Moving to Spain - Things you should find out before you go

Are you thinking of moving to Spain. Life in Spain can be a more relaxing lifestyle if you get it right. One should remember that although you may have spent several holidays in Spain, living in Spain fulltime is a totally different thing altogether.



You have probably heard and seen many stories about families that have decided that moving to Spain would give them a better lifestyle, only to find that it ends in disaster because they haven't done their homework.

There is much to learn before actually travelling there. It is a large country made up of several different Regions, each of which have some of their own particular laws and regulations, especially regarding property. Many people have bought property in Spain only to find out later that their property has been built illegally and they have to move out, without a penny in compensation.



We moved out to Spain about 5 years ago, luckily my brother was already there and was able to help us settle into the Spanish lifestyle without too many problems, but if you are going to be on your own out there it is better to establish how to go about things before you go. By doing this you will save yourself a lot of time and money, so I suggest you get prepared before you arrive.



If you are considering moving to Spain your first thought will probably be which location will suit you best. Spain is a large country and the climate and surroundings vary greatly from the North to the South. You may wish to try a couple of holidays in different areas to give you a feel for the place. Property prices also differ from area to area, the further inland you go the less expensive the property will be, so if you do go out there I suggest that you hire a car and go exploring, you will be surprised at what you will come across.



Another point to consider is the Spanish Health Care System. You will need to know what you have to do to register for the system and how good is it in the region that you are thinking of moving to. It may be that you are on regular medication, so you will have to check out that you are able to get repeat prescriptions of the same medication locally and establish what the costs will be.



If you are intending to work as part of your life in Spain you will need to know if you require work permits and how to register with the tax authorities. Whether you are liable for tax or not, you may still have to register with the local Tax office.



Although your previous trips to Spain may have been to the main holiday areas, you may wish to live away from these areas, somewhere quieter. Around the resorts you will probably find that you can get by with a very limited knowledge of the Spanish language, as many of the locals will be able to speak some English. As you may want to settle down away from the resorts you may have to learn Spanish so that you can get by. This would be especially important in some of the smaller villages. There may be a large English speaking community already in the vicinity but to really mix in with the local villagers and get the most out of life in Spain it would be advisable to take steps to learn at least some basic Spanish.



There are a number of 'How to Speak Spanish' courses available on line, take a look at some of them that are available. I found that when I was using a course, which was backed up by a CD so you could get the pronunciation right, one way to remember the words was to write down the words that you learnt in each lesson on a piece of card, with the english word on the back. I used to go through the cards with my wife most nights and it is surprising how quick you pick them up. Once you have learnt the basics you will find that you can soon have a conversation with the locals without too much trouble.



If you are taking a young family out there you will have to find out about the local school system. Although there are some English speaking schools in Spain, mainly in the larger towns and cities, the majority of them will be Spanish speaking, another good reason for learning the language.



To make your life in spain an enjoyable experience make sure that you do your homework. To find out more about what you need to know if you are thinking about moving to Spain, please take a moment to visit my website.