# Vancouverites relocating to Barcelona!



## worldtravlyn (Jan 13, 2014)

Hello there!!

First time forum'er here (lol).... we have decided to relocate to Barcelona from Vancouver, Canada and with each new piece of research we become more and more excited about this new chapter of our life! 

We are looking for anyone that has successfully completed this transition that can assist us in getting residence visas, working visas, accomodations and anything/everything included with becoming a resident of Spain. 

I was told that I am eligible for a Dutch passport, since my Oma and Opa were both born and raised in Holland, but have yet to clarify if this is true or not. 

I own my own business, so will not necessarily need a work visa, but my girlfriend does not and will need a work visa. 

I am 33 next month, she is 30 in April and our dog just turned 2 lol

Thank you very much to anyone that decides to share their info with us 

Happy New Year!

Brooklyn


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## elisa31bcn (Jan 23, 2013)

Hi, and welcome to the forum. I think your best shot is to seriously look into getting your Dutch passport. Being non-EU citizens, you are not able to simply take up residence in Spain, even if you have an independent income. Work visas require an offer of work from a company, and simply are almost impossible to obtain, given the current unemployment crisis. Other avenues, such as student visas, require a significant investment, limit working hours, and are only a temporary fix.
At least you have a possible avenue to EU residency...


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## kalohi (May 6, 2012)

Having a Dutch passport would facilitate _you_ being able to reside in Spain, but it wouldn't help your girlfriend. You'd need to be married so that she could get residency as a family member of an EU member.


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## lavidabuena (Nov 27, 2013)

If you plan on getting married sometime now would be the time to do it. If you do it after you move then you'll have to redo your visa paperwork in order to reflect your marital status and make yourselves dependents of each other's income. You don't want to do that - you want to deal with Spanish red tape the LEAST amount possible.

Otherwise, if you have no plans of getting married you can still get it done. It'll just be a bit more complex.

There's a thread on this already... search for more information.


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## elisa31bcn (Jan 23, 2013)

Just a note, in order to get married in Spain, someone has to already be a resident. 
Also, as kalohi pointed out, his girlfriend would have no right to residency as the situation stands, even with an EU passport. They need to be married...


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## worldtravlyn (Jan 13, 2014)

Thanks for the responses so far. I have been speaking with some friends in Spain that have told me they go to Morocco for the weekend, as a loophole to reset their 90 day time limit. So I guess we will keep that as plan B. 

As for the dutch passport, I agree that it's the best thing. Lol. It's still unconfirmed whether it's possible or not. Some say yes, others say I don't know, no one says no. Even calling and emailing them got me more confused lol. 

I did, however, just just get introduced to a heavy connection in Barcelona that might change the tides. I think our trip in April will be a productive one. 

Not going to lie, super excited.


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## elisa31bcn (Jan 23, 2013)

Just so you know, your Plan B won't work. It's 90 days in and 90 days out, so leaving for a weekend will not do the trick.


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## zenkarma (Feb 15, 2013)

worldtravlyn said:


> Thanks for the responses so far. I have been speaking with some friends in Spain that have told me they go to Morocco for the weekend, as a loophole to reset their 90 day time limit.


As Elisa rightly points out that isn't going to work.

Schengen area countries allow visa free travel for up to 90 days and no return for 90 days. So you're only allowed to stay in a Schengen area country for 90 days out of 180.

By far your best option is to pursue your Dutch passport.


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## worldtravlyn (Jan 13, 2014)

That is interesting considering my friends have been doing that trip too Morocco for the past 9 months and it has seemed to work for them with no challenges.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

worldtravlyn said:


> That is interesting considering my friends have been doing that trip too Morocco for the past 9 months and it has seemed to work for them with no challenges.


are they EU or non-EU on a Schengen visa?

if non-EU then they are 'living here' illegally & what's more if they spend 183 days in a calendar year then they are tax resident - they are storing up a world of trouble for themselves when they are caught - & it's only a matter of time before they are

if they're EU then it's fine - but totally pointless


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## worldtravlyn (Jan 13, 2014)

I have heard, and read, that Spain is one of the more relaxed placed when it comes to entry, re-entry. I've even heard, and read, where a lot of the time they don't even stamp you upon arriving. Maybe this is the case. All I know is what they tell me, so I guess more research will be done. 

Yes, again, dutch passport is the best lol but again, I don't even know if it's a legit possibility yet. 

At the end of the day there are many place we can jump to for 90 days, I'm just trying to find out how to not have to, should we not want to. 

So far I haven't gotten a single piece of advise, other than "get your dutch passport", which I am obviously trying to see if I can do or not lol

I appreciate the posts though, don't get me wrong. It would just be nice if one of the thousands of north americans that have successfully relocated to Barcelona could give me some legitimate advice.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

worldtravlyn said:


> I have heard, and read, that Spain is one of the more relaxed placed when it comes to entry, re-entry. I've even heard, and read, where a lot of the time they don't even stamp you upon arriving. Maybe this is the case. All I know is what they tell me, so I guess more research will be done.
> 
> Yes, again, dutch passport is the best lol but again, I don't even know if it's a legit possibility yet.
> 
> ...


we do have some North Americans on this forum who have legitimately relocated to Spain

they have all secured a resident or work visa of some kind before they came & they have answered you on this thread

there is no legal way around it - if you can get the EU passport that solves the problem - otherwise you need to check with your local Spanish consulate to see which, if any, visa you might qualify for


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## twostep (Apr 3, 2008)

Girl friends and dogs are generally not part of an immigration package. As The Netherlands do not generally consider grandparents when it comes to eligibility of citizenship - what is Plan B?

Hopping across EU borders to comply with the 90-day rule - sure, you just forgot to mention the ones who have been refused entry especially during the last six months.

I can tell you about some of those who made it legally - job/investment.


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## elisa31bcn (Jan 23, 2013)

Unfortunately, there is no legal loophole. It may be true that Spain is one of the more lax countries in terms of checking passports, but nobody can assure you 100 percent that you won't have a problem. Your friends that are already here are not helping themselves by doing the weekend getaway to reset the clock. In fact, it's probably increasing the odds of getting caught. 
Most everyone on this forum got residency through marriage or a work visa. There are some who have gotten a non-lucrative retirement visa, but they make that difficult for younger people like you. The only other option is a student visa, with the accompanying fees, etc.
That is the reality of the situation. We all would love to have more to offer, but, unfortunately, those are the laws.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

elisa31bcn said:


> Unfortunately, there is no legal loophole. It may be true that Spain is one of the more lax countries in terms of checking passports, but nobody can assure you 100 percent that you won't have a problem. Your friends that are already here are not helping themselves by doing the weekend getaway to reset the clock. In fact, it's probably increasing the odds of getting caught.
> Most everyone on this forum got residency through marriage or a work visa. There are some who have gotten a non-lucrative retirement visa, but they make that difficult for younger people like you. The only other option is a student visa, with the accompanying fees, etc.
> That is the reality of the situation. We all would love to have more to offer, but, unfortunately, those are the laws.


And this is why the only piece of advice you've got is to get a Dutch passport because if not you're in a difficult situation or you come here and live illegally which is never a good long term plan IMHO.
I don't understand what on earth your friends are doing. The law is what was stated before (90 days in 90days out) so by going away for the weekend they are not setting any clocks back and are just more and more likely to draw attention to what they are doing!!
Are they working? I suppose again not legally, so as xabiachica says they're not paying taxes. Well there are worse situations, but if they get caught they are going to owe an awful lot of money in fines and taxes, which is only right after all 
BTW, 4 Americans who are living her legally have read this thread, 3 have posted and the other has liked a post written by her compatriot


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## Crawford (Jan 23, 2011)

worldtravlyn said:


> I have heard, and read, that Spain is one of the more relaxed placed when it comes to entry, re-entry. I've even heard, and read, where a lot of the time they don't even stamp you upon arriving. Maybe this is the case. All I know is what they tell me, so I guess more research will be done.
> 
> Yes, again, dutch passport is the best lol but again, I don't even know if it's a legit possibility yet.
> 
> ...


How do you intend to support yourself in Spain? Are you intending to work?

Do you speak fluent Spanish? What are you doing about health insurance?

Don't believe there are thousands of North Americans who have relocated to Barcelona.


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## kalohi (May 6, 2012)

I'm one of those thousands of Americans who has successfully relocated to Spain. I did it (28 years ago) by getting a job offer from a language academy that sponsored my visa. For several years I was able to renew my residency and working papers by continuing to work for that same academy. Then I married a Spaniard so I got (and still have) residency due to being a family member of an EU national. That's my story in a nutshell. 

You could try to relocate using the same method. Good luck getting a job offer from a company willing and able to sponsor a visa for you.


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## brocher (Mar 21, 2011)

kalohi said:


> I'm one of those thousands of Americans who has successfully relocated to Spain. I did it (28 years ago) by getting a job offer from a language academy that sponsored my visa. For several years I was able to renew my residency and working papers by continuing to work for that same academy. Then I married a Spaniard so I got (and still have) residency due to being a family member of an EU national. That's my story in a nutshell.
> 
> You could try to relocate using the same method. Good luck getting a job offer from a company willing and able to sponsor a visa for you.


I must admit, I've never quite understood how a US/ Canadian can get a visa/ sponsor to teach at a language academy, because isn't that a job a EU national could do?


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

brocher said:


> I must admit, I've never quite understood how a US/ Canadian can get a visa/ sponsor to teach at a language academy, because isn't that a job a EU national could do?


It was 28 years ago...


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## kalohi (May 6, 2012)

brocher said:


> I must admit, I've never quite understood how a US/ Canadian can get a visa/ sponsor to teach at a language academy, because isn't that a job a EU national could do?


As Pesky said, it was 28 years ago, before the EU. Back then, Brits needed to be sponsored too.


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## 213979 (Apr 11, 2013)

elisa31bcn said:


> Unfortunately, there is no legal loophole. It may be true that Spain is one of the more lax countries in terms of checking passports, but nobody can assure you 100 percent that you won't have a problem. Your friends that are already here are not helping themselves by doing the weekend getaway to reset the clock. In fact, it's probably increasing the odds of getting caught.
> Most everyone on this forum got residency through marriage or a work visa. There are some who have gotten a non-lucrative retirement visa, but they make that difficult for younger people like you. The only other option is a student visa, with the accompanying fees, etc.
> That is the reality of the situation. We all would love to have more to offer, but, unfortunately, those are the laws.


Elisa is right. 

There are a myriad of ways to get caught. Remember that in Spain we often have random police checkpoints on the road or in public places. You might not get asked for papers, but it's quite possible. I had an American friend who was here legally working for the government. His father was Chilean and he had darker skin. He was asked for his papers multiple times at the local bus station. Police profile people all the time; looking like a foreigner is going to set off alarms. 

Oh, and since I'm one of the "thousands" here... I married a local. Otherwise, I would have had to go home after 90 days. I had no other way to get a residency visa, even after having worked for the government for four years.


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## 213979 (Apr 11, 2013)

One last thing: 
Immigration is a real pain in the neck. Take these eligibility quizzes to see if Canada would let you in. Pretend you're Spanish and you don't have family members in Canada, but use the rest of your personal info: 
Determine your eligibility – Federal skilled workers (If you are a skilled worker.)
or
Do you want to come to Canada, or extend your stay?

Also, are you aware that a move to Barcelona right now is like moving to Montreal in 1995 just before the referendum?


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## melissa20001 (Jan 15, 2013)

Wow! It's very easy as a Canadian to get a visa for Spain. I am from Victoria and I now live in Barcelona. As you are both under 35 years old you can apply for the Youth Mobility visa, also known as a working holiday visa. This gives you the right to live AND WORK in Spain for one year. Those of us from the west coast apply through the consulate in Toronto. Put yourself in contact with them, the application process is very easy. 

If you are able to get Dutch citizenship, then after you set yourself up as a resident in Spain you can sign the pareja de hecho with your girlfriend and then apply for your girlfriend's residency as a family member of an EU citizen. This will give her authorization to work. Again this is a very simple process, but requires some paperwork so I recommend having a good level of Spanish to understand which documents you need to collect.

This is what I did to relocate to Spain with my partner, and it was very easy. 

Good luck


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

melissa20001 said:


> Wow! It's very easy as a Canadian to get a visa for Spain. I am from Victoria and I now live in Barcelona. As you are both under 35 years old you can apply for the Youth Mobility visa, also known as a working holiday visa. This gives you the right to live AND WORK in Spain for one year. Those of us from the west coast apply through the consulate in Toronto. Put yourself in contact with them, the application process is very easy.
> 
> If you are able to get Dutch citizenship, then after you set yourself up as a resident in Spain you can sign the pareja de hecho with your girlfriend and then apply for your girlfriend's residency as a family member of an EU citizen. This will give her authorization to work. Again this is a very simple process, but requires some paperwork so I recommend having a good level of Spanish to understand which documents you need to collect.
> 
> ...


as you say - that's for ONE YEAR - it's not a route to living here long term though is it?

I think we all agree though, that by far the best way would be the Dutch passport if he can get it

one point - in some areas they won't register you as pareja de hecho until you can prove that you've lived together in SPAIN for 2 years - & I had read that they aren't doing at all in Barcelona now

we had a Canadian posting here recently who came with a working holiday visa to be with his Spanish girlfriend & tried to do just that & couldn't - I'm fairly sure he was in Barcelona

last we heard he was talking about heading back to Canada because he had no legal way of staying here, short of marriage


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## melissa20001 (Jan 15, 2013)

Yes, I am aware of that other poster. My impression was (as he was asking for translation help with a sign he saw at the ayuntamiento) that he does not speak Spanish or Catalan. My boyfriend is Catalan and I speak Spanish, so we had no difficulty doing a bit of research online and speaking to the public servants to find the necessary information. That is why I advised the OP here to have a good level of Spanish before attempting the paperwork.

Also, we live in Barcelona, Sants to be precise, and I am speaking from my personal experience. You can absolutely do pareja de hecho if you live in Barcelona.


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## 213979 (Apr 11, 2013)

melissa20001 said:


> Also, we live in Barcelona, Sants to be precise, and I am speaking from my personal experience. You can absolutely do pareja de hecho if you live in Barcelona.


Even if both are non-EU?


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

melissa20001 said:


> Also, we live in Barcelona, Sants to be precise, and I am speaking from my personal experience. You can absolutely do pareja de hecho if you live in Barcelona.


So, could you spill the beans and tell the OP what has to be done (papers to be handed in, if different requirements for different nationalities, cost, time frame, prerequisites like how long have been living in Spain... any or all of this is useful) or start another thread as I believe the forum doesn't have up to date info about formal recognotion of couples who have been living together.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

melissa20001 said:


> Wow! It's very easy as a Canadian to get a visa for Spain. I am from Victoria and I now live in Barcelona. As you are both under 35 years old you can apply for the Youth Mobility visa, also known as a working holiday visa. This gives you the right to live AND WORK in Spain for one year. Those of us from the west coast apply through the consulate in Toronto. Put yourself in contact with them, the application process is very easy.


This is true and is very useful if you are coming on a temp basis, but it's risky to build your life around a short stay visa


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

elenetxu said:


> Even if both are non-EU?


Melissa20001's boyfriend is Catalan.


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## elisa31bcn (Jan 23, 2013)

Melissa's solution, the inscription as pareja de hecho, still is dependent on the OP obtaining his Eu passport, so....The Youth Mobility is fine, for a temporary fix, but as the OP was asking for an answer to a permanent move, it is not very practical.


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## ExpatWannabee (Jul 6, 2011)

In Valencia you only have to live together one year to apply for a pareja de hecho. However, last month, Spain's constitutional court ruled that the provision was unconstitutional because it stepped over into federal jurisdiction. Valencia is appealing the ruling, and it's not clear what is happening in the interim, much less what the result of the appeal will be. Chaos reigns.


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## 213979 (Apr 11, 2013)

Isla Verde said:


> Melissa20001's boyfriend is Catalan.


I know. I was trying to highlight the fact that her post made it seem as if pareja de hecho was easy to get for anyone in Barcelona.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

ExpatWannabee said:


> In Valencia you only have to live together one year to apply for a pareja de hecho. However, last month, Spain's constitutional court ruled that the provision was unconstitutional because it stepped over into federal jurisdiction. Valencia is appealing the ruling, and it's not clear what is. happening in the interim, much less what the result of the appeal will be. Chaos reigns.


It wouldn't help the OP much though unless he gets that EU passport since without that they can stay either 90 days or one year with the working holiday visa and then they have to leave


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