decided it was the best use of the money saved by not being able to spend during lockdown), I'm just awaiting a reply from HMRC. Although I have the 35 years' NI contributions needed for a full basic state pension, I was contracted out for the majority of them so I can pay for some additional years to boost my pension. The new state pension is 174.25 per week and apparently the maximum I can increase my pension to is 169-odd per week, I'm just waiting for confirmation of how much I have to pay.


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

Lynn R said:


> Having got an online state pension forecast, I'm in the process of arranging to do this (decided it was the best use of the money saved by not being able to spend during lockdown), I'm just awaiting a reply from HMRC. Although I have the 35 years' NI contributions needed for a full basic state pension, I was contracted out for the majority of them so I can pay for some additional years to boost my pension. The new state pension is 174.25 per week and apparently the maximum I can increase my pension to is 169-odd per week, I'm just waiting for confirmation of how much I have to pay.


I did that prior to getting my pension at 65 in 2018. I too was contracted out for some of my time but I only needed to pay under £3 a week as I was self-employed. Money well spent!


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## Ilovepatnevin (Feb 26, 2009)

Joppa said:


> Plus those who register under the withdrawal agreement by the end of the year. Then, once you start getting your UK state pension, it will be uprated each year.


That is excellent news.
Without wishing to appear like too much of a Doubting Thomas, do you (or anyone else for that matter), have a link to anything official that would confirm that?
It's just that I find it hard to believe that this current government would do anything so generous.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Ilovepatnevin said:


> That is excellent news.
> Without wishing to appear like too much of a Doubting Thomas, do you (or anyone else for that matter), have a link to anything official that would confirm that?
> It's just that I find it hard to believe that this current government would do anything so generous.


Generally I would share your scepticism, but will this do?

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/benefits-and-pensions-for-uk-nationals-in-the-eea-or-switzerland


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

Well, it wasn't Boris but Theresa May who negotiated that part of the WA relating to citizen's right, which was unamended in the final form under Boris.
You find it under Pensions after 31st January 2020:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/living-in-spain#the-withdrawal-agreement


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