Gecko Towers:
If the Post Brexit, Post Pandemic and, the soon to be, Post Gibraltar/EU negotiations have taught us Brits nothing, they demonstrate that we are an irrepressible race and have a wanderlust to experience the new and challenge the discomfort of obstacles placed in our way. In so doing, we place the need to challenge our fears high in our evaluation of a person’s character. This “never say die” mantra is reliable and perverse but it has served us well for years.
It may just be a coincidence, but I seem to be seeing so many posts on social media from friends and former colleagues lamenting the historical, systematic and comprehensive destruction of the life that we once enjoyed in the UK. Really why?
The main culprits who have engineered this sea change in the fortunes of the once Great Britain, appear to be an unlikely alliance between Sadiq Khan, the Chief Engineer of ULEZ and recently re-elected Mayor of London, Olly Alexander, the failed UK entrant in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest and a host of bent politicians of all political hues who’s sole aim appears to be to pad their bank balance.
It seems to call the UK as being in a Mess, is to denigrate the very definition “a Mess”.
Last weekend, The Economist, carried the results of a survey prepared with Post Brexit hindsight that acknowledged, an apparently rare event, that the 23.06.16 referendum vote – that saw a 52/48 vote in favour of Brexit – had seen an uncharacteristic swung away from the previous vote. Brexit is now out of favour by around 60/40 against. A phenomenon borne out of the recent local councils elections where voters blamed “Brexit lies” as their rationale to vote for the those that opposed the Tories.
An incoming Labour Prime Minister, already being courted by the President of the EU – the EU does want Britain back in – will need to consider adding flesh to the bones of repeal to ensure that his party remains viable. My gut feel is that this may well happen and those freedoms enjoyed by Brits for almost forty years to travel, live and work freely in Europe may return. Until they do, alternatives need to be found.
I am suspicious of statistics but was told that Brits, for many years simply the largest buying group still make up the largest buying community in the Marbella area. Admittedly, compared to previous years other groups are emerging including the Americans and Canadian, but the Brits are still the biggest.
Brits love affair with Marbella is clearly continuing! So confronted with the limiting fear of recent years, do you too have the ambition to live your best life in Marbella? Comments I have received in launching www.MarbellaPropertyLawyers.com website suggest that many do.
Unless, of course, you are considering a new career direction as a Drug Lord, which I would strongly advise against, as you will be confronting the might of both the local police and the heavily armed, ultra-tough and quasi-military, Guardia Civil. They have an awesome reputation as a very visible civil protection force and, I can assure, take absolutely no s**t. So how can you legitimately settle in the Marbella region?
For those who come from outside the EU/European Economic Area, but want to enjoy their life in Marbella, they can still do so, but will need to satisfy a variety of criteria to be able to apply under one of two Visa schemes. There are in fact three schemes but it seems likely that the so-called “Golden Visa” scheme under which a qualifying purchase of a local property saw you satisfy the Visa requirements, may soon be abolished, a mistake for Spain, I suspect.
So the two remaining ways to secure a residency Visa, which both need to be applied for before you arrive in Spain and both require qualifying private healthcare, are the so-called “Non-Lucrative Visa” and “Digital Nomad Visa”.
The former is largely aimed at the retirement community who can demonstrate that they have reliable funds to support themselves long-term.
The latter is for those who are either, subject to various criteria, employed on a full contractual basis, work remotely and work for foreign (non-Spanish) clients. Alternatively, those who are appropriately qualified or experience-qualified may be able to work on as a self-employed person in Spain under such a Visa scheme. Both Visas have earnings criteria that you’ll need to disclose. The precise and detailed regulations are outside the scope of this general piece, but I would encourage anyone who is interested to query whether they may qualify. It may be you best chance yet to side-step the limitations that Brexit has placed on you.
There is another prospect that may be a little left-field and I just don’t know how many people may be assisted by this. Obtaining a passport from an EU country, may be possible. It would often be granted based solely upon your, your parent’s or grandparent’s birth in that country. Holding a passport from an EU country may be another solution to your issues Post Brexit and may be well worth investigating. I have posted on this before, please read here – Would an EU Passport assist your Marbella property journey?
Should you be interested in discussing the process involved in buying a property in the Marbella region, we would be delighted to assist you. Please contact me to discuss your precise requirements.
Please note that our posts are for general interest. There is no substitute for proper advice tailored to your specific circumstances as provided by a qualified Abogado who is experienced in the application of the Spanish Law.
Nothing contained in this article should be seen or taken as the writer or the publisher providing legal, tax or financial advice. All details have been reasonably fact-checked and all efforts have been taken to ensure that facts are accurate as at the date of publication.
My details: Mark FR Wilkins, during usual business hours on +34 600 343 917 or e-mail me at mark@therightsgroup.com
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