What does UK-EU 'reset' deal really mean for Brits in Spain?

Media headlines have been dominated by wrangling about fish and re-fighting Brexit battles (UK media headlines that is, the Spanish media didn't give this subject so much coverage, for some reason) - but Monday's joint UK-EU announcement does contain some potentially good news for Brits who either live in Spain, hope to move here one day or visit frequently.

The first post-Brexit EU-UK summit ended with a press conference full of warm words and vague promises, and a more detailed document showing exactly what had been agreed.

It's worth noting that at this stage not much has been actually agreed - it's more an agreement to discuss certain topics with details to be firmed up later - but there are several topics that are key to the lives of Brits living in the EU.

READ ALSO: From e-gates to Erasmus - What was agreed in new post Brexit EU-UK deal?

Pet passports

The document says that “pets will also be able to travel more easily, with the introduction of ‘pet passports’ for UK cats and dogs – eliminating the need for animal health certificates for every trip.”

This is potentially a big deal for people who live in the UK but visit Spain often and bring their pets - especially second-home owners.

Basically pre-Brexit British dogs, cats and ferrets could get an EU Pet Passport, which meant frictionless borders.

Brexit then took the UK out of that scheme, so now pet owners need an Animal Health Certificate in order to visit the EU - they cost around £100, but crucially only cover a single trip. So for example someone who visits Spain three times a year and has two dogs - faces an annual bill £600 just for the certificates, not to mention the time spent going to the vet in advance of each trip.

The document seems to say that UK residents would once again be eligible for an EU Pet Passport. Brits who live in Spain can already get an EU Pet Passport for their dogs/cats, while the UK does accept an EU Pet Passport, so this doesn't seem like it would be an especially complicated change to implement.

There is, however, no timeline for this change.

It is included in the section about sanitary and phytosanitary rules which also eliminate the need for veterinary checks for exports of things like British meat and cheese into the EU.

The deal also hopes to limit checks on British produce coming into the EU, especially animal products such as meat and cheese.

This deal - if agreed - would primarily be aimed at commercial producers, allowing easier access to EU markets for British businesses. But sanitary and phyto sanitary rules also affect people bringing in small amounts of produce for personal consumption. This could, therefore, bring an end to the post-Brexit ban on Brits bringing back their favourite treats such as pork pies, British bacon or Cheddar cheese.

E-Gates

The UK and the European Commission "will continue their exchanges on smooth border management for the benefit of their citizens, including the potential use of eGates where appropriate". The document added that "there will be no legal barriers to e-gates use for British nationals travelling to and from the European Union member states after the introduction of the European Union Entry/Exit System".

At present the EES introduction is scheduled for later this year, likely October, although it has been repeatedly postponed. So this change could not happen before October 2025 at the absolute earliest.

The document also does not say that Brits can definitely use EU passport queues and eGates, just that there is "no legal barrier" to doing so.

EU member states make the final decision over their border control protocols - so it's possible that these rules will end up being different in different countries.

Spain has long been a hugely popular destination for British tourists, the Spain-UK route is one of the busiest flight routes in the world, and there are over 400,000 UK nationals officially registered as living in Spain (as of the 2024 figures). These are three things that make the border one of the most challenging when it comes to the rollout of the new EES system.

For this reason, Spain may be more likely to agree to some flexibility on Brits using eGates, but, again, nothing is certain at this point.

READ ALSO: How many Brits live legally in Spain and how many are 'under the radar'?

Youth mobility scheme

There's no agreement on a scheme, but the document does state that the UK and EU agree to deepen “people-to-people ties, particularly for the younger generation” including the development of a “youth experience scheme”.

The key thing to note here is that this is not a return to pre-Brexit freedom of movement - when Brits could move to Spain or pay an extended visit without needing a visa or residency permit - for young people.

Although details are yet to be decided, a framework document from the European Commission shows what is meant by this type of programme - and basically it’s just an extra type of visa.

It does, however, give young people some advantages over the standard visa system - at present people wanting to spend more than 90 days out of every 180 in Spain have a choice of visas, but all are tied to a specific purpose such as study or work.

Under the standard visa system you either need to undertake not to work at all in Spain - in which case you need to show that you have enough money to support yourself for a year - or you need a working visa in which case you need to have work lined up in advance, either a contract as an employee or a business plan to work as a freelancer or contractor.

This system essentially rules out the 'gap year' kind of trip, where people might holiday for a bit and then get bar work or fruit picking when their money runs out, or perhaps work the ski season.

The youth mobility scheme would be a visa for 18-30 year olds that would allow them to either work, study, holiday or all three - crucially without having to plan in advance. This could potentially allow young Brits who want to teach English or work in a bar for a summer to have more flexibility in making plans without needing to apply for visas ahead of time.

It would, however, be for a limited period - probably a maximum of four years - and could only be used once. It wouldn’t allow them to settle permanently in Spain and crucially it’s still a visa - so young people would still need to apply in advance before coming to Spain.

It also seems like there will be a cap on the number of such visas issued each year, as the text says the overall number of participants will have to be “acceptable to both sides.”

Professional qualifications

The mutual recognition of professional qualifications will be the subject of "dedicated dialogues" between the UK and EU.

Although quite vague at this stage, this could be a big deal for Brits who hope to move to Spain one day and work in a field where professional qualifications are required.

Although Brits living in Spain Pre-Brexit had the opportunity to have their qualifications recognised under the Spanish system, the Spanish homologación process is notoriously bad and can take years, essentially leaving foreigners in legal limbo as they can't work.

The Local has reported on this in detail in the past, which you can read about below. It's unclear (one might say even unlikely) that an EU-UK deal would do much to reform Spain's homologación system.

READ ALSO: 'Homologación' - How Spain is ruining the careers of thousands of qualified foreigners

Erasmus

There will also be discussions on the UK rejoining the Erasmus+ scheme, which allows university students to spend a year in another EU country as part of their course, although details, especially on financial contributions, still need to be agreed.

Imports, fish and defence

The UK-EU agreement also covers other topics, including movements to make it easier to import British produce into the EU, an extension of the deal of fishing rights and agreements on defence spending.

We've picked out elements here that will particularly affect the daily lives of Brits in Spain, but you can read more on the agreement here.

Gibraltar update

Though it’s not included as part of the new deal, recent diplomatic murmurings and Spanish media reports suggest that Spain, the U.K., Gibraltar and the EU may finally be nearing a post-Brexit deal – almost a decade after the referendum and five years since the U.K. formally left the EU.

There are no concrete details yet, but this is being viewed as part of the wider ‘reset’ of relations between the U.K. and EU.

It follows comments from the President of the European Council, António Costa, who said in London recently that a treaty to regulate Gibraltar's future relationship with the EU is "not far away." Diplomats and politicians from both Spain, Gibraltar and the U.K have said similar in recent years with no conclusion.

The UK ambassador to Spain, Alex Ellis, stated recently that he thought "the time has come" to reach an agreement, adding that it "is not easy but it is time" to finally end the never-ending Brexit negotiations for The Rock's future.

READ ALSO: Gibraltar's long-awaited Brexit deal could include unforeseen EU rules

Speaking at a breakfast briefing in Madrid, Ellis referred to the "determination of parties" but said that in terms of a near resolution, he is neither "optimistic nor pessimistic."

Sticking points in negotiations have been border controls, notably who would run them, particularly in Gibraltar's airport, the fluidity of travel for cross-border workers, the symbolic possibility of Spanish police on British soil, and the extent to which Gibraltar will align with European rules, something that has long offended sovereignty arguments made by more hardline Brexiteers.

Finalising Gibraltar's Brexit negotiations would certainly be clear sign that the Starmer government is serious about resetting relations with Europe.

With additional reporting on Gibraltar negotiations by Conor Faulkner.