Holiday homes after brexit

Will my Holiday Home be affected by Brexit

The UK left the EU on 31st January 2020 subject to agreeing an 11-month transition period that keeps the UK bound to EU rules. When the transition period ends on 31st December 2020, there may be implications for those that own a holiday home located in an EEA country.

What will happen to my second home after Brexit?

Before the UK left the EU and during the transition period, UK citizens can buy/ invest in properties in any country within the EU and live there for as long as they please without the need for a visa. The continuation of this arrangement from 1st January 2021 will be dependent on the type or agreement reached between the UK and the EU.

How will Brexit affect holiday homes across different countries?

Holiday homes in Spain

Spain is one of the most popular holiday destinations with over 18 million British tourists visiting Spain each year alone1. British people continue to be the top foreign buyers in Spain with over 300,000 British expats living there. As it currently stands, there are no restrictions that homeowners in Spain need to be an EU national, therefore unless there is a change in position, Brexit may not prevent UK citizens from buying or owning a property in Spain.

Holiday homes in Italy

Italy was one of the first EEA countries that provided comfort to British expats and holiday home owners about their position following Brexit. After the transition period ends on 31st December 2020, many British citizens will still be allowed to work and live in Italy and remain as legal residents. This extends to UK citizens that are property owners in Italy as well.

Holiday Homes across the rest of the EU

Depending on the local rules of each country within the European Union, there may be certain implications and requirements regarding home ownership after the transition period is over.

As a precaution, homeowners are encouraged to check the position in the country where their property is located, as rules can differ for non-EU citizens renting out a property in the EU.

Property Insurance in the EU

At Intasure, we provide Holiday Home insurance across 40+ countries, with the end of the transition period just around the corner we have taken steps which will allow us to continue to provide services to our EU customers. The interpretation of what constitutes an EU customer may vary from firm to firm, but Intasure has taken the position that any customers resident in the EEA will need to be provided with services through a company in the EU. As such, Intasure are providing services for our own customers located in the EU from another Gallagher company in the EU, Nordic Försäkring & Riskhantering AB (“Nordic, trading as Intasure”), which is authorised as an insurance broker in Sweden by the Swedish regulator, the Finansinspektionen.

For more information on the features and benefits of our EU holiday home insurance and how we can fulfil your insurance today! Or simply call +46 844 689 552.

Links:

www.statista.com/statistics/yearly-number-of-tourists-with-residence-in-the-united-kingdom-spain/
expatnetwork.com
www.studiolegalemetta.com

*The opinions and views expressed in the above articles are those of the author only and are for guidance purposes only. The authors disclaim any liability for reliance upon those opinions and would encourage readers to rely upon more than one source before making a decision based on the information.

Ref: FP1511-2020