How to move to Spain after Brexit without making expensive mistakes

Since Brexit, UK citizens are non-EU nationals in Spain. That means a 90-in-180-day limit on visa-free stays, and a residency visa is required to live in Alicante long term. The good news: the legal routes are well established. The bad news: most expensive mistakes happen in the first 30 days, before a single euro is spent on rent.

Mistake one — applying with the wrong visa. The Non-Lucrative Visa requires passive income and forbids work in Spain. The Digital Nomad Visa requires a remote employer or remote clients outside Spain. Mixing them up means rejection and a re-application in 6–12 months.

Mistake two — buying the wrong health insurance. The Spanish consulate rejects policies with copays, exclusions or waiting periods. UK private medical insurance and travel insurance both fail. You need a Spanish-resident-grade policy from a Spanish insurer.

Mistake three — outdated apostilles. Most UK documents need to be apostilled within the last 90 days. People apostille too early, then have to redo it.

Mistake four — booking too late. Consulate slots in London and Manchester run weeks ahead. The realistic timeline from first appointment to TIE card is 2–4 months. Plan housing and shipping accordingly.

Mistake five — opening accounts in the wrong order. You can't get a NIE without a residency basis, you can't open most Spanish bank accounts without a NIE, and you can't sign a long-term tenancy contract without either.

Get the sequence right and the move from the UK to Alicante is genuinely smooth. Get one step wrong and the calendar slips by months.