Wintering in Spain: what a season costs

Where the money goes

Living costs — 5 months

€12,375

Flights

€500

Car hire

€2,000

Travel and health cover

€300

The season

€15,175

People who can help with this

Independently listed, experienced with international retirees, free to contact.

• Hispania Property Buyers

  Independent buyer’s agency for international buyers in Spain — property search, mortgage guidance, legal due diligence and asset management on the buyer’s side.

  Madrid

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• Bromley Estates Marbella

  Marbella real estate agency helping international buyers find and settle into Costa del Sol homes

  Costa del Sol

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• Mercers Spanish Property

  Murcia-based estate agent specialising in Costa Cálida properties for international buyers.

  Region of Murcia

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Questions people ask

How long can I stay without a visa?

Up to 90 days in any 180, if you hold a non-EU passport. That is enough for three months but not for a full November-to-March season, so a longer winter needs a visa or a residence permit. EU, Icelandic, Norwegian and Swiss citizens have no such limit and can stay as long as they like.

Is a winter let more expensive than a normal rental?

Per month, usually yes — often half as much again on the coast, because the owner is giving up the summer season and letting furnished. It is still far cheaper than the same months in an aparthotel, and prices soften a great deal if you can take six months rather than four or book outside the November rush.

Does my travel insurance cover a whole season?

Most annual policies cap a single trip at thirty or sixty days, so a four-month stay is uninsured for most of its length under a policy people assume covers them. Long-stay travel cover exists and is inexpensive; if you hold an EHIC or GHIC it covers state treatment but not repatriation or a private clinic.

Should I take the car or hire one?

Driving down costs two to three days each way plus fuel and tolls and gives you a car you know for nothing more. Hiring for a season is convenient and startlingly expensive at Christmas and Easter. Below about three months hiring usually wins; above it, driving does — and a car left in Spain has its own tax and insurance questions.

Does a winter here count towards tax residency?

Not on its own. Spanish tax residency turns on spending more than half the year here, so a five-month season stays under it — but two seasons in one calendar year, or a season plus a long summer visit, can cross the line without anybody intending it. Count the days if you are anywhere near.