Brits living in Spain warned of new changes to laws starting tomorrow

Brits living or looking to reside in Spain are being warned of a they must navigate. From this month, May 2025, changes to and upcoming EU border controls will affect how Brits prove their residency status, especially when travelling and one will come into place tomorrow.

has approved a significant reform of its Immigration Regulations (Reglamento de Extranjería), which will come into effect tomorrow, May 20, 2025. The reform brings sweeping changes to the existing framework with the goal of issuing faster residency for long-term undocumented residents (from three years to two). It is hoped this will make it easier and faster for undocumented migrants who are already living in Spain to apply for residency.

Another anticipated reform is raising the age limit for regrouped children to 26 from 21 if they are dependent.

During this month stricter rules for language students in Spain were implemented, with only one renewal allowed. This means that language students can now only renew their student visa once, rather than potentially multiple times, which could limit their ability to continue their studies in Spain.

Additionally, which offered residency to non-EU citizens who invest a large amount of money in Spain. The system allowed thousands of non-EU citizens to gain Spanish residency in return for buying a home valued at more than £419,000 (€500,000).

Also, the TIE (Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero) card, which replaces the residency certificate for UK Nationals in Spain, is more important than ever.

It is the official residency card for non-EU citizens, including Brits post-Brexit. Some British expats who still use the older green certificate are being warned that this document is no longer enough, especially for travel.

TIE includes your NIE number, photo, and residency type and is given to all foreign nationals who wish to stay longer than six months.

British expats who have obtained a visa valid for more than six months need to apply for a TIE card once they arrive in Spain.

Brits previously did not have to apply for this card as those who are a national from a European Union member country or are from Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland, do not need to apply for a TIE.

In October 2025 the European Union's Entry/Exit System (EES) will come into effect. The system will impact UK travellers entering the EU, who will be required to scan their passports or other travel documents, and their biometric data, including facial scans and fingerprints, instead of the previous passport stamping.