# Looking to move



## Kerry smith (9 mo ago)

Hi.just begining to look into moving to Spain and wondered if a dog walking/sitting business would be wanted and able to make enough to live on for a family? Thank you


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Kerry smith said:


> Hi.just begining to look into moving to Spain and wondered if a dog walking/sitting business would be wanted and able to make enough to live on for a family? Thank you


Welcome! 

First step is to work out if you need a visa to move to Spain. What nationailty are you?


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## Kerry smith (9 mo ago)

xabiaxica said:


> Welcome!
> 
> First step is to work out if you need a visa to move to Spain. What nationailty are you?


We need visas.just wondered if it's a viable bussiness there


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Kerry smith said:


> We need visas.just wondered if it's a viable bussiness there


I know quite a few people who do this, but none survive on it. They all have several strings to their bows, & none have a family to support.

If you need visas, the real question is whether a self-employment visa would be issued on the business plan that you would have to submit.



Self-employed work visa


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## Kerry smith (9 mo ago)

Thank you


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## ccm47 (Oct 15, 2013)

I think you need to have some idea of where you would like to move to.

Spain has lots of dog rescue charities precisely because dogs are not well treated and many people outside the major cities are happy for them to spend all day and night outside, either chained up or wandering freely. They also bark a lot without anybody apparently trying to quieten them. This is partly, I think, because the sheepdogs are out on the mountains with the flocks all summer, these dogs lead the flocks rather than chase them in the way a border collie does. The farmer will only feed once a day, when he checks on the sheep. Hence other owners follow suit.

You might do reasonably i.e. as a second income if you aimed at an area popular with expats say French, German or British who want to have the dogs they brought with them cared for for a short while whilst they fly back to their country of origin but caring Spaniards will simply take them with them, put them outside and get them checked once a day or send them to a friend or family for a few days.

It's a completely different mind set but one most incomers have to get used to.


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## dancingspider (Mar 4, 2018)

Hi Kerry, the key point is do you have a EU passport now, can you get one because of your place of birth or either of your parents being EU nationals also would qualify you?


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## kaipa (Aug 3, 2013)

I imagine the self employment visa requires something much more substantial and profitable than those ideas. For example I'm an English teacher but I wouldn't be granted a self employed visa by just saying I intend to advertise my services locally. It would probably need to be something like physical school in a special area with a projected turnover which would lead to employment opportunities and more importantly taxes being used by the Spanish government.


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## dancingspider (Mar 4, 2018)

OK, basically if you had a EU passport then it would be easy peasy lemon squeezy!

No EU passport and thanks to the folly of Brexit the hurdles you will have to jump now make it very difficult.

Notwithstanding, the UK government are considering legislation to override the Northern Ireland Protocol, the EU will also chuck the rule book out the window and make it even more difficult for UK citizens wanting to relocate in the EU.

Having said all that and back on topic, I think there are many other on here who are well versed in what the specific rules are that you need to follow so you can relocate here as seamlessly and as soon as possible.

Good luck in your quest!


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## tardigrade (May 23, 2021)

What and how many is your definition of "family"? 
1 single earner, 2 spouses, 1 child, 2 children, etc..?

This sounds more of a part time activity or "hobby". 
Remember, minimum wage here is €900 or a little more per month...


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## kaipa (Aug 3, 2013)

tardigrade said:


> What and how many is your definition of "family"?
> 1 single earner, 2 spouses, 1 child, 2 children, etc..?
> 
> This sounds more of a part time activity or "hobby".
> Remember, minimum wage here is €900 or a little more per month...


 There is a minimum of 1.100 euros but that means nothing as there are numerous ways employers circumvent it. My ex is an administrator in a law office doing tax returns etc she gets 800 euros a month yet people seem to think that Moroccan fruit pickers will now get 1.100 euros ....it is not how things really work in Spain.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

dancingspider said:


> Hi Kerry, the key point is do you have a EU passport now, can you get one because of your place of birth or either of your parents being EU nationals also would qualify you?


It has been established that the OP needs a visa.


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## Barriej (Jul 23, 2012)

Can give some info re dog walking.
Its not a business that will secure you a visa for self employment here. Part of that visa states that you must show a reasonable business plan and how you are going to help the local economy.
Link to the self employed visa details.



Self-employed work visa



Mainly due to this bit, it will be a non starter .
*4. Professional training and qualifications.* Original and a copy of the documents accrediting the legally required training, and where applicable, qualifications, for the professional practice. Foreign documents must be legalized or apostilled and, where applicable, must be submitted together with an official translation into Spanish.

Cause I doubt if there actually is a qualification for a dog walker....

We have one in our local area and the lady nice friendly, happy and Polish. 
All her customers are expats (Dutch, British & German) Not one Spanish person and she speaks good Spanish and has her card in all the bars, shops and eve the vets in town.
I think she said she charges about €4.00 a dog per hour/walk and usually has three dogs at a time, large dogs are taken on their own and she charges €9.00 per hour/walk.
She also works in a local bar six nights a week and sells pet stuff at a local Rastro.
So I doubt the dog walking is making her rich.
As to being legally self employed, Ive not asked her, we usually chat about other stuff.


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## kaipa (Aug 3, 2013)

Yes the type of business or service has to one that is seen as essentially benefitting more than the individual. They wont give visas to people if you are essentially going to be automino and wish to have a liveable wage. They are for business ideas that are seen as having potential to benefit the community and country. The same will apply to the digital nomad visas they wont be for people who just want to work online selling things or tele sales or teaching.


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## Kerry smith (9 mo ago)

Thank you.stupid Brexit!!


Barriej said:


> Can give some info re dog walking.
> Its not a business that will secure you a visa for self employment here. Part of that visa states that you must show a reasonable business plan and how you are going to help the local economy.
> Link to the self employed visa details.
> 
> ...


Thank you very much


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

kaipa said:


> I imagine the self employment visa requires something much more substantial and profitable than those ideas. For example I'm an English teacher but I wouldn't be granted a self employed visa by just saying I intend to advertise my services locally. It would probably need to be something like physical school in a special area with a projected turnover which would lead to employment opportunities and more importantly taxes being used by the Spanish government.


Exactly.

Although I've been supporting myself & initially two teens since my husband died 10 years ago, from my self-employment as a language teacher, there's not a snowball's chance that I would be granted a self-employment visa should I have been wanting to move to Spain now. Probably not even to just support myself.


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## manuka (May 26, 2014)

Maybe better prospects if you include pet sitting? People wanting to go away with out dogs or having pets to be looked after in their absence.... ( e.g.Expats going back to homelands to visit families) This is popular in Uk.  It's a wider job description and therefore better financial return- you stay at the persons house and look after the pets. That would include the walking too for the dogs. And the pets could be not just dogs- but allsorts...cats, hamsters birds etc


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

kaipa said:


> There is a minimum of 1.100 euros but that means nothing as there are numerous ways employers circumvent it. My ex is an administrator in a law office doing tax returns etc she gets 800 euros a month yet people seem to think that Moroccan fruit pickers will now get 1.100 euros ....it is not how things really work in Spain.


Perhaps you are confusing how many payments are made. The legal minimum was 900€ per month (paid 14 times) which equates to about 1100€ if paid only 12 times.

Has the minimum wage increased recently?


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## tardigrade (May 23, 2021)

snikpoh said:


> Perhaps you are confusing how many payments are made. The legal minimum was 900€ per month (paid 14 times) which equates to about 1100€ if paid only 12 times.
> 
> Has the minimum wage increased recently?


I think by €10 or so a month


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