Challenges of moving from the Spain to the UK involve complex immigration laws and visa applications. Just one misstep — delay or even denial of entry could affect your personal and professional plans. Let an expert team of immigration solicitors help you with your relocation. Leave all your worries behind and rest assured regarding having every aspect of your move managed efficiently and in compliance with UK regulations. From securing an appropriate visa to enter the country to understanding the minutiae of residency in the UK, our services help you to move seamlessly.
The Success Story: Read about how A Y & J Solicitors helped this Spain client relocate to the UK and made the process easy, ensuring timely entry into the UK.
At A Y & J Solicitors in London, we've helped thousands of new and experienced business owners move to the UK from around the world. We understand the typical challenges that come along with your visa application for self-sponsorship UK and know how to mitigate them. We walk you through step by step, showing you how to self-sponsor a work visa in the UK. Instead of going it alone, let our lawyers take the weight off your shoulders, so you can rest easy knowing you'll be able to bring your business (and family) to the UK.
Kate Corey, Founder of 6 Degrees
We are specialists in immigration law and have supported more than 4,000 business owners and professionals around the globe to successfully navigate the British system. We work quickly, always responding to any queries within 24 working hours. And we work closely with the Home Office to pre-empt issues before they jeopardise sponsorship applications or breach compliance. We manage all United Kingdom immigration matters including visa applications under the new points-based immigration system, Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), Spouse Visas, nationality, and more. We also handle complex cases of appeal, administrative reviews, judicial reviews and the many immigration challenges involving European Union law and human rights.
A Y & J Solicitors has more than 1,200 positive client reviews across Google and Trustpilot and is listed in The Legal top 500 best UK law firms, so you can rest assured your immigration challenges are in safe hands when you take these three simple steps:
"The team has been incredibly helpful and provided great support with regard to guiding me through the immigration process. Everyone was responsive, enthusiastic and diligent. I could not recommend them more."
"Excellent service, top-notch communication and a highly experienced, knowledgable team of solicitors. Would recommend to any one looking for peace-of-mind with their immigration."
"I would recommend this firm. Ikra was professional, reliable and a good communicator."
"“I write to express my sincere and heartfelt appreciation and gratitude for your highly professional and competent services, provided in both a friendly and accessible manner."
"Very professional service highly recommend"
"I would like to share my great experience on the service I had. For my case, it is complicated and unusual but the attentive service and advice in every step from the lawyer: Mr. Imad made clearly process. My Visa has proved within just a week, OMG this is amazing. I can give just Five Stars because this is no star number Six. Thank you very much for your assistance.🙏"
The UK offers many advantages for nationals of Spain who wish to relocate here, including a robust and dynamic economy, plenty of exciting job and business opportunities, a rich history and culture, and stunning villages, mountains, hills, lakes, and countryside. The UK is also world-renowned for its excellent education system, including universities such as Oxford, Cambridge, Edinburgh, St Andrews, and University College London (UCL). We also have excellent transport links to mainland Europe by ferry, train, and plane.
The exact legal requirements that you and your immediate family members will need to meet will depend on the type of visa you are applying for. The most popular visas for Spanish nationals are as follows:
Purpose: Allows Spanish nationals to work in the UK for up to 5 years for a sponsoring British employer
Applicants must:
Purpose: Allows Spanish nationals to study in the UK with an approved educational provider.
Applicants must:
Purpose: Allows experienced business people and entrepreneurs to set up a new, unique, viable, and scalable business in the UK.
Applicants must:
This route provides a much-accelerated route to permanent settlement in the UK of just 3 years (rather than the normal 5 years for most visa types).
This is just a small selection of the UK visa routes available to citizens of Spain. An experienced immigration Solicitor in the UK can further assess your situation and that of your partner and children and recommend the best and most efficient immigration route for your needs and future goals.
We generally recommend that anyone moving to the UK waits until they arrive to set up a new bank account here. The bank will want proof of your identity and your permanent UK address. You will also need to apply for a national insurance (NI) number after you have arrived but before you start working in the UK. Tax could not be easier in the UK because employers will simply deduct any tax that you owe from your salary and pay this directly to HM Revenue & Customs through the UK’s ‘Pay As You Earn’ (PAYE) system.
If you are a Spanish national who is thinking of relocating to the UK in the near future, this guide will explain everything that you need to know. Here we set out the main legal requirements for Spanish people moving to the UK after ‘Brexit’, how the cost of living in the UK compares to Spain, a checklist for those relocating to the UK from Spain, and why you should move to the UK as a Spanish citizen.
At the end of 2020, the UK formally left the European Union, ending the free movement of people between it and the EU. EU citizens who were already residents of the UK before 31st December 2020 were able to (and still can apply to) settle here through the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS).
If you are a Spanish national who was not living in the UK before 11pm GMT on the 31st December 2020, you will need a visa to live, work, study, or join your family members in the UK. All of that said, it is still quite straightforward to move to the UK as a Spanish national if you understand the various immigration routes available, including the self-sponsorship route (see below for more details). This is where the advice and support of an expert in UK immigration law can be invaluable in making the whole process easy and efficient.
According to the cost of living website Numbeo, overall consumer prices in the UK are around 35% higher than in Spain when rent is taken into account. Salaries are, however, often higher in the UK, especially in highly skilled occupations.
Self-Sponsorship is a new and innovative immigration route that enables Spanish nationals to move to the UK with their family members without the need for a job. Using this route, applicants establish their own business in the UK (we will show you how) and work for themselves. As a Spanish national who is self-sponsored, you will later qualify for permanent settlement and, after a further 12 months, British citizenship.
Non-Spanish nationals who wish to move to the UK also require a visa. We can recommend the ideal immigration route based on your nationality, connections to the UK, and plans for life in the UK. To discuss the immigration routes open to you as a non-Spanish national, please speak to one of our friendly and helpful immigration Solicitors in the UK.
Non-Spanish nationals who wish to join family members in the UK (i.e. partner, spouse, parent or child) will need to apply for a UK family visa. To qualify, your family member must be a British national, a person with permanent settlement, an EU/EEA national who started living in the UK before 1st January 2021, or a person with refugee status in the UK.
After five years on a family visa, you can apply for permanent settlement and British citizenship one year later.
Many people have moved from Spain to the UK in recent years. This includes British ex-pats following Brexit, as well as Spanish nationals who have struggled to find well-paid employment. Others have moved to the UK to be with family members there.
Please see the legal requirements for moving from Spain to the UK above.
Yes, however, Spanish citizens and their family members require a visa to live in the UK. Please see the visa options explained above.
Absolutely, but they will require a job offer from a sponsoring employer and a work visa.
Spanish nationals can apply for a UK visa online through the UK Home Office website. You will need to complete the application form, pay any required fees, and submit any documents required to support your case. You will also need to meet the requirements for the type of visa you are applying for. An immigration Solicitor in the UK can handle this process for you.
Please see the legal requirements for moving from Spain to the UK above.
Yes, Spanish nationals can apply for a UK visa online through the UK Home Office website
Please see the legal requirements for moving from Spain to the UK following Brexit above.
This will depend on the type of visa held. Work visas typically last for 5 years, after which holders can apply for permanent settlement and citizenship a year later.
Please see the cost of living section above.
This really depends on your personal circumstances and preferences. If you are looking for an excellent career or business opportunities, the UK may be a better place to live. On the other hand, if you need a constant supply of sunshine, Spain is the place to be.
Since Brexit and the ending of UK/EU free movement, UK nationals are restricted to the number of days (90 days) they can live each year. Others are returning for work opportunities or to be with family members.
A Y & J Solicitors is a specialist immigration law firm with extensive experience with all types of visa applications. We have an in-depth understanding of immigration law and are professional and results-focused. For assistance with your visa application or any other UK immigration law concerns, please contact us on +44 20 7404 7933 or at contact us today. We’re here to help!
