On 14 January, the Spanish government launched a new, dedicated section on the Moncloa website to inform UK and Spanish citizens and businesses on how to prepare for when the UK leaves the EU.
The new site is available in Spanish and English, and covers areas including residency, healthcare, voting rights and education. We encourage all UK nationals in Spain to visit the site in order to ensure they are prepared for EU exit.
The Spanish government message on the website is clear: UK citizens living in Spain for more than 3 months must ensure they are correctly registered with Extranjería (the Central Foreigners Register), to obtain a registration certificate that will be useful in either a deal or no-deal scenario. In the case of an exit with an agreement, the registration certificate will allow you to exercise your rights as set out under the Withdrawal Agreement.
The website also says that in the event of an exit without an agreement, the registration certificate will allow British citizens to continue to live in Spain and obtain any new documents required by the Spanish immigration system. For further information on residency visit our Living In Guide.
British Ambassador Simon Manley said: “The launch of this new web resource is an important moment and underlines the shared desire of both the Spanish and British governments to ensure that citizens’ rights are protected. We welcome its arrival and the accompanying assurances by the Spanish government that UK nationals who have chosen to make their home here will have their rights respected.
The UK government has constantly reassured EU citizens and their family members living in the UK that they are welcome to stay even in the event of a ‘no deal’. We welcome the fact that the Spanish government is making the same commitment to UK nationals in Spain. We will continue our discussions with our Spanish colleagues on the rights of UK citizens in Spain in order to ensure that all your concerns are addressed.”
The British Embassy and Consular network is continuing its programme of outreach events to prepare UK nationals in Spain for EU exit. To find an event visit gov.uk. If there is not an event near you, we will be holding a live Q&A on Facebook in the coming weeks.
Join our Brits in Spain Facebook page for further details. We also recommend signing up for alerts from our Living In Guide to ensure you are getting the latest, accurate information.
