Debbie Scott has just renewed her NLV after moving from Cardiff to the Costa del Sol with her husband John in March 2021. She said: “The process is not as expensive or as complicated as the first time – it only took 18 days, not four months, as it originally did – and cost us less because we didn’t have to present the medical certificate or the police check. .”
It is a good idea to get help from a visa expert; even if you’re fluent in spanish, the paperwork is intimidating. But the good news from these experts is that there are some small, easy ways to save time and money when trying to take the plunge and move to Spain.
How retirees can save on expensive private care
Access to healthcare after Brexit is a major concern for British retirees hoping to start a new life in Europe. Visas require applicants to take out private healthcare, which is typically $800 to $1,500 per year for a person ages 50 to 65.
However, British people who receive a UK state pension are now entitled to access Spanish state health care, via an S1 certificate obtained from the Overseas Health Service in the UK. If only one of a couple receives a state pension, the other can also use their spouse’s S1 to access health care.
For Jude Baker, 64, and Ed, 75, two retirees who moved to Lanzarote from Cornwall last year, this is a major cost saver. Mr Baker: “When we applied for our NLV last year, we had to take out private health insurance for a year, which cost us € 3,500. Fortunately, we don’t have to renew the policy.”
Use an EU Spouse
There are around 318,000 couples in the UK, half of which are from the EU, according to the Office for National Statistics, and if you are one of them it will be easier to move to Spain.
Instead of applying for a visa, British passport holders can piggyback on their wife’s or husband’s EU passport holder’s application to stay in Spain – and continue to work.
This was the case for Simon Constant, from Northern Ireland, whose wife Julie has an Irish passport. Mr Constant, a 50-year-old pilot, said: “At the beginning of the year people in Spain told me that Brexit was Brexit and I wouldn’t be able to work there, but with legal advice I managed. The residence applications cost € 500 for Julie and €700 for me, plus our private health insurance.”