Moving to Spain

[laakhx]

DH wanting to sell his business and set up in Spain, we have a 16 month old and im very close to my family.. has anyone else moved to Spain from the UK and was it the right choice ?

It is such a personal choice. Do you even like Spain? Where in Spain would it be?

We are in Spain, we were here with work..We left, came back, and may have to leave again. It is hard because it kind of is home, but not really...They seem to be introducing a digital nomad visa that is looking ok (if you don't have a EU passport).

There are many positives - private health insurance is not expensive and much better than what I was offered in UK.

Schooling - many regions (if not all) speak two languages, so state schooling is not in Spanish but a regional language. We all started our kids in state schools but many struggled and ended up in international schools, or private Spanish schools (where the local language is a bit less represented). Depending on where you go schools can be ok or not so much.

*They are not all sponges and not all of them will be fluent in 6 months - I find it really important to say this because my child really suffered and couldn't cope with the demand of three languages at such a young age...It took them a long time to recover their confidence.

The weather - is great but also brutal. July and August, even September this year were so hot and you are so limited with what you can do. Out with the dog at 6am every day gets a bit tiring.. Ditto with going to the beach...

Employment - the average wage is not really high. There are many jobs you couldn't do unless you are fluent in two languages.

Taxes - are high.

My negative bias may be coming from the area where we are, it really isn't a perfect fit for me and we may move somewhere else when the child is finished schooling, however, it is still something to think about.

I don't think the digital nomad visa will apply as you have to be working outside Spain but living in Spain, I think? I'm assuming OP's husband wants to set up a business in Spain instead.

It sounds like you would be giving up a lot to move to Spain, @laakhx . And moving there (or anywhere) to start a new business sounds very tough as well.

First of all, does your DH have citizenship of an EU member state? If so, he has freedom of movement to work in Spain.

If not, i.e. if he is a UK citizen, he will need a visa that allows him to set up a business in Spain, to reside there and to bring his family with him.

He could look at the requirements for an Entrepreneur Visa on the official Spanish government website www.exteriores.gob.es/Consulados/londres/en/ServiciosConsulares/Paginas/Consular/Visado-para-emprendedor.aspx

If moving is possible, setting up a successful business will take research but I presume he is familiar with drawing up business plans. Don't forget that running a business in Spain will call for a good level of Spanish to deal with bookkeeping, taxes, social contributions, rules and regulations etc. and also with suppliers, customers and employees, if any. Either that or paying, and trusting, others to deal with that for him.

While I haven't personally moved to Spain from the UK, I know people who have made similar moves and had positive experiences.

I know it is much easier to do if you get the help of a moving company which delivers internationally, like threemovers. I also recommend doing as much research as possible on the practicalities of the move, such as the cost of living, job opportunities, and the process of obtaining necessary visas and paperwork. It is also helpful to connect with ex-pat communities in Spain to better understand what life is like there.

We’ve spent a lot of time in Spain. I liked it at first but grew tired of so many aspects. The heat in the summer months is brutal and you spend all your time trying to escape from it. The mosquitoes are horrendous and are especially bad in late summer and autumn. Just as it cooled down a bit, instead of being outside you end up inside with the windows closed. I love the Spanish people but boy are they noisy and they love to party late into the night. They get going just as we went to bed. I missed the green of the UK, much of Spain is brown. Their healthcare is not as good as the NHS. We tried it, not from choice, and found it very different. Don’t be fooled into thinking they all speak English. They don’t, you have to learn Spanish. The problem with that is, they speak at 100 miles an hour and you’ll probably never keep up.

I love living in Spain and I wish we had done it sooner when the kids were small.

The outdoors lifestyle is so much better. Schools are decent . It's safer

The admin is horrific employ a gestor /lawyer to do everything but it's well worth it.

The heath care is far superior to the nhs. It's absolutely brilliant

I waited 2 mins in A&e this weekend and was out of there is 20 mins having been xrayed. And seen a consultant.

I worked in Spain as a young person and loved it but now I'm back in Ireland and in my 50s. I think about retiring there. I hate the cold winters. I love Spanish food and, I speak the language, my money would go further there, I have two school friends living over there, , my tiny tiny house is worth about 320k and I could get something nicer for that in various nice towns in Spain.

but good point upthread about not all children picking up languages easily. That's what stopped me going back when my dc were smaller. My dc1 can speak spanish and Irish, but my dc2, he is only ever going to speak English. He didn't speak until he was four. At one point, I wondered if he would ever speak. Relieved he mastered one language. That feat won't be repeated.

That’s good that your experience was so positive. Our experience was awful.

Bear in mind that in Spain healthcare y run on a regional basis. So you can only speak for that region, perhaps that´s why your experiences were different. I guess I´ve been lucky and had a good experience, my husband who is well travelled has had more varying luck.

Moved to Spain 3 years ago . I have an Irish passport and we run a remote UK business from Spain.
Pro. it's so safe for our kid's. They have freedom here and I have no anxiety about them being 'out & about'
Less traffic - no stress
Food & drink is cheap especially when eating out
Weather - Autumn, Winter & Spring are beautiful - Summer is very hot but we stay indoors and venture out in the evening.
Public transport especially trains are brilliant.
Health care - superb
Con
Complicated system to navigate any government procedure - Get a Gestor/lawyer
Language - I am learning but it's slow - thank goodness for Google translate

It's the best thing we ever did and love our lives in Spain. For my teenage kids it's heaven to have the freedom, for me it's peace of mind, knowing they are safe.

@maddy68 the healthcare, in a bright new shiny hospital, was very poor for my father who had a stroke. They basically told my mother to get her family there as nothing could be done. Then when he did wake up but was partially paralysed they would just dump food that he could not reach or even chew. Family were expected to do much of the routine nursing tasks. We flew him out asap when he stabilised and the contrast of the care he received here was far far better.
Anyway, my tip is learn the language! Where my parents were French was the second language many spoke, not English. And you have to be able to put yourself out there to make new connections.

@bert3400 hi Bert that does sound lovely. I did a year in northern Spain on Erasmus and still love the Spanish lifestyle. I’m helping dd find a language course in Spain as part of her gap year. Can I pm you on your location?

OP I know a young family who have relocated to Marbella, they love it but do have eu passports which makes life a lot easier. They have set up an online business.

@misssunshinenow has summed it up perfectly.

My DD is half Spanish, born here and very bright, but you have to speak 3 languages (unless in Madrid). It is tough. Schools you need contacts/family for a good one. Really, you do. International schools are shit. Fact.

Healthcare very good.
You will not get a job.
You will be very lonely.
It is very cheap.
July August and September are horrendous (for me) Your DC will be off 4 months a year, roughly.
Admin makes me cry. I have been bullied over and over by jobsworths.

Disclaimer: Here 17 years, speak the language and have own business.
Incredibly tough.

Utter nonsense.

Where I live in Catalonia Catalan is spoken but so is Spanish so we have had little problem by only speaking Spanish Many of my friends children go to the local schools and receive a good education. I also taught in an international school as so many of my friends (different ones to me ) all are highly regarded and get outstanding results.
Why won't you get a job. ? My husband and adult children have as have all put "ex pat " friends but it's much easier in a location near a city where English is valued as a skill

The paperwork is horrific but that's the only thing I agree with in your post and I have lived here several years

@maddy68

17 years here with a Spanish husband and daughter who has been both in private and state and concertado schools and now is navigating the equivalent of A levels.
She HAS to speak 3 languages, whether you do or not. OP asked about education.
Owning my own business and having friends but nothing like frienships in the UK, plus being far from family and friends which the OP is worried about, I consider my opinion, as a British person, fully immersed in Spanish life, relevant. Not "utter nonsense".

You mention you taught in an International school. Were you a fully qualified teacher in the UK? Teachers in International schools get paid a pittance and tend to be not need the same level of qualifications as the state schools. That is a big salary drop for you, as a fully qualified teacher.

Good luck OP, as I said, healthcare (if you qualify) is great. Weather is personal preference, food good, schools depend on luck and who you know, very cheap lifestyle, living anything other than an ex pat life will be harder than you might think. I live near one of the biggest cities in Spain and have lived in Madrid. Madrid is much easier... no language problems for your DCs and more opportunities for work.
But it is more or less same prices as London if you live in a nice area.

Best of luck with whatever you decide.

Yes I was a fully qualified teacher in the uk The pay is slightly less £2k less so not by a huge amount but our living expenses are far far lower
You are correct about them learning two languages at state schools the private ones do English and all the lessons are in English. (It's not cheap though!) But they do learn Spanish and Catalan. But it's not a big deal kids pick it up really easily .

I don't speak a word of Catalan and have got by on Spanish and English perfectly well

Friendship groups I have no idea why you haven't made friends the friends I have here are great and we have a big social circle
Research is needed when moving as different regions vary but I don't identify with most of your points
And I didn't have the Spanish connection.

I have a mixture of nationalities in my friendship group

I love it here and have zero regrets

I think you sound much older than the OP and perhaps have not navigated what she will need to with the education system and a small child.

I could be wrong of course, so apologies if so.

If the OP wants her DC to embrace Spanish life, an English speaking school is just silly and they tend to be for British children often in tansit due to the parents work.

Very glad you are enjoying your stage of life in Spain!

The whole education system is about to change again at BAC level, not sure if you are aware of that. 3 languages for university are compulsory.

I have to work now! Have a great day.

It really really depends on where you go. Where I am, despite the wealth the state schools are really bad ( bottom of the list according to Spanish reports ), and whoever can possibly afford sends their kids private / concertado / international. The salaries of teachers in International schools are lower than in International schools worldwide, that is a fact. You can't really compare it to the salaries of teachers in the Uk. And schools are not amazing. Lack of Catalan stops you from getting plenty of jobs 100%...

I have been thinking about moving to Spain with the kids. I am a teacher and the salaries in international schools are dreadful. Do your own kids get a heavily discounted discount and is the cost of living really that low to justify the shit salaries?

I speak Spanish and have an EU passport.

I was teaching in an international school and it was only 2k less than I was in in a British school

We also got free places for our children

It depends on the individual schools