New members of the Spain forum, introduce yourselves here - 2021

Hi!  I'm beginning my research on the administrative aspects of moving to Andalucia (preferably to the Sevilla/Heulva regions).

I have spent the last year learning the language to a beginners level and will continue to improve, learning about the history and culture, and the last couple of years working my way around the south of Spain to get to know some of the regions that I am interested in.  However, my main area of focus now is on the formalities of moving.

I had hoped last year would be the year for progressing my plans, but covid restrictions took over and I decided not to rush things just for the sake of beating Brexit, if its meant to be it will be.  I'm not in a hurry as I have a 2-5 year rough timescale to put things in place and am hopeful of working my way through the new legislation and requirements. 

I'm planning to relocate solo, I have a staff job working in the north sea (offshore), with a reasonable salary and a very good rotation, and I'm intending to reside in Spain and commute between Spain and Scotland.  I know many people who do this on a routine basis from various other European countries, so it does not intimidate me (aside from the covid restrictions that we currently have). 

I'm hoping to use this site to do some research on some of the various aspects of moving to Spain and associated residency issues.

Hello!
We're a family with two children (will be 8 and 5) who will be spending the coming school year in San Sebastian. We're trying to line up school enrollment. Since our stay is limited to one year, we are thinking is doesn't make sense to enroll in a primarily Basque speaking school. Does anyone have any recommendations for us? How difficult is it to get into one of the English schools (with the ironic aim of learning Spanish from an English school)? What are the fees like? Thanks for any information you're willing to share!
Heather

Hi
My wife and I currently run our own photography business here in the UK. We have been visiting Gran Canaria for the past 15 years, and now that we are approaching our retirement in a few years, we are planing to live there permanently (hopefully in either  Maspalomas, Puerto Rico or Mogan).
Even though we will be officially retired, we still hope to remain active with our photography.
We are both in the process of learning Spanish and hope to meet new friends at our new location.

Hi, Well to start with I'm not a new commer to Spain, I arrived in 1957, was in the USAF, had three tours in Spain, retired in 1980, came back to Spain, from a tour in Hawaii, worked in a American for 13 years, then with DOD, till I retired at the age of 61, my wife passed away 1Oct 2019, I now live in Malpica, Galicia. Most of the time when not in Madrid..

Morning all

This is my Spanish story so far...

Ex bought me out of our house in July 2020
Wanted to do something with the small amount of money but couldn't afford to even think about getting a property in the UK
Looked at buying a park home type thing in the UK for holidays.  Decided it was a minefield
Fancied France
Other half persuaded me to look at Spain

So, we started trawling the sites in September and plumped for Olvera in Andalucia.  There is one agent that seems to have the housing market sewn up so that made life a bit easier.

I'm completely impetuous and impulsive so based on a few old photos, no knowledge of Spain, in the middle of a pandemic and on the verge of Brexit we put everything in the hands of the agent.  Gave them power of attorney, didn't get a solicitor, etc.  Basically, everything that everyone told us was risky, we did.

It actually went very smoothly and we found ourselves the owners of a lovely little 2 bed house with a roof terrace and views to die for just before Christmas.  It needs a little bit of work where it's not been used for several years.  Mostly just paint and some plaster in one room knocking off and replacing with anti-humidity cement.  It's usable now but we've been told a couple of thousand euros will get it back to a point where it's all nice and clean and white so we can think about personalising it.

Now we have to wait, of course.  I did think we might get out in January but that has all been scuppered.  It's driving me a bit mad to look at the photos of the views from the roof but I'm actually a lot more relaxed about it than I thought.  I'm setting my sights on September 2021.  Anything sooner would be a bonus.

The plan is to use it ourselves for holidays as often as we can.  I work permanently from home and my boss has said she doesn't mind if that's Spain as long as I have a decent internet connection for the dreaded Zoom calls - Olvera seems to have fibre to the property all over so I'm confident with this.  We may rent it to close contacts, we may end up moving out when we retire.  In the meantime, it's an hour of Duolingo in the evenings and trying not to use Google translate when I look at Spanish webpages.

So, that's the story for us.  I have a few questions that I'll ask in the main forum.

Hello there.  We are 2 Brits living in the Schwarzwald, Germany, with our 2 cats and as much as we love living here, the winters along with covid are proving a bit challenging.  We have German friends who live here and spend the winter in the Alicante area, we would like to join them and their friends, also make friends of our own.  Does anyone know of an apartment with balcony or terrace for us to rent from October to March.  Our cats are indoor cats, 9 years old this year, they do not scratch furniture and are well behaved.  We rented on Gozo and can provide written declaration if required to say we were good tenants.  The apartment could be inland, we do not mind. Thank you.

Hello.  I've traveled the world and lived in Germany, Belgium and France but Spain is my favourite.  I don't know of any other place that brings it all together quite like this.

Hola amigos,
Likewise, I have travelled and lived in several European countries; however, there is no place like Spain.
My host-family from 25 years ago is still my family here in Barcelona, and I have several close friends who live in Madrid and in Pamplona (Navarro).  Therefore, I look forward to connecting with other expats via this platform.

Hi my name is philly and I am from Ireland, I bought an apartment in alicante in August and I love it..
I brought my dog over with British Airways, but it was really expensive as I had to do it with a fetchapet company 1,200.. I am not prepared to pay that for my return to Ireland..
My dilemma is that most ferry companys won't allow me to travel as a foot passenger with my dog.. I have to have a vehicle which I don't have.
I'm finding it hard to find where I can buy a cheap car or van so that I can transport myself and my dog home..
Any information on this would be appreciated thank you in advance..
Regards philly

You can find cheap car anywhere in Spain, just Google.

I cannot image how you might buy a vehicle, reliant enough to make the journey, which would be anywhere cheaper than 1,200.

Just a thought.   You might try www.blablacar.com

Hi Ian new member here

Looking to make a move to Huercal-Overa on a full time basis, recently divorced, semi-retiring but may start a small B&B if I find the right property or just spend my time lazying in the Sun & enjoying the sights.

Haven't actually been to this area of Spain yet but attracted by the area's climate. Assuming the travel restrictions are lifted soon,  look forward to spending a month or so out there to view properties & get a general perspective of the area.

Would be grateful for ups & downs of living in the Huercal-Overa area as well as any recommendations for Health insurers, Estate Agents, English speaking property solicitors & surveyors.

Many thanks in advance. Kind regards & looking forward to meeting some members in the future as would like to make new friends & be part of the expat community as well as the Spanish community.

Ian

Hi there,
I'm Emma and a new member here.  I moved to just outside Malaga in August 2019 with my husband and two kids (13 and 11).  We previously lived in Costa Rica and Australia and the kids have never lived in the UK (where my husband and I are from).

We chose to move here to be closer to family whilst still continuing with warm weather (most of the time!), Spanish and a new adventure and different culture. So far we are very glad to have made the move, but it is has been challenging for me in particular to make new friends and find my own path, particularly during these Covid times.

Great to meet you all!

Hello Ian and Emma,

Welcome to Expat.com

@ Ian: I hope you will get to set your plans in motion in the near future. Let's keep our fingers crossed for the situation in Huercal-Overa to get better. In the mean time, I would suggest that you try gathering as much information as possible on the Almeria forum. Go ahead and ask your questions to our fellow members by starting new threads there.

@ Emma: Since the current circumstances may be causing a hindrance to forming social relationships and otherwise moving around to explore your surroundings, do not hesitate to take full advantage of the Spain forum to readily converse with other expats and future expats. 

Best of luck,

Diksha

Good Day Team.

Am Lawrence from Nigeria.  Presently am in Nigeria working as a Transaction Officer with African Largest Bank; Access Bank Plc.

I want to Pursue a carrier in football. And to that end, am trying to securing a football contract as a semi-professional footballer in either  Murcia, Malaga, Castilla la Mancha or Madrid which will make me relocate to Spain this year July for Pre-seasons.

I will be willing and happy to make new friends with other expat who will want to assist me with information about the happenings in Spain.


Regards All.
Lawrence.

Hello!

New member!  I´m Carla Barahona, originally from Washington DC with an Aussie mum and Chilean dad, married to a Spaniard, have 3 teenage daughters, have lived in Madrid 14 years. 

Looking to meet new  people and be a resource to answer questions for people who have recently moved to Madrid/Spain. Worked for nearly 14 years in here in Madrid for a luxury travel agency arranging upscale trips to Spain and Portugal.  Lost my job due to the pandemic and looking for new work possibilities and contacts.

I love Madrid and hope all the people who move here love it too.

Hi Everyone,

My partner and I live in California for the last few years, and seriously consider retiring in Spain possibly next year.

My partner used to live in Madrid when he was a child but moved back to US when he became a teenager. However given the Madrid's continental weather, we are opt for the Mediterranean coast.

After spending much time researching about living expenses, taxes, and visas in Spain, we are kind of overwhelmed in terms of complexity and conflicting information. We will probably need some help and post some questions in the forum.

We are happy to see that there are some really generous expats here in the forum who are willing to share their experiences and insights. We look forward to getting to know you all. : )

Hi there,

New member here :-) . We (Brazilian and Croatian) will be moving from Germany to Valencia in the next few months and we are very excited.

We look forward to meeting the international community and enjoying this new adventure.

Hola,
We are a family of 3 (later this year hopefully will be 4). Romanian family that live in the UK for nearly 6 years, but due to brexit and unforeseen situation, we decide to turn our minds towards the region of Alicante, Spain. It is our dream to live somewhere close to the sea, that we can enjoy most of the year. Our plan is to move this year, before giving birth. We are looking to buy a 2/3 bedroom apartment, preferably close to the sea, in the £30,000-£40,000 price range. No Spanish speaking, but understand part of it (duolingo full- speed ahead). My husband is an HGV driver and would like to find a job in that domain.
We are looking for information on steps we need to take in order to fulfil our dream and what we need to do for each step.

Good morning all, I've landed here in my attempt to find information about a potential move to Spain from the UK.

My partner and I would like to open a B&B in Andalucia but I'm finding it difficult to find the right information. I have searched on here, with little luck. I'm sure my questions have been asked many times before so I apologise for the inevitable repetition.

Can anyone recommed a good source of information on financing a business in Spain? We will have £100000 or so in capital and will need at least double that I suspect, but I keep finding conflicting information about the amounts/LTV available for commerical mortgages and if the income of the business can be factored in (we intend it to be our main, if not quite entire, income).

Thank you all in advance.

Hi, my wife and myself are looking to move to Spain, Murcia area within the next 18 months and I'm looking for information about how to do this with the new Brexit rules. We are also looking at buying a property for about £70.000 which will leave us another £60.000 in savings, as I'm ex military I have a pension to live on would this amount of money be enough under the new rules?

Hi All, my daughter and I have just moved to Spain/Marbella. We are from South Africa and relocated to enjoy the mediterranean lifestyle. We are looking at renting a 2 bedroomed flat in Estepona as my daughter will be studying her degree at Schellhammer Business school. We are searching for a unfurnished flat, budget is around Eur800, assistance would be great in finding a place, moving end of May.

Hi, I am Lian from Chile. I have been living in Madrid for the last ten years. I'll try to help by sharing with you what I've learnt over the years

Thank you Liam

Hi all i m French and i start a new job in Spain in Catalunya in Tarrega provincia de Lleida
This was an opportunity inside the intercompany group to move from France to Spain.
It is a family project we have since few years with my wife. At this moment i move alone to Spain in Last February. And the expat project move forward very fast because we have sold our House in France and should leave it next summer. We have decided to keep our children finish the school year in France. So the project is to live close to the costa daurada  not so far of my office. I m looking hard to found a school for my children they are 14 and 10 . It does exist some private French or international school but the cost is very expensive and not possible to assume it. So the public school are in catalan langage and it will be very difficult for my sons to integrate this kind of school without speak spanish or catalan . So if someone can give me some advice it will be very helpfull  . Also of course the location of the school is the key to searching of a renting flat or house. At this moment i live in a flat from a friend bur it is temporarely. However the life here is nice and the people are very helpfull and friendly . In 2 months here my spanish langage level are increase very fast . Of course it is not perfect but at least i understand more or less and i can speak and my interlocute can understand myself . But the process to expat the family is very stressfull . They are a lot of adminstrative task / paper meeting etc... to do and this is only the beginning ... sometimes i have the feeling to be crazy to have accepted this job . But this for la bella vida ...

Hi, I'm Diane. My hubby & I moved here to Andalusia, Cordoba province, but not far from Sevilla, 4 years ago.  So we didn't have any Brexit worries at that time and cant give you much advice on that. But I'm happy to offer what i know in terms of the area, our experience etc..

GC is lovely  . We had a timeshare there and considered moving there permanently.  However we ended up in the mainland, in Andalusia.
I'm sure there are a lot of Brits there- we know a couple in Fataga who write waking guides on the area.
You may like to get in touch with them.
Let me know, and I'll pass their names on.

Have you made any new friends since posting here?
I'm not far from Malaga- hoping to get there once lockdown is lifted. I'm the other side of Antequera.
Let me know if you want to chat.
Diane.

Hi
I'm Robert and new to this group me and my partner are thinking of moving to Tenerife its something we have always wanted to do. we went to Tenerife and fell in love with the island I work in aviation and travel is my passion my partner works in retail  only problem is we  have no idea where to start looking for information any information would be great look forward to hearing  from you all

Hi,

   I have a holiday home close to Los Montesinos. Have been there on and off for about twelve years. Coming up to seventy and now feel it's time to move to a city where public transport is widely available and there is no need for a car anymore.

   We have been looking closely at Alicante city and it ticks a lot of boxes. Would welcome any feedback on nice, quiet and well situated areas to have a closer look at for purchasing property.

   Also any inmobiliaria that come recommended.

    Many thanks,

        David O'Mahoney.

Hi all

I used to live in Mallorca (and used to be a member on here) but have moved back to the UK now.
Some of my Expat story is on ***
It's a long read but may appeal to some of you looking to move to Spain to live the dream.

Happy to answer any questions you may have, if I can.

Just posted a new topic on the Agencia Tributaria (Spanish Tax agency), I could do with a little help if there are any Spanish tax experts out there please.

Bye for now.
Miranda

Hi
I have a number of British friends and it seems that Brexit has caused a few problems for Brits coming to live in Spain permanently.
Apparently, with a UK passport, because it is no longer an 'EU' passport,, you may be only allowed to stay a maximum of 90 days. You may be then required to leave the EU for a minimum of 180 days before returning legally. (Some say 180 days, others say 90 days) but, whether 90 or 180, it would be a major inconvenience.
I say this to you only that you make full sure before you sell your property in Britain and later find out that the permanent residency in Spain problem exists for non-EU passport holders.
There was a video in the last few days of an English retired gentleman who was facing eviction from his mobile home due to this Brexit issue and he is very distraught.
Just google 'Harming me and my future': How Brexit is crushing UK pensioners'
and you should find it.
Wish you best of luck and hope you are successful in relocating

[b]
My husband and I haved lived in Spain for over 15 years. Little village in Granada province.  Love it here,

Hello all!!!

I am super excited to be starting my new life chapter in SPAIN

After almost 20 years of living and working in the UK, i am looking to move and find a job.

Thank you for creating such a great site sharing stories, advice and experiences!

Love to all!

Hello

Dutch guy who grew up in Germany here. I have been living in Spain close to Barcelona for 3 years now and hopefully many more will follow.
Happy to have found the site

Hi
We are Jeff and Julie and we live in Plymouth in the Uk, we are looking to buy a holiday home in Spain and have been drawn towards the Hondon Valley and the La Montanosa area in particular. We would appreciate any information from people who live in the area, all good and bad points (if there are any). We are looking to travel over as soon as all the travel restrictions are lifted and look around the Costa Blanca South area.

Hi all

My wife and I moved to Spain in March (Australian/Italian citizens) hoping to semi retire but some things didn't work out, so now we are looking to work here. Hoping to meet new friends and network and enjoy a better work life balance. My wife is Argentinian so fits in perfectly!

Ola todos,

We are Jonathan & Nubia (French/Peruvian) and are looking to move to Spain (from London) in the next 12 months. We have a 3 year old daughter and are wondering which area is the best for families (good school and safe). We hope to find a house and finaly have a garden after years of living in flats.

Any recommendation would be greatly appreciated !

Looking forward to moving there soon

Gracias !