HEALTHPLAN MAGAZINE

With only 100 days before the transition period comes to an end, the UK Ambassador to Spain Hugh Elliott has taken the opportunity to reassure Brits of their rights under the Withdrawal Agreement.

In a video published to the Brits in Spain Facebook page, Mr Elliott stressed that the rights of UK nationals living in Spain would be maintained come January 1, where they will be able to continue to legally reside, work and study in Spain.

He said, “Now as you know, negotiations between the UK and the EU regarding our future relationship are continuing and I wanted to assure you that your rights as UK nationals living in Spain are already protected under the withdrawal agreement between the UK and the EU”.

“Both the UK and Spanish governments are fully committed to implementing the citizen’s rights provisions of that agreement”.

Obligations to register with the Spanish authorities

Elliott also sought to remind British nationals of their obligations to register with the Spanish authorities as soon as possible to avoid complications once the transition period comes to an end.

He emphasised that UK nationals living in Spain will only be able to continue to reside, work and study in the country if they are registered with the authorities.

Difficulties in getting registered

He acknowledged the difficulties many have had in getting themselves registered due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Importantly, Mr Elliott stressed that even if you fail to register yourself by the January 1st deadline, you will still be covered under the Withdrawal Agreement as long as you can prove that you were resident in Spain before this date.

He said, “If you are unable to complete the registration process before the 1st of January, you will still be protected by the Withdrawal Agreement, as long as you were legally resident in Spain before the end of 2020.

“So we recommend you have documentation in place, like your padron certificate that demonstrates that”.

If you are unable to register by the required date, you must keep a paper trail of your activities in Spain so that there are no issues when you are able to complete the process. Your padron certificate, rental agreement, utility bills, bank statements and other official documentation should be sufficient for these purposes.

The Ambassador also provided details of three organisations in Spain who have received funding and of whom can assist those who may need help in completing the registration process. These are:-

Age In Spain (Catalonia and the Balearic Islands)
Babelia (Alicante, Valencia and Castellon)
IOM - The International Organisation for Migration (Andalusia, Madrid and Murcia)

For further details on these organisations, please visit the official UK Living in Spain page at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/living-in-spain

Live Facebook Q & A Schedule

The Ambassador and his team will also be running a series of live Q & A sessions via Facebook in the coming weeks to answer any questions that you may have on getting your residencia and other aspects of the UK’s withdrawal and how you may be affected.

These are scheduled for:-

October 6: 18:00 - Pensions, benefits, working and driving
October 13: 13:00 - Healthcare
October 27: 13:00 - Travel
November 10: 18:00 - Education, studying and teaching
November 24: 18:00 - Swallows
December 1: 18:00 - Residency
December 8: 18:00 - General Q&A

You can follow the UK Embassy in Spain via their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/BritsInSpain/

You can read more on how to get your residency certificate in Spain here https://www.healthplanspain.com/blog/expat-tips/115-residencia-applying-for-residency-in-spain.html