Brexit: British expat discusses difficulty of living in Spain

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Spain has brought in new visa rules stating that Britons will need to possess a valid ETIAS visa waiver before their arrival in the country. The Spanish government has also set out new measures for long-term British tourists who do not hold a visa. Britons without a Spanish visa will now be limited to stays of only 90 days within a given 180 day period.

The news comes after data from Spain’s Land Registry has shown that since new visa rules were brought in by the Spanish government there are now more Germans than Britons buying property in the nation.

For many years Britons were the biggest foreign owners of homes in Spain.

The data from Spain’s Land Registry showed that in the third quarter of 2021, German buyers overtook the British.

This is the first time this has happened since records began in 2006.

Since Brexit, the demand from British buyers has been on a downward trend.

Speaking to Euro Weekly News Nick Ball of Atlantico Homes said: “Around one million British nationals still own a property in Spain, making them the largest group of foreign owners by some distance.

“And they still account for a sizeable, if the secondary, market of current property purchasers.

“So, there is no question of the British vanishing from the Spanish property market altogether.”

Daily Express reader Franks2 commented: “Unfortunately, when we left, the EU behaved like Petulant children, to respect their laws, like you would in this country.

“Now Spain is left with this rage, pushed by the EU, and this contradictory attitude, now we want you, now we don’t.”

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Concerning the new Spanish visa rules a UK Government spokesperson said: “The rights of UK nationals to continue living, working and studying in their EU Member State are protected by law.

“Anyone legally resident before 1 January 2021 can stay but should register their residence.

“The UK Government has been running a public information campaign across Europe to inform UK nationals about the actions they may need to take to secure their rights and access to services.

“This includes outreach events, adverts on social media and in newspapers, and support through our network of Embassies, High Commissions and Consulates.”

Brexiteer Joshua Mackenzie-Lawrie, senior research executive at Get Britain Out, told Express.co.uk: “Whether the actual policing of things and the 90 days that people stay. When it comes down to it it is down to the Spanish border police to make those decisions.

“If the consistency is that the people are being turned away, rejected from entering Spain then Brits will look elsewhere to go on holiday. Or look elsewhere to buy properties abroad.

“Alicante and that whole area of Spain will sufferer the consequences of that.”

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