British nationals who may struggle to complete their residency applications will be helped by measures announced by the British Government.
Up to £3 million is being provided for organisations who will inform UK nationals who live in European Union member states including Spain, about the need to register as resident and support them as they complete their applications.
The Government wants to support those who may find it harder to complete all the paperwork – focusing in particular on pensioners or disabled people, those living in remote areas or with mobility difficulties, and those needing assistance with language translation or interpretation.
British Consul General for the Balearic and Catalonia Lloyd Milen said: “Britain will be leaving the EU on October 31 and we want to help UK nationals living in Spain to be fully ready for Brexit, whatever the circumstances. This funding will ensure people get the support they need to protect their residency rights and access to services.”
Organisations working with people who might be affected and who might require additional support can apply for project funding from the Foreign & Commonwealth Office from September 19 at gov.uk/fco.
The fund’s programme team, based in London, will be running a series of webinars to provide bidders with a fuller understanding of the fund and an opportunity to ask questions on the bidding process. Further information can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/news/3-million-grant-to-help-uk-nationals-in-eu-for-brexit.
Individuals wanting to access support with their residency applications will be able to contact those organisations who are successful in their bid, once the funding has been awarded. We will provide details of the providers for Spain in due course.
Watch the Foreign Secretary’s statement
Meanwhile, British nationals living in Spain should continue to prioritise registering as a resident by October 31.
Advice on residency for UK nationals living in Spain can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/living-in-spain.
Brexit: what you should do
You should:
- Register as a resident in Spain.
- Register forhealthcare as a resident in Spain.
- Exchange your UK driving licence for a Spanish one.
- Check your passport is valid for travel
8 comments
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Those retirees who came here at 65, having paid into the UK system all their lives, deserve their pension and the advice on how to maintain it. I feel sorry for them, especially the very old who now have to rely on an Internet-based advice system. Many of them are probably not on the Internet and are lonely and confused. Don't tar them all with the same brush. They need help, not your vitriol. You should be ashamed of yourselves.
How many of those not registered(not just in Spain) still have an address in the UK,perhaps so they can claim benefits of some sort as though living in the UK!!
Biel: Apparently at one time, of the supposedly 800,000 British people actually residing in Spain only 300,000 were registered, the other 500,000 were not and were not paying any taxes, although one assumes that latter figure will have reduced considerably by now. You don’t have to register as a ‘resident’ to own property, just obtain a NIE. That is not the same thing. Many non-residents own property in Spain.I agree with Britbabe, no public money, be it British or Spanish, should be spent in such a way.
Stan, so what did people do before the EU, let alone the CEE, ever existed ?
S.O. Don’t you think that most British people who live in Spain have already been “registered” by the Spanish authorities a long time ago ? If you own a property they most certainly do, and if renting, most probably as well. Over here they tend to take a lacsidasical view of things, i.e. let sleeping dogs lie, unless you start creating major problems. The Guardia Civil probably know more about us than our own mothers. So “registering” will be formalising something they had pencilled in a long time ago. It’s the people who fly in using private jets and not EasyJet they are more concerned about.
Sorry , but i don´t agree with UK tax payers money being spent on helping " non-legals " sorting out their problems. We are all responsible for our situation. If you haven´t bothered to get your paperwork sorted and don´t pay your taxes, why should those who pay their way subsidise you ?
Why have these people been living in Spain without registering in the first place? It has always been compulsory after three months. I suppose while they could get away with it and with not paying their taxes, they didn’t much care although in my eyes that is the same as being an illegal immigrant. It would also be interesting to know how many of them voted in favour of Brexit. Several such individuals appeared on a TV Programme: “I’m not registering. I came to live in Spain because of all the immigrants back in the UK. That’s why I voted in favour of Brexit.”!
I am waiting for the official final outcome of this Brexit Dilemma. Then I will decide whether to return to the UK, or stay here.