Moving to Spain, Need some advice!!

 Hi giuys, me and my partner are looking to move out to spain in june/july, this summer for 3-6 months, we know that we will need an nie number to work, but is that all we need to reside in spain. And also, will we need a certain amount of money in our bank? And, What do we do about health care? these are our main concerns, is there anything else we should know about before making the move??

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 Welcome to Spain where there is massive unemployment. Many of our neighbours and friends have returned to the UK penniless and disillusioned. It is a beautiful country and the weather is amazing. Trawl eyeonspain until you get all the answers you need, think again and come for a holiday.

Hope it works out for you.

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I second that comment!

Very tough here now, even if you are looking for summer work.  Unless you have something already lined up it's likely you'll find it near impossible to actually find any work at all.

Sounds a bit negative but unfortunately in a county with around 26% unemployed...it's the reality.

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 we arent really looking to come and find serious full time jobs, we just wanted to know if we needed a certain amount of money in the bank for government regulations, as some countries this applies. And what we would need if we decided to look for some form of work.

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Yes but even seasonal work on the coasts is tough to get now too!

Anyway, you don't really need much.  You'll need an NIE number which you can get in a day and no, you don't need to have any money in an account or anything like that.  In terms of health services, I think you need the EHIC card (which you can apply for online in the UK) which is fine to use when you are here as non-residents.

Best of luck :)

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The EHIC card is only valid for 3 month periods, and is for emergency use.Once the emergency is over if you need furrther treatment you must pay. you should make sure you have comprehensive travel insurance as well.You will need to bring not only enough money for rent and food but for emergencies. There is a Nationwide debit card you can use abroad that has no charges, unlike most.

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Bring plenty of money with you everything you can think of is much more expensive in Spain due to lack of competition and the manyana manyna approach the Spanish have good luck.

 

This message was last edited by windtalker on 24/04/2013.

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 everything you can think of is much more expensive in Spain

 

Which Spain do you live in?  Certainly not the same one as me.

 

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As said, work is quite difficult. However, not impossible. Still quite a few places taking temp bar/waiting staff on for the summer months but nowhere near as much as there was. Pay for those jobs is also quite atrocious so you'd be relying on tips which the Spanish don't really go in for. The spanish doing these jobs also tend to speak several languages (well, enough to take orders in a bar/cafe etc). Still, I'm assuming you are young (ish) and want a few months to enjoy yourself and take in the areas. Stick to the coastal regions as they get the busiest from end of June to mid-September. Restrict yourselves to 3 months so you don't get into the residency/healthcare type rigmarole and take out travel insurance. If you limit it to the basic package it will work out very cheap and, along with your EHIC will give you all the cover you need. If you are on any medication, most GPs in UK will give you 3 months worth if you tell him you are going away. Renting a 1 or 2 bed furnished apartment is cheap and there are plenty advertised along the coasts for 350 to 500 euros month providing you don't go for a detached villa with pool. Eating out, socialising and so on is very cheap. Food from the supermarkets is also cheap if you eat in but you'll get a good, 3 course meal with drinks for around the 12 euro mark (even cheaper if you like Chinese food). Drinks in the bars are good value and you'll get a decent bottle of wihe to drink in for around 1, 50 (go to Lidl and you'll get a nice bottle for 99 cents or 85 cents if you pick the cardboard carton). Even a bottle of spirits is less than 5 euros and beer at 50 cents a half litre can. Lots of fresh fruit in season at that time with 3 melons for 2 euros or less at the markets along with salad items.
If you have an offer of work all well and good. If not, bars, cafes, some shops etc often advertise for temporary staff so be prepared to do some legwork. Oh, and make sure you have a return ticket.
Enjoy yourselves, it's something you want to do and thousands of youngsters do it every year. It's just not as easy as it used to be in Europe.

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I don't live in Spain I don't fancy living like a church mouse I do own a villa in Spain and I am over in the U.K at the moment have  just got back from my local pub with the wife just had any two meals main meals of the menu £8.00 and two Pints of lager £4.50 take that is the part of Spain I live in go in to Consume and lidels and the like what you are paying 3.50 eu for we in thein the U.K are paying £1.00 for the same item try peeling the label off that they put over the price on the box take them rose colored specs off for gods sake .

 

 

This message was last edited by windtalker on 24/04/2013.

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This debate has been thrashed out a few times but after spending a week in England last month, I can categorically say that it was VERY cheap to eat out and supermarkets were cheaper than in Spain.  On the coast here in Spain it's expensive wherever you go and standards have dropped in many places too.

It's definitely not cheap here anymore!

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 Gosh, what silly little replies.  This couple want to come out for 3 months and get, in my opinion, some bad advice.  I was trying to tell them that, unlike most of the people of, shall we say a certain age on here, they could come out and do the things they want and I get answers like "take them rose coloured specs off" and "it's cheaper in UK".  Well, that wasn't the point of the post.  However, if you want a pissing in the wind contest, we went out to the Nan King in Quesada last week.  6 of us.

4 spring rolls, 1 sweetcorn and chicken soup, 1 dim sum as starters

2 chicken curry with rice, 1 duck in orange with noodles, 2 sizzling chicken'/duck and beef with fried rice and 1 chicken balls with rice.

3 ice creams, 2 coffees

1 bottle white wine, 1 bottle red wine and 2 cokes.

Total bill 36,60.  That's slightly over 30 quid even with the crappy state of the pound.

Or the previous week, the Bells in Quesada.

2 prawn cocktails, 2 chicken soups and 2 salads

1 Hungarian Goulash, 1 Fillet steak with chips and veg, 1 Zigeunerschnitzel with chips and veg, 2 pork fillets with roast potatoes and veg, 1 lamb chops with boiled potatoes and veg.

2 bottles of Alicante white wine and 2 bottles of Rioja red

4 crepes with chocolate, 1 crepe with lemon, 1 ice cream with chocolate chips and cream

4 coffees and 2 teas.

Total bill 47,50

Then to the Amsteleria.  A lovely place with a very Spanish atmosphere.  2 large glasses white wine, 2 large glasses red wine, 1 large beer and 1 diet coke.  Then another large glass white wine and large beer.  Total 8.40.

Now, if you want to go into Consum or Lidl and buy British stuff then be prepared to pay extra.  But, in Consum today, leg of lamb 5.75 kg, Pork chops 4.75 kg.  How much would 200 g of Serrano ham cost you in Tesco?

Now, let's get this stupid argument out of the way and be a bit nice as people used to be on this site.  Oh, and I was in UK last month and couldn't believe how expensive it was.  Kerrygold cheese is more expensive in UK than it is in Consum, for example.  We were going to buy loads of stuff to bring back but found the prices were more expensive than here,  but we don''t buy the British stuff.  We buy coffee here at half the price not PG Tips at double the price.  

Back to the topic.

The OP will find most people on here are getting on a bit.  I did two seasons in Jersey when I was 16 and 17 and one season in the south of France when I was 18.  Do it.  The knackered old buggers on here (like me) have forgotten what it's like to be young.  They call houses "villas", they moan because you can''t get a decent cup of tea and the locals don't understand you even if you shout at them.  They say things like "if it wasn't for us the Spanish would still be picking oranges and riding donkeys" and wonder why most of the world thinks them arrogant.  The Raj has gone, get over it.

Again, to the OP, have a great 3 months, enjoy wearing shorts, T shirts and flip flops for the entire time you are here, a flat will cost you less than pitching a tent on a UK campsite.

Be aware that you will meet loads of moaning Brits who complain that prices in Spain should come down because the pound is coming down.  It just doesn''t work that way, I'm afraid.  Avoid Iceland because you'll meet even more whinging Brits saying they could get that in Tesco for 50p cheaper.  Enjoy the food, enjoy the way of life, don't become a whinging Brit who complains that Heinz tomato sauce costs 20 cents more in Spain.  And, above all, enjoy yourselves.  

Best of luck.

(PS. I f I had to live the life of a church mouse I'd have left ages ago, like many of you should have done).

 I forgot to add, in UK last month:

1 pint Guinness and 1 vodka (just about covered the bottom of the glass) and tonic - £7.85.  Same local pub, 1 steak sandwich (bit of beef in white bread) and 1 jacket potato with tinned tuna-£10. 70.

Guess where I'd rather be. (Now who's got rose tinted specs?)

Edited again:

And let's see what I don't pay.

I don't pay £1500 a year council tax.  I pay €202 IBI

I don't pay £120 TV licence, I pay nothing

I don't pay £260 a year road tax.  I pay €42.30

I don't pay £440 a year water rates.  I pay €240.

I don't pay the UK average of £1350 domestic electric and gas.  I do pay €840 a year electric.

I do pay €550 a year community charges but I don't have 4 swimming pools in UK.

I don't pay tax on my second pension which cost me £960 a year in UK.

 

 

 

This message was last edited by bobaol on 24/04/2013.

This message was last edited by bobaol on 24/04/2013.

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Wow, thank god we have someone a little bit more positive, you know what, we would never turn into whinney brits because why the hell would we want what we get in the UK if we go to a different country, we wanna try all their stuff, not have the same old.... That we get back home, if you want whats at home in the uk then stay in the uk, have a nice life though yea! we are 20 n 25 years old we are not lookin to buy a villa we just want a little 1-2 bed place that is adequate, and we don't care about money!! Whats money..... but to be spent!! We just want to spend 3 months of our young lives together away from crappy cold England where we work far too hard for our money and still people livin on benefits get paid more than us !!!! What's wrong is England!!!!! We want to swim in the pool every mornin, drink coffee in a cafe n sit outside in a dress, t-shirt and shorts n try new foods n play golf, n just slow down abit with our hard earned cash!!! Oh n thank you to the people who gave us advise which is what we asked for (not comments about prices of food, and negativity on the job front) your comments have been very helpful, also thanks to bobaol, nice to see someone is still sain !!! Maybe we could meet up for what is apparently an over priced drink !!!!!! Haha. Cheers all

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I don't what Spain you are living in !

Certainly not mine.

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 Glad to see you wont turn into whinging Ex Pats (cos there are some from Germany as well - though the UK seems to specialise in them).  Now that is in interesting debate.   Why do so many turn into unhappy bunnies taking a swipe at the Spanish at every opportunity.    It could be age...................   I am always puzzled by it. 

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 Hi guys

I came over the Spain when I was 21 and if you are just looking to be here for up to six months you don't need a hell of a lot. If you have enough money to survive the six months you'll be fine and you'll have a great time. Actually you'll probably find the way to stay here forever! I came and never left!! :) Got married and settled down. It all boils down to money and at your age you don't really need much to be happy, I was much more compromising in my twenties! You can find a great place to live for 350 euros a month and the both of you can get by having fun on another 800, so all in all if you have a round 1000 - 1400 euros a month you are laughing. If you need to work you may well find something if you speak Spanish but when I arrived I didn't speak Spanish very well and while I was studying I worked in the evening and at the weekends in bars and restaurants etc to gain some extra income, now that will be harder but not impossible. But don't count on it. When I came out I don't even think I thought about health care at that age! Being EU any hospital will attend you in an emergency, if you apply for a NIE you can get a national insurance number then you would be covered on emergencies all the time. If you are just coming for 3-6 months i wouldn't be worried about the prices etc there are cheap places and expensive places so depending on what you have you won't have any problems finding something to fit your budget. 

It is a very exciting prospect, where are you thinking of moving to?

You don't need anything but a passport to come. Having a British passpot you can then register on the EU register and get a NIE and that's all you need to work in Spain if you decide to stay. Easy. As I said it all boils down to how you want to live and if you have money available. Spain can be very cheap if you shop around and know where to shop and rent so in some places you can live of a 1000 euros and other places you will need 2000 euros + so choose your destination accordingly.

Good luck and hope you have a lot of fun, I did! :) I first went to Madrid then I moved to Valencia my first year was an amazing experience and I will never forget it!

 

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 Ah Madrid.   Yes, you must try to spend some time there.   But what about my poor Real Madrid last night?    Terrible.

 

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 :)  I think when I was there I was the only Barça supporter in the area, all my friends were Madrid supporters I would wind them up by hanging by Barca flag off the balcony looking over the square! Not popular at all! Mind you Barca weren't much better the other day. 

Madrid is a fantastic city, I have great memories from there... having breakfast in the Plaza Mayor, spending the afternoon in Retiro, walking through the Rastro street market, El Prado and enjoying the great places to eat.

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 Agree - fantastic city.    But I think Germany is the new power in football........................ though they need the world cup next year to prove that!

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Maybe... they certainly looked strong the other day but both Madrid and Barca were not on form at all - (I think I will set up a thread on this topic!) 

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