Moving to Spain from the UK: the complete guide
Moving to Spain from the UK is more involved than it was before Brexit, but it is far from impossible — tens of thousands of Britons still make the move every year. This guide walks you through the whole journey, from the first decision to your first winter, without sugar-coating the admin or drowning you in it.
Can Britons still move to Spain after Brexit?
Yes. What changed is the route in. Before Brexit, freedom of movement meant a British citizen could simply turn up and settle. Now the UK is treated as a non-EU country, which means most people moving long-term need to secure the right visa or residency permit before they build a life in Spain.
The upside is that Spain actively wants people who bring income, savings or skills, and it has visa routes designed for exactly that — from non-lucrative residency for those who can support themselves, to the newer digital-nomad route for remote workers. The move is a process to be planned, not a door that has closed.
Deciding where in Spain to live
Spain is not one place. The Costa del Sol and Costa Blanca offer warm winters, established British communities and an easy soft landing. Barcelona and Madrid offer the full energy of a great European city. The Balearics offer island life. Inland Spain offers space, authenticity and a much lower cost of living.
Be honest with yourself about what you actually want day to day, not just on holiday. A resort that sparkles in August can feel shuttered in January. A mountain village is idyllic until you need a hospital or a secondary school. Visit in the off-season, rent before you buy, and talk to people who already live there.
Residency, healthcare and tax in outline
Once you have your visa, residency in Spain brings its own rhythm of registration. You will register on the padrón at your local town hall, obtain your foreigner’s identity number and card, and — depending on your route — arrange healthcare cover, whether through the state system, private insurance or your pension arrangements.
Tax is the piece people most often underestimate. Spending most of the year in Spain generally makes you a Spanish tax resident, with obligations that can include declaring worldwide assets. This is the one area where paying for a good gestor or cross-border tax adviser early almost always pays for itself. Do not guess.
Getting your belongings there
This is where we come in. A household move from the UK to Spain travels overland — through France and down into Spain — either as a dedicated load carrying only your things, or as a shared part-load that splits a vehicle with other moves on the same route. Island moves add a ferry leg at the end.
Since Brexit, the move also involves customs formalities for your household goods. Done properly, with the paperwork prepared ahead of departure, this is routine. Done as an afterthought, it is where belongings get held up. Choosing a mover who handles the Spain corridor regularly is worth more than shaving a little off the quote.
A realistic timeline
Give yourself longer than you think. The visa or residency process, selling or letting a UK home, finding somewhere in Spain, and booking the move all interact, and rushing any one of them creates pressure on the others.
A sensible order is: settle your immigration route, secure at least a rental in Spain, then book the move around the completion or move-in you can actually rely on. We build flexibility into scheduling and offer storage precisely because property chains rarely behave on either side of the Channel.
Planning a move to Spain?
We handle the whole UK–Spain corridor — packing, transport, customs and delivery. Tell us your move and we’ll take it from here.