How can I stay in Spain for more than 90 days?
Residency is your main option if you are a UK resident who wants to spend more than half a year in Spain, or more than 90 days at a stretch.
If you are happy staying for stretches of fewer than 90 days at a time, and no more than 183 days in a calendar year, then you might not need to take out residency. Just come and go as you wish, and keep a strict eye on your travel calendar to make sure you don’t overstay.
If you are able to stay here without working, you can also apply for a non-lucrative visa. This will allow you to stay long term in Spain, but you will have to prove you are able to support yourself. Information on this visa is available on the Spanish Embassy in London website.
If you take out residency, you will be liable for Spanish taxes, and will have to rely on private health insurance for the first few years.
If residency makes sense, one option is to apply for a non-lucrative residency permit that allows you stay for one or two years, plus renewals, if you can demonstrate your financial independence and private health insurance.
If you can afford to invest more than half a million euros into a property, you will be eligible for a «Golden Visa». This gives you an automatic residency and a path towards citizenship upon investing more than €500,000 in property. You can also apply if you can prove that you have spent more than €500,000 in cash on Spanish property since 2013, although you may have to make full disclosure on the source of the funds under money laundering rules.
