UK second-home owners in Spain and France: staying longer legally

Since Brexit, a British owner of a second home in Spain, France or Portugal travels as a non-EU visitor. Owning the property does not change that: you are limited to 90 days in any 180 unless you hold a national long-stay visa or residence permit.

Splitting the year

The rolling window rewards patterns. A 90-day stay followed by 90 days away gives you another 90-day stay (this is stated directly in the Commission’s guidance). Repeating that gives two blocks of up to 90 days a year, about 180 days in total, but only if each block really starts after a full 90 days away.

Typical plans, for example:

• Spring block and autumn block, with summer and winter at home.
• Two longer winter-and-spring and summer-and-autumn stays arranged around other commitments.

The pattern has to be checked day by day. A planner that looks at all your planned trips together, like the one in DayCount EU or our free return tool, shows when each block can start and how long it can last.

National long-stay options

If you want more than 90 days at a stretch, look at the visa and residence routes of the country where you will stay. France publishes its long-stay visa options on the official France-Visas site, including a visa for visitors who will not work. Other countries have their own routes, and requirements such as income, health cover and proof of accommodation vary. As of our last review Spain does not offer a simple temporary six-month visitor visa, so check with the consulate what applies to you.

While you hold a long-stay visa or residence permit, days in the issuing country are not counted in the 90/180 calculation. DayCount EU lets you record those periods so they are left out of the count.

Older bilateral agreements

Some Schengen states still honour older bilateral visa-waiver agreements for certain nationalities, which can allow extra time in that state. The Commission’s calculator does not model these. If you think one applies to you, confirm it with the state concerned before relying on it.

Remember the tax side

More time in a country can create tax consequences. See Spain’s 183-day rule and the UK Statutory Residence Test.

Planning aid, not legal or tax advice. Border authorities’ records are authoritative.

Sources

• France-Visas: official long-stay visa information
• European Commission: short-stay calculator user manual (bilateral agreements, section 2)

Related

• For UK second-home owners
• Long-stay visa periods
• When can I return?

Planning aid, not legal or tax advice. Border authorities' records are authoritative.