BREAKING NEWS! Spain allows British expats to apply for residency post-Brexit
- Brits who missed TIE residency document application deadline can still apply
- CostaLuz Lawyers highlights positive implications of the decision
- Those with family links in Spain may also be able to apply for residency
Brexit may be well and truly done, but British citizens residing in Spain who have yet to complete the necessary paperwork have just been thrown a lifeline by the Spanish authorities. The government has announced that those who can prove they lived in Spain prior to 31 December 2020 may still apply for residency there.
Immigration officials have been instructed to follow the same procedure as they did for those applying for residency before the December deadline, though with particular attention paid to documentation that proves the individuals’ residency pre-dated the end of 2020.
Keith Rule of pioneering law firm CostaLuz Lawyers comments:
“This is excellent news for UK citizens who, for whatever reason, have yet to make their residency in Spain official. They can now apply for the TIE residency document without fear of reprisals or penalties for having missed the 31 December 2020 deadline. The move is a key signal of the value that Spain places on its long-standing relationship with the UK and a positive indicator for post-Brexit relations.”
The Spanish guidance states that British citizens arriving in Spain as of 1 January 2021 can also apply for residency in certain situations, such as if they have a family link with a beneficiary of the Withdrawal Agreement.
“All of this spells good news for a close relationship between Spain and the UK over the coming years,” continues CostaLuz Lawyers’ Keith Rule. “There are hundreds of thousands of British expats living in Spain, while some 18 million Brits spend their holidays here each year. Making it easier for residents to obtain the TIE, despite missing the deadline, should be well received by both expats here in Spain and policymakers back home in the UK.”
For more information, please contact CostaLuz Lawyers’ UK office on +44 1908 635 111 and speak with Keith. To speak with Maria in the Spanish office, call +34 956 092 687 or you can visit www.costaluzlawyers.es