Since Brexit, many people with European heritage have been looking into whether they can get an EU passport. Because if you want to move to the EU, having one of these is the so-called golden ticket, although there are still many people who don’t fully realise this.
With a dream of moving to Spain one day, Claire Nipper started applying for her Irish passport as soon as the Brexit referendum was on the horizon. When she and her husband Paul finally moved to Spain in 2024, it made the paperwork easier for her because she did not need to apply for a visa.
“The process was very easy and I got my TIE [foreigner’s identity card] within three months,” says Claire. As her spouse, Paul could benefit from Claire’s EU status.
Non-EU family members, whether a spouse, child or dependent relative, can join an eligible EU citizen under the EU Family Member Card scheme.
But the process for Paul was a little more complicated than for Claire. So how did the couple move to Spain?
Finding a property in Gandia, Spain
Having sold their Southampton home, ready to move to Spain, Claire and Paul had a very healthy budget of £450,000 for a three-bedroom house with a private pool.
Looking around the Costa Blanca North, they had done a screen test to go on A Place in the Sun at the London exhibition.
They flew out with Jasmine in early 2024 to look at properties around Moraira, Benissa and Denia. They ended up buying a very spacious, fully furnished four-bedroom villa with a stunning pool area in Gandia, a popular coastal town in the Valencia region, for £378,000.
They sensibly used their lawyer to help them with the paperwork, first getting an NIE number, necessary for the home purchase and other fiscal aspects of life in Spain. Claire was then able to go to her local police station to obtain her TIE card.
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What are the residency requirements for EU passport holders in Spain?
Claire had to have a police check, and because at the time she was not working or studying in Spain, she had to prove sufficient financial resources for herself and her family members. She has since started doing some shifts at an animal charity shop.
For non-working EU residents, the income requirement is generally around €7,000 to €9,000 per year per person in savings, pension income or regular passive income, though there are variations between local offices, and Paul says the sum was higher.
You must also provide comprehensive health insurance if you are not otherwise entitled to healthcare cover, as must your spouse.
Can you move to Spain with a non-EU spouse?
Paul, as a non-EU spouse, applied for an EU Family Member Residence Card and had to prove his status with a copy of their marriage certificate (legalised/apostilled and translated into Spanish). Cohabiting partners may also need to provide evidence of a stable relationship of at least a year.
Paul had to wait a year for his physical residence card, but this did not prevent him from setting up other aspects of his new life in Gandia. After five years of continuous legal residence, he can apply for permanent residency. He is also allowed to work under this residence status.
“Spain runs on paperwork,” says Paul, who works remotely part-time. “You almost have to relearn how to do basic things when you move over. Spanish admin is not geared up to be fully online. It took us around 18 months to sort everything out.”
Read our guide to moving to Spain
What is life like after moving to Spain?
But they are now able to relax into their new life, having bought a home that needed little work, aside from adding some heating for winter, and especially enjoy hosting their three grown-up children for Christmas.
“We love life here and would not have been able to find the property without help from the show,” says Paul.
“All the good things here are cheaper,” he says, referring to the local restaurants and a ‘really good bottle of wine’ for €2.
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