Living abroad

Keeping a UK address when you move to Spain

Which UK organisations still need an address after you move to Spain, why banks may close accounts, telling HMRC with form P85, and what to set up in Spain.

By Hola Post · Updated 1 October 2026 · 5 min read

When you move from the UK to Spain you do not need to keep a UK address by law, but many UK organisations will keep writing to you on paper, so a reliable UK correspondence address is worth having. The key is to be honest about where you live: tell each organisation you have moved, then give a UK address for post where that is allowed. This guide goes through the main organisations, what changes with banks and HMRC, and what to set up on the Spanish side.

Which UK organisations still need an address

Most people moving to Spain keep some links with the UK. The ones that tend to send important post are:

Banks and building societies: statements, card renewals and security letters. Some will not post cards abroad.
Pensions: workplace and private pension providers send annual statements and retirement packs. For the State Pension, you report a move abroad to the International Pension Centre, and the pension can be paid to a UK or an overseas bank account.
HMRC: tax calculations, repayments and letters about any UK income such as rent or a pension. HMRC sends repayment cheques only to UK addresses, either yours or a nominee's.
DVLA: you cannot register a Spanish address on a UK driving licence, and you cannot renew a UK licence while living in the EU. Once resident in Spain, you can drive on your UK licence for six months and then need to exchange it for a Spanish one through the DGT (Dirección General de Tráfico, the Spanish traffic authority).
NHS and your GP: NHS care is based on living in the UK. Tell your GP surgery you are moving abroad and you will be taken off their list.
Electoral registration: as an overseas voter you are registered at your last UK address, and your local electoral office will contact you about renewals.
Insurers, investment platforms, mobile networks and old employers: easy to forget until a policy lapses or a P60 goes missing.

Why UK banks may close accounts for people living abroad

Since the UK left the EU, UK banks no longer have automatic rights to provide services to customers living in EU countries. Each bank has made its own decision. Some have kept accounts open for customers in Spain, some have restricted products, and some have written to customers asking them to close their accounts.

When a bank does close a current account in credit, payment services rules mean it must normally give at least two months' notice. Ask your bank what it allows before you move, and keep a UK account if you will be paid a UK pension or rent.

It is tempting to leave a relative's address on file and say nothing. Most account terms ask you to tell the bank where you live, and a bank that finds out later may close the account anyway. Giving a UK address for correspondence is different from claiming to live there.

Telling HMRC you have left the UK

How you tell HMRC depends on whether you file Self Assessment:

If you do not usually file a Self Assessment return, use form P85. You can send it online, or by post if you have not left yet. It also lets you claim back tax overpaid on UK earnings in the tax year you leave, so have your P45 to hand.
If you do file Self Assessment, you tell HMRC through your tax return, completing the residence section (form SA109).

You may still owe UK tax on some income after you leave, such as rent from a UK property. Spain taxes its residents on worldwide income, and the UK–Spain tax treaty sets out which country has the first right to tax each type of income. A cross-border adviser can help with the first year, which is often split between the two systems.

Using a family member's address or a mail service

Many people ask a parent or friend to receive their post. It costs nothing and works well for a few letters a year. The drawbacks show up over time: post piles up, time-limited letters are opened late, the relative moves or falls ill, and private letters are read by someone else.

A mail service gives you a fixed UK address where post is received and scanned, so you see letters wherever you are. Whichever you choose, use it as a correspondence address. Organisations that need to know where you live, such as banks, the DVLA and HMRC, should be told about your move to Spain. The virtual office vs mail scanning guide explains the different service types.

What to set up on the Spanish side

GOV.UK's Living in Spain guidance sets out the formal steps for UK nationals. The main ones are:

Residence and the TIE: British nationals living in Spain register as residents and hold a TIE (Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero, a foreigner's identity card). It shows your NIE (Número de Identidad de Extranjero, your foreigner's identification number), which you will need for tax, banking, buying property and most contracts.
The padrón: register on the padrón municipal (municipal register of residents) at your ayuntamiento (town hall). The certificado de empadronamiento is often asked for when you apply for residence, healthcare and some local services.
A Spanish bank account: most Spanish bills, taxes and local charges are paid by domiciliación bancaria (direct debit) from a Spanish account. Banks distinguish between resident and non-resident accounts, so update your status once you have your TIE.
Healthcare: depending on your situation this may be through work, a UK-issued S1, or another route. If you had an S1 or other NHS overseas arrangement, follow the NHS instructions about cancelling or transferring it.

Spanish official post increasingly goes electronic

In Spain, a lot of official communication now happens through electronic notifications rather than letters. Companies, and some other groups, are required to receive them electronically. Private individuals can usually choose, but even paper notifications are generally made available online as well, and electronic ones are treated as received after ten calendar days if you do not open them.

This catches out newcomers who expect a letter. It is worth setting up a digital certificate or Cl@ve access early and checking the DEHú (the government's single inbox for notifications). Our guides on the DEHú and the ten-day rule explain how this works. If you keep a property in Spain while living elsewhere, see holiday-home post from abroad.

How Hola Post helps

Hola Post's staffed UK addresses in North Somerset and London open at the end of 2026 and give you a UK address for correspondence (you can reserve one now). Letters are scanned the same day and put in an online inbox you can read from Spain. If you also need a Spanish address, our Almería address works the same way, and we can collect your Spanish electronic notifications every working day and add an English summary. We verify ID before activating an address. See people abroad, pricing or start here.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a UK address after moving to Spain?

Not legally, but many UK organisations still write to you on paper, including pension providers, HMRC and banks. Keeping a reliable UK correspondence address means those letters are not lost.

Can I keep my UK bank account if I live in Spain?

Sometimes. Some UK banks do not serve customers resident in the EU and may close the account after notice, while others allow it. Tell your bank you are moving and ask directly rather than keeping a UK address on file as if you still lived there.

How do I tell HMRC I have left the UK?

If you do not normally file Self Assessment, use form P85, online or by post. If you do file Self Assessment, report it on your tax return using the residence pages (SA109).

Can I still vote in UK elections from Spain?

Yes. Since 16 January 2024 British citizens abroad can register as overseas voters regardless of how long they have lived abroad. Registration lasts up to three years and covers UK Parliamentary elections.

Can I use a relative's address as my UK address?

For correspondence, yes, if they agree and can deal with your post. It should not be given as your home address where an organisation asks where you live, such as a bank or the DVLA.

Sources

This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change, so check your own situation with a gestor, accountant or lawyer.