I've always wanted to live in Spain

[Bootsnall]

Just that really. Not benidorm! Or a caravan!

Current set up in UK is
Early 50s
2DC - teens. Both at secondary school
DH
Absolutely huge mortgage
Both work FT, been there 30+ years
Both live in same town we grew up in. Town has totally gone to ruin and is now a complete shadow of itself
I could work in a cafe abroad, DH has mental health and couldn't do anything other than the very relaxed office job he has now

Just always wanted to move there. Obviously been on holiday there loads of times over the years

Just found out that a former work colleague has moved there. She's 52. In UK she did so many basic admin jobs, no formal qualifications, flits from job to job, town to town, bloke to bloke and now on 3rd marriage and has a house with a pool out there.

If you're serious then follow a woman on FB called Carley Chaplin, she'll talk you through the reality of moving to Spain.

Do you have an EU passport or visa to work and live in Spain?

We have uk passports and that's it. No idea if we would we accepted to move/ work there

I've always assumed it was a pipe dream. But having had the news this former colleague has made it over there. She never had anything to her name but I suspect she married into money. Not rich rich, but decent enough

And life is v v short

Do you speak Spanish and have the skill set for a visa application?

It would be very hard to get a work visa. Have your looked into your options?

Research sites and forums for people who have moved or thinking about moving to Spain eg expat forum Spain. There is a lot of info out there. It is more difficult to move there now, and the income required for each person has increased a lot. Research how it will affect your finances, tax, savings- the rules are different in Spain. Inheritance rules are different to the U.K..You will have to pay income tax on all your income in Spain, wherever it comes from. May not be a good idea to interrupt your children’s schooling at this stage. It is not easy to find work. You will have to have medical insurance and existing conditions may not be covered. Your husband may have a problem finding work there. You will get healthcare free if you are working in Spain and contribute to the system. It is a huge undertaking - I’ve done it!
What about your huge mortgage?

Sadly, your chances of doing this were smashed by Brexit. Only British people with dual passports (eg Irish and British) can settle and work in the EU now.

@Allseeingallknowing this is why we will probably never get there and I'm trapped in the UK forever.

How do the people living in the campsites near benidorm manage to move over there ?

They’re subject to the same rules, unless they spent less than 90 days in Spain. Some may live under the radar, and don’t tell DWP, HMRC , but it’s much harder to do that now and penalties are high. As someone said it was much easier pre Brexit. We had small pensions and it was sufficient, but now it’s over 2k per person per month. You need to be wealthy to move there now. Healthcare is a really big thing. You also have to think about what to do when you are older and may ned care. The care homes are even more expensive than here, and not so many of them. You do need to speak Spanish, although plenty of opportunities do that once there.
Despite its flaws you’re better off in the U.K., unless you win the lottery or inherit a lot!

As a UK national you won't get a work visa to work in a cafe - work visas are only available for jobs where there is a serious skills shortage here in Spain. And even then you'd need an employer to sponsor you.
Your only option is a non-lucrative visa, but the financial requirements for that are significant - as others have said there are plenty of sites tgat can give you the latest figures.
We moved here before Brexit when ( because Britain was still in the EU) the financial requirements were much, much less than they are now.

OP this may help
www.healthplanspain.com/blog/expat-tips/1399-what-is-the-minimum-income-for-residency-in-spain.html

Hope you didn't vote for Brexit!

The increase in mosquitoes in Spain has put me off going on holiday there. They are brutal and bite all day long.

If you can work remotely there is talk of a nomadic visa but I don’t think it has been introduced yet.

Since brexit there is no freedom of movement. you won't just get a visa to work in a cafe.

But there are alternatives. It's not just move to Spain or stay where you are now.

I left a high paying career and sold my house. With a huge mortgage. Some years later tbf I'm now mortgage free and in a pt role earning much less. But I spend at least a week a month in the winter months in Spain. I buy annual leave and work extra hours in summer to take more time in the winter off. I accept that its nott everyone can do this.

But yiu don't have to stay in an expensive area with a large mortgage. You do have other options