How the Article 18.4 TIE works for Britons who moved to Spain before 2021: who is covered, green certificate versus TIE, proof of residence, validity, renewal, family members and absences.
The EasySpainNow blog
Written for U.S. and UK citizens moving to Spain, sourced from the official pages and dated. Search it, or filter by topic and origin and sort the list.
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How a dog, cat or ferret gets from Great Britain into Spain: microchip, rabies wait, the animal health certificate, the Spanish point of entry, then the Spanish registry and dog rules.
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What changes for a British buyer in Spain since 2021: the NIE, notary and registry, transfer tax by region, the 24 percent non-resident owner tax, military zones and the 3 percent on a later sale.
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What a Spanish bank asks a Briton before and after residence, who has a right to the basic payment account, how to complain, and what UK banks, ISA providers and customs expect when you leave.
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What HMRC and Spain each ask when a Briton in Spain sells or lets a UK home: the 60-day report, the 18 and 24 percent rates, home relief, rent withheld at source and the Spanish credit.
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How a Briton resident in Spain declares UK interest, dividends and rent, claims the foreign tax credit, treats an ISA and reports UK accounts and investments above 50,000 euros on Modelo 720.
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Which residence route a Briton uses to retire in Spain, what the non-lucrative visa asks for, where consulate pages differ, and what happens to the State Pension and UK benefits.
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Which country taxes your UK workplace, government and State Pension once you live in Spain, how to stop UK tax at source with HMRC's Spain form, and where the official pages go silent.
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How Britons draw the UK State Pension in Spain, keep its yearly increase, request the S1 and register it with Spain's INSS, and what changed for voluntary National Insurance in April 2026.
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Which law decides who inherits when a Briton dies in Spain, how a Spanish will and the Last Wills certificate work, and how Spanish inheritance tax and UK Inheritance Tax fit together.
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Who may work for themselves after Brexit, the Social Security and tax registrations, 2026 contributions, the uncertain flat rate, quarterly returns, and closing the UK side with HMRC.
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HMRC's Statutory Residence Test in order, split year treatment, Spain's calendar year residence test and the treaty tie breaker for the year both countries can claim you.
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Who may take a job in Spain, the two permit routes, the contract rules, minimum wage, Social Security registration, withholding, unemployment benefit and the UK side.
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Who can use Spain's special impatriate regime after a move from the UK, the routes that open it, the rates, the six-month Modelo 149 deadline and what the treaty pages say about UK income.
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A UK-plated car is a visitor for 6 months and a problem once you live in Spain. The clocks, the import steps, registration tax, ITV, insurance, and buying a car in Spain.
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How Britons who move to Spain swap a UK driving licence for a Spanish one under the 2023 agreement: the six-month limit, the check code, the medical report and the licences left out.
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What the Spanish tenancy law (LAU) says on term, deposit, guarantees, rent updates and early exit after the October 2, 2026 repeal, plus the deposit rules of Madrid, Catalonia, Valencia and Andalusia.
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How Britons moving to Spain can compare pound to euro transfer quotes: the reference rate, the markup, fixed and intermediary fees, the UK disclosure rules and what Spain asks you to declare.
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Who qualifies for Spain's teleworker visa after a move from the UK, the 2026 income bar, what employees, freelancers and company owners must show, and the Social Security point most files turn on.
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What a parcel from the UK costs on arrival in Spain since July 1, 2026, how gifts and household belongings are treated, what to know before posting food or medicines, and how Correos delivers.
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The UK paperwork behind a Spanish visa file: which police certificate, which apostille, which medical wording and which translator, counted back from the day you file.
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The foreigner identity card for Britons who arrive on a Spanish visa: the one month deadline, form EX-17, the Form 790 code 012 fee, the appointment, collection, validity, travel, loss and renewal.
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London, Manchester or Edinburgh: which Spanish consulate covers your UK address, where a long-stay visa file is lodged, and which consulate pages apply to Britons moving now.
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The non-lucrative money test stream by stream, what each U.S. consulate accepts as proof, health coverage from the private policy to the convenio and Medicare, and when Spain taxes you.
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Who must register on the padrón, the identity and address papers town halls ask for, who later wants the certificate, and how renewal, moving and leaving Spain work for Britons.
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How your choice of Spanish region and town changes your taxes, healthcare, school language and rent, compared on official tables, with where Britons already live and where UK help sits.
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The long-stay routes open to a Briton arriving now, side by side: money test, work rights, validity and the London consulate fee in pounds, plus the golden visa that closed in 2025.
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Six Spanish cities side by side on official figures only: the region that taxes you, median rents, stressed zones, the language of your child's school, AEMET climate normals and recorded crime.
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No recognition of UK studies up to fourth of ESO, then apostilles, homologation and UNEDasiss for GCSEs and A-levels, plus six regions' admission windows and how empadronamiento scores.
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What an arras deposit can cost you, the checks before you sign, the notary deed and the Property Registry, transfer tax or VAT by region, and the yearly taxes a Spanish home brings in both countries.
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What happens to your UK SIM once you live in Spain, how Spanish mobile and fibre contracts work, how to switch and keep a number, and where to complain when a provider will not listen.
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How a Briton moving to Spain gets health cover: why the GHIC covers visits only, the visa's private insurance rule, public access under RDL 7/2018 and the convenio especial at 60 or 157 euros a month.
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Taking over the supplies after the keys: the CUPS code, the regulated PVPC and gas TUR against free-market offers, water through the town's utility, VAT, the bono social and complaints.
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The 10 years Britons need, the one-year cases, the DELE A2 and CCSE exams, the online file, the one-year silence rule, the 180 days for the oath and what the oath says about British nationality.
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What a Briton moving to Spain needs from private health insurance: the visa routes that ask for it, who counts as an authorized insurer, where the GHIC stops and how to complain.
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How to check the owner in the Property Registry, test the asking rent against the state index, spot a fake listing, pay safely, and get from the first viewing to a signed lease in 7 days.
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How the rolling 90 of 180 day count works for Britons in Spain, what the Entry/Exit System records, where ETIAS stands, and what an overstay can cost under UK and Spanish rules.
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What the NIE is, when a Briton needs one, and the three ways to get it: a Spanish police office, the consulate in London, Manchester or Edinburgh, or a visa, with each page's fee and form.
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Who files Modelo 720, the three 50,000 euro blocks, the March 31 deadline, how U.S. accounts, IRAs, a 401(k), a house, an LLC or a trust land on it, the fines since 2022, and Modelo 721 for crypto.
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Where an official Spanish level counts for a Briton: nationality, student renewals and some jobs, the 2026 DELE prices, language school fees by region and regional language certificates.
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The U.S. side of life in Spain: Form 1040 deadlines abroad, the FBAR and Form 8938, the exclusion or the credit, Spanish funds, the treaty and a nonresident spouse, beside the Spanish dates.
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How power, gas and water work in Spain for a Briton in 2026: who sets each price, what you need to start, what a tenant pays, the taxes on the bill and where to complain.
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Who files a first Spanish income tax return, the 15,876 euro limit for U.S. pay, Renta WEB access, rates, joint filing, dollar conversion, the double taxation deduction and where U.S. income goes.
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The rolling 90 days in any 180, a worked count over three trips, what the EES records instead of stamps, ETIAS and its missing start date, the U.S.-Spain extension and the fines for overstaying.
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What a U.S. consulate's refusal letter must state, the optional 1-month reconsideration appeal, the 2-month court deadline in Madrid, silence, and when a corrected new file is the better route.
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The main long-stay routes open to a U.S. citizen, side by side: the 2026 money test, whether you may work, where you file, how long the first permit lasts and when long-term residence opens.
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Registering a U.S.-born child at a Spanish consulate, the declaration due by 21, the option for children of Spain-born parents, pending Democratic Memory files and the 1-year residence route.
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The 1-year and 2-year routes of Spain's Civil Code: why a U.S. marriage must be registered in Spain first, which exams still apply, the Puerto Rico question and the renunciation Americans declare.
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Name certificate, NIEs, deed and registry with their deadlines and fee caps, the 2026 corporate tax rates, RETA for directors, permits, and the IRS forms an American owner files.
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Which permits allow it, when U.S. clients pay Spanish VAT, the invoice and Modelo 303 boxes, Modelo 130 without withholding, the certificate that ends U.S. self-employment tax, and the U.S. forms.
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Which permits still need a private policy after arrival, what Spain's insurance contract law gives you at signing and renewal, how premiums are taxed, and how to complain to the insurer and the DGSFP.
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What a U.S. prescription is worth in a Spanish pharmacy, how much medicine to bring, the AEMPS permit for controlled drugs, ADHD medicines, refills and buying online.
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What the public system pays for by age and region, why a non-lucrative permit usually keeps you out, and how to check a private clinic, get an estimate, finance safely and complain.
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The 183-day and economic-interest tests, the Agencia Tributaria certificate and its Basque and Navarra equivalents, Form 6166, and why a Spanish certificate never ends U.S. tax for a citizen.
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Why Cl@ve waits for your TIE, how to register without the video route, how to get the free FNMT certificate in Spain or at a U.S. consulate, and which procedures take which ID.
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Who apostilles a U.S. birth certificate, FBI check or diploma and what it costs, which translators each consulate and Spanish office accepts, and how to apostille Spanish documents for U.S. use.
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Who runs Spain's trains, the 2026 passes and discounts open to U.S. residents, what EU law, Renfe and Ouigo pay when a train is late or canceled, and where to take a complaint.
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The rules that change on October 1, 2026, the V-16 beacon, speed and alcohol limits, what a fine costs and how it reaches you, points, tolls and the low-emission zones of Madrid and Barcelona.
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Which pass to buy in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Seville and Málaga, the papers a newcomer needs for a personal card, the 2026 state discounts, the Abono Único, bikes and e-scooters.
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What an American needs for a Spanish number and home internet: unlocking, SIM identification, contracts, switching, cancelling, complaints, roaming, 112, ES-Alert and the universal service.
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Where each of Spain's languages is official, public Spanish classes and their 2026 fees, the DELE and SIELE, regional language courses, and the language rules for your residence file and children.
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What a Spanish bar or restaurant may put on your bill: taxes, cover and bread charges by region, tipping, tap water, leftovers, allergens, card and cash rules, smoking and complaint forms.
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What a parcel from the United States costs in Spain in 2026: import VAT, the 3 euro duty, carrier fees, gifts, moving boxes, banned items, USPS rules, certified letters and electronic notices.
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The order that gets a dog or cat from the U.S. into Spain in 2026: microchip, rabies shot, USDA endorsement and airport checks, then the regional registry, boosters and breed rules.
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Why no agreement covers a U.S. license, the medical report, the 94.05 euro fee for two sittings, the theory and road tests, the driving school rule and which novice rules apply to you.
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How long a U.S. license stays valid in Spain for visitors, residents and students, whether you need an IDP, who can exchange a U.S. license, and the likely 500 euro fine after month six.
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What an American resident pays and files to buy a car in Spain: the regional transfer tax, the registration tax, road tax, insurance, the ITV and what shipping a U.S. car involves.
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Who holds the right to public care in Spain, why a non-lucrative permit keeps you on private insurance, how to apply to the INSS and get the health card, and what prescriptions cost.
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What Spain's consulates in 9 U.S. cities ask of a long-stay visa health policy, how to check the insurer, what renewals need, and what Medicare Parts A, B and D do once you live in Spain.
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The 60 and 157 euro monthly fees, the one-year residence rule, what the basic portfolio leaves out, and how Madrid, Catalonia, Valencia and Andalusia handle the file and the cancellation.
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Public and concertado schools, the 2026-2027 spring windows of four regions, the birth-year rule, placement of pupils schooled in the U.S., mid-year admission and Spanish support.
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Homologation to the Spanish Bachiller, the state apostille and sworn translation, the 49.76 euro fee, the volante for conditional enrollment, and university access through UNEDasiss.
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Homologation or equivalence under Royal Decree 889/2022, the apostille on U.S. documents, sworn translation, DELE B2, the 166.50 euro fee, the 6-month clock and where a PhD goes.
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Seasonal leases under state law, Catalonia's 2026 rules, the annulled short-term registry, tourist rentals, and the lease length Madrid and Barcelona ask for on the padrón.
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The 5 or 7 years a home lease must last, leaving after 6 months, the IRAV cap on yearly updates, the fees the landlord pays, stressed zones, repairs and a sale of the flat.
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The one-month fianza, the 2-month cap on extra guarantees, lodging rules in Madrid, Catalonia, Valencia and Andalusia, what a landlord may deduct and how to claim the deposit back.
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The permit that comes first, written and oral contracts, the trial period, fixed-term limits, pay in 12 or 14 installments, payroll contributions, severance and unemployment benefit.
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Who qualifies after 5 years of non-residence, what the 24 percent rate covers, the 6-month Modelo 149 deadline, your spouse and children, and what the regime changes for an American's filings.
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The self-employed permit or the telework route, the tax and Social Security registrations, contributions on real net income, the disputed 80 euro flat rate, and quarterly VAT and income tax.
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The renunciation declared at the Spanish oath, why U.S. law presumes you keep your citizenship, the passport rule that meets Spain's three-year clause, and formal renunciation.
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The two Instituto Cervantes tests behind Spanish nationality: 2026 fees and dates, pass marks, U.S. exam centers, who is exempt, and why the CCSE can expire before you file.
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The residence that counts, the nationwide U.S. criminal record, the DELE A2 and CCSE, filing online or on paper, the one-year decision clock and the 180 days to swear the oath.
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Who files, the ways around Spain's labor-market test, the employer's solvency proof, the 3-month decision and the string of short deadlines that follows approval.
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The two versions of the permit, the salary and degree tests updated in June 2026, the 20-day UGE decision, and where the consulate's page and the ministry's sheet disagree.
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What ENISA scores in a business plan, the 2026 money test, the two-stage filing at the UGE and the Washington consulate, and where entrepreneur files stall.
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The 2026 money test, who may work and for how many hours, what the Washington consulate checks, and the two routes open to you after graduation.
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The absence limits behind the five-year count, national versus EU long-term status, the income test only one of them has, and the card that follows approval.
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The one-year wait, the income and housing tests, who counts as family, and the routes that skip the wait: filing together, a student or telework permit, or a Spanish spouse.
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Spain's mortgage law covers any individual borrowing against a home, with no residence condition. Why dollar income can make a euro loan a foreign-currency loan, and the timeline to the deed.
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Living in Spain does not change your answer on a Spanish bank's FATCA form. What the self-certification asks, what the bank reports, and how the police certificate of non-residence works.
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The card that proves your legal status in Spain follows your authorization. Fees, the EX-17 form, renewals, the changes you must report within a month, and lost cards.
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The 2026 income bar, why remote work for a U.S. employer or U.S. clients is ruled out, and the residence condition every renewal checks.
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The 2026 income bar, what a U.S. employer or U.S. clients must prove, the Social Security registration the permit requires, and the visa versus the permit requested in Spain.
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The NIE is a number, not a residence permit. When the police assign it through your residence file, when you must apply, and how the consulate and Spanish offices handle it.
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Your town hall registration feeds the rest of your paperwork. What Madrid and Alicante ask for, the lease problem, volante versus certificado, and the 2-year renewal.
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Your broker's policy decides what you can still buy, the PFIC rules make a European fund an expensive fix, and Spain reports the account on Modelo 720 and counts it for the wealth tax.
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Keep a U.S. account, get your broker's policy for customers abroad before any address changes, and open the Spanish account knowing why the FATCA question comes up at the counter.
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A wire funded from your U.S. bank account is outside the 1 percent remittance tax. The exchange-rate margin is the cost that matters, and Spain declares cash, not wires, from 10,000 euros.
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Payments continue for U.S. citizens in Spain and can land in a Spanish euro account. Spain taxes the benefit and deducts the U.S. tax, and the 1986 agreement still governs totalization.
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Once you are a Spanish tax resident, the treaty hands your 401(k) and IRA withdrawals to Spain. The United States taxes you anyway and credits the Spanish tax; a personal IRA's Spanish class is open.
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Federal tax follows your citizenship to Spain. State tax follows your domicile, and California and New York keep former residents on the books unless the move is documented. What each state tests.
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The Streamlined Foreign Offshore Procedures let Americans in Spain file three years of returns and six years of FBARs without penalties. Eligibility turns on 330 days abroad, and the window moves.
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Sell in a year when you are not a Spanish tax resident and only the IRS looks at the gain. Sell in a year when you are, and Spain taxes it too, with a U.S. tax credit. The dates decide the bill.
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The FBI check, its apostille, the medical certificate and your U.S. accounts, sequenced so nothing expires before your consulate appointment.
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The costly mistakes after a move to Spain come from rules that apply on a date. Eight of them, from tax residency to the padrón, with the official rule and the fix.
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The residence card deadline runs from your entry into Spain. How to sequence the TIE appointment, the padrón and your address in the first weeks.
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