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Sean Woolley: The truth behind the ‘tourist ban’ in Spain

There have been many stories out there that there’s a tourist ban on British holiday makers in Malaga and that due to policy changes with visas and proposals regarding property taxes that Brits are no longer welcome in Spain. But what’s the truth behind the headlines?

We asked Spanish property expert Sean Woolley at Cloud Nine Spain to bust some myths for us and get to the root of these stories:

Is there a tourist ban in Malaga?

No, there is not. Holiday makers from all over the world will continue to be given a warm welcome in all areas of the Costa del Sol. The stories referencing a tourist ban seem to come from a misinterpretation of a much- needed measure that has recently been taken by the authorities in Malaga City to control the number of properties being used for short-term rental purposes within the city.

There will now be a pause of three years during which no new tourist licences will be given to properties within certain areas of Malaga city. As this is a measure primarily designed to control newly registered tourist properties, there will still be PLENTY of tourist accommodation on offer, whether that be hotels, apartments or villas. For anyone visiting or intending to visit Malaga and the Costa del Sol, there should be no difference to the current situation and availability.

Is there anything to worry about for foreign visitors to Spain?

None whatsoever. There is no shortage of hotels or holiday accommodation, and certainly no ban on overseas tourists. Both living and working on the Costa del Sol, I have not noticed any anti-tourist sentiment or negativity to visitors. Tourism is Spain’s No. 1 export, so there is no incentive to kill the Golden Goose.

I appreciate that, like in many other countries, there is a housing shortage in some Spanish cities, but this is mainly a domestic policy issue. There needs to be a better balance between addressing the concerns of locals and of stimulating and maintaining a healthy level and quality of overseas tourism and this is a work in progress, but definitely shouldn’t be a cause for concern for anyone planning to come on holiday to the area.

There are concerns that Brits can’t live in Spain anymore. Is this true?

This is not true. Although the Spanish prime minister has recently intimated that he would prefer non-European Union buyers were dissuaded from speculative investment in the Spanish housing market, this is extremely unlikely to make it into law.

Brits are welcome to holiday in Spain to stay for up to 90 days in every 180 as now, and also to come and live in Spain permanently by using one of several visa options available.

What do we need to know about upcoming changes to property tax and visas in Spain?

One way that the Spanish government could dissuade foreign buyers is to raise the purchase taxes when buying a property. Again, this is extremely unlikely to become law due to various political reasons. Furthermore, non-EU buyers account for a relatively small minority of property purchases, which means it would make very little economic sense to pursue this measure.

In terms of visas, the Golden Visa is due to be abolished on 3 April this year, but there are still other visa options available. As well as the standard “90 in 180” tourist visa, there are the Lucrative and Non-Lucrative Visa options, as well as a very popular and fairly new option called the Digital Nomad Visa.

Illustration from the Daily Mail

You recently commented that you’re getting frustrated by the way the facts are being told by some media outlets and the impact that is having on people. Can you explain?

I do think that media outlets need to take a degree of responsibility in reporting the facts. I appreciate that sordid headlines sell papers and attract clicks, but headlines such as “Brits Banned from Visiting Spain”, “Brits no Longer Welcome in Spain” or “Brits’ Holiday Plans in Ruins” are totally misleading and so far from the truth to be almost laughable.

Spain’s population and government have always been welcoming to foreign tourists and residents and make a big effort to help us, even when we don’t speak the language. They know that tourism is a crucial part of their economy and would never want people to not feel welcome.

These recent policies and protests are simply an attempt to ensure that Spanish people have access to houses and that towns and cities are not detrimentally affected by over-tourism. Many places in the UK are facing the same issues, and considering similar strategies, but still welcome tourists, and that’s the same here in Spain.

I’d urge people to do their research and fact check stories before they become worried. If you love Spain and want to visit, buy property or move over here permanently, you still can. After Brexit there are a few more hoops to jump through, but it’s all possible and expats like me will tell you that it’s well worth the effort!

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See more about Spain here in Dispatches’ archives.

Read more from Sean here.

Cloud Nine
+ posts

Cloud Nine Spain is a real estate firm based in Marbella, Spain specializing in luxury properties.

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