Posted: Sun Nov 16, 2025 2:09pm
"The Dream and the Cost: A Bitter-Sweet Tale of Menorca"
Our 'journey' has been a real test of patience and an expensive experience. My English wife and I used to enjoy several months each year in Menorca—typically four or five months—followed by a few weeks in the UK and another four or five months in Australia. We were truly living the dream!
Then came the 'B' Bomb—an indulgent and ill-conceived piece of political skulduggery that has cost us dearly. To enjoy our property beyond the permitted 90 days, we had to apply for residency. We did so, but the mandatory six months and a day 'imprisonment'—a term I use loosely—for free spirits like us has been very hard to bear.
My father had this villa built, and we have owned this island property since 1964. Over the years, we've had many happy holidays here, and I’ve always found Menorca to be a wonderful place—especially in late spring, summer, and early autumn. Let’s face facts: our villa is essentially a summer house. The winter cold and damp penetrates the floor, walls, and even our bones. As a warm-blooded Australian, two winters in Menorca are more than enough!
I often say that visiting a holiday resort, any holiday resort out of season is like bursting in on your favorite aunt while she's sitting on the loo with her knickers around her ankles—an image you'd rather not see and hope never to witness again!
Returning to the residency issues—despite engaging the expertise of Andrea Larez of Carbray Solicitors in Barcelona (+34 663 312 862 / +34 622 736 208), the paperwork has been costly and at times seemingly insurmountable. Imagine this! Upon inspection of our Marriage Certificate, we were told the vicar who married us over 50 years ago,according to the English officials, was NOT proprely registered and that our marriage was null and void! We applied while living in Perth, WA, and— we had to fly to the Spanish Consulate in Melbourne, a cross country journey of about three hours flying time.
Since Brexit, the process has become even more complicated for UK nationals. The freedom to easily spend extended periods in Spain has been curtailed, making the residency application process more bureaucratic and expensive.
The fees are ongoing. The initial residency lasts 12 months, followed by applications and additional fees for extensions of two years, and then yet more fees for subsequent periods.
In the land of bullfighting, professionals have certainly learnt how to 'charge like a wounded bull!'
We also have business interests in the UK and have had to engage a Spanish accountant. Now that we are Spanish residents, we must pay taxes both in the UK and in Spain on our worldwide earnings. This year, we were investigated by the Spanish tax authorities, who declared 'irregularities.' Fortunately, their additional demand of over €3,500 was reduced after our accountant’s intervention, which involved an extra fee of nearly €400.
The mandatory health insurance is another joke. We were recommended to use Salus. My wife and I pay just over €5,000 a year, yet we have been refused medical treatment twice, according to SALUS there is not one Optician in Menorca that they will sanction, and so we have had pay out of our pocket or rely on the public healthcare system.
Knowing what we do now—that the dream is probably more attractive than the reality—I’m certain we would have thought twice before considering spending more than 90 days in our own Spanish home.
My name's Alex and this is my website all about Ciutadella de Menorca in Spain. Register now for free to talk about Recommended Tradesmen and Companies in Ciutadella de Menorca and much more!
