The ten-year anniversary of the Brexit referendum is causing many in the UK and Europe to reflect on what’s changed since the referendum vote and what has stayed the same.

Here’s a summary of the changes from Alex Radford of My Lawyer In Spain.

• Buying process and costs of buying are the same for Brits as Europeans. 
• Freedom of movement has gone for Brits, so they need a visa to live here. This is biggest change. 
• Inheritance tax is the same for Brits as non-Europeans. 
• Non-resident income tax is 24% for Brits and 19% for Europeans. This is subject to litigation as we speak as considered discriminatory. Watch this space! 

It’s certainly been a time of change and worry, but also opportunities and a continued sense that Brits love Spain and want to find a way to live here and own property here. 

The morning after the referendum we all met to digest the results and there was shock and disbelief around the table. We had a lot of questions! Would Spain still welcome Brits? How would the result affect our property team? Would Brits continue to buy property in Spain and move here?

There were so many concerns and unanswered questions at the time and a lot of fear from the British resident population at large.

To cope with the legal consequences of Brexit, the team had to hire a lawyer and set up a residency department to respond to the mad rush from Brits to apply for residency, get NIEs and buy property before the Brexit transition period ended on the 31^st of December 2020.

By July 2020 the goal posts had moved and withdrawal agreement applications had to be approved by the Oficinas de Extranjerias and stricter measures were in place! By the end of 2020, we had acted for hundreds of clients applying for residency and the deadline date for applications under the withdrawal agreement had been extended.

Despite the initial timeline, in reality withdrawal applications continued well into 2021 and beyond. The fears many of us felt on referendum night about work drying up and businesses built on supporting British residents in Spain not being able to survive proved to be unfounded.

Brexit triggered a surge in Irish passport applications, reflecting a continued demand for an EU passport.

Many clients took advantage of the Non-Lucrative Visa from 1^st January 2021, to the extent that Spanish Consulates in the UK went on strike, due to the overwhelming volumes of applicants. The Golden Visa became more attractive to retrospectively apply for residency, and many new arrivals from outside the EU decided to purchase property to qualify for that visa.

Even when that was scrapped on 3^rd April 2025, people still wanted to move here, and demand was actually boosted by COVID and the increased ability to work remotely from home. 

Ten years on from that fateful night of the referendum, Spain continues to be the chosen destination for Brits to buy property and relocate. 

Life continues in sunny Spain and we and thousands of others think life is pretty sweet here. Meet the criteria for the non-lucrative visa, or digital nomad visa and you can come and live here.

Yes, there are more hoops to jump through than before, but we believe it’s well worth the effort. 

Alex Radford is a dual qualified English Solicitor and Spanish Abogado and founding partner of My Lawyer in Spain.