Where to start?? Just a few super basic questions to start..

First question: have you got a european passport?

Where are your pets at the moment? (Europe or US)

North West coast = pais vasco? Bilbao o San Sebastian ?

Hi there! I'm glad you're considering coming over to Spain as it really is beautiful but there are definitely some things you need to consider. First of all (and no offense intended) surf, fishing and beaches can all be found in the US and Scotland and they are probably not good enough reasons to move to another country as there is A LOT of hassle involved unless you're a European citizen (are you?). Also, if you're looking for employment, right now is NOT the best time to move to Spain as we're going through a really hard time with unemployment right now and expats are actually starting to repatriate because of job loss. Unless you're an engineer or something in the IT sector, you might want to rethink Spain for employment.

I'm living in the North West and yes, the coast is the best part of this region as anything inland is really quite rural over here. As far as expats go, you'll find them everywhere but if you're looking for nationals of specific countries, you might want to do some extra research. Finding English speakers in the North West probably won't be the easiest thing in the world. I've run into a few but if you want a social community of English speakers, you might want to consider the South or East Coast. If you move to the North West, Spanish will be a prerequisite for everything including employment (you may also need Basque or Galician). Very few people speak English here and those that do often speak very little. One more thing you might like to know is that the North West is famous for its rain and dreary climate as well as serious Winter snow, as I have experienced first hand. We also have the highest rate of seasonally affected depression in the country.

Bringing pets over from the US (?) is rough and expensive. I did it and it can be frustrating. You have to get them checked up at the vet and they have to have all of their shots up to date as well as some sort of locator (a chip or a tattoo). Your vet will explain it all to you but basically, the process takes several months. You will also need to go to a vet that is certified to sign off on an animal visa that gives your pet the green light to travel. This will have to be legalized by the US govt and presented at the airport. If the pets are in Europe already, they may not have to be quarantined but they will need a pet passport which is something I'm not familiar with.

If there's anything else you want to know, feel free to ask.

Xoanwahn