How many British people live in Spain and where do they live?

There are an estimated one million British citizens living in Spain for all or part of the year, concentrated on the southern coasts and the islands. The largest concentrations, with around 300,000 British residents in each area, are the Alicante and Malaga consular districts, which cover the Costa del Sol and Costa Blanca areas amongst others. This is an estimate however, based on local knowledge, and is not an official figure. The number of British people registered in Spain with local authorities (the 'Padron') is currently around 350,000. It is obligatory to register as a resident in Spain within three months of moving to the country. A breakdown of foreigners registered as living in Spain can be found on the website for the Ministerio de Trabajo e Inmigración. Of this million, we estimate that around 600,000 are of pension age, with many receiving the UK state pension.

How many people leave Spain every year to return to the UK? Has the recent economic situation increased the level of returns?

We do not have statistics on number of British citizens leaving Spain to return to the UK. We do, however, provide advice on how to prepare for returning to the UK if you decide to do so.

How many British tourists visit Spain each year?

In 2008, there were around 16 million visits to Spain by British people. You can find up to date figures on the Instituto de Estudios Turísticos website.

What can British people living in Spain do if they have problems with buying property?

Whilst the British Embassy cannot give legal advice to prospective purchasers, there is general advice on our website about buying and dealing with property issues, including lists of English-speaking lawyers for each consular region.

I have heard that a Biritsh national has been involved in an accident/criminal offence in Spain – can you give me their details?

Unless details of British nationals who have been detained or involved in accidents are already in the public domain and their families are happy for us to release details, we will not normally give out names, or any details of where in the UK they are from. The consular service's priority is to give assistance to individuals and where appropriate their next of kin, respecting the privacy of people who have been caught up in difficulty abroad.