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Moving to Spain from the US or the UK starts with a national visa, and Spain’s two main options pull in opposite directions: the non-lucrative visa asks people living on savings or pensions for €28,800 a year, while the digital nomad visa asks remote workers for €2,442 a month. Once you’re there, you register locally, collect a residence card, sort out healthcare, and, after more than 183 days, become a Spanish tax resident.
Spain is already home to 266,462 British and 57,379 American residents, according to INE’s figures for January 2025. This guide maps the move in the order you’ll face it and links to the detailed guide for each step.
Is Spain a good fit for you?
Spain suits people who earn remotely or have substantial passive income, and it asks more of modest retirement budgets than Portugal does.
| If you are… | Spain’s fit |
|---|---|
| Retired on pensions or savings | Possible on the non-lucrative visa if you clear €28,800 a year (€36,000 for a couple) |
| A remote employee of a foreign company | Strong: the digital nomad visa plus the optional Beckham flat-rate tax |
| A freelancer with mostly foreign clients | Good: up to 20% of your work can be for Spanish clients |
| Hoping to buy property for residence | Not any more: the golden visa ended in April 2025 |
| Moving with a modest pension | Compare with Portugal, whose D7 asks for about €11,000 a year |
If your budget is tight, our Portugal relocation guide covers the lower-threshold alternative next door.
Moving to Spain: visas for Americans and Britons
Tourist-length trips need no visa for UK (GOV.UK) or US citizens (EU visa list), but relocating does: plan on a national visa or residence permit before you go. The two routes most movers use are:
- Non-lucrative visa: 400% of the IPREM index, €28,800 a year for one person plus €7,200 per family member, with no work allowed (Real Decreto 1155/2024); see the non-lucrative visa guide.
- Digital nomad visa: remote work for companies outside Spain under Ley 14/2013, with a 2026 income bar of €2,442 a month, twice the minimum wage set by Real Decreto 126/2026, then an in-country permit lasting up to three years; see the digital nomad visa guide.
Work, entrepreneur, student and other routes are compared in the Spain visas overview. The golden visa for property investors was abolished from April 3, 2025 (Ley Orgánica 1/2025).
What living in Spain costs
Eurostat put Spain’s 2025 price level at 91.1 against an EU baseline of 100 (Eurostat). Restaurants and accommodation (85.4) and transport (88.1) are where it’s cheapest; food (95.3) and housing and utilities (98.1) are close to the EU average.
The average Spanish household spent €35,101 in 2025, €14,066 per person, with a third going on housing and utilities (INE). Rent depends heavily on the city and neighbourhood, which our cost of living in Spain guide breaks down.
Healthcare for residents
Foreigners with established residence in Spain have the right to public healthcare (Real Decreto-ley 7/2018), but how you get in depends on your situation:
- Working or self-employed: through Spanish social security contributions, including digital nomad visa holders registered in Spain.
- UK State Pension recipients: may be entitled to UK-funded access through an S1; check eligibility if you moved after 2020.
- Not working, no S1: private insurance first; after a year of residence on the padrón, the convenio especial pay-in scheme at €60 a month under 65 or €157 from 65 (Ministerio de Sanidad).
Non-lucrative visa applicants usually need comprehensive private insurance for the application; Los Angeles rules out copayments, and London also accepts a registered S1.
Taxes when you live in Spain
Tax residence follows from passing 183 days in the country during a calendar year, or from Spain being the base of your economic interests (Ley 35/2006, article 9). Residents are taxed by Spain under its income tax act and should watch three Spanish specifics:
- Modelo 720: a declaration of foreign accounts, investments or property above €50,000 a category.
- Wealth tax: set regionally, with a €700,000 allowance where a region hasn’t set its own.
- Beckham regime: an optional flat 24% on employment income up to €600,000, available for six tax years to remote employees and some other newcomers who opt in within six months.
Pension taxation depends on your country’s treaty with Spain, which our guides for movers from the UK and the USA explain.
Your first steps after arriving
- Sign up on your municipal register (padrón), which healthcare and many services rely on.
- Apply for your residence card (TIE); on the non-lucrative visa that’s within a month of arriving.
- Get Spanish social security cover or keep your insurance active, depending on your route.
- Exchange your driving licence if you’re British, before the six months GOV.UK allows on a UK licence run out.
- Diary the tax deadlines: the Beckham option runs six months from your Social Security start date, and Modelo 720 is filed each year once you’re resident.
Retirees will find the pension, healthcare and budget questions together in our guide to retiring in Spain.
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers about moving to Spain.
Can Americans move to Spain?
Yes, with a national visa. People on savings or pensions typically apply for the non-lucrative visa; remote employees of foreign firms typically apply for the digital nomad visa.
How much money do I need to move to Spain?
A single applicant on the non-lucrative visa needs €28,800 a year in 2026. Remote workers on the digital nomad visa need €2,442 a month from their work.
Is healthcare free in Spain for residents?
Public healthcare is available to legal residents through work, an S1 or, after a year, the convenio especial at €60 to €157 a month. Newcomers on the non-lucrative visa start with private insurance.
Can I buy property to get residency in Spain?
No. The golden visa ended on April 3, 2025.
How many British people live in Spain?
INE counted 266,462 British residents on January 1, 2025, and 57,379 Americans.
Do I pay tax in Spain if I move there?
Yes, once you spend more than 183 days a year there or your economic interests are in Spain. Remote employees may opt for the Beckham regime.
Moving to Spain works best when your visa matches how you earn: savings and pensions for the non-lucrative visa, remote work for the digital nomad visa. Plan healthcare before you arrive, register on the padrón quickly, and get tax advice before your first full year as a resident.
Explore Spain
Moving to Spain from the USA: visas, taxes in two countries, healthcare and driving
Moving to Spain from the UK: visas, healthcare, pensions and tax after Brexit
Spain visas: which residency route fits you, and what each one asks
Cost of living in Spain: household spending, prices and bills in 2026
Retiring in Spain: five numbers that decide whether it works for youSources
- Real Decreto 1155/2024 (Immigration Regulation)
- Ley 14/2013 (support for entrepreneurs)
- Price level indices for household consumption (prc_ppp_ind_1)
- Household Budget Survey 2025
- Continuous Population Statistics, table 56936
- Regulation (EU) 2018/1806 (visa list), Annex II
- Real Decreto 126/2026 (minimum wage for 2026)
- Real Decreto-ley 7/2018 (universal access to the SNS)
- Convenio especial (special agreement for healthcare)
- Ley 35/2006 (Personal Income Tax Act)
- Spain entry requirements
- Ley Orgánica 1/2025
This guide is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Immigration and tax rules change often and depend on your circumstances. Check the official sources above and speak to a licensed professional before you apply or move. Read how we research and review in our editorial guidelines.