Comments on: The future… the future? http://www.transparent.com/spanish/the-future-the-future/ Language and Cultue of the Spanish-Speaking World Thu, 09 Feb 2012 21:36:33 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: david carmona http://www.transparent.com/spanish/the-future-the-future/comment-page-1/#comment-638 david carmona Mon, 25 Aug 2008 14:17:41 +0000 http://www.transparent.com/spanish/?p=86#comment-638 Sure, I'll try to explain it a bit better. As an EU citizen, you are free to do all those things in any country within the EU. However, for obvious reasons, there are certain things you must do if you spend more time in a different country. Residency determines where you live for tax purposes (national and local), voting rights, and health care. The Inland Revenue would probably be more lenient, since I think they allow you to spend a minimum of 91 days in the UK in order to still consider you a UK resident for tax purposes. Spain, however, will consider you a resident if you live there for over 183 days or work there. That's why I suggested changing your residency, but it depends on your job situation. In the case of cars, it is more complicated. The 6 month rule determines which country will be taxing your vehicle and where you should get it insured. This last bit is very important, since your UK car insurance might be invalidated if you spend over a certain amount of time abroad. Check with your provider. If you are going to spend roughly the same amount of time in both countries, you can choose not to change your residency (nobody will check up on that), but eventually you might have a minor traffic accident and find yourself in hot water with an insurance company or a police officer. That's red tape for you! By the way, whereabouts in Spain? Sure, I’ll try to explain it a bit better. As an EU citizen, you are free to do all those things in any country within the EU. However, for obvious reasons, there are certain things you must do if you spend more time in a different country. Residency determines where you live for tax purposes (national and local), voting rights, and health care. The Inland Revenue would probably be more lenient, since I think they allow you to spend a minimum of 91 days in the UK in order to still consider you a UK resident for tax purposes. Spain, however, will consider you a resident if you live there for over 183 days or work there. That’s why I suggested changing your residency, but it depends on your job situation. In the case of cars, it is more complicated. The 6 month rule determines which country will be taxing your vehicle and where you should get it insured. This last bit is very important, since your UK car insurance might be invalidated if you spend over a certain amount of time abroad. Check with your provider. If you are going to spend roughly the same amount of time in both countries, you can choose not to change your residency (nobody will check up on that), but eventually you might have a minor traffic accident and find yourself in hot water with an insurance company or a police officer. That’s red tape for you! By the way, whereabouts in Spain?

]]> By: Frank Adey http://www.transparent.com/spanish/the-future-the-future/comment-page-1/#comment-637 Frank Adey Fri, 22 Aug 2008 20:24:14 +0000 http://www.transparent.com/spanish/?p=86#comment-637 Thanks again David, I am a little confused, as your first reply said ... If you have a British passport, you can travel, live, and work without any limitation in any country that is part of the EU for as long as you want. And your latest reply, said... If you spend more than six months within the same year in Spain, you must register as a resident. My situation is that I have a house in both countries, but am resident in England. If I apply for resident in Spain (can you have DUAL residency)?... or are you suggesting that I should register for residency in each country each time I go over that six months...I am not quite sure how you mean this? If you can give a little more info on this time subject it will clarify? Frank Thanks again David, I am a little confused, as your first reply said …
If you have a British passport, you can travel, live, and work without any limitation in any country that is part of the EU for as long as you want.
And your latest reply, said…
If you spend more than six months within the same year in Spain, you must register as a resident.

My situation is that I have a house in both countries, but am resident in England. If I apply for resident in Spain (can you have DUAL residency)?… or are you suggesting that I should register for residency in each country each time I go over that six months…I am not quite sure how you mean this?
If you can give a little more info on this time subject it will clarify?
Frank

]]> By: david carmona http://www.transparent.com/spanish/the-future-the-future/comment-page-1/#comment-636 david carmona Fri, 22 Aug 2008 18:47:20 +0000 http://www.transparent.com/spanish/?p=86#comment-636 Well, I don't know what you're planning on doing for residency. If you spend more than six months within the same year in Spain, you must register as a resident. In that case, you would have to start proceedings to register your car in Spain. If you drive in Spain for less than six months within the same year, you don't have to do anything (except always carrying a copy of your driver's license, insurance, UK tax, and MOT). A Spanish translation wouldn't hurt, considering our Guardia Civil can be quite a misnomer when it comes to their courteusness. The tricky part is, if your passport is not stamped, you can't prove when you entered the country, and the same thing applies when you move back from travelling to a different country in the EU. This blurrs the "six month rule" limit considerably. Going back to your original message, technically, you would only have one month left. My advice would be to register as a resident in Spain if you're plannning on staying there for over half a year at a time. The Inland Revenue would tell you the same thing, as far as tax is concerned, but I don't know exactly what your situation is. Well, I don’t know what you’re planning on doing for residency. If you spend more than six months within the same year in Spain, you must register as a resident. In that case, you would have to start proceedings to register your car in Spain. If you drive in Spain for less than six months within the same year, you don’t have to do anything (except always carrying a copy of your driver’s license, insurance, UK tax, and MOT). A Spanish translation wouldn’t hurt, considering our Guardia Civil can be quite a misnomer when it comes to their courteusness. The tricky part is, if your passport is not stamped, you can’t prove when you entered the country, and the same thing applies when you move back from travelling to a different country in the EU. This blurrs the “six month rule” limit considerably. Going back to your original message, technically, you would only have one month left. My advice would be to register as a resident in Spain if you’re plannning on staying there for over half a year at a time. The Inland Revenue would tell you the same thing, as far as tax is concerned, but I don’t know exactly what your situation is.

]]> By: Frank Adey http://www.transparent.com/spanish/the-future-the-future/comment-page-1/#comment-635 Frank Adey Fri, 22 Aug 2008 08:07:40 +0000 http://www.transparent.com/spanish/?p=86#comment-635 Thank you David for your reply , it is most helpfull. I think that the restriction on travel I was thinking about was because of a Bristish registered Car. Is there any time limit on that (except I know I will have to be back within a year to re-tax and MOT in Britain). So the 6 months I mentioned, did that apply to a British car abroad? or as long as the tax etc. are up to date, can I travel without time limit! thanks Thank you David for your reply , it is most helpfull.
I think that the restriction on travel I was thinking about was because of a Bristish registered Car. Is there any time limit on that (except I know I will have to be back within a year to re-tax and MOT in Britain).
So the 6 months I mentioned, did that apply to a British car abroad? or as long as the tax etc. are up to date, can I travel without time limit!
thanks

]]> By: david carmona http://www.transparent.com/spanish/the-future-the-future/comment-page-1/#comment-634 david carmona Thu, 21 Aug 2008 18:07:11 +0000 http://www.transparent.com/spanish/?p=86#comment-634 If you have a British passport, you can travel, live, and work without any limitation in any country that is part of the EU for as long as you want. In fact, you don't even need a passport to move inside the EU. Well, since the UK doesn't have ID cards, you would need your passport, but there are no visa requirements or time limits. If you have a British passport, you can travel, live, and work without any limitation in any country that is part of the EU for as long as you want. In fact, you don’t even need a passport to move inside the EU. Well, since the UK doesn’t have ID cards, you would need your passport, but there are no visa requirements or time limits.

]]>