British expats on Spain's Costa del Sol are facing a new reality as post-Brexit rules take effect, with stricter residency requirements and travel limits reshaping their lives. The new year has brought storms to the sunshine coast, but the biggest changes are administrative, as the UK is now treated as a 'third country' by the EU.
Tourists and second-home owners can only stay for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. To live in Spain, Britons must prove a monthly income of at least £2,000, with an extra £500 per month for each family member. A family of four would need to show an annual salary of at least £42,000. British driving licences must also be exchanged for Spanish ones.
The transition has been chaotic. Michel Euesden, editor of the Euro Weekly newspaper in Fuengirola, said removal companies have never been busier. 'They are taking the elderly and people without jobs back to the UK, and bringing back younger generations with disposable income,' she said. 'The dynamics have completely changed.'
Some Britons made a last-minute dash to register before the rules changed. Jan Miller and Sonia Martin drove from Warrington to Malaga in a campervan over Christmas, now living in a mountain cottage. 'The Brexit rule changes made us go in the end,' Jan said. Others, like 71-year-old Eric Anderson, are stuck in the UK. A former shipyard worker from Newcastle, he owns a second home in Spain but cannot travel due to Covid restrictions. 'I feel badly let down,' he said. 'We paid a mortgage for 20 years for a holiday home, and now we're limited to 90 days.'
Long-term residents like Tracy Turnero Sheehan, who runs an English school in Marchena, face new complexities. Married to a Spaniard, she said her life has become more complicated, especially regarding future moves back to the UK. The changes mark a significant shift for the estimated 300,000 Britons living in Spain, with many now reconsidering their futures.
