rental in spain for a few months - need a visa??

[Travelgirl]

hello everyone!!

I am new on here, so i apologise if anything i ask has already been covered in previous topics!

I am due to finish my last alevel exams in a couple of days time, and for what seems like forever now have been very eager to travel/move away from this country (England) during a gap year before university.

Originally I was very interested in Japan, and after many decisions (as extravegant as it sounds - compared!) have narrowed my choice down to Spain.

Basically, I have done very little research and have a couple of questions. Please bare in mind I will be turning 18 next month and therefore may sound very naive and young with what I am about to ask;

I would like to stay in Spain for up to a year (as long as I can afford without working with the money I have saved) and have found a number of lovely apartments to rent in the mean time, however, in my ignorance I am hoping i will not need a visa for such a short period of time? How many months can I stay there before my very long holiday ends and my living there begins?

Any other information from personal experience or that you think i should know would also be VERY much appreciated!!

Thanks very much and hope to hear from someone soon! Becky xx

[chris(madrid)]

As an EEC citizen YOU do not need a VISITORS VISA to stay on holiday. But be carefull - once you've been here 183 days non-stop you CAN be considered "resident". If it's your gap year - I'd AVOID THAT HAPPENING.

If you intend to work here however you will need to register as a resident at once.

Other than that - I guess it's all a case of common sense. Basically what would you do if you went to live in another UK city away from home. Except beware of "Wolfs in sheeps clothing" - there's a tendency to believe that ones own countrymen in a foreign country are more trustworty. It's sadly often not the case. Look ALL gifthorses in the mouth, untill you develop a 6th sense.

[Big Pete]

I second what Chris said ..

[Travelgirl]

Thank you for your help!!

Being very silly I seemed to think I would need a visa to live in Spain, but it's only non-EU citizens that need one isn't it?

So if I apply for an NIE and a residency thing I can live and work there?

Also, one more thing, you mentioned not to become considered a resident, why not? Was that just for tax purposes.?

Thank you again! xx

[chris(madrid)]

My experience of country hopping is that it's just as hard to go home as swap to somewhere different once you're legally resident somewhere.

If you want to do more time here but temporarily - come for , say, 5 months - go home for a good month and then come back another 5.

Simply it's a complication that can cause issues. I know it's no longer the case - but when I left the UK the dreaded POLL TAX was around. East Dorset tried to get cash from me though I was not resident in the UK any more. Why ruin your GAP year having to deal with red tape later.

You can live here as long as you want UNLESS (I dont know) there's a limit to the E111 (or whatever its now called), which covers health - but to work or buy/run a car you'll need an NIE - to get this you'll need stable address. The NIE gets you a NIF too (a fiscal number - tax in other words). And a year without my own transport would do me in.