London - I'll be there soon

[April_Ryan]

Hi Everybody,

I'm a Software engineer currently working as IT Consultant. I am Spanish and I'm currently living and working in Spain, but in the past I've lived as an expatriate in Italy and for several minor periods in other countries. I've always loved to travel and since I'm not wealthy (yet ) I like to travel with my work.

After so many interviews, I'm expecting my final job proposal from an English company to come. I will be hired from the UK and I will have to travel and work in several different countries, which is something I've always wanted to do.

I have some doubts about how things work in UK, maybe some of you can help me

Since I will probably not spend much time in UK, but I will be paid from there I would like to know if I'll be eligible for UK citizenship.

I've also been told that if you're hired by a British company but you don't have your residence in the UK you can ask the British government to return some of the income taxes you've paid. (I may keep my official residence in Spain).

Thanks everyone for your answers. I know quite a lot how things work in Spain and I would love to share that knowledge with anyone here that needs it.

[Big Pete]

Originally Posted by April_Ryan

Hi Everybody,

I'm a Software engineer currently working as IT Consultant. I am Spanish and I'm currently living and working in Spain, but in the past I've lived as an expatriate in Italy and for several minor periods in other countries. I've always loved to travel and since I'm not wealthy (yet ) I like to travel with my work.

After so many interviews, I'm expecting my final job proposal from an English company to come. I will be hired from the UK and I will have to travel and work in several different countries, which is something I've always wanted to do.

I have some doubts about how things work in UK, maybe some of you can help me

Since I will probably not spend much time in UK, but I will be paid from there I would like to know if I'll be eligible for UK citizenship.

I've also been told that if you're hired by a British company but you don't have your residence in the UK you can ask the British government to return some of the income taxes you've paid. (I may keep my official residence in Spain).

Thanks everyone for your answers. I know quite a lot how things work in Spain and I would love to share that knowledge with anyone here that needs it.

Hi April

I am no expert but dont think just cause your employed by a UK Company you have any citizen rights sorry .

On the taxation yes i am sure there is a rebate scheme as you opt to be taxed in either your resident country or the UK .

[Shauny]

Hello, just read your message and i think you will be fine in the UK.

Im looking to go to Dubai, but am a little worried what to expect.

Ive worked all over the UK so if you need some hints or tips just let me know.

Good luck though,

[April_Ryan]

Thanks,

Changing my residence to UK is an option, but I don't really know which are the requisites for being resident. I'm currently EU citizen and I think that being so I only have to ask for the residence in London.

I think that being hired from UK grants me access to UK's Social Security system and to public health & care. Can you confirm this?

Which benefits will I have if I decide to change my official residence to London?

Thanks in advance.

[lorenzo]

I can't post the link but found this;

EU NATIONALS

EU RESIDENCE PERMITS

The Maastricht Treaty of 1992 heralded a new chapter in the history of the UK and served to define the relationship between the UK and some of its neighbours in Europe. The Maastricht Treaty and developments since then have created a single space of mobility for EU citizens to live, travel, work and invest freely within EU borders.

Before the 1st of May 2004, EU nationals included nationals of Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and of course the UK. Since the 1st of May, nationals of 10 further countries can now also be considered EU nationals. They are called the ‘Accession Countries’ and include Cyprus, Malta, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia. Nationals of Switzerland, Iceland, Lichtenstein and Norway are, by a special provision, also able to enjoy free movement rights, although they are not a part of the European Union.

EU nationals may travel and stay in the UK, if for example, they have a job in the UK or are looking for a job or are self-employed or establishing a business in the UK. Additionally, certain self-employed people who have stopped being economically active, self-sufficient persons, persons who wish to enter to provide or receive services, or retired persons can also stay in the UK. Most EU nationals exercise their free movement rights without necessarily having any ‘visa’ in their passport.

The EU Residence Permit, when issued in the UK, is formal recognition of the right of free movement that the EU national enjoys in the UK.

Where the EU national’s dependants are non-EU nationals, the dependants must have a permit, in the form of a visa, to enter the UK.

When and whether an EU national can apply for a residence permit is determined by how long they have been in the UK and whether they are an ‘Accession Country’ national or not.

[April_Ryan]

Originally Posted by Shauny

Ive worked all over the UK so if you need some hints or tips just let me know.

Thank you!

I received the job offer yesterday and i tis quite a good package. I am going to accept it.

One of the things I have to do is open a bank account in UK.

-Does anyone know what documentation I'll need?
-Is there a way to open it from here (Spain)?

I would like to have an account which let me have the capital in several currencies and retrieve money with no commission in EUR, US$ and GBP. I've heard of Citybank.

- Any ideas?

[April_Ryan]

Originally Posted by lorenzo

I can't post the link but found this;

.../...

EU nationals may travel and stay in the UK, if for example, they have a job in the UK or are looking for a job or are self-employed or establishing a business in the UK. Additionally, certain self-employed people who have stopped being economically active, self-sufficient persons, persons who wish to enter to provide or receive services, or retired persons can also stay in the UK. Most EU nationals exercise their free movement rights without necessarily having any ‘visa’ in their passport.

The EU Residence Permit, when issued in the UK, is formal recognition of the right of free movement that the EU national enjoys in the UK.

Where the EU national’s dependants are non-EU nationals, the dependants must have a permit, in the form of a visa, to enter the UK.

When and whether an EU national can apply for a residence permit is determined by how long they have been in the UK and whether they are an ‘Accession Country’ national or not.

.../...

Thank you for this.

It seems that I can stay in the UK as long as I need, but I will not be a "UK Resident". Now, which are the advantages (if any) of being UK resident?

[smcquie]

Good luck getting UK citizenship. I'm not sure about the rules for EU nationals, but for the rest of us it is a 5 year wait before you can even apply for the Indefinite Leave to Remain - after that you have to wait for another year.
Why do you want to be a UK citizen if
a) you don't plan on spending much time here and
b) you are a EU citizen

I don't get it...

[Stravinsky]

Originally Posted by April_Ryan

Thank you!

I received the job offer yesterday and i tis quite a good package. I am going to accept it.

One of the things I have to do is open a bank account in UK.

-Does anyone know what documentation I'll need?
-Is there a way to open it from here (Spain)?

I would like to have an account which let me have the capital in several currencies and retrieve money with no commission in EUR, US$ and GBP. I've heard of Citybank.

- Any ideas?

Its always a bit of a pain with the banks as you normally need to provide utility bills etc to show where you live!!! The UK are backward with banking. I tried to open a Euro account and found it quite difficult with HSBC. To transfer Euros out here to Spain with them costs £25 a time.

So I kept a UK account, opened a Spanish account, and then used something called Sun-Pay - Online Global Money Transfers made Easy You can transfer your sterling to the Sunpay account, transfer it to euros within the account, and then transfer the euros to your spanish account. It costs 10 euros per transfer so you need to plan your transfers to make the most of it.

I dont think you should contemplate UK citizenship ...... unless for some reaon you want to give up your Spanish citizenship. As an EU resident you can go there and work there, in much the same way I have moved to your homeland

[April_Ryan]

Originally Posted by smcquie

Good luck getting UK citizenship. I'm not sure about the rules for EU nationals, but for the rest of us it is a 5 year wait before you can even apply for the Indefinite Leave to Remain - after that you have to wait for another year.
Why do you want to be a UK citizen if
a) you don't plan on spending much time here and
b) you are a EU citizen

I don't get it...

Thanks for your answer.

Sorry I mistaked when I first said "citizen" I wanted to say "Resident". I'm planning to keep my Spanish citizenship for now. Maybe the UK is the place where I will spend more time each year (even if it's only 3 months). Am I eligible for UK residence if I'm hired from there but I don't have a fixewd residence there? Now, which are the advantages (if any) of being UK resident?