Free guide · 8 pages · PDF
Wintering in Spain without the surprises.
For Irish people who want to spend part of the year on the Costa del Sol and keep their life at home. What changes and what doesn't, with every fact checked against the official Irish and Spanish sources, and the questions worth taking to your own adviser.
What's inside
1How long you can stay. Why the 90-day rule isn't yours, and what changes past three months.
2The two day counts. Spain and Ireland both count your days. The winter that falls across two calendar years.
3Your pension. What stays the same if you remain Irish resident, and what the treaty says if you don't.
4Healthcare. What the EHIC covers, the three-month point, and where the S1 comes in.
5What owning costs. IBI, community fees and the non-resident tax you pay even if you never let it.
6Letting it. The three-fifths community rule, the two registrations, and towns that have paused new lets.
7The car and your licence. Driving on your Irish licence, and bringing your own car for the winter.
8Banking and your will. Opening an account as a non-resident, and making two wills work together.
Checked against official sources on 22 September 2026. General information, not tax, pension, financial or legal advice. Want to count your days first? Try the 183-day counter.