# Australia To Spain



## LojaChica (Jan 5, 2012)

Just wanted to say Hi!

We are looking to move from Australia to Spain and just wondered if anyone else is at a similar chapter in their lives?

Can anyone recommend a good shipping company Sydney to Malaga?

Any advice much appreciated


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## Oz to Spain (Aug 16, 2011)

LojaChica said:


> Just wanted to say Hi!
> 
> We are looking to move from Australia to Spain and just wondered if anyone else is at a similar chapter in their lives?
> 
> ...


Hi there LojaChica
Fascinated to see your post, would love to hear how/why you have decided to go to Spain from Oz as we are seriously thinking of doing it ourselves. As regards shipping etc. this website offers to put you in touch with 6 shipping agents who will give competitive quotes, they advertise it somewhere on the front pages. 
Whatever you do just get people to quote you and you will be able to pick out the best after you have talked to them and got their quotes.

I have posted before trying to get a sense of Spain V's Oz in september and october last year so you might want to look at those for background but we are a couple, with myself as a pensioner, just, and my wife still at work in a difficult job here in Brisbane.We are bored rigid by the lack of sophistication and increasingly appalled by the cost of very mediocre facilities such as food, eating out, concerts, and the lack of choice in everything and the urban landscape has nothing in it, and don't get me started on the "Punch and Judy show" that passes for politics and government here. Also we cannot downsize here and get some capital without having to banish ourselves to some gulag 80K or more from any semblence of civilisation.

At a more emotional level we find ourselves missing England and my wife her family especially, but without the other factors I think we would be staying.

Love to hear how you reached your decision and how you are coping with the upheaval.:juggle:
Warmest Regards
Russell


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## dunmovin (Dec 19, 2008)

we moved to Spain after 13 years in Hong Kong,and best advice is whatever shipping company you use, check... double check and check again the paperwork( it cost us nearly 1,000 euros in import tax for household items, because the shipping company got the paperwork wrong and delayed the arrival to us by 6 weeks after 7 weeks in transit by sea)

The cost just kept going up ....rental of the appartment,a new fridge/freezer, washing machine, even simple things, like plates, pots, pans, cups, bedsheets etc. had to be bought.

one good pieceof advice: go tothe Spanish embassy/consulate and get your NIE before you leave Oz


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

dunmovin said:


> we moved to Spain after 13 years in Hong Kong,and best advice is whatever shipping company you use, check... double check and check again the paperwork( it cost us nearly 1,000 euros in import tax for household items, because the shipping company got the paperwork wrong and delayed the arrival to us by 6 weeks after 7 weeks in transit by sea)
> 
> The cost just kept going up ....rental of the appartment,a new fridge/freezer, washing machine, even simple things, like plates, pots, pans, cups, bedsheets etc. had to be bought.
> 
> one good pieceof advice: go tothe Spanish embassy/consulate and get your NIE before you leave Oz


all good advice

except they won't be able to get a NIE in Oz unless they specifically need it to buy (or inherit) a property before they get here


there was a recent rule change


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## dunmovin (Dec 19, 2008)

xabiachica said:


> all good advice
> 
> except they won't be able to get a NIE in Oz unless they specifically need it to buy (or inherit) a property before they get here
> 
> ...



when did that happen? it was only 4 years ago we got ours from the HK consulate and it was an easy process


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

dunmovin said:


> when did that happen? it was only 4 years ago we got ours from the HK consulate and it was an easy process


Last year. There's a post on the NIE thread.....can't be faffed searching on my phone


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## thelastspud (Oct 24, 2011)

I'm Australian I just got back I lived the last two years just outside of Malaga, Are you planning on living there in Malaga there are some great places around there. You'll love living in Spain it is great but its not as good as Australia.

P.S. Unemployment is at 30% in Andalusia so it will be tricky to find a job


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

thelastspud said:


> You'll love living in Spain it is great but its not as good as Australia.


Beg to differ on that one - I find it great in Spain especially if you can get away from whinging poms and aussies!


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## LojaChica (Jan 5, 2012)

Oz to Spain said:


> Hi there LojaChica
> Fascinated to see your post, would love to hear how/why you have decided to go to Spain from Oz as we are seriously thinking of doing it ourselves. As regards shipping etc. this website offers to put you in touch with 6 shipping agents who will give competitive quotes, they advertise it somewhere on the front pages.
> Whatever you do just get people to quote you and you will be able to pick out the best after you have talked to them and got their quotes.
> 
> ...


Hi Russell
Thank You for your lovely post!
So refreshing....................Thought I was the only one:eyebrows:
We bought a place there (Cuesta Blanca) near Malaga/Granada almost 10 years ago, did a reno on it and consequently have never lived there since!
Just feel we want to give it a go!
A lot of people have said "don't do it, economy, jobs etc" BUT I'm a great believer in positive thinking and just want to give it a try!
"You'll never know if you never go" 
I felt like that when I came to Australia...............never been here before.........scared, excited BUT we managed and we have had a great time!
Always KNEW it wasn't for us long term but we have loved it, lived it, embraced it etc BUT too far away for us..........long term!
Of course there are a few things I don't like about OZ, similar to what you mentioned but I haven't let that stop me, just treated it as a working adventure!
I'm looking forward to not paying someone elses mortgage in Spain as we are here................daren't even think about the figures here that I've paid.......makes me feel sick  NOT the best financial move I've ever made BUT I didn't want to be stuck with a property knowing I would leave at some point!
Thanks again for your lovely post............keep in touch.........maybe we can help each other out with bits of info etc
Kind regards
Joanne


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## LojaChica (Jan 5, 2012)

dunmovin said:


> we moved to Spain after 13 years in Hong Kong,and best advice is whatever shipping company you use, check... double check and check again the paperwork( it cost us nearly 1,000 euros in import tax for household items, because the shipping company got the paperwork wrong and delayed the arrival to us by 6 weeks after 7 weeks in transit by sea)
> 
> The cost just kept going up ....rental of the appartment,a new fridge/freezer, washing machine, even simple things, like plates, pots, pans, cups, bedsheets etc. had to be bought.
> 
> one good pieceof advice: go tothe Spanish embassy/consulate and get your NIE before you leave Oz


Thank You for your helpful reply 
We have already got our NIE as we bought a house there 10 years ago
Kind regards
Joanne


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## Cindy_L (May 13, 2011)

*Just moved here last month from Sydney*

Hi LojaChica

Good to see that I'm not the only crazy person to move against the tides . I used a shipping company to ship about 14 big cartons of my stuff across here. Cost me less than AUD100 each box by sea (no weight limit) and just over AUD200 per box by air with a weight limit of 20kg.

The name of the company is Discount Freight, the name of the person I dealt with there is Phillip. Contact number 02 9477 1968 or his mobile is 0410 649 164. They are located in Hornsby and they delivered packing boxes to my old place at Surry Hills and picked up from there.

Let me know if there's anything else you need. By the way, if you're looking to apply for your NIE, go to the Immigration's website now and make your appointment. It's a ***** of a site to navigate through and make sure you pick the "right" type of appointment too because if you make the "wrong" type of appointment, they won't let you in even though you have a Cita Number and time. Strange but true.

Best of Luck!!!





LojaChica said:


> Just wanted to say Hi!
> 
> We are looking to move from Australia to Spain and just wondered if anyone else is at a similar chapter in their lives?
> 
> ...


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## LojaChica (Jan 5, 2012)

THANK YOU so much...............Really appreciated!


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## Nignoy (Jun 4, 2010)

We were already to move to spain from queensland,last september,we are aged pensioners, 69/66, imagine our shock when we were informed of new pension laws coming into effect this spring for australian pensioners living overseas, after 13 weeks medicare and allowances cut, after 20 weeks pension cut by 33%, after a further 6 weeks ,property and investments deemed as income, andpension cut completely until the capital value is used up, also expats overseas have to reside in aus for 24 months to qualify for seniors card and medicare, so needless to say we are staying in queensland, and will risk travelling 5 months ayear, it seems australian burocracy is gong nuts!!


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## MrSam (Jul 31, 2012)

*Living in Spain and getting the Aus pension.*



Nignoy said:


> We were already to move to spain from queensland,last september,we are aged pensioners, 69/66, imagine our shock when we were informed of new pension laws coming into effect this spring for australian pensioners living overseas, after 13 weeks medicare and allowances cut, after 20 weeks pension cut by 33%, after a further 6 weeks ,property and investments deemed as income, andpension cut completely until the capital value is used up, also expats overseas have to reside in aus for 24 months to qualify for seniors card and medicare, so needless to say we are staying in queensland, and will risk travelling 5 months ayear, it seems australian burocracy is gong nuts!!


From my reading of the legislation, it depends if the country has a reciprocal social security agreement with Australia. Fortunately, Spain does have such an agreement so there does not seem to be any reason why you can't live in Spain and draw your pension entitlement in full (as long as you meet all the other requirements).

Look at this page and then follow the links for 'Spain'.

Countries that have International Social Security Agreements with Australia

Good luck.


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