Moving to Spain should be an exciting adventure and can be relatively stress free if planned properly.
Here is a checklist for how to move to Spain:
1. Research, research, research! - Emigrating to Spain needs to be planned well and thought about carefully. Take your time over this life changing decision and make sure that you have researched how to move to Spain, the property buying process, different areas, and that you can meet your cost of living.
2. Visit Spain – Research online is no substitute for visiting the country. Some people have even been known to move to Spain without ever visiting it before! Travel to your chosen area at different times of year so that you know what it's like in peak season and off-peak season.
3. Choose professionals to help you – a good abogado (lawyer) will help you through the property buying process, a gestor will help you deal with Spanish bureaucracy and a tax adviser will help you with annual tax returns and tax advice.
4. Bureaucracy – EU citizens, like British people, can move freely between EU countries and do not need visas or work permits. US citizens and other nationalities will require visas and permits to reside in Spain and to work in Spain. Check with the Spanish Consulate in your home country to see how to move to Spain, what you need to do and what documentation you need to provide.
5. Learn Spanish – This is essential if you want to find a job easily in Spain and will make daily life much easier.
6. Find a job in Spain before you leave your home country. If you are going to be self-employed, seek the advice of a tax adviser in Spain who can advise you of the costs involved in running a business in Spain.
7. Health cover – Before you move, make sure that you will be covered for healthcare in Spain. EU pensioners will be covered by their social security payments made in their home country but other nationalities may need to either pay into the social security system or take out private health cover.
8. Organize your documents – Make sure that your passport is valid and that you have photocopies of certificates and policy documents.
9. Removals – Shop around by getting quotes from different companies and consider saving money by booking a “window” rather than a specific delivery date in Spain.
10. Pets – Look into what you need to do with your pets to move them to Spain. Check with your vet on vaccination and microchip requirements and whether you will need a Pet Passport. Book transport.
11. Children – A move abroad is a big thing for children. Keep them informed of all of the arrangements, keep some of their favourite toys and comfort items out for travelling, enrol them in Spanish lessons and make sure that you have schooling organized in Spain.
12. Rental Property - If you will be renting in Spain before buying, organize a rental property in the area you are interested in. Renting before buying is a great idea because you are on the spot to research the area and find the perfect dream home.
Ensuring that you get good advice every step of your move will help to make the process less stressful and will enable you to enjoy the adventure. Use this how to move to Spain checklist as part of your planning.
