I know this wasn’t directed at me Rob, and I don’t know if it’s actually a law as such, but for me (and I’m a Remainer) the least palatable ‘rule’ for being in the EU - which took me to the brink of voting ‘Leave’ is the ‘Free movement of people’. Ironically it’s a rule that I was planning to exploit by retiring to Spain, but the idea that anyone (all those Syrians for example) could gain EU citizenship via Germany or Sweden using their ‘Open door’ Policies, then have the right to settle here in the UK - and we could do NOTHING about it - worries the hell out of me.
Like you R&W I have eyed retiring to Spain. I still may if we get a hard brexit. As things stand currently under Spanish law, to spend more than 183 days ( 6months ) in Spain in any calendar year you have to become a fiscal resident and pay all your taxes on worldwide income to the Spanish authorities ( Civil service / Military pensions are exempt ). To qualify for fiscal residency unless you are in receipt of the state pension you need to have an income of 7000 euros or 30,000 in the bank plus private healthcare which costs around 1000 euros per year. IE you have to prove you will not be a burden on the Spanish State. This is all permissible under EU law. I have no idea if to come to the UK similar qualification applies however if it did we may not be in the situation we are in.
