To want to move to Spain

[Ohreallyisit]

Ok so I think I’ve had enough of the UK and want to move to Spain at least for a year or so. I can work remotely so can get a digital nomad visa and take dH and DC. DH is less keen but I’ve lived in Europe before and loved it and want to do it again. AIBU? My DC has just started Reception. We would move next summer and she could go to an International school. My DH doesn’t like his job so he could leave (which he wants to anyway) - I earn enough to support us all in a rental for a year.

Following with interest.

Do it.. I am hoping to move permanently next year , the Spanish property was purchased about a year ago.

will your company allow you to work outside the uk

So what will your husband do day to day?

I was just going to say this. We cant move to Spain due to that issue

We looked into Portugual but it would be as a part year thing and its still too difficult to be honest

I like Spain, and I like the Spanish people, but I would think twice about moving there permanently. It baffles me that anyone would consider moving to a hot country. We just experienced a forty degree summer! If this planet continues to get hotter, what will Spain be like in the 2030s? Could you withstand a 50 degree heatwave?

Taxation in Portugal is high and complex though.
You need to understand how you will be taxed.

What’s your husband going to do for a year? What’s he going to do for work when you return to the U.K.?

• do you have an EU passport (because Brexit happened...)? how likely is it that you will get a work visa if you don't?
• can you speak Spanish?
• does anyone in your family have long term health issues? can you get health insurance?
• do you have enough money to last you a few months while you get settled?
• with global warming it will get seriously hot in the summer. Can you cope with that?

I would definitely give it a try if I were you but some good planning will help.

We are in a climate emergency. Spain has extreme temperatures and droughts.

Before brexit yeah deffo a good idea.
After brexit bad idea.
Been living here for a few years and everything is so much harder now. I have residency but that was hard to get. They look into everything you need a lot of money in the bank a decent income proof of health insurance etc.
Other things to consider it's been awful this year heat wise and people wise it's just been so hot and busy it's exhausting 🤯.
You can't drive on a U.K. driving license anymore so you would need to take a test. Spain in one of the only countries in Europe that have not agreed to a swap.
Taxes are high and the government have access to you bank account so can just freeze it and take what they want.
Don't fool yourself in to thinking it's any cheaper to live here either everything has gone up especially rental prices.
Education is not as good in Spain and unemployment levels are high with low wages.
Your husband would not be able to work or become self employed or anything really so I can kind of see why he wouldn't want to do it.
I came here with very rose tinted glasses.
Don't get me wrong it's a beautiful place and the weather is nice when it's not hot but that's about it.
I find everything difficult here it's hard to get anything done, anything delivered etc.
I miss the U.K. 😂

I moved to mainland Spain from one of the spanish islands earlier this year.

Since Brexit, it’s pretty tough to move anywhere in Spain on a UK passport with all the visa restrictions etc. Having a property here doesn’t make it any easier.

You also have to sit your driving test again at the moment, as uk licenses can no longer be swapped for Spanish ones, and it’s not cheap.

I’m just starting to look at schools for my eldest. I want her written English to be strong, but the international private schools generally aren’t as good as the state schools. It’s not like going to private school in the uk.

I had some basic GCSE Spanish when we first moved, and I’ve picked up a lot since. But I’m far from fluent, and in most areas, you don’t need to be. You can get by making an effort with a few phrases. Most Spanish are happy to help once you make the effort.

With regards to the weather - it was mid 40s over the summer, peaking in the late afternoon. We spent a lot of time inside, and went out early mornings. Right now however, I’m sat in a hoodie and leggings as although it’s 16 degrees, the humidity makes it feel much cooler.

There are pros and cons of living anywhere. I don’t think we’ll move back to the UK. It’s too much of a stressed way of life. People are much more relaxed here.

If you can do it, then go for it.
But definitely do your research first. And be aware that NOTHING happens quickly here when it comes to paperwork.
Maybe have a look at some of the websites & facebook pages like ‘brits in Spain’ etc. as they offer lots of up to date advice.

My entire family live in Spain. I live in the UK. DO NOT listen to government websites in the UK about expatriate requirements as they are bloody misleading. Get yourself a lawyer in Spain to deal with the transit.

If you really want to try, go for it! There is always the possibility of coming back. People emigrate constantly and adapt to their new country and so will you. There are always negative points but living abroad ALWAYS comes with extra personal growth. Your kid will be bilingual (with all the brain development that comes with it) and there is a lot of freedom that comes from starting from zero where nobody knows you.

Just makes sure you get the right legal advice.

And no, Spanish government does not take your savings but like any other government (including UK) will freeze your account when there are irregularities.

I concur with every word that Katrinaf has said.
I don't live in Spain but spend as much time as I'm allowed due to my mothers ageing years.
We as a family love Spain but oh my it's not an easy country to navigate.
They are (slowly) catching up with modern times but you can still spend a morning sorting out something that you could solve in ten minutes here.
You really need to understand the system and have the patience of a saint.
Banking is also diabolical too.
As one example, recently, my elderly mother had her water cut off with no warning. It transpired that a payment last December hadn't been processed correctly ( aqualia and the bank blame each other ). It took several hours of wrangling with the lady in the Aquila office to accept the mistake and said to us to make the missed payment and she'd be reconnected. The office didn't take payments and we had to trawl around three different banks that would take the payment before we could go back to the office to show proof of payment (it was €26!) to be reconnect d. Luckily they didn't charge the reconnection fee cos it was their mistake. Admittedly there was a workmen at her house reconnecting her before we arrive home.
But it was exhausting!!!
Just one example of many I could give!!
And as for the cost of a food shop, I was actually quite incredulous when I went out recently. Bearing in mind I'd been out in august, come October the supermarket shop was not far off what we pay here, albeit alcohol still significantly cheaper
Point being that it's not the nirvana it once was to live there.
If I were able I'd do it in a heartbeat, DH & I still hope to in the future (now the distant future).
But just be aware of the realities not the dream

Go for it ! I want to move to Seville but it may be too hot in summer ! Just went shopping at our local city, it was raining , dirty and full of closed up shops 😞

I'd love to do this. I work remotely and am in the process of getting an EU passport.
I'm not sure about the tax situation though

Spain. Have only yesterday passed the digital nomad visa.
I have lived in siaun for a few years. Absolutely zero regrets

Do it!

I want to do this too.
Luckily I speak Spanish and I'm Irish not British but id be going as a single person.

I'd be leaving my dc behind. I'm talking about in 15 years when I'm 67

Why not go for it? 🥰

Where in Spain?

Just do it! If legally you can. Obviously don't know about the visa stuff as I moved to mainland Europe before Brexit but it's a no-brainer for me. Also forget international schools!!!! Enrol your child with the locals. One of the benefits of moving to the EU is giving the kids bilingualism. You'll negate this with ridiculous international schools.

Go!
Go!

Oh my goodness! Lots of positive vibes- thank you. Yes I read yesterday the law was passed on Thursday so now just a wait for details of the visa. We haven’t decided on a location yet but probably north east near the coast ish. Thanks for all the examples of living in Spain and some of the frustrations that come with it. I’ll bear that in mind. I lived in Italy in my twenties and remember a lot of bureaucracy then too. And yes, as someone said, having the opportunity for my DC to grow up, as we did, feeling European and speaking two languages fluently would be an amazing gift to her (I think)! Our plan is to start scouting out areas and book some trips to have a look around some places we’ve identified. If anyone has any suggestions we’d love to hear them! We were thinking of near ish a big city (maybe 30 mins ish) near the coast ideally but rural enough to have a house not flat.

Here is the detail on the new digital nomad visa. Hope it helps corgee.co/journal/get-the-cava-spain-passes-startups-and-digital-nomad-law

There is now corgee.co/journal/get-the-cava-spain-passes-startups-and-digital-nomad-law