Retirement Visa
 

Hello
My parents are considering to buy in Europe (their eyes are set on Spain but still not totally decided). They would like to settle some place where they can get a retiremnet visa and live hassle-free. Is it easy to get a retiremnet visa once u have bought property in Spain? I also know you have to have some money deposited in Euro in one of their banks, any idea what the amount is?

thank you all
Alia

<<< Is it easy to get a retiremnet visa once u have bought property in Spain? >>>

No - you've still got to prove that you can keep yourself without scrounging off the Spanish state

Spanish Consulates in US sites have detailed requirements for a retirement visa, such as http://www.maec.es/subwebs/Consulado...as.aspx#retire
It's a real hassle to obtain one, as you need to produce a ream of documents, some translated officially into Spanish (all applications are sent to Spain for a ruling) and it can take several months for a response to come through.
While arduous, the problem isn't insurmountable. You need to demonstrate your complete financial independence, comprehensive medical insurance for Spain, criminal record clearance, certificate of being free from infectious diseases, mental illness and drug addiction, among other things. Fee is currently $100.

There's a profession in Spain called a Gestor. They cut the corners for the Spanish red tape. They can fill out all of the papers needed and then take you to the proper offices and get everything signed. They're worth their weight in gold. Depending on what you want, they have various rates but I always found them worthwhile.

If your parents are planning on moving to Spain, take a trip and while you're in the area you're looking, contact a Gestor and get their input.

Blackduff

We have long term visas for Spain - as Australians - so the process may be different for Americans.

It was actually quite straightforward and simple and reasonably fast.

I am not sure there is such a thing as a 'retirement visa' as such. Ours are just long term visas which need to be renewed every 12 months.

As to property ownership - part of the documentation we had to provide was evidence of rental agreement or home ownership, but to buy before knowing you had the visa would be a risky undertaking.

The income we had to prove was something like 20,000 euros per year. We also had to provide police clearance (proof of lack of criminal record), proof of medical insurance and a medical certificate to show we were fit mentally and physically. And that was about it really.

And it must be applied for - and collected from - your home country. It is doable!

Your parents will be better off trying to get this info while spending some time in the area(s) they are more seriously considering calling home. If I was to do this, I would definitely invest a year to do the research on site by getting a year temporary visa and work out the details while there.

nothing is "hassle free" in spain.

I am curious .. eliza3.. how long did it take the spanish consulate to ANSWER you and give you your passports with the first "visa approval" in it?

And then.. when you got to spain.. what city, and HOW long did it take to stand in line or whatever to turn in all the papers again?

just curious to see how this is working elsewhere in the country.

maybe things have improved.

what i do suggest if do not BUY until yo have rented for quite awhile in different seasons. your quiet sleepy beach town in july and august can be unbearable. Plus, the local customs and legal noise tolerance/ barking dogs,, music.. tv's.. can be a shocker.

so.. really investigate as many have suggested. unless they speak spanish, or are willing to TRY to learn they will probably gravitate towards an expat community..

and this is another story.

It took around 6 - 8 weeks for the Embassy in Canberra to make the intitial approval. Then basically the same paperwork had to be lodged in (in our case at the time) Seville. There was 'some waiting in line' but nothing too onerous.

I am not suggesting it has all been easy but the visa process itself has been relatively so. One thing we face constantly is that the Spanish (and I suspect other European countries) are really only used to dealing with EU citizens and have little experience outside that, all compounded by the language barrier.

It is something to be committed to -not done on a whim - as you have to be prepared for the frustrations etc. It will never be hassle free - but we know that.

Thanks a lot to everyone who responded. I guess this needs more investigating than I had initially expected.

Theres a t.v. show on here thats quite popular, its a British show called "Selling Homes Abroad" ,, its all about the British folks that go off to places like Spain, Portugual, and Italy and buy some home to retire to ( since it is cheaper then buying a retirement house back at home( UK) and most of them site wanting to be in milder winters..
Problem is the show is called "SELLING" not buying,, why , because many of them do not do their homework, they end up not liking where they decided to live after all, or, they got ripped off( quite common apparently with crappily put together new builts) and just want out of mess. Often facing huge losses,, houses that are unsafe etc.. and local government regalations they cannot deal with ( one couple had to tear down part of their house as it wasn't zoned correctly, even though they bought it like that,, and they got no refund and no recourse).

I would advise people to think long and hard, triple and quardruple check all rules, laws, regulations, building codes, etc etc before investing in property and moving away from their home.
At least, start with maybe the concept of buying something small, a summer house that you could just live in part time and get used to area , before you sell your UK home and invest all your savings into a foriegn economy.

eliza3.. thanks for your personal report. i am happy to see that it did not take as long as it used to.. but i wonder if that is due to a more efficient consulate where you live.

others i know ( from the USA) have not been so lucky.

also, it is good to hear that you were not faced with long, long lines. congratulations!

and lol.. when they come to rent.. they will soon know if this is the place for them.

best they do this while they are HEALTHY and SPRY.

I would second bozamas gentle words of warning.
As an Ex-pat I know what it is to live in a different culture - and the Netherlands is surprisingly different to the UK. I know what it is like to be away from your family and difficult times, to have to learn a new language, to cope with a different way of shopping, living. I did all this when I was in my 20's but even now some 25 years later I am still an outsider in so many ways.
I advise your parents to think hard about how far from their family they will be, How much it will cost to return to see children/grandchildren/siblings. Also they should think about how they will cope on their own in Spain (or wherever) when one of them dies. Do they speak the language at all? Well enough to explain to a doctor what is wrong if they are ill for instance?

hetimij
" Also they should think about how they will cope on their own in Spain (or wherever) when one of them dies. Do they speak the language at all? Well enough to explain to a doctor what is wrong if they are ill for instance?"

This is sooooo true. For expats that go to the hospital, they're ready for a shock. Most hospitals do not staff most expats would expect. The nurses help nurse duties but they do not serve meals, etc.. This is expected by the larger family.

Blackduff

I have always understood that in France inspite of a person's will the French law dictates as to how property will be passed on when the owner dies. The same is true in Italy. I don't know about Spain but it is certainly something to look into lol.

Also, if your parents do not want to be kept "alive" when horribly ill..will they be forced to? That is something I don't like about Italy..the Catholic doctrine laws determine how patients are treated in Italy so that is another thing to check out.

Different county and culture. A lot of investigation regarding many subjects would be good in my opinion.

ttt