Residency Certificates for EU residents

[Stravinsky]

Originally Posted by Fiona McLean

So.... How long do you have to be there before you register?
We are planning to come over in June until the end of October to sing. Do we need to regester?

We plan on coming back to the UK for November and December, then going back to Spain to live permenantly then.

If you're coming here to live then you have to register within 3o days arguably, although many people treat it as 6 months. Speaking realistically you could wait until you return, and in that way if you have a UK reg car it gives you a bit more time as you are not resident in effect

Did you say sing?

[Peter & Fiona]

Thanks for your reply, very helpful.

Yes we are both singers.

Do you know if I can change my username on here?

Many Thanks

[Peter & Fiona]

We are bringing our own car over as we have to bring our sound system. I presume we should keep it regestered here until we go back over to Spain in January. Is that right?

Thanks

[Stravinsky]

Originally Posted by Fiona McLean

Thanks for your reply, very helpful.

Yes we are both singers.

Do you know if I can change my username on here?

Many Thanks

Yes, pm me with your new name and I'll change it for you

As regards your car, as long as you can satisfy the Police that you are not yet residents here and are on holiday then you can keep it UK regd as long as your tax, mot and insurance is all valid.

When you are a resident here you will have 60 days to change it to Spanish plates

[mrypg9]

So......we're moving to Andalucia in November and intend to stay for the foreseeable future. We'll be renting, not buying.
Obviously we'll comply with all Spanish legal requirements as I have done here but I'm curious as to how the authorities in Spain check up on whether you are 'legal' or not.
I currently live in the Czech Republic, don't work but fly back to the UK regularly - roughly once a month - and although I have a residence permit here, I can't see how I could be checked on as my passport is never stamped when I arrive at the airport.
We'll bring a car over with us and it will be lhd but on UK plates as we bought it from a UK company which delivered it to the Czech Republic direct from the German manufacturer, VW. If it's a legal requirement, we'll register it here but how can the police tell how long you've had the vehicle in Spain?
I ask these questions not to avoid complying with the rules and regulations but because I spent a lot of time and money here doing the right thing only to find that a) no-one has ever asked me to produce the documents I was obliged to acquire and b) an awful lot of expats here just don't seem to bother to get these documents.

[Stravinsky]

Originally Posted by mrypg9

So......we're moving to Andalucia in November and intend to stay for the foreseeable future. We'll be renting, not buying.
Obviously we'll comply with all Spanish legal requirements as I have done here but I'm curious as to how the authorities in Spain check up on whether you are 'legal' or not.
I currently live in the Czech Republic, don't work but fly back to the UK regularly - roughly once a month - and although I have a residence permit here, I can't see how I could be checked on as my passport is never stamped when I arrive at the airport.
We'll bring a car over with us and it will be lhd but on UK plates as we bought it from a UK company which delivered it to the Czech Republic direct from the German manufacturer, VW. If it's a legal requirement, we'll register it here but how can the police tell how long you've had the vehicle in Spain?
I ask these questions not to avoid complying with the rules and regulations but because I spent a lot of time and money here doing the right thing only to find that a) no-one has ever asked me to produce the documents I was obliged to acquire and b) an awful lot of expats here just don't seem to bother to get these documents.

Police checks are normal here. If you're talking about your car ..... then it will probably be illegal from the day you arrive here from what you say unless it has a current MOT and tax in the UK. The onus will be on you. If you get stopped and asked for your paperwork in the car it will be fairly obvious that you live here, and they will then want to know why the car is on UK plates. You can say, oh we've only just arrived here, but then you have to prove when you bought the car into the country, and if its more than 60 days then you risk having your car crushed.

In Spain, if you are a resident then you cannot drive a UK plated car. If you are, and its not MOT'd in the UK then your insurance will be invalid, as it should be legal in the country of registration.

As regards your residence cert .... you need it more and more here for administration in addition to your NIE. Again, Police can stop you and check at any time

[mrypg9]

Thanks for the information - the car is brand new - expecting delivery within the next two weeks ,on a European insurance policy valid for residence anywhere in the EU and it won't need an MOT for three years. In any case, it's a 4x4 so we'll most likely trade it in for a convertible once in Spain and settled. We need it to transport a few personal things and our large dog from here to Spain. Our furniture etc will arrive via Pickfords!
Will definitely register, as I did here in Prague, but...what's a NIE?

[Stravinsky]

Originally Posted by mrypg9

Thanks for the information - the car is brand new - expecting delivery within the next two weeks ,on a European insurance policy valid for residence anywhere in the EU and it won't need an MOT for three years. In any case, it's a 4x4 so we'll most likely trade it in for a convertible once in Spain and settled. We need it to transport a few personal things and our large dog from here to Spain. Our furniture etc will arrive via Pickfords!
Will definitely register, as I did here in Prague, but...what's a NIE?

An NIE is what you need here to do absolutely anything. Its a tax identifier. You need it to open a bank account, when you are sent a factura, to get electricity, a phone. You get it from your local police station normally, same place as your residence certificate.

Just a word of caution. If you have a brand new 4 x 4 RHD on UK plates and you bring it to Spain you are going to lose a fortune, and as you haven't owned it for 6 months you will also have to pay import registration "tax" to matriculate it. People aren't interested in buying RHD cars here, and you can trade it in but you will get a fraction of its worth. Just a thought.

[mrypg9]

I said in an earlier post that it's a LHD vehicle. We'll sell it through the UK company we purchased it from so won't lose any more than we would in the UK.
We will continue paying tax in the UK as our income comes entirely from UK investments. We have off-shore euro bank accounts so won't be operating an acount in Spain - at least, I don't see the need for one as yet. Maybe later....
Your information is very helpful - thanks again.

[Stravinsky]

Originally Posted by mrypg9

I said in an earlier post that it's a LHD vehicle. We'll sell it through the UK company we purchased it from so won't lose any more than we would in the UK.
We will continue paying tax in the UK as our income comes entirely from UK investments. We have off-shore euro bank accounts so won't be operating an acount in Spain - at least, I don't see the need for one as yet. Maybe later....
Your information is very helpful - thanks again.

Oh sorry, I read so many posts I missed that

Regret to inform though that after you have been living here for 6 months you will become a Spanish Tax resident and will be liable for taxes here in Spain, not in the UK. Offshore, UK, wherever ... it does not matter. Your taxes will have to be paid in your country of residence, i.e. Spain.

That will include

Income tax: On any income from investments, rents, bonds etc etc
Wealth tax: On your worldwide assets

There are stiff fines for non payment

You can, if you wish, continue paying in the UK but when the Spanish catch up with you (they are actually working with the UK authorities now on this, and actually have exchange staff in each country) they will want their two penneth also .... you wont have to pay twice as there is a reciprocal arrangement, but you may have to pay twice and then reclaim.

It can actually be beneficial to be a tax resident here, especially now the 10p tax rate has gone.