Spanish retirement dream

THERE is no question that many people, especially those with holiday homes in Spain were very upset by Brexit, but there might just be a silver lining to what has been seen as a dark cloud.

Politicians in Spain, as well as several other European countries are quite happy to have their cake and eat it which means that whilst they don’t want unemployed or unskilled Brits ignoring the rules and living under the tax radar, there is a section which is still welcome to come to settle.

For many white collar workers in the UK, a combination of State and Personal Pensions means that when compared to countries in Southern Europe, they are relatively well off and could become attractive settlers.

Australian couple Alison and Alastair not only moved to Spain but set up their own business https//mov ingtospain.com to offer a service to those thinking of taking their next big step and the couple have just published a new review of the best European countries for expats to retire in.

Southern Europe comes top of the list with Portugal in first place and close on its heels, Spain and Italy tying for second place.

The review analysed the cost of living, health care, average apartment prices, average annual sunshine hours, retirement visas, percentage of populations aged 65 and above, life expectancy, total blue flag sites and global peace index scores across every European country in order to reveal the best countries in Europe for retirement.

The main difference which gives Portugal the edge is the overall cost of living and price of property per square foot, but with a higher average life expectancy as well as a much better Global Peace Index, Spain remains an attractive proposition.

So, if you can afford to live in Spain without working, you can apply for a Non­Lucrative Visa which has an initial life of one year, but you can apply

€852k of fake oil

AN investigation by police has uncovered a gang of fraudsters selling fake olive oil.

for two additional two ­ year renewals, so a total of five years is allowed.

Once you have completed five years then you are able to apply for permanent residency with the added bonus that you can then legally work in Spain if you want to.

For 2023 you must be able to show that the main person applying can show that they will have an annual income of €28,800 and that any dependent will also receive €7,200 and this may be from pensions, investments, rental income or even royalties.

In theory, if you own a property in Spain or intend to purchase one then that should assist in the application, although it tends to depend upon whichever officer is reviewing the application. So, if you want to move away from the UK or indeed any other non­EU country to somewhere where it is warm, welcoming, friendly and much cheaper, Spain is certainly a really good option.

The Guardia Civil released a report on Friday, June 30 in which more than 143,000 litres of oil being sold as extra virgin in Sevilla had been seized, with eight of the scammers questioned by the investigators.

Operation ‘Giraoliva2se,’ was launched by police in which eight people were investigated for the alleged crimes of fraud, against the market and consumers, and industrial property. In addition, more than 143,000 litres of oil sold as extra virgin olive oil, but was, in fact, a mixture of seed oil and pomace oil, have been seized.

Last March the Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN), announced a health alert when they discovered a series of irregularities owing to the lack of reliable traceability and health guarantees in some brands of oil.

An investigation began after it was found the oil was distributed with a label that had been removed and a bar code that did not correspond to it.

The oil was being marketed all under the guise of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), using different social and legitimate addresses, as well as prices which were significantly below the market price.

Investigating officers located two warehouses in which the oil could be bottled and labelled. During the searches, the officers also found two tanks containing seed oil, machinery for mixing and packaging, as well as a computer and a label printer.