The questions I'm asked every week

Yes. As a British national you're no longer covered by EU freedom of movement, so you'll usually need a Non-Lucrative Visa to live here without working. I'll confirm the right route for your circumstances before you spend anything.

It varies by consulate, but most cases run to a few months from starting the documents to approval. I manage the order things are done in, so nothing expires while you're waiting on something else.

You can, but owning a property doesn't give you the right to live here. The two processes are usually best sequenced together, and I'll tell you honestly if the order you're planning is going to cause you a problem.

Yes, and for most of my clients that's the main reason they hire me. I attend the notary, the police station and the town hall with you and I do the talking. If you can't travel to me, I'll come to you.

That's most of my clients. I deal with the Spanish authorities directly and explain everything back to you in plain English.

It depends on your circumstances, and I'll confirm the current position for you directly rather than guess — this is one area where the rules move, so I check before advising. Get in touch and I'll tell you where you stand.

Yes — I arrange it here, for example at EV Medical in Vera, for around €50. It's cheaper than a private UK clinic, done correctly, and needs no translation. If you're visiting to view property, it's worth doing while you're here.

Yes. I apply for your ACRO police certificate, book your BLS appointment, and prepare all the documentation. You don't have to meet me — I can do everything online.

A reservation fee of around €3,000 is standard, and it's usually non-refundable. The standard deposit document doesn't protect the buyer — I review it first and add a clause so your money is returned if the legality or boundaries are wrong and the seller doesn't fix it.

Yes — most people come to me after they've already signed. Talking to me first is the single most valuable thing you can do before committing any money.

England has only the Land Registry. Spain has both, and discrepancies in square metres between the two are the norm here, not the exception. I have an architect or technician certify the exact metres and reconcile both records before you sign.

It's common for rustic properties here to lack a first-occupation licence. An AFO is what I arrange so the property is legally recognised — I'll confirm whether the one you're looking at needs it.

Yes, always — including appointments across Alicante and Murcia, not only Almería.

Yes — a Spanish will matters even if you already have one at home. Without one, your family faces delays, translation costs, and confusion between two legal systems, at exactly the time they can least deal with it.

In this part of Spain, the heat means funerals and cremations often happen within 24-48 hours. Having a valid will in place, and someone who knows the local process, spares your family a lot during an already overwhelming time.

Yes — EU succession rules let you choose your home-country law to govern your estate. I'll help make sure that choice is properly reflected in your Spanish will, so there's no ambiguity later.

It shouldn't, if it's done properly. I coordinate your Spanish will with any existing foreign wills you hold, so they work together rather than against each other.

Inheritance tax in Andalucía has become much more favourable for close family in recent years, but every estate is different — I'll talk you through what applies to your specific situation rather than quote a generic figure.

No. Our first conversation has no forms and no fees attached — we just talk, in plain English, so you're clear on what it will take before anything is agreed. Once we're both happy to go ahead, that's when the paperwork starts.

Very likely, yes. Non-resident owners must file annually, even with no rental income — this is widely missed. I'll confirm exactly what applies to your situation.

Yes — a tourist licence and an NRE number, and I'll also check whether your community of owners restricts holiday letting before you advertise anything.

It's a registration number that's been mandatory alongside the tourist licence since last year, if you want to advertise a holiday let. I can arrange this for you.

Nothing. Tell me what you're trying to do and I'll tell you what it realistically takes, before you've committed to anything.

For most services, everything can be done online — you don't have to meet me in person. Where I do need to be with you, such as the notary or a town-hall appointment, I'll attend in person.

I'm based in Vera, and work across Almería, Murcia and Alicante — including Mojácar, Turre, Garrucha, Mazarrón and Algorfa — and remotely across Spain, since 2021.