# This is for anyone thinking of moving to Spain



## Willtrytohelp (Oct 14, 2015)

Hi, I know there are many people on here who have been living in spain, either permanently or for part of the year who have a lot of experience and can provide good advice, however, we have within the past few months made the move with very little help, we have 2 school aged children and my husband still works in the UK and commutes every week to and from spain, we have had a steep learning curve and have therefore learnt a lot within a short space of time with little support, from moving over, renting a house, weekly flight schedule, getting an NIE and residencia, putting the children in school, getting a bank account, cars, shopping, paying bills, bank transfers, eating out, keeping in touch with family, pro's and con's so far etc, we obviously haven't lived it all but are learning very quickly so if you are considering such a move maybe we can answer a few questions to help you out before you go for it. Please feel free to get in touch.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Willtrytohelp said:


> Hi, I know there are many people on here who have been living in spain, either permanently or for part of the year who have a lot of experience and can provide good advice, however, we have within the past few months made the move with very little help, we have 2 school aged children and my husband still works in the UK and commutes every week to and from spain, we have had a steep learning curve and have therefore learnt a lot within a short space of time with little support, from moving over, renting a house, weekly flight schedule, getting an NIE and residencia, putting the children in school, getting a bank account, cars, shopping, paying bills, bank transfers, eating out, keeping in touch with family, pro's and con's so far etc, we obviously haven't lived it all but are learning very quickly so if you are considering such a move maybe we can answer a few questions to help you out before you go for it. Please feel free to get in touch.


:welcome:

What a shame you didn't find us before your move! I'm certain that you would have found lots of help, advice & support here

I'm equally sure that if you take a scroll through the recent threads you'll find lots of questions for you to answer, since you have so kindly offered


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## RonC (Oct 14, 2015)

Hi,

My name is Ron and having lived in Spain 10yrs ago, I have now made the decision to return. The only difference this time around is that I will be coming back alone. Unfortunately for me, I have a poor memory of what the processes were. 

I am seeking suggestions/tips/ideas etc on long term apartment rental, finding a job (I will set up my own business at some point) and general living. I have in excess of 20 years sales and sales management experience however, I am willing to try a different career path. I can speak very basic Spanish (will learn more as I go).

Although I am still unsure on what area to move to (I like the Costa del Sol but also like the Alicante area) I would be very grateful for any contact details of expat group meetings/social gatherings in these areas.


Thank you in advance for your help and good luck to you and your family for the future.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

RonC said:


> Hi,
> Unfortunately for me, I have a poor memory of what the processes were.


This might be a good thing, as the processes for pretty much everything have changed in the last ten years!


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## bigdrunk (Aug 12, 2014)

Any tips for getting an NIE? I feel like a broken record now, but I just can't get anything sorted.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

bigdrunk said:


> Any tips for getting an NIE? I feel like a broken record now, but I just can't get anything sorted.


what problem are you having?

getting a NIE should be & usually is, simplicity itself

registering as resident is rather more complicated, in that you need proof of income & healthcare, but again, it's pretty straightforward


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## bigdrunk (Aug 12, 2014)

xabiachica said:


> what problem are you having?
> 
> getting a NIE should be & usually is, simplicity itself
> 
> registering as resident is rather more complicated, in that you need proof of income & healthcare, but again, it's pretty straightforward


It's weird, everyone tells me it's a simple thing to do. But when we went to the station to begin the process, we were told to call a number to make an appointment as the system had changed. That was our only option, but the number they gave us is never answered. It's three weeks of calling it and nothing. Just no idea what to do now.


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

bigdrunk said:


> It's weird, everyone tells me it's a simple thing to do. But when we went to the station to begin the process, we were told to call a number to make an appointment as the system had changed. That was our only option, but the number they gave us is never answered. It's three weeks of calling it and nothing. Just no idea what to do now.


If you can't get through to make an appointment then it may be time to ask a gestor to help.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

bigdrunk said:


> It's weird, everyone tells me it's a simple thing to do. But when we went to the station to begin the process, we were told to call a number to make an appointment as the system had changed. That was our only option, but the number they gave us is never answered. It's three weeks of calling it and nothing. Just no idea what to do now.


Where are you in Spain?


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## bigdrunk (Aug 12, 2014)

We are in Santa Margarita, La Linea. That may be the problem, I get the impression they aren't big fans of the Gibraltar set up. But I work from home.
Anyway, I'm more than happy to use a gestor. I think it could be handy to find one anyway as I have a UK motorbike I'd like to have registered here.


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## MOT1919 (Oct 13, 2015)

bigdrunk said:


> Any tips for getting an NIE? TI feel like a broken record now, but I just can't get anything sorted.



What's a NIE ?


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

MOT1919 said:


> What's a NIE ?


ID for foreigners
Número de Identificación de Extranjero.
Needed for living here and doing certain things like buying a property, a car etc


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

bigdrunk said:


> We are in Santa Margarita, La Linea. That may be the problem, I get the impression they aren't big fans of the Gibraltar set up. But I work from home.
> Anyway, I'm more than happy to use a gestor. I think it could be handy to find one anyway as I have a UK motorbike I'd like to have registered here.


Was this the number you were given?
Cita Previa Extranjería La Línea de la Concepción - NIE y Permiso Residencia


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## chris678 (Sep 8, 2015)

Willtrytohelp said:


> Hi, I know there are many people on here who have been living in spain, either permanently or for part of the year who have a lot of experience and can provide good advice, however, we have within the past few months made the move with very little help, we have 2 school aged children and my husband still works in the UK and commutes every week to and from spain, we have had a steep learning curve and have therefore learnt a lot within a short space of time with little support, from moving over, renting a house, weekly flight schedule, getting an NIE and residencia, putting the children in school, getting a bank account, cars, shopping, paying bills, bank transfers, eating out, keeping in touch with family, pro's and con's so far etc, we obviously haven't lived it all but are learning very quickly so if you are considering such a move maybe we can answer a few questions to help you out before you go for it. Please feel free to get in touch.


What would be really useful is if you could document your experiences so everybody on the forum could share them.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

chris678 said:


> What would be really useful is if you could document your experiences so everybody on the forum could share them.


An easy way to share experiences is to reply to people's posts, along with all the other forum members.


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