# Brexit effect



## janno9 (Aug 2, 2016)

Hi We are on the verge of selling our flat in the uk and have dreamed for the last 25 years of moving to Spain. We will be coming over if all goes well in the Spring and want to know what the feeling or mood is at present in Spain regarding British expats post -brexit. I am a pensioner but my husband has not reached pension age yet. We had hoped to buy a house with a casita for letting and hoping to grow our own produce. I have my state pension and a small work one- my husband does intend also to run a website which may produce some further income. We will rent at first while we look for a place to buy. We will be looking at inland Murcia/Alicante area. Any feelings or views welcome.


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## Roland_O (Oct 17, 2016)

janno9 said:


> Hi We are on the verge of selling our flat in the uk and have dreamed for the last 25 years of moving to Spain. We will be coming over if all goes well in the Spring and want to know what the feeling or mood is at present in Spain regarding British expats post -brexit. I am a pensioner but my husband has not reached pension age yet. We had hoped to buy a house with a casita for letting and hoping to grow our own produce. I have my state pension and a small work one- my husband does intend also to run a website which may produce some further income. We will rent at first while we look for a place to buy. We will be looking at inland Murcia/Alicante area. Any feelings or views welcome.




Hi,

We moved the day after the referendum, after spending 2 years looking around trying to figure out which bit of Spain to live in. We ended up in a suburb of Valencia, where there are very very few brits.

People's attitude here towards Brexit is one on amused bafflement- a sort of "what was all that about" genuine interest. People laugh when we imply our country has gone loco. No one has been in any way negative.

As a general point, I have seen almost no jingoism here. No one blames their problems on immigrants. We are an object of curiosity, not dislike. Our neighbours seem to have taken us on as a project, to get us to meet friends, learn the language and know a good orange from a bad one. This may be different in areas where brits are common.

Hope this is the sort of information you were after.


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## JulyB (Jul 18, 2011)

Basically, I'd say right now come out and get registered as a resident here legally as soon as you realistically can. I don't want to worry you, but with all the current talk of 'cut off points' for residency for EU immigrants from UK politicians, it just seems like a good idea, before anything else happens.

The EU in general and Spain in particular won't necessarily decided to retaliate against such unfair decisions taken by the UK, but then again, they might if they're pushed, if the UK start behaving badly to their citizens there.

There's no special Brexit hostility against UK citizens here, if that's what you're worried about.


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## olivefarmer (Oct 16, 2012)

Spain is a country mired in problems due to being tied to the Euro. High unemployment and low growth. Despite this the average Spaniard can see no ill in the EU. Not surprising as with generous EU money, they have recently been dragged out of the dark ages into the modern era. None more so than the southern regions.

Expats are welcomed particularly if you make an effort to speak the language. 

I would counsel against trying to buy a house with associated letting potential. Minefield. You might strike it lucky with somewhere with licemces present otherwise getting them is a drawn out process with no guarantee of success. then you would have to pay tax on your rental income / expected income. Likewise with your husbands website income. He would probably have to pay 280 euros a month autonomo too regardless of what income he makes each month.

Come and rent . Live the dream* if *you can survive on your state and small pension. At least you can go back to the Uk if it doesn't turn out right. Life is too short to prevaricate. Maybe rent your UK place out but be prepared to pay tax on that income too.

Oh and when you are factoring in your income it might be prudent to use a conversion rate available next week plus a safety factor, following May's outline of just what Brexit might be. 

The big question mark you will have is access to healthcare. No one knows how that will pan out in relation to what is there now other than private options.


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## gus-lopez (Jan 4, 2010)

What Olivefarmer said . rent


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## janno9 (Aug 2, 2016)

gus-lopez said:


> What Olivefarmer said . rent


Thanks for the info. We are selling our home so the letting it option has passed, but we will definitely rent for a while.


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## Chopera (Apr 22, 2013)

janno9 said:


> Thanks for the info. We are selling our home so the letting it option has passed, but we will definitely rent for a while.


Be careful you don't end up being liable for Spanish CGT on your UK house sale. It might be worth delaying the move until after June so you don't end up becoming a Spanish tax resident this year.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Roland_O said:


> Hi,
> 
> We moved the day after the referendum, after spending 2 years looking around trying to figure out which bit of Spain to live in. We ended up in a suburb of Valencia, where there are very very few brits.
> 
> ...


I am a bit baffled by this post. Why would the Spanish possibly be against the British because of Brexit?

And there are quite a few people who are happy to blame their problems on immigrants, but not usually the British; I suspect because British immigration in the main is not a job threat. It's usually the South Americans (Sudacas if you're being derrogatory), the Maghreb or the Eastern Europeans.

However, I do agree that in general Spanish people are welcoming and tolerant and I woudn't anticipate problems on that front for the OP


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## Roland_O (Oct 17, 2016)

Pesky Wesky said:


> I am a bit baffled by this post. Why would the Spanish possibly be against the British because of Brexit?



Hi Pesky. To try and explain my weird logic: Brexit seems to have unleashed a load of hate in the UK. I know of a gay American who has been asked "why are you still here?", hate crimes have risen, it's all got a bit awful in some parts of the UK. Parts of the media are demonising mainland Europeans. I thought the poster was asking if any of this disgusting behaviour is happening in Spain, and wanted to be reassuring. From the perspective of someone in Spain, the whole thing seem ludicrous. 

Mind you, I probably have completely the wrong end of the stick. This seems to happen a lot. 



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## janno9 (Aug 2, 2016)

Hi Sorry, I was not asking how the Spanish felt about us post Brexit, (I have a good idea that they feel sorry for us not animosity-I have taught English to foreign students for 16 years and know many Spanish people) I wanted to know how secure people felt, whether there are any rumours etc about what they think will happen there to Brits post- Brexit, I have read in one online newspaper that some local politicians hoped to maintain healthcare for expat pensioners. In the Uk we only here Mrs May and her ,now, hard Brexit quotes we don't know the political views in Spain.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

janno9 said:


> Hi Sorry, I was not asking how the Spanish felt about us post Brexit, (I have a good idea that they feel sorry for us not animosity-I have taught English to foreign students for 16 years and know many Spanish people) I wanted to know how secure people felt, whether there are any rumours etc about what they think will happen there to Brits post- Brexit, I have read in one online newspaper that some local politicians hoped to maintain healthcare for expat pensioners. In the Uk we only here Mrs May and her ,now, hard Brexit quotes we don't know the political views in Spain.


No one knows.....but yes, many do feel insecure about the future, especially the healthcare issue.

I doubt Spain would be able to absorb the costs if Britain stopped paying, and also, for those who haven't been here long, the (hopefully unfounded) fear that they won't be allowed to stay.

We won't know until negotiations start.


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## 95995 (May 16, 2010)

xabiachica said:


> No one knows.....but yes, many do feel insecure about the future, especially the healthcare issue.
> 
> I doubt Spain would be able to absorb the costs if Britain stopped paying, and also, for those who haven't been here long, the (hopefully unfounded) fear that they won't be allowed to stay.
> 
> *We won't know until negotiations start*.


Whilst no one currently knows what the impacts will be, it is extremely unlikely that anyone will know when negotiations start - it could take a couple of years to get a handle on most of the impacts (others could occur post Brexit because they are not reliant on negotiations).

The OP should note that Rajoy has stated that Spain will not negotiate separately with the UK, but as part of the EU (i.e. the 27 members excluding the UK).

There are significant risks for those currently proposing to relocate from the UK, unless, of course, they are well-heeled or believe they could easily meet requirements for non-EU expats and would not be dependent on an S1 AND could cope with the possibility of eg. the UK taxing pensions going overseas at 55% - OR have a reliable escape route that shields them from a potential drop in property values in Spain.

That's just my opinion, of course, but I would say that for most Brits who are considering relocating now (or within the next 2 years), the timing is very far from good.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

EverHopeful said:


> Whilst no one currently knows what the impacts will be, it is extremely unlikely that anyone will know when negotiations start - it could take a couple of years to get a handle on most of the impacts (others could occur post Brexit because they are not reliant on negotiations).
> 
> The OP should note that Rajoy has stated that Spain will not negotiate separately with the UK, but as part of the EU (i.e. the 27 members excluding the UK).
> 
> ...


I was sort of hoping that somehow we'd get to know how negotiations are going, once they actually start :fingerscrossed:

You're probably right though, that we won't really know until it's all over. 

Since I work here in Spain, have lived here 13 years & will get a pension here, & also have no intention of ever living anywhere else, Brexit will have minimal effect on me.

You have a point about those who haven't yet moved here, though in their shoes I'd come sooner rather than later & get registered & so on.......but I wouldn't burn my bridges just in case I had to leave quickly.


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## amscho (Apr 4, 2016)

My partner & myself are hoping to move to Spain permanently, but it is not possible right now. My partner will be made redundant in May 2018 & will be able to take her work pension & will be free to move by then, but will not receive her state pension until 2022. 

I am self employed but have financial commitments that I will not be able to resolve until 2019 & would not receive my state pension until 2029. 

If she was to rent in Spain & we both signed the rental agreement & registered as resident, would I be able to do that & still work in the UK until I could follow her out there?

I repair computers for a living so I was hoping to start as autonomo over there, when I eventually get there.


Has anyone got any advice on the situation?


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