British in Benidorm: which papers apply to you since Brexit

You are covered by the Withdrawal Agreement, which keeps your right to live here. The card that proves it is a TIE (Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero) mentioning the Agreement, and it carries the NIE you already had.

Some people still hold only the green certificate issued before Brexit, either the A4 paper or the small card. It can be exchanged for the TIE. In practice that means a fingerprint appointment, the toma de huellas, at a police office that issues cards, with your passport, the old certificate, a recent photograph and the paid 790-012 fee.

A British citizen who moves here now is treated like any other non-EU national. The visa comes first, from the Spanish consulate that serves your part of the UK: for most retirees that means non-lucrative residence, for others a visa to work, study, join family or work remotely. The TIE is issued after you arrive.

Without a visa, any time here is a visit. Visits are capped by the Schengen limit, 90 days within any 180-day period, counted across every Schengen country. Buying a home does not alter this, and the golden visa that once tied property to residence ended in 2025.

Owners who fly out for a few weeks at a time still need a NIE: for the purchase, for the utility contracts, and for the tax return Spain asks of owners who live elsewhere. They apply as non-residents on form EX-15, at a Spanish consulate before travelling, or at a police office in the province of Alicante once a cita previa is booked.