Two regimes built for different people
They are often marketed as interchangeable expat regimes; they are not. The Beckham Law taxes you broadly as a non-resident while you live in Spain: employment income at 24% up to EUR 600,000 a year (47% above), only Spanish-source income otherwise in scope, and foreign dividends, interest and gains generally outside Spanish tax. The catches are a hard six-year limit, the loss of treaty residence, and the rule that all your employment income is deemed to arise in Spain wherever the work is done. IFICI is narrower but longer: a 20% flat rate on eligible Portuguese earnings for ten consecutive years, gated by profession rather than income. Qualifying categories cover higher-education teaching, scientific research, R&D, highly qualified roles in qualifying companies and certified startup jobs, generally with a degree requirement, and eligibility is assessed by the relevant Portuguese body rather than self-certified.
The exclusions decide more moves than the rates
The Beckham Law excludes by circumstance of the move: retirees cannot use it because a pension is not a qualifying reason, professional sportspeople are excluded, and ordinary self-employment only qualifies via the entrepreneurial or startup routes. IFICI excludes by profession and by pension: foreign pensions are taxed at normal Portuguese progressive rates up to 48%, roles outside the listed categories do not qualify however much they earn, and former NHR users are barred. A retiree fails both tests, so the right comparison for pensioners is normal residence in each country plus the treaty. The full eligibility detail sits in our guides to moving to Spain and moving to Portugal.
The UK side is identical either way
Neither regime saves you anything until you have broken UK residence under the Statutory Residence Test and claimed split-year treatment, and some income never leaves the UK net: UK rent stays taxable under the non-resident landlord rules, UK residential property gains face non-resident CGT with a 60-day reporting deadline, and UK government service pensions stay with HMRC. Watch the timing too: a six-year Beckham stint sits close to the five-year temporary non-residence window, so the return leg needs planning as carefully as the exit. Horizon advises on the UK side on fixed fees agreed upfront, with non-resident and expat returns from £550, and coordinates the Spanish or Portuguese adviser; a free clarity call is the place to start.