# Moving to Spain May 2011



## DamienC (Oct 6, 2010)

My husband & I are moving from Canada to Spain by May 2011, We are currently torn between Barcelona area and Gran Canaria. We have spent time in both locations and love them equally. We have a secured monthly income of about $1,700.00 Euros.

We will also both be looking for work. My questions are: Which of the 2 locations would we do better with our current fixed income? Which of the 2 locations would we have a better chance of finding work.

Thanks in advance

Damien and Bernd Callicott


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## xicoalc (Apr 20, 2010)

I'm no expert on either of those places but I guess it depends on what you do work wise and what line of work you could fit into.

Gran canaria is mostly tourism from what I know, Barcelona is of course a huge city with tourism but also with many other "lines of business". What do you do now/what could you do?


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## Guest (Oct 7, 2010)

DamienC said:


> My husband & I are moving from Canada to Spain by May 2011, We are currently torn between Barcelona area and Gran Canaria. We have spent time in both locations and love them equally. We have a secured monthly income of about $1,700.00 Euros.
> 
> We will also both be looking for work. My questions are: Which of the 2 locations would we do better with our current fixed income? Which of the 2 locations would we have a better chance of finding work.
> 
> ...


May I be rude and ask if you have legal permission to live and work in Spain? If not, it's a right headache (and gamble) to get work in Spain as a non-EU citizen. If you're a citizen, then hurray! Best of luck! 

With a mortgage and car payment, my OH and I scrape by in one of the more expensive regions of Spain on a similar income. I'm not sure what the cost of life is in Barcelona or Gran Canaria though.


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## DamienC (Oct 6, 2010)

*Type of work*



steve_in_spain said:


> I'm no expert on either of those places but I guess it depends on what you do work wise and what line of work you could fit into.
> 
> Gran canaria is mostly tourism from what I know, Barcelona is of course a huge city with tourism but also with many other "lines of business". What do you do now/what could you do?


My husband has been with Royal Bank for 6 years now in cash operations and counterfeit detection. He also has some back ground in webpage design.

I have been with an AIDS service orginazition for the last 7 years 5 of which were on their board of directors. Prior to that I have worked in Insurance and Mortgage Banking.
I've also worked in the service industry in the past as bartender, waiter etc...

We are both willing to do just about anything to get a start over there.

Thanks for your response.


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## DamienC (Oct 6, 2010)

*legal permission to live and work in Spain?*



halydia said:


> May I be rude and ask if you have legal permission to live and work in Spain? If not, it's a right headache (and gamble) to get work in Spain as a non-EU citizen. If you're a citizen, then hurray! Best of luck!
> 
> With a mortgage and car payment, my OH and I scrape by in one of the more expensive regions of Spain on a similar income. I'm not sure what the cost of life is in Barcelona or Gran Canaria though.


My husband is a EU citizen from Germany. So the answer is yes. We are legally married and from what I have been able to read so far it seems like we won't have much of a problem in getting permission to live and work in Spain. That said, any advice or thoughts are greatly appreciated.


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## xicoalc (Apr 20, 2010)

DamienC said:


> My husband has been with Royal Bank for 6 years now in cash operations and counterfeit detection. He also has some back ground in webpage design.
> 
> I have been with an AIDS service orginazition for the last 7 years 5 of which were on their board of directors. Prior to that I have worked in Insurance and Mortgage Banking.
> I've also worked in the service industry in the past as bartender, waiter etc...
> ...


Based on your financial background, as a punt I would say Bareclona is probably your best area long term to get a well paid career. Having said that, both areas are completely different and if you are seriuosly wanting to move to Spain, you should have plenty of trips, research, maybe spend an extended holiday in each area, obviously myself and others can give you general advice and gut feelings based on out knowledge but you need to do your own homework on yoru specific circumstances.

I think though for the kind of careers you are used to (finance setor etc) you really will need fluent spanish to crack that market.

BUT.. do what you can... right place..right time.. who knows!

In response to the other post, with 1 EU citizen I believe there will be no problem in spain. The EU citizen has a right by default to be here, and so does their spouse (although obviously the relevant paperwork etc will have to be sorted and for non EU it will be a bit of a ball ache, but doable easily)


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## djfwells (Sep 28, 2009)

steve_in_spain said:


> Based on your financial background, as a punt I would say Bareclona is probably your best area long term to get a well paid career. Having said that, both areas are completely different and if you are seriuosly wanting to move to Spain, you should have plenty of trips, research, maybe spend an extended holiday in each area, obviously myself and others can give you general advice and gut feelings based on out knowledge but you need to do your own homework on yoru specific circumstances.
> 
> I think though for the kind of careers you are used to (finance setor etc) you really will need fluent spanish to crack that market.
> 
> ...


Based on your collective previous experience in the Financial associated industries, I would say Barcelona would suit your requirements best.

HOWEVER - you don't say if you speak Catalan and/or Spanish ( or other languages come to that !) - this is likely to have at least as important a bearing on your success in finding work as your past experience is.


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## Guest (Oct 8, 2010)

DamienC said:


> My husband is a EU citizen from Germany. So the answer is yes. We are legally married and from what I have been able to read so far it seems like we won't have much of a problem in getting permission to live and work in Spain. That said, any advice or thoughts are greatly appreciated.


You're golden then! 

Steve is giving you good advice, so I'll be quiet now. Let me know if you have any questions about/will need to legalize a Canadian university degree. I'm going through that process right now


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, is a huge bustling city, tourism is one of the many industries, but is only a small factor. Tourism on Gran Canaria is concentrated mainly in the south of the island, were the industry is huge.

I have been to both locations, visiting Las Palmas for the first time in 1962. Barcelona is impressive but so is Gran Canaria.

I now live on the small island of El Hierro, my reasons for living in the Canary island in preference to the Spanish peninsular are mainly the climate, said by Ptolemy, to be the fortunate isles with the climate of eternal springtime, therefore we do not get the extremes of winter or summer, I do not have heating or air conditioning bills.

The other reason is that the cost of living, especially petrol is far cheaper here. We are classed as a zone of special exemption so our IGC purchase tax is only 5%. Residents in the Canary islands also get internal flights and ferry fares at a substantially reduced rate. Our household expenses are 800€ monthly

However, I am retired and have never been employed here. 

You have a difficult choice, I wish you luck,

Hepa


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Do you need to speak Catalan to get a job in Barcelona? I know teachers have to.


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## djfwells (Sep 28, 2009)

Alcalaina said:


> Do you need to speak Catalan to get a job in Barcelona? I know teachers have to.


Almost all public sectors workers do.


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