UK Government extends support for vulnerable UK Nationals applying for residency in Spain

UK Government extends support for vulnerable UK Nationals applying for residency in Spain

• Additional £1 million of funding for charities and voluntary organisations across Europe to support vulnerable UK Nationals applying for residency, bringing the total to £4 million.
• Since March 2020, eight organisations have reached 350,000 vulnerable individuals using the UK Nationals Support Fund.
• Age in Spain, Babelia and IOM continue to support UK Nationals in Spain.

The UK Government is extending support for potentially at-risk groups including pensioners, disabled people and those with language difficulties who live in Europe by continuing the activity of the UK Nationals Support Fund (UKNSF) and supplementing it with an additional £1 million.

The UKNSF provides funds to eight organisations to support UK Nationals who need assistance with their residency applications. These organisation operate in 11 EU Member States and Norway, and since the launch of the Fund in March 2020, have provided practical support for UK Nationals who need assistance with the process of applying/registering for residency in 12 European countries, following the end of the Transition Period. This funding is in addition to £3 million announced by the Foreign Secretary in March 2020. Figures just published by the Observatorio Permanente de la Inmigracion show that as of 31 December 2020 there were 381,448 UK Nationalsholding a valid residency certificate or card in Spain.

The UKNSF will continue to operate in France, Spain, Germany, Italy, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Malta and Norway.

British Ambassador to Spain, Hugh Elliott, said:

“I am delighted that more funding has been provided to Age in Spain, Babelia and IOM through the UK Nationals Support Fund. These organisations provide vital support to UK Nationals who need additional help with their residency application in Spain, so I urge any UK Nationals who are struggling with the process to contact them for help.”

The UKNSF will continue to be delivered by:

• The AIRE Centre – Bulgaria, Greece and Norway
• Age in Spain – Spain
• Asociación Babelia – Spain
• Cyprus Residency Planning Group (CRPG) – Cyprus
• Franco British Network – France
• International Organisation for Migration – France, Germany, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia and Spain
• SSAFA – Cyprus, France and Germany
• The Church of England Diocese in Europe – France

This assistance builds on the ongoing outreach and guidance provided by the UK’s network of Embassies, High Commissions and Consulates across Europe.

UK Nationals should visit the Living in Spain Guide at: gov.uk/livinginspain to check what action they may need to take.

UK Nationals can contact the three organisations in the following ways:

IOM – The International Organisation for Migration (Andalusia, Castilla la Mancha, Castilla León, Ceuta, Extremadura, Madrid, Melilla and Murcia)

• IOM Spain website
• email: UKnationalsSP@iom.int
• helplines: Andalusia, Ceuta, Melilla: +34 650 339 754, Madrid, Castilla la Mancha, Castilla León, Extremadura : +34 699 581 855, Murcia: +34 648 642 543, all available Mon to Thurs, 3.30pm to 5pm

Babelia (Alicante, Valencia and Castellon)

• Babelia website
• email: info@asociacionbabelia.org
• Babelia contact form
• helpline: +34 865 820 229 available Mon to Fri, 9am to 2pm

Age in Spain (Aragon, Asturias, Balearics, Basque Country (Pais Vasco), Canary Islands, Cantabria, Catalonia, Galicia, La Rioja, Navarra)

• Age in Spain website
• email: residency@ageinspain.org
• Age in Spain contact form
• helpline: +34 932 20 97 41 available Mon to Fri, 9am to 6pm