After a demanding career, two children and two golden retrievers, Pauline from Porthcawl in south Wales was ready for a new life in Spain.
“The weather, quality of life, food, the people – it was time for me,” says Pauline, 59, who has worked since 16, with her last role at Network Rail.
Liz Rawlinson interviewed Pauline recently.
Planning on buying a home on the Southern Costa Blanca, she knew that moving would mean applying for a Non-Lucrative Visa (NLV) – the visa designed for financially independent people, including retirees.
But she also knew she needed to approach it the right way. “I knew that it would be completely possible to achieve with the right help,” she says.
This came in the shape of Mark McMillan’s team at Sun Lawyers, who started the process in May 2025.
“They helped me get the right bits of paperwork together and held my hand through the whole process.”
Selling her house in Wales previously gave her one less thing to coordinate during the application process and also saved on any capital gains bills she could be liable for once a tax resident in Spain (a top tip!).
Her pensions were more than enough to cover the financial requirements for the visa, and she found it easy to obtain her medical certificate in Spain (it is cheaper to do so than in the UK). She made sure she had got everything ready before returning to the UK for her appointment at the Manchester Spanish consulate.
“Mark and Anne in the Relocations team at Sun Lawyers advised me that when I submitted my documents to them, they’d keep my passport so I made sure I would not need to travel abroad. It’s all about knowing what to expect during the process rather than any nasty shocks.”
In November she got her visa stamp after waiting 90 days.
“When I went to collect my NLV from a police station it was small, crowded and busy and no one speaks English, so it was really helpful to have someone accompanying me to translate. The same goes for the visit to submit my biometrics.”
She speaks a little Spanish – and is now learning fast! – but admits she ‘couldn’t have done it on her own’.
The whole process was ‘money well spent’ for getting her visa first time round.
Was anything difficult? “Only waiting to hear about the visa. I kept checking every day but, again, I was warned that it might take a little time!”
With her residency sorted, she moved out in May. Once you have the visa approved you now have a year to relocate to Spain.
When she needs to renew her NLV after one year she will again use Sun Lawyers to assist, but for now Pauline can relax into her new life in a two-bedroom apartment on a complex near Villamartin.
“I have made friends already and am just enjoying settling into Spanish life, although I am looking forward to exploring Galicia and more.”