The short answer
You need a Spanish visa or residence permit before moving to Benidorm from the UK. Post-Brexit, British citizens are non-EU nationals; the main routes are the non-lucrative visa, digital nomad visa or a work visa. Benidorm itself is very British-friendly, with year-round services and English widely spoken.
Updated 9 November 2026
Moving to Benidorm from the UK starts with a visa, not the removal van. British citizens are non-EU nationals after Brexit, so you need a residence visa or permit before you can live here permanently. The main route for retirees and people living on income or savings is the non-lucrative visa, applied for from the UK through the Spanish consulate. It lets you live in Spain but not work. Remote workers should look at the digital nomad visa, and anyone taking a local job needs a work visa with an employment contract behind it.
Once your visa is in place, the Benidorm paperwork falls into a clear order. Get your NIE as your tax and administration number, secure an address, register on the empadronamiento at Benidorm town hall, then complete your TIE biometric residence card. If you will use state healthcare, get a SIP card once you are covered. Private health insurance is part of the non-lucrative visa application.
Benidorm itself has 77,221 registered residents (INE, 1 January 2025) and more than 200,000 people in peak summer. It keeps cafés, supermarkets, medical centres and entertainment open all year, and English is widely spoken. That comes with a trade-off: beachfront and central areas are noisy, crowded and difficult to park in during August. Many British residents choose quieter neighbourhoods slightly away from the tourist strip.
Distances and transport help with planning. Alicante–Elche airport is ~65 km away, Valencia airport ~150 km. The TRAM connects Benidorm with Alicante and Denia. Hospital Marina Baixa in Villajoyosa, ~10 km away, is the public hospital for the area; Hospital Clínica Benidorm is private.
Common mistakes to avoid:
- Treating the 90-day tourist stay as a route to residency: it is not.
- Renting or buying on the beachfront without accepting the summer noise, crowds and parking pressure.
- Underestimating summer air conditioning as a running cost.
- Staying in an English-only bubble; locals respond better when you make an effort with Spanish.
People also ask
›Do British citizens need a visa to live in Benidorm?
Yes. Unless you have an EU or Spanish family route, British citizens are non-EU nationals and need a residence visa or permit. The 90-day Schengen tourist stay does not allow you to live in Benidorm.
›Can I work in Benidorm on a non-lucrative visa?
No. The non-lucrative visa is for people living on income, savings or pensions. You need a work visa or digital nomad visa if you want to earn money while living in Benidorm.
›Can I use public healthcare after moving to Benidorm?
Once you are a resident and covered by social security or the convenio especial, you apply for a SIP card to use the public system. Before that, non-lucrative visa applicants need private health insurance.
›Is Benidorm a good place for British retirees?
Yes for many. It has year-round services, a large British community, mild winters and English widely spoken. The summer tourist zones are busy, so retirees often choose quieter residential areas.