Get Spanish Residency

Below we explain what the British situation maybe like when the UK leaves the EU with or without an agreement:

If the UK strikes a deal with the EU then there will be a withdrawal agreement and a period of transition from the existing Spanish residency to a new form of residency.

If there is no agreement between the UK and the EU, then the rights of British citizens living in Spain will be protected as a result of a Spanish Royal Decree that was passed on 1 March 2019. 

The Spanish Royal Decree states that residents who have obtained their certificate of registration or the family card of the Union before the UK´s exit from the EU shall continue to enjoy their existing rights of residence, work, studies and Social Security. However the condition is that the UK also provides similar rights to Spanish citizens in the UK. Currently many EU nationals living in the UK are applying for settled status which is a form of residency. As of 18 September 2019 approx 1 million EU nationals have applied for settled status in the UK so we do not envisage that UK nationals living in Spain will be stripped of their existing rights.

After the UK´s exit from the EU, Spain is likely to introduce a new photographic residency card and details of the application process will be issued in due course. However in order to apply for residency UK nationals living in Spain will have to prove their legal residence in Spain and this can be proven with the existing green residency card. If you do not have your residency yet, then we would strongly recommend that you apply for it.

After the transition period.

The rights of nationals of the United Kingdom and their families after the transition period will be established by any Agreement reached between the UK & EU and, failing that, the general regime of foreigners in Spain will be applied.

A Withdrawal Agreement should protect the rights of EU citizens and British nationals, as well as their respective family members, to continue living, working or studying as they currently do and under the same essential conditions as under EU law.

Without withdrawal agreement

The condition of a British citizen in Spain will be considered as a third country national. The Spanish Government has planned a period of 21 months from the date of withdrawal from the United Kingdom without an agreement. This is reflected in the Royal Decree approved on 1 March 2019.

If you have the certificate of registration – green card- or the card of relatives of EU citizens, this will serve to prove your legal residence in Spain for a period of 21 months but you must obtain the Foreigner Identity Card (TIE). This new document will definitively prove your residence in Spain after the 21 month period.

The obtaining of the TIE will be by means of previous appointment and personally before the police stations designated to oversee this process. The TIE card will automatically replace the certificate or family card of a citizen of the Union and will be delivered within a very short period of time from your request.

If you do not have the registration certificate -green card- or the family card of EU citizen, and you can prove that you were a resident in Spain before the withdrawal date, you must before the end of the 21 month period from the date of withdrawal without agreement, obtain the Foreigner Identity Card (TIE)