# Moving to mallorca advice



## alanm83

Hi there was looking for some advice, myself and my partner are planning on moving to mallorca february 2019, We're saving just now and learning spanish.
I'm an electricians mate and do joiney and plumbing aswell i also work in a bar at weekends to get experience as i'm hoping to work in bars during season and do handyman in winter, we'd like to know how you rent an apartment when you first arrive as read you need nie before you can rent, we're over in april and july next year for a couple of weeks to sus out work situation and apartments, are we better to get nie and stuff then before we arrive in february or try get it in uk before we leave ? 
Also whats everyones take on brexit situation will we have to get visa's ? 
Any advice would be much appreciated.


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## bob_bob

Alan, have you seen the unemployment rate in Spain? Its sky high compared to the UK with tens of thousands of Spanish sparkies/joiners/plumbers and bar staff out of work and no real benefit system to fall back on.

To be honest, if you don't speak fluent Spanish and have specific skills that are needed in Spain I'd put your move on hold.


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## alanm83

I've had a look bob the unemployment rate in Glasgow just now is 12 % mallorca is 10.6% and it seams to be every week we hear of another company leaving because of brexit so it isn't going to get better here, we've got seasonal jobs arranged as we know a few bar owners just to work out wages and find work for winter months, I know a bit of Spanish but not a lot so we're using a tutor till we come to try and strengthen our Spanish


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## Megsmum

alanm83 said:


> I've had a look bob the unemployment rate in Glasgow just now is 12 % mallorca is 10.6% and it seams to be every week we hear of another company leaving because of brexit so it isn't going to get better here, we've got seasonal jobs arranged as we know a few bar owners just to work out wages and find work for winter months, I know a bit of Spanish but not a lot so we're using a tutor till we come to try and strengthen our Spanish


The problem is, as I see it that, you have no "qualifications " as such, to transfer, you have no understanding of Spanish electrics or plumbing, unless you are"fluent" you are going to have to rely on UK immigrants and with Brexit they may well be reduced in numbers. Also the following applies


1) if you move to Mallorca to work and live you HAVE to sign as a resident this requires the following


Proof of income
Healthcare this will be Private cover 

If you are going to work for yourself you have to pay social security- currently approx €269 per month ( this will cover you and if it's your wife healthcare but I'm not sure about partners) which you pay whether you work or not

There are no social security benefits here - unemployment etc
Finally

Glasgow may well have a slightly higher rate of unemployment however consider this
Who is going to get the job a native speaker with knowledge of local plumbing electrics etc, or a foreigner with no knowledge and is not fluent in the language

People are not trying to put you off, at the end of the day it's your life your choice, but those of us who live here are not looking at statistics we are looking at real life, villages where many youngsters have no work, where teachers and nurses are unemployed all professional people with qualifications who are now doing the bar work etc. We would be remiss to advise you if anything different.

You don't say how old you are, what commitments you have in the U.K. what you are leaving behind. .


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## alanm83

We're both 34, we've got £20k plus whatever we can save up till then, own house here that we're renting out incase we do want to come back after a year, i have a son from previous relationship but he's moving down south so I'd only really see him on school holidays here, I know I defo won't get work as electrician as I'd have to sit course in Spanish but I can fit lights, sockets and stuff little odd jobs according to a spark I spoke to last time I was over,


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## bob_bob

Good luck Alan


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## movedtospain2010

Personally, I think that not being fluent in Spanish is the least of your problems! I went on vacation to Mallorca a couple months ago, and we were shocked that as we would be seated in a bar, restaurant, etc.. The waiter would speak to you in English right away.. It was as if we weren't even in Spain!


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## bob_bob

The biggest problem he has with no skills is earning enough money to pay the bills.


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## alanm83

Sorry getting a bit off track I never asked about finding work we've already got bar jobs to go to for the season, I was asking about nie and renting apartments, thanks for input though


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## bob_bob

What happens when the season is over?


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## xabiaxica

alanm83 said:


> Sorry getting a bit off track I never asked about finding work we've already got bar jobs to go to for the season, I was asking about nie and renting apartments, thanks for input though


Take a look at our FAQ sticky thread. That explains about registering as resident, which is what you'll need to do - not just get a NIE. You can however get a NIE before you come, from the Spanish consulate.

For registering you'll need either funds in the bank & private healthcare, or a proper work contract, as Megsmum has mentioned.

Also look at the rental section of the same thread & you'll find links to rental websites. Be warned though - I saw on the TV a few weeks ago that even Guardia Civil officers are refusing transfers to Mallorca because the cost of renting is ridiculously high - so on a minimum wage bar job, you'll really struggle.

Speaking of which - they've _promised_ you a job for two years hence


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## Megsmum

alanm83 said:


> Sorry getting a bit off track I never asked about finding work we've already got bar jobs to go to for the season, I was asking about nie and renting apartments, thanks for input though


It was not off track

To get a NIE to work you have to do the " other" stuff too


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## Michael Kelly

I would much prefer to hire a UK electrician than a Spanish one. I find that Spanish plumbers and electricians do poor quality work and would much prefer to hire an expat, even if more expensive.


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## Megsmum

Michael Kelly said:


> I would much prefer to hire a UK electrician than a Spanish one. I find that Spanish plumbers and electricians do poor quality work and would much prefer to hire an expat, even if more expensive.



Really! I'm sorry that's just such a sweeping statement. We have employed nothing but Spanish plumbers electricians builders. We have had good bad and indifferent, which is no different to what we found in the U.K. My husband had a building firm in Sussex, many who we never used again because of shoddy work.


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## Michael Kelly

I guess in Extremadura it is easier to find good workers than in Barcelona.


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## Lynn R

I used a British "builder" to do a job on my old house. After a year it had to be redone - this time I used a local Spanish tradesman and discovered that he charged one fifth of the price the cowboy had done - and this time the job lasted.

A friend of ours had his house rewired by a British electrician - it did not meet Spanish standards and remedial work had to be done before a boletin could be issued.

Since these experiences we have always used Spanish tradesmen and haven't yet had a bad experience. The electrician we use is fantastic, we have recommended him to others who have also been very pleased with his work and surprised by how reasonable the price is.

We currrently have a Spanish building firm working on renovating our new home and they are doing really well. The boss turned up promptly to see what we wanted done, sent a detailed written quote within a couple of days which was very reasonable, they started work on the day he said they would and have made good progress, with the job set to finish when he said it would if not a day or two earlier. The other day we watched one of the workers cutting a perfect circular hole in a tile to accommodate a pipe in the bathroom - he made it look so easy even my OH who is a perfectionist was impressed. We were talking about the work to some friends who arrived from the UK at the weekend and they asked how much it was costing - they blanched when I told them, as they'd had work done on their UK house recently and paid far more.


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## Megsmum

Michael Kelly said:


> I guess in Extremadura it is easier to find good workers than in Barcelona.


Possibly, then then again we don't have Expat plumbers and electric here who gained qualifications on the flight over. I don't think it's about nationality it's about competence. I'm amazed that in a major city there are no competent firms offering those services in Barcelona.


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## GregM81

Hi Alan

I currently live on the mainland however I will be moving to Mallorca this Spring as I am changing jobs.

Regarding renting a property, 9 out of ten times the owners/letting agents will want you to provide a contract that shows you have regular work. The problem is that many of the bars in Spain will only give you a four hour per week contract even if you are working 40 hours per week. We were in this situation when we arrived here in Spain however we had a couple that were willing to let us rent without a contract. I also know of certain letting agents/landlords that were willing to let us rent their property without a contract however we would have to pay at least 3-6 months rent in advance.

If you do get a good contract in the bar you are working in, the landlord will want one months rent and at least one months deposit up front. If you go through a letting agency they will require the same, however you will also need to pay a one month fee to cover costs. This will mean in total you are looking at three months rent in advance.

Regarding cost of renting, Mallorca is more expensive than the majority of the major cities in the mainland. One bedroom in Palma you are looking at roughly 700 euros at least. If you head out of the city you may get a bit more bang for your buck. Most of the landlords that have properties in beachside resorts are only really looking for people to occupy the property from May to October as they can make a decent amount of money from holidaymakers, however there are always landlords that want to rent out their property for the whole year. If this is the case and you want to rent year round, you may get a better monthly rate. 

One other thing to remember is that the majority of beach resorts will close down in the winter, so they will be like a ghost town. It is nice after the carnage of the summer to get some peace and quiet but after a while it can get to you a bit.

I hope this helps a bit. When we first moved over, we were told on forums that it was impossible to find work and you are stupid to even attempt however four years on since moving from Glasgow we are in a better position than we were back home. As long as you are willing to work hard and realise that lifestyle is way more important over here than a career, you will get on just fine.


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## Leah100

GregM81 said:


> Hi Alan
> 
> I currently live on the mainland however I will be moving to Mallorca this Spring as I am changing jobs.
> 
> Regarding renting a property, 9 out of ten times the owners/letting agents will want you to provide a contract that shows you have regular work. The problem is that many of the bars in Spain will only give you a four hour per week contract even if you are working 40 hours per week. We were in this situation when we arrived here in Spain however we had a couple that were willing to let us rent without a contract. I also know of certain letting agents/landlords that were willing to let us rent their property without a contract however we would have to pay at least 3-6 months rent in advance.
> 
> If you do get a good contract in the bar you are working in, the landlord will want one months rent and at least one months deposit up front. If you go through a letting agency they will require the same, however you will also need to pay a one month fee to cover costs. This will mean in total you are looking at three months rent in advance.
> 
> Regarding cost of renting, Mallorca is more expensive than the majority of the major cities in the mainland. One bedroom in Palma you are looking at roughly 700 euros at least. If you head out of the city you may get a bit more bang for your buck. Most of the landlords that have properties in beachside resorts are only really looking for people to occupy the property from May to October as they can make a decent amount of money from holidaymakers, however there are always landlords that want to rent out their property for the whole year. If this is the case and you want to rent year round, you may get a better monthly rate.
> 
> One other thing to remember is that the majority of beach resorts will close down in the winter, so they will be like a ghost town. It is nice after the carnage of the summer to get some peace and quiet but after a while it can get to you a bit.
> 
> I hope this helps a bit. When we first moved over, we were told on forums that it was impossible to find work and you are stupid to even attempt however four years on since moving from Glasgow we are in a better position than we were back home. As long as you are willing to work hard and realise that lifestyle is way more important over here than a career, you will get on just fine.


Hi there. Can I ask where you would recommend my husband and I base ourselves in Mallorca when we retire there? We love nature/beaches and yoga but like to see some ‘life’ as well! We both speak Spanish, thank you, Leah


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## Isobella

Don’t usually read ancient threads dragged up but didn’t see the date. It wasn’t exactly easy to work and live there pre Brexit.
best to use local workers although I had a Turkish guy make me a three bar gate and it was excellent (UK). Polish plumbers seem to do well too. At least they say they are, maybe they got their qualifications on a plane too.


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