Voting in Spain after Brexit

I have been trawling the internet ...to find out more on this subject ..the only information I can find regarding expats Spanish voting rights..is that Spain are in talks with the UK..I also think that what was said in your news letter would need approval from the EU .. with regards to human rights.... Spain would not be permitted to make such changes without approval of the EU.

I'm inclined to agree with you. I merely passed on info provided to CDiP by the UK Consulate.

However, given that as of the end of March next year residents in Spain, registered only as British citiizens, will no longer be EU citizens, it's kind of a grey area, I think. 

Madrid and London are negotiating a bilateral treaty to maintain local voting rights for the 280,000 British nationals living in Spain and the more than 115,000 Spaniards residing in the UK, said diplomatic sources.

On March 30, 2019, the UK will exit the European Union and British migrants will lose their right to vote in municipal elections.

The Spanish and British parliaments must ratify the deal once it is signed by Madrid and London

Whether or not British Prime Minister Theresa May secures parliamentary approval for the Brexit deal, UK nationals will no longer be considered EU citizens after that date.

If there is agreement on the transition period, UK citizens in Spain will preserve most of their rights intact until December 2020, but this does not extend to voting in the municipal and European elections of May 26, 2019.

Once it is signed, the deal will be in the same category as any other international treaty and will require ratification by the Spanish and British parliaments. This will probably not happen in time for the May 26 elections next year, diplomatic sources have admitted.

In order to work around this problem, the Spanish Foreign Ministry is considering the option of making the agreement go provisionally into force as soon as it is signed by both governments.

The reciprocal rights agreement that Madrid and London are working on is similar to what Spain already has with a dozen countries including Norway, Iceland and several Latin American nations.

But there is one added feature to this particular draft deal: citizens will not only be able to vote in local polls, but also be elected to office. This additional right recognizes the fact that there are already British nationals who are working as elected councilors in several Spanish municipalities.

The Foreign Ministry is also planning to reinforce its presence in the UK by opening a new consulate in Manchester.