The guide, as a PDF · 8 pages
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.
Wintering in Spain
What's inside
- How long you can stayWhy the 90-day rule isn't yours, and what changes past three months.
- The two day countsSpain and Ireland both count your days. The winter that falls across two calendar years.
- Your pensionWhat stays the same if you remain Irish resident, and what the treaty says if you don't.
- HealthcareWhat the EHIC covers, the three-month point, and where the S1 comes in.
- What owning costsIBI, community fees and the non-resident tax you pay even if you never let it.
- Letting itThe three-fifths community rule, the two registrations, and towns that have paused new lets.
- The car and your licenceDriving on your Irish licence, and bringing your own car for the winter.
- Banking and your willOpening 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.