# Single mum moving to Spain



## Stacey4742 (Jun 3, 2021)

I am hoping to move to Spain within the next 2 years, just covid holding me up travelling out to fully decide if it is the right decision. I am looking at playa flamenca area. I am a single parent with a nearly 5 year old so she will be 6 when we move. I can continue doing my current job from there, I’m part time and take in £1000 a month and can afford to buy a home with no mortgage. Her dad pays maintenance also but I’m not sure if he would continue to do this as I don’t believe I can force him if I move? I am just wondering would £1000 be realistic to cover household bills and health insurance? How would I pay into the Spanish system with working for a uk business? Also at 6 would a local school be okay or would she be best in an international school? I would have to look for a job in Spain also or take on more work from home to afford this but not impossible to do. Just generally how is life as a single parent in Spain? I have close family here but they don’t provide childcare I just work around her school hours so don’t rely on family. Sorry for all the questions but any advice would be appreciated.

Edited to add I hold an Irish passport not a British one.


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## tardigrade (May 23, 2021)

If the house or property is €500,000 or more you could apply for a golden visa.


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## Stacey4742 (Jun 3, 2021)

I hold an Irish passport as live in Northern Ireland, apologies I should of stated that in the original post.


MataMata said:


> You may need to review your plans as the Non Lucrative Visa (NLV) you will need to come to Spain does not permit you work - and that includes remotely.


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

Irish passport is a game changer. In effect you and your child can arrive in Spain and then register as residents. You need sufficient financial resources not to be an undue burden on the state. While the exact requirement varies between provinces, generally you need around 565 euro/month and 847 euro with one dependant. In Alicante province, they require around 9,000 euro as a lump sum in a Spanish bank account. Plus you need full private medical insurance, which can be around 50-60 euro/month and 80-90 euro with a child. You are free to take any job and can continue working remotely. £1,000 a month is doable but tight. Biggest outgoing will be rent, which will be around 400 to 500 euro/month for a two-bedroom flat, plus utilities (around 100 euro). Plus food, travel, clothing. You won't be earning enough for private international school. Age 6 is a good time to start at a Spanish school, and should make fast progress with languages, as Valenciano as well as Castellano will be compulsory. But you won't be able to help with homework (a lot even for 6-year olds), so you should study Spanish at least.


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## Stacey4742 (Jun 3, 2021)

Joppa said:


> Irish passport is a game changer. In effect you and your child can arrive in Spain and then register as residents. You need sufficient financial resources not to be an undue burden on the state. While the exact requirement varies between provinces, generally you need around 565 euro/month and 847 euro with one dependant. In Alicante province, they require around 9,000 euro as a lump sum in a Spanish bank account. Plus you need full private medical insurance, which can be around 50-60 euro/month and 80-90 euro with a child. You are free to take any job and can continue working remotely. £1,000 a month is doable but tight. Biggest outgoing will be rent, which will be around 400 to 500 euro/month for a two-bedroom flat, plus utilities (around 100 euro). Plus food, travel, clothing. You won't be earning enough for private international school. Age 6 is a good time to start at a Spanish school, and should make fast progress with languages, as Valenciano as well as Castellano will be compulsory. But you won't be able to help with homework (a lot even for 6-year olds), so you should study Spanish at least.





Joppa said:


> Irish passport is a game changer. In effect you and your child can arrive in Spain and then register as residents. You need sufficient financial resources not to be an undue burden on the state. While the exact requirement varies between provinces, generally you need around 565 euro/month and 847 euro with one dependant. In Alicante province, they require around 9,000 euro as a lump sum in a Spanish bank account. Plus you need full private medical insurance, which can be around 50-60 euro/month and 80-90 euro with a child. You are free to take any job and can continue working remotely. £1,000 a month is doable but tight. Biggest outgoing will be rent, which will be around 400 to 500 euro/month for a two-bedroom flat, plus utilities (around 100 euro). Plus food, travel, clothing. You won't be earning enough for private international school. Age 6 is a good time to start at a Spanish school, and should make fast progress with languages, as Valenciano as well as Castellano will be compulsory. But you won't be able to help with homework (a lot even for 6-year olds), so you should study Spanish at least.


Thank you for replying, I have money to buy a property outright so won’t have to worry about mortgage or rent and also to cover the lump sum. My biggest concern is how my daughter would settle in a Spanish speaking school, we have the Duolingo app so learning basic words and will have private lessons before we leave and once over there. How much monthly would an international school cost would you know? From research it appears to vary a great deal.


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## Chopera (Apr 22, 2013)

Stacey4742 said:


> Thank you for replying, I have money to buy a property outright so won’t have to worry about mortgage or rent and also to cover the lump sum. My biggest concern is how my daughter would settle in a Spanish speaking school, we have the Duolingo app so learning basic words and will have private lessons before we leave and once over there. *How much monthly would an international school cost would you know?* From research it appears to vary a great deal.


It depends on the school, but once you include meals, uniforms, etc it can reach €1000/month. You might be able to find one for a few hundred less each month, but it's still not cheap. Really I wouldn't consider an international school anyway because they don't help when it comes to learning Spanish and integrating with the locals, which I guess has to be your (and your daughter's) main goal in the long run. 

Generally your daughter shouldn't have a problem learning Spanish and Valenciano provided she doesn't have any learning disabilities. It will be much harder for you as an adult though. It depends on how much you are prepared to get out of your comfort zone. If you are prepared to forego things like English speaking TV and fully immerse your self in the local language(s) then you can do it. It's not easy though.


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## Stacey4742 (Jun 3, 2021)

Chopera said:


> It depends on the school, but once you include meals, uniforms, etc it can reach €1000/month. You might be able to find one for a few hundred less each month, but it's still not cheap. Really I wouldn't consider an international school anyway because they don't help when it comes to learning Spanish and integrating with the locals, which I guess has to be your (and your daughter's) main goal in the long run.
> 
> Generally your daughter shouldn't have a problem learning Spanish and Valenciano provided she doesn't have any learning disabilities. It will be much harder for you as an adult though. It depends on how much you are prepared to get out of your comfort zone. If you are prepared to forego things like English speaking TV and fully immerse your self in the local language(s) then you can do it. It's not easy though.


Thank you for replying, have you experience of Spanish schools? What is the level of teaching like compared to the UK? I’m concerned that if for some reason things didn’t work out and we had to return to the UK that she would be behind in school. 
She has no learning difficulties and is actually a quick learner for languages, she knows a bit of Spanish from my very limited knowledge and from YouTube videos.


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## Chopera (Apr 22, 2013)

Stacey4742 said:


> Thank you for replying, have you experience of Spanish schools? What is the level of teaching like compared to the UK? I’m concerned that if for some reason things didn’t work out and we had to return to the UK that she would be behind in school.
> She has no learning difficulties and is actually a quick learner for languages, she knows a bit of Spanish from my very limited knowledge and from YouTube videos.


Yes I have 2 kids (11 and 8) who were born here in Madrid. Schooling varies a bit between regions in Spain, partly because some regions have a local language as well as Spanish. Madrid schools only concern themselves with Spanish and English and most schools teach about half their lessons in English, so the level of English here is quite high. However they perhaps compromise the teaching of other subjects by having them taught in English by Spanish teachers, when maybe the subject matter would be better communicated in their native language.

Generally the Spanish curriculum is more content driven than the UK. All the schools in a region use the same set textbooks (paid for by the parents) and the children have to work their way through the textbooks, with regular exams to make sure they have learnt (or memorised) their content. This has positives and negatives...

In terms of negatives this system is inflexible: it requires the child to adapt to the content, and learn at the rate demanded by the content. When really you'd think a better teaching system would adapt to the needs of individual children. In Spain it is more common for children to have to repeat a year of school if they fail to keep up. Similarly bright children can end up being stuck learning things that are too basic and boring for them. At its worst it can feel like the Spanish government(s) treat education as a box-ticking excercise, where they try to "teach" as many things as possible. This results in children having to learn (or memorise) large amounts of subject matter without really being challenged or stimulated by it. Children don't have a great deal of room for creative input. Spanish schools have some of the longest hours in Europe.

However my experience has been more positive than this. While the teachers at my kids' school are obliged to cover the content provided by the text books, the better teachers also teach around it and introduce their own ideas. So there is some flexibility. Also in recent years Spain has been trying to move away from all this. They are continuously introducing new laws and directives to give teachers more freedom to teach their classes as they see fit.

Also this system can have its advantages, especially for parents who actively get involved in their children's education. The use of text books means that parents can see exactly what their children are learning at school, and can help them out accordingly. This is especially useful in these days of youtube, since it is very easy to find online content to enhance what they are learning at school. Furthermore this system is very resilient during lockdowns. Whenever my kids have been stuck at home all the teacher has to do is say which pages they are on and the kids can follow along at home. Unlike the UK, my kids didn't fall behind at all during lockdown.


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## Chopera (Apr 22, 2013)

Stacey4742 said:


> Thank you for replying, have you experience of Spanish schools? What is the level of teaching like compared to the UK? *I’m concerned that if for some reason things didn’t work out and we had to return to the UK that she would be behind in school.*
> She has no learning difficulties and is actually a quick learner for languages, she knows a bit of Spanish from my very limited knowledge and from YouTube videos.


I don't think you should be too concerned about that. At least during primary school. For example the maths taught at my kids' school is more advanced than in the UK, in fact my concern is the level is a bit too high for their age, and the children aren't necessarily learning it thoroughly. Also the fact that your child will become fluent in another language counts for a lot. It's not just a useful skill, it is also meant to have many cognitive benefits in general.


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## Yeggydegz (May 10, 2021)

Chopera said:


> Generally your daughter shouldn't have a problem learning Spanish and Valenciano provided she doesn't have any learning disabilities. It will be much harder for you as an adult though.


wow
What a sweeping generalization of untruth this is.

Autism/aspergers is down as a learning disability, yet many with the condition find learning a language MUCH easier than others without the condition. 

The way their brain/memory is wired makes learning multiple languages (at the same time) a piece of cake, in comparison with someone not on the spectrum.


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## Chopera (Apr 22, 2013)

Yeggydegz said:


> wow
> What a sweeping generalization of untruth this is.
> 
> Autism/aspergers is down as a learning disability, yet many with the condition find learning a language MUCH easier than others without the condition.
> ...


I was referring to learning disabilities when it comes to learning a second language. Not learning disabilities in general. That's fairly obvious from the context of my comment. If you were unsure you could have asked me to clarify instead of going off on one about "sweeping generalisations of untruths"


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## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

Chopera said:


> I don't think you should be too concerned about that. At least during primary school. For example the maths taught at my kids' school is more advanced than in the UK, in fact my concern is the level is a bit too high for their age, and the children aren't necessarily learning it thoroughly. Also the fact that your child will become fluent in another language counts for a lot. It's not just a useful skill, it is also meant to have many cognitive benefits in general.


I think that in part you are both right. We were away from Spain during 3 years of my younger son's primary education and when we returned, what we thought had been a good level of education during those three years turned out to be woefully inadequate for the requirements of the Spanish curriculum. 
I am not saying that the other system or the Spanish one was better or worse, simply that they were uncompatible, so my son did have to work very hard to adapt and it took hime several years to really catch up (his first year back in Spain was very stressful for him and made us feel like terrible parents). I am so glad now that we returned to Spain when we did, while there was still time for him to adapt during the primary cycles. 

We (adults) think that kids adapt and learn quickly, but a year of adapting and learning for a 40 year old seems a lot "quicker" than the same year for a 7 or 8 year old.


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## Chopera (Apr 22, 2013)

Overandout said:


> I think that in part you are both right. We were away from Spain during 3 years of my younger son's primary education and when we returned, what we thought had been a good level of education during those three years turned out to be woefully inadequate for the requirements of the Spanish curriculum.
> I am not saying that the other system or the Spanish one was better or worse, simply that they were uncompatible, so my son did have to work very hard to adapt and it took hime several years to really catch up (his first year back in Spain was very stressful for him and made us feel like terrible parents). I am so glad now that we returned to Spain when we did, while there was still time for him to adapt during the primary cycles.
> 
> We (adults) think that kids adapt and learn quickly, but a year of adapting and learning for a 40 year old seems a lot "quicker" than the same year for a 7 or 8 year old.


Might that situation have been caused by the rigidness of the Spanish system though? I suspect that for someone returning to the UK from Spain, the UK system would be more accommodating of children who might be behind in certain areas (and ahead in others). It would certainly be less inclined to make them repeat a year simply because they have a different educational background. Personally I find the Spansh system places undue stress onto children by insisting they cover specific content, regardless of their personal circumstances. If a child even as young as 6 misses a few weeks because of an illness they are obliged to catch up, so they often find themselves with a backlog of work. I often wonder if it's really necessary at that age.


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## kaipa (Aug 3, 2013)

The playa flemenca area is a popular area for foreigners. El limona is the private school that seems to serve many of the English speaking groups. It is about 11.000 euros by the end of secondary. It's a bilingual school and covers both curriculums. No idea what the local school is but I imagine it has a fair share of foreign kids. Your child is fine for starting in primary and will pick up Spanish quickly
My only personal opinion is that many young foreign families rarely stay the distance in Spain. It is extremely hard with young children when you are away from all your family and close friends. You miss not seeing them grow up within a culture and setting that you did where everything is familiar and known. The other problem is that if you do return then your children get yanked out of a culture and setting that is now their norm and find it hard to adapt in your country. Another thing to bear in mind that the area you propose has a large number of retired older foreigners there as opposed to young working families so it always has this impression of being a place on holiday. I always imagine that would be hard if you wanted a more working environment


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## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

Chopera said:


> Might that situation have been caused by the rigidness of the Spanish system though? I suspect that for someone returning to the UK from Spain, the UK system would be more accommodating of children who might be behind in certain areas (and ahead in others). It would certainly be less inclined to make them repeat a year simply because they have a different educational background. Personally I find the Spansh system places undue stress onto children by insisting they cover specific content, regardless of their personal circumstances. If a child even as young as 6 misses a few weeks because of an illness they are obliged to catch up, so they often find themselves with a backlog of work. I often wonder if it's really necessary at that age.


Yes, made worse by the Spanish system's nature for sure, but the OP is right to consider the impact on having to change (and then change back in a contingency situation) just due to the inevitable gaps in compatibility.

I admit that I have a bit of a personal crusade against the "the kids will be OK because they're quick to adapt" ethos, due to how I saw my boy suffer on our return.


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## kaipa (Aug 3, 2013)

I have been checking compatibility between my son's ESO4 math level and the GCSE math. They appear to be similar. My concern is adapting to classes being taught in English and problems with specific vocabulary more than content. Personally I feel Spanish secondary at this level produces students who are more prepared for doing exams and consequently are perhaps better skilled at retention and retrieval than UK equivalents.


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## Chopera (Apr 22, 2013)

kaipa said:


> I have been checking compatibility between my son's ESO4 math level and the GCSE math. They appear to be similar. My concern is adapting to classes being taught in English and problems with specific vocabulary more than content.


Probably more of a problem with the humanities. Especially given many of the humanities subjects rely on essay writing in the UK curriculum, but they seem to do hardly any essay writing in the Spanish system.



kaipa said:


> Personally I feel Spanish secondary at this level produces students who are more prepared for doing exams and consequently are perhaps better skilled at retention and retrieval than UK equivalents.


I'm not so sure. Aren't GCSE grades based almost entirely on exams these days? Exams contribute to ESO grades but I thought they also took into account project work, class work, presentation, etc. ESO grades seem much more open to the discretion of the teacher, and much more subjective. A parent told me the other day that his daughter was struggling with maths, but scraping by because she wrote the (incorrect) answers very neatly, using different coloured pens!


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## Nord (Jan 8, 2022)

Stacey4742 said:


> I am hoping to move to Spain within the next 2 years, just covid holding me up travelling out to fully decide if it is the right decision. I am looking at playa flamenca area. I am a single parent with a nearly 5 year old so she will be 6 when we move. I can continue doing my current job from there, I’m part time and take in £1000 a month and can afford to buy a home with no mortgage. Her dad pays maintenance also but I’m not sure if he would continue to do this as I don’t believe I can force him if I move? I am just wondering would £1000 be realistic to cover household bills and health insurance? How would I pay into the Spanish system with working for a uk business? Also at 6 would a local school be okay or would she be best in an international school? I would have to look for a job in Spain also or take on more work from home to afford this but not impossible to do. Just generally how is life as a single parent in Spain? I have close family here but they don’t provide childcare I just work around her school hours so don’t rely on family. Sorry for all the questions but any advice would be appreciated.
> 
> Edited to add I hold an Irish passport not a British one.


Hello I also was thinking to move, similar situation as yourself but I have a British passport.
Working part time 50/50 WFH and in office but looking for remote work to allow flexibility.
Did you manage to move at all?


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Nord said:


> Hello I also was thinking to move, similar situation as yourself but I have a British passport.
> Working part time 50/50 WFH and in office but looking for remote work to allow flexibility.
> Did you manage to move at all?


Welcome  
A British passport makes a HUGE difference as far as the possibility of working at all is concerned.

Take a look at this for the visas currently available Visas (FAQ)

There is talk of a possible Digital Nomad visa in the future Digital nomad visa for Spain?


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## Nord (Jan 8, 2022)

xabiaxica said:


> Welcome
> A British passport makes a HUGE difference as far as the possibility of working at all is concerned.
> 
> Take a look at this for the visas currently available Visas (FAQ)
> ...


Awww thank you for this and your reply. This is helpful to know and have made a note of this information.
🙏🤗


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