New eu esta

[Spurs]

So having read that when we leave the eu if we ever do we will have to apply for a visa type document that will allow visits of 90 days in any 180 day period . What will people who live out in Spain do I assume if they are signed up residents it won’t affect them but an awful lot live out there not as residents . This will affect a lot of regular visitors as well

[DaveG]

Hi Spure,

Yes this has massive implications that differ for each individual circumstance.

I think that the rules are that EU citizens could stay in another EU country (other than their own) for a maximum of 6 months in any 12; and this will remain the case for EU citizens.

The reality is that as no-one is checking borders it is very easy to stay longer and I'm sure that the Spanish government are aware of British - and certainly others - overstaying the legal period; but as these people are not in the main taking anything out of Spain but are contributing to the general economy every time they shop the Government turned a blind eye and most likely will continue to do so for EU citizens. To do otherwise would be virtually impossible under the Schengen Agreement.

For the British now however everything changes and our movements will be tracked by dint of having to apply for the ETIAS visa.

I personally will suffer as I have been one of those who has gone over the 6 months (10 months one time).

For example a lot of the UK bar staff in GA are not resident but stay in GA for most of the year - they will either have to become residents or be out of work. I'm sure other categories of people are affected differently.

I have enquired about becoming a resident but Spanish income tax is levied on all worldwide income and the tax free allowance in only €5000 before tax at 20% so that's a non-starter for me.

There is a long way to run yet with all this so at the moment I'll make the best of it and adjust as it becomes necessary.

Anyone with southern Irish parents / grandparents should be applying for an Irish passport as soon as they can. My wife already has hers.

Dave

[mike and judith]

As you say, Dave, we are all different.  I'm a tax resident, spending over 6 months a year there.
I pay tax in the UK on my naval & local authority pensions, but my private pensions, UK state pension & investment incomes are taxed in Spain.  I have personal allowances in the UK, whilst in Spain, I claim my personal allowance together with my wife's, who is not resident.
I have no clue what will happen future tense,  & like everyone else will just have to wait & see.
The bottom line is that Spain needs Brit spending as well as tax from residents.  I can't see them prejudicing either.

[wilson]

I think anyone thats registered in spain or other eu country will see no change. As we all know there are hundreds of thousands in spain alone who came on holiday many years ago and forgot to go home, they undoubtedly live and work in the black economy paying no taxes etc. Not a problem in the good times but things are a changing.
As for the post regarding checking borders, i can assure you that should the need arise your whereabouts could be ascertained quite quickly, most things like benefit cheats living on the costas languish in the too hard to tackle tray. As always honesty is the best policy, only the unscrupulous have anything to fear from the future relationship.

[BeachLife]

...... only the unscrupulous have anything to fear from the future relationship.

Couldn't agree more - well said

[Spurs]

I wasn’t thinking of unscrupulous people I was thinking of people who do business and travel to Europe on regular basis as I used to I could have easily hit 90 days in 4-5 months and I know people who sometimes have to go for 3 months at a time and then wouldn’t be able to go back until the 180 days have expired
Without being political it’s about time we end all this madness either deal no deal or stay don’t care which now but let’s get on with it