Retiring to Donostia

Retiring in Donostia offers a high quality of life with culture, cuisine, and beaches, but it comes with a relatively high cost of living compared to other Spanish regions. You will need to secure the correct visa and residency permit, and be prepared for high housing and food costs. As your profile states youre US citizen, so it's possible to receive Social Security payments in Spain.

Hello Mike,

Welcome to Expat.com 😀

It would be best to share the specific questions you have in mind.  This will make it easier for the members to give you more advice and guidance about your move to Spain.

Also, take some time to check out our guide here > Living in Spain: the ultimate expat guide

Cheers,

Cheryl

Expat.com team

I didn't know if this would work the first time, so I didn't type much.

My Wife was born in Donostia, and has citizenship.  She came to America on a student visa.  Then she got an employment visa.  Then we married, and after years of paperwork, she has another citizenship.  I am already retired, and She is retiring in the  Summer.  Afterwards, we will move to Donostia permanently.

We are fortunate that my Wife will not have many issues, since she is moving home.   We already have her family apartment to live in, whilst we take out time to search for our forever home.

I have many issues.

I'm hoping for people who have similar experience, to advise me on the steps that I need to take to live there, such as healthcare, residency, receiving social security & money stored in the USA.

I thank you in advance.  Mike in Saint Louis

@key2code

As the husband of a Spanish citizen, I doubt you'll have any significant problems. For residence, you have two options - Family Reunification or NLV (No Lucrativa Visa, as a retiree) - and both are straightforward.

Healthcare is good, and initially covered by getting yourself a private medical policy (ASISA, Adeslas, Axa, etc.). Then later you can look at public coverage. Transferring/spending money abroad is easy, but probably best to get yourself a local bank account.

Good luck with your move!

Thank you.  It seems overwhelming, with all the small details that I have to complete.  I feel like that if I miss something, I'll have to come back to USA to attend to it.  Will I be able to find an income tax professional in Spain, who can deal with my taxes in both countries?  Will I need to us a VPN to avoid problems when I use my American business and Social Security websites?  Mike in St Louis