A Brexiteer has said he is ‘taking responsibility’ after discovering how difficult it is to move to Spain now that Britain is not part of the EU. 

Neil Harrington, 57, is trying to move to Albox in Almeria with his wife Lorraine, but says the process is ‘nothing like it was in the 1990s’, when his father Joseph retired to Andalucia. 

Speaking to the i paper, the financial adviser from Harlow, Essex, who voted Leave in the 2016 referendum, said it has been nothing short of a bureaucratic nightmare. 

‘When my dad went in the late 90s, he had none of this. He just literally sold his house and they were in Spain in their new house the next day,’ he said.

‘I have to admit, I have to take responsibility for this. But it is what it is.’

Like all non-resident Brits after Brexit, Neil can only spend 90 days in the EU within a 180-day period. 

To become residents of Spain, he and his wife are applying for a non-lucrative visa (NLV), and must show they have at least €28,800 per year in income, private health insurance, no criminal record and no rare disease listed by the WHO. 

The NLV is one of the very few ways Brits can become residents of Spain. 

The Golden Visa, which gave residency to anyone investing €500,000 into the country, was scrapped last year. 

The costs involved in moving to Spain have increased dramatically, with most having to hire a relocation professional to manage the sheer amount of paperwork. 

Emma Randle, a British lawyer who helps compatriots make the move, told the i: ‘Before you could literally move from Spain with about €8,000 (£6,971) without having to prove anything, whereas these days it is completely regulated and you have to have a much higher amount of income. 

‘You have to show two or three times what you needed before Brexit.

‘I cannot imagine that we have the same number of people coming to Spain as we did before Brexit.

‘The dream of coming to Spain is now applicable only for people who have an income of over €30,000 a year when they retire. It only applies to the wealthy.’ 

Keith Spitalnick, founder and director of Target Property Spain in Mijas Costa, added that he had noticed fewer retirees moving to Spain.

‘On the flip side, there has been a real increase in younger families, especially those who can work remotely and take advantage of the digital nomad visa,’ he added.

Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.