There are many reasons to want to live in Spain. The climate is warm and pleasant. The natural landscapes are breathtaking, and with a guaranteed 22 vacation days a year, you have the time to enjoy them.
Culturally, Spanish people are kind, welcoming, and outgoing. This generosity also includes the public services offered. Spain has an affordable, functioning public healthcare system, and a safe and effective public transit system. If you live in the city, you don’t need a car! The cost of living is much lower than all of the U.S. due to these public services. Who wouldn’t want to join that?
Left Image: A public transit card – Є20.00 a month for unlimited trips within the community of Madrid.
The process of getting residency and the corresponding paperwork is the biggest downside of Spain. Paperwork in Spain can be filled with Catch-22s, and good information isn’t always available for what you need. I’ve had many situations where I entered my documents not knowing if I did anything wrong, so I will save you from that trauma and share the whole process as thoroughly as possible.
There are 4 main ways to get residency into Spain: being wealthy, convincing a Spaniard to marry you, having a specialized job/skill, or teaching English through any number of programs in Spain. Each pathway has its own pros and cons. I’ve tried the latter 3 to some extent.
1. Being wealthy: if you invest into Spanish investments (real estate or otherwise), you can get residency without permission to work. Cons: you can’t work, and you need to have a lot of money to spare.
Pros: You can finance your own visa and almost guarantee acceptance.
Cons: You can’t work, and you need to have a lot of money to spare.
2. Convincing a Spaniard to marry you. I asked my Spanish girlfriend and was told “no”. That’s Spanish for “no”.
Pros: Commitment.
Cons: Commitment.
3. Having a specialized skill/ job. This seemed to be promising when I first pursued it. I had a double major Bachelor’s and a professional job. It should have been easy, but the government is quite strict on this in my experience. They make the process long, expensive, and uncertain for the company hiring you. Not good for business, so it always fell apart for me.
Pros: For those lucky enough to be in an in demand specialized field, you can get a visa and a job in one swoop.
Cons: What type of company is willing to go through half a year of paperwork while financing a lawyer to maybe have a high quality worker when the process finishes?
4. Teaching English through a special program. If you are a native English speaker and have a Bachelor’s degree in anything, Spain wants you. You’ll get assigned as a part-time English auxiliary teacher.
Pros: It’s secure and you have support through the school and local community.
Cons: You don’t control exactly where you are placed. Not everyone loves teaching, and there is a 5 year limit on the program. After staying for 3 years though, you will have more opportunities to get residency through work.
Additionally, if you have a Spanish partner, you can apply for pareja de hecho and later on get residency through that, but it’s a very difficult process. It is almost impossible unless you have lived together in Spain for some time, have secure jobs and/or savings, and have a well documented record of your relationship. That’s why it’s important to get to Spain first through another method.
In conclusion, immigration is a long and arduous process, but it can be worth it for those that want to experience life abroad. Throughout my website, I will guide you through how I was able to obtain and maintain my residency in Spain. I will also include articles on the happy and interesting parts of living abroad as an American. Try to stay organized as you follow along. I hope you will enjoy your move to Spain!
If you plan on making a trip to Spain and don’t have a Spanish wireless carrier, please consider getting a cheap and convenient travel plan for your phone. Don’t get stuck without data in the mountainside. The roaming cows won’t provide you with directions.
eSIM data providers are a great option for those of you who want to avoid paying roaming fees while travelling internationally. This, in turn, allows you to freely use data to connect to the internet and contact friends and family. To use this service, your phone must be eSIM compatible (you can check in the link below). Using a travel plan is quick, easy, and can be done completely online.
The process of getting an eSIM data plan is quite simple. In the link below, you can select the country you are travelling to, check if your phone is eSIM compatible, and get your eSIM plan set up in just a few clicks.
Saily – Affordable eSIM data provider
Use promo code – Special5 for a 5% discount
Remember that a data plan would not include calling and texting, so make sure to use WhatsApp to contact friends and family. If you took the additional step to port your number and get Google Voice, you would be able to call and text with your ported American number through that application. The recepient would simply receive a normal text or phone call.
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The information on http://www.residency2spain.com is provided in good faith and is intended for general informational purposes only. Residency2spain makes no guarantees regarding the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of the content. Any decisions you make based on the information found on this site are made at your own discretion and risk. Residency2spain is not liable for any loss or damage resulting from the use of this website.
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A Podcast?
I’d like to share the podcast I have just started with my audience. it’s called Immigrant, not Expat. My goal is to share stories about immigration to hopefully remove the negative connotation surrounding the word “immigrant”. I am deliberately avoiding the word “expat” because I don’t want to reinforce a caste system for immigration. I
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Culture Shock!
People who talk about moving to another country may emphasize how different the culture will be and how to deal with culture shock. Spain is a modernized, western country that isn’t too different from the U.S, so in my experience, “shock” isn’t a great way to describe it. There are some differences, though. Most of
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250k Views – Day in the Life
The last time we celebrated a view benchmark, I made a post about myself and what led me to create a life in Spain. Now that we’ve hit 250,000 views, I’m posting feet on main! (Open the full image if you are a sicko). Well, the idea of this post is to share a typical
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Santiago de Compostela
On an extended weekend, thanks to a public holiday, my partner and I went to Santiago de Compostela. It’s a beautiful city in the northwestern region of Galicia, which is known for its rainy climate and delicious food. Santiago is an interesting city with a unique history. It is the destination of multiple pilgrimage routes
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Extra Income – Teaching Online
There are countless ways of saving money while in Spain, but if you want to be able to travel more and enjoy more experiences, increasing your income is a great way to do that. As native speakers of English with experience teaching English as a foreign language in Spain, your teaching services will be in
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Saving Money and Being Environmentally Friendly
You don’t need your own terrace garden like me, but you can easily save money and be better for the environment when living in Spain. One of the joys of moving to Europe is that it becomes possible to be environmentally friendly without sacrificing your lifestyle or money. When I lived in Indiana, I remember
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Celebrating 75,000 Views – My Journey to Spain
When I first started writing this blog, I never expected getting this type of interest. I just wanted to create something to help others find their lives in Spain and avoid the uncertainties and anxieties that plague bureaucratic processes here. It’s still only a hobby instead of being my actual job, but a lot of
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Spanish and U.S. Library Cards
Getting a U.S. library card before leaving for Spain and a Spanish library card while there can provide wonderful (free) services. Libraries have modernized. They provide a wide range of services that can be accessed from anywhere in the world: eBooks, audiobooks, as well as online magazines and newspapers. Individuals travelling to or living in
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How I Accidentally Became an Actor in Spain
“Quiet on set, roll cameras, and action!” I desperately choke for breath while grasping at my wounds. With a WW2-era revolver aimed at the entryway of an abandoned farm shed, I am slowly bleeding out while waiting for my enemies to finish me off. Suddenly, I hear noises just outside. It sounds like footsteps, and
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NALCAP Webinar 2022 – Highlights
July 28, 2022 Will new regulations affect auxiliares who receive supplemental income in Spain? What should I do before leaving for Spain? How do I find an apartment? What steps should I take first when I arrive in Spain? The 2022 NALCAP webinar covers topics that can help new auxiliaries and returning auxiliaries. Find out
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Fun Trips around Madrid
Cercedilla Cercedilla is a mountainside municipality Northwest of Madrid. It is about an hour train ride away with the cercanía trains from Atocha (the main train station). The mountainside is filled with nature, flowers, and there is a small ranch with a herd of cows living their best lives grazing on the mountainside. The cows
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Budgeting in Spain
The cost of living is much cheaper in Spain, but the salaries are also much lower. How do I budget? What should I expect to spend and save? Just like the U.S, some places in Spain are more expensive than others. Madrid is one of the most expensive cities in Spain, so if you live
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The debate of the century: with or without onion.
Spanish tortilla is a traditional dish in Spain similar to an omelette. It has eggs, potatoes, and sometimes diced onions. In Spain people are passionate about food, especially traditional food, and there is a fierce debate in Spain about which type of tortilla is better: with or without onions. Traditionalists will claim that putting onions
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So, you want to move to Spain?
There are many reasons to want to live in Spain. The climate is warm and pleasant. The natural landscapes are breathtaking, and with a guaranteed 22 vacation days a year, you have the time to enjoy them. Culturally, Spanish people are kind, welcoming, and outgoing. This generosity also includes the public services offered. Spain has
Spanish Bureaucracy Guides 