Question about the non lucrative Spain visa
We’ve put our house on the market in the UK as we are eventually in the personal and financial position to make this move along with our dog. I fear now that we are on that chicken or egg situation. Can someone who’s been in similar circumstances explain how they did. Do you apply for the non lucrative Spain visa once you have a buyer and hopefully the sale goes through ok? Wait for exchange of contracts but that would generally be two weeks before completion and so not allowing enough time to get the non lucrative Spain visa ? I also assume that until you get your NLV you cannot look for a property to rent or buy? All a bit of a conundrum. I then see posts on here that warm of people being refused their second year.
Answers
These are the answers of some Facebook group members:
“We sold our house, completed just before Christmas and moved in with family. Started non lucrative Spain visa straightaway after New Year and are currently waiting for visas (our appointment at Manchester was 5 weeks ago – February 2023). We arrived in Spain today at our new home”
“As soon as we had offer on our house we started application. We been in Spain 10 weeks. Sold last year to avoid Capital Gains Tax in Spain.”
“Sell first, we gave our buyers a deadline which fitted in with the cgt rules. If you can sell before the end June that would work well. Mentally it is an exhausting and emotional process so doing everything at once would have been overload for us. We put our house on the market in August, found a buyer within 2 weeks and completed 2/11. We house hunted October and found our perfect home. We opened a Spanish bank account and gave POA for the house purchase to our Spanish lawyer while in Spain. We applied for our non lucrative Spain visa on our return at around exchange time. Before we moved out of our U.K. home we sorted out new bank accounts We put our stuff in storage. We then visited friends, family and every brand of cheaper hotel. We also worked on our Spanish!We stayed in places we had never visited Shetland, Dundee, Birmingham…. We moved out to Spain on 15 January with our carload of stuff. We ve not got our goods yet as managed to get building works started quickly. We bought a sofa bed and electric hob and borrowed other bits. We forgot the car MOT and had misunderstood regulations for driving a U.K. car. We always intended to buy a Spanish car so had to drive it back earlier.”
“Here’s our process:
- Sell UK house and move into rented property in the UK
- Take 25% tax-free lump sum
- Begin the process of moving to Spain, including three visits to various areas in Almeria
- Purchase a house in Spain in September 2022 and complete the transaction by December 2022
- Engage a solicitor to assist with obtaining NIE, power of attorney, bank accounts, electricity, water, and IBI
- Travel to the Spanish house twice since January 2023, via the Chunnel and driving through France with essential items such as beds and kitchenware
- Purchase a car and white goods for the Spanish house and leave them there
- Begin the non lucrative Spain visa process in February 2023, which includes a Manchester consulate appointment
- Await passport return in approximately 4 weeks
- Release most belongings from UK storage once non lucrative Spain visa and TIE are obtained and have a removal firm move them to the Spanish house, using custom forms to avoid import taxes.”
“I am in the same process. I completed on my house sale Mid march after putting it on the market boxing day and have gone in to rented. I will be planning on moving to Spain September time with my 2 dogs . Moving house twice in a year is not easy but less stressful than trying to getvall the dates correct.”
“We started the NLV process at same time we put house on market (summer last year). We knew that we could sell and be ‘homeless’ pending London consulate returning our passports OR we get our NLV stamp in last year BUT the house sale goes into 2023 and possibly setting us up for Spanish CGT given we will be residents and live in Spain >184 days. As it turned out we completed on the sale [9th Dec] 3 weeks before the passports came back [21st Dec] meantime we stayed in Premier inn/AirBnB whilst our UK house contents were shipped to Spain. We already owned in Spain [23 years…] had NIE/Spanish bank account so are now in process to get TIE cards for first year. It was however very testing!”
“Here are my suggestions:
- The first step is to determine if you meet all the criteria for obtaining the Visa, including the financial position, criminal record, health insurance, and passport validity.
- Once you know you meet the criteria, start preparing your paperwork for the visa application process.
- You can do everything without help, but it’s recommended to use a immigration lawyers.
- Plan what you are going to do around the move, such as taking furniture, selling investments, and deciding on a long-term rental or buying a property.
- Negotiate a month-by-month contract with an Air B&B to stay in while you sort out your affairs.
- If you’re just putting your house on the market, it likely won’t complete until the second half of the year, which removes any Capital Gains Tax concerns assuming you move after the sale.
- Learn the language and avoid looking for a “little England in Spain.”
“We didn’t start the non lucrative Spain visa process until our house sale completed. We moved in with family for 4 months. A long 4 months ! But it was worth it in the end, been in Spain now 3 months.”
“Don’t forget, if you sell your UK home and become a Spanish Tax Resident (183+ days) this year, you’ll be liable for CGT in Spain on the sale.”
In conclusion, the process of moving from the UK to Spain can be a complex and stressful one, with many factors to consider, such as when to apply for the non lucrative Spain visa (NLV) and whether to sell your property before or after obtaining the visa. Many people have shared their experiences on Facebook groups, with some recommending to start the NLV process as soon as you put your house on the market, while others suggest waiting until after completion to avoid potential complications. It is important to carefully plan and prepare for the move, including obtaining necessary documentation, securing accommodation, and learning the language and culture of Spain. With patience and perseverance, it is possible to successfully make the move and start a new life in Spain.
