uk - Fairway Lawyers Costa del Sol

British expats forced to leave Spain – ‘don’t feel confident’ with new Brexit rules

By ESTHER MARSHALL – www.express.co.uk Diego Echavarria is an expert in Spanish residency law. He is the founding partner of Fairway Lawyers on the Costa del Sol and spoke to Express.co.uk about British expats in Spain. He told Express.co.uk that one of his clients was asked to leave Spain in 72 hours after she struggled to prove she had residency. He said: “I had a case where someone who is a citizen in Spain couldn’t justify it. They gave her 72 hours to leave the country. “She was able to prove that she had residency so she was fine but I don’t know what’s going to happen to other people […]

Oct 14

Spain rejects 2,000 residency applications after Brexit – these are the most common reasons

Many Britons wish to retire in the Mediterranean country, looking for sun, warm weather and delicious food. This year, however, many UK nationals who applied for Spanish residency under the Withdrawal Agreement had their applications rejected. Many even received notices saying they had to leave the country within 15 days or they could be classified as illegal. Why? According to recent data by the EU’s Specialised Committee on Citizens’ Rights, Spanish authorities received 168,700 applications for residency in September 2021. Out of these, 141,700 have now been concluded. According to the report, 81,200 applications were approved for permanent residence, meaning it was granted to those Britons who had been living in Spain […]

Sep 25

Olive Press newspaper interview with Diego Echavarria

Olive Press reporter Katherine Brook sat down with one of Spain’s best lawyers, Diego Echavarria, to discuss how he’s helped over 50 people who were victims of the floor clause claim back hundreds of thousands of pounds, as well as what problems Brits are currently facing in the country. Tell us a bit about yourself Diego? I was brought up in Madrid, which is where I studied to become a lawyer, splitting my time between there and Germany. I moved to Marbella in 2001 and then set up my own company, Fairway Lawyers, in 2006. Why Marbella? I specialise in being an English speaking lawyer, and Marbella’s a great place […]

May 01

Residency in Spain for UK nationals: Can a lawyer fix application problems and speed up the process?

Diego Echavarria of Fairway Lawyers in Marbella has recently been interviewed by The Local Spain after several of their British readers have contacted them to say they’re having problems getting their residency in Spain, and questioning why there are so many delays. The reporter spoke to several lawyers to find out what most the common residency issues are, how to correct them and why getting legal help might speed up the process. Gerard Martínez from Balcells Group in Barcelona explained to The Local that the vast majority of residency problems they are seeing now involve foreigners not knowing the best path to residency and not being sure about what their options are. Most […]

Oct 02

The UK’s departure from the European Union, the procedure and your rights in Spain under the Withdrawal Agreement

Brexit is the name given to the process of departure of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union. The UK’s exit from the EU took place on 31 January 2020 and the terms of the departure are defined in the Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the EU negotiated by both parties. The Withdrawal Agreement entered into force on 1 February 2020 and provides for an orderly departure of the UK from the EU. To this end, the Withdrawal Agreement foresees a transition or implementation period which expires on 31 December 2020. Residence rights are regulated in Title II of the […]

Aug 29

BREXIT: All you need to know… but were afraid to ask!

Back in January 2020 the EU Council and the United Kingdom signed and ratified the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement, which contains the highlights regarding how the Brexit affects nationals of the parties who are living in the UK or in the EU territories. In general terms, the said agreement laid down a transition period whereby the things shall basically stay as they are, in order to enable people to make decisions and take measures on time. That is, the transition period buys time in order for those affected (EU citizens who want to stay in the UK and UK nationals who want to stay in the EU) to get the paperwork […]

Jul 30

Spanish government launch new process for UK citizens who still have to register their residency in Spain

The UK’s exit from the EU took place on 31 January 2020 and the terms of the departure are defined in the Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the EU negotiated by both parties. The Withdrawal Agreement entered into force on 1 February 2020 and provides for an orderly departure of the UK from the EU. To this end, the Withdrawal Agreement foresees a transition or implementation period which expires on 31 December 2020. Residence rights are regulated in Title II of the Withdrawal Agreement. It should be kept in mind that registration certificates and residence card to family members of a Union citizen obtained before the […]

Jul 28

COVID-19: UK’s Foreign Office advises against ALL non-essential travel to Spain

From 27 July, the UK’s FCO advise against all non-essential travel to Spain, including the Balearic and Canary Islands, based on the current assessment of COVID-19 risks in the country. This advice is based on evidence of increases in cases of COVID-19 in several regions, but particularly in Aragon, Navarra and Catalonia (which include the cities of Zaragoza, Pamplona and Barcelona). The FCO is not advising those already travelling in Spain to leave at this time. Travellers should follow the advice of the local authorities on how best to protect themselves and others, including any measures that they bring in to control the virus. If you are returning from Spain […]

Jul 18

VIDEO: British Ambassador and Spain’s Secretary of State for Migrations send a joint message to UK nationals in Spain

One week on from the introduction of a new residency document for UK nationals protected by the Withdrawal Agreement and some changes to the application process, HMA Hugh Elliott and Secretaria de Estado de Migraciones (Ministerio de Inclusión, Seguridad Social y Migraciones) Hana Jalloul recorded a joint message for UK nationals living in Spain. The Ambassador and Minister acknowledged the many questions from UK nationals about the new system and sought to provide clarity and reassurance. They were clear that the green residency certificate (whether A4 or credit card-sized) remains valid proof of residency status and rights under the Withdrawal Agreement, even after the end of the transition period. Speaking […]

Jul 02

End to EU free movement in UK a step closer after MPs pass immigration bill

British MPs have approved the government’s immigration bill which aims to end EU freedom of movement rules in the UK, one of the key factors that led to Brexit. The measure has now cleared all stages in the House of Commons after being passed by 342 votes to 248 on Tuesday night. It is next due before the upper chamber, the House of Lords. The legislation ends rules that have helped millions of EU citizens to live and work in the UK, and will instead give equal rights to people from outside the bloc. “We’re ending free movement — so people can come here based on their skills, not where […]

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