# Moving to Spain



## KennyM (Jun 25, 2020)

Myself and the wife are both in our 60s and fancy spending a few years living out in Spain while we're still able to do so, but is it too late to make the dream a reality? With the UK departing the EU on the 31st December is there enough time to do the necessary? 

We’d like to rent for a year before we buy a property.

We’re looking at the Benidorm area. 

We don’t speak any Spanish but we’re willing to learn.

Any advice would be gratefully received.


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

Yes, there should be enough time left to move to Spain and register as resident before the year's end. Try to get a long-term rental for a year, as you need an address to register and rental contract to put your name on the local population register called padron. About 4 weeks before departure, contact the overseas pensions service in Newcastle and apply for certificate S1 if one of you are of state pension age, and get your spouse added as your dependant, which will make you eligible for Spanish health service. If neither of you are 65+, you need to get private medical insurance for a year. If you want to continue driving in Spain, you must get your UK licence exchanged for a Spanish one, which must be initiated by the year's end. It's not difficult, but you may want to use a local gestor to help you, as with your certificate of registration (usually called residency), as there are some documents you need to get (and have them translated if necessary). Later on, you need to start paying your tax in Spain and declare your overseas assets - again get a gestor to help you.


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## tebo53 (Sep 18, 2014)

I fully concur with Joppa but to add that if you are under pension age you will need to prove that you have a regular income paid into a Spanish bank which is enough to satisfy the authorities that you won't become a burden on the state. 

Which area of Benidorm are you thinking of? I live in the Rincon area.

Steve


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## KennyM (Jun 25, 2020)

My wife is currently collecting her UK State Pension but I’ve not reached the magic age as yet. As far as location is concerned, we’re not picky, we were considering the Rincon area but we obviously realise that if the right place at the right price came along, we’d be interested.


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## Ramalamadingdong (May 26, 2020)

There has been a lot of crime in the Rincon area but it has dropped off over the last 3 months.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Ramalamadingdong said:


> There has been a lot of crime in the Rincon area but it has dropped off over the last 3 months.


Rather like shoplifting in the UK then.

According to Priti Patel that is.


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## tebo53 (Sep 18, 2014)

Ramalamadingdong said:


> There has been a lot of crime in the Rincon area but it has dropped off over the last 3 months.


That is definitely an incorrect statement.....
Can you qualify that statement? Who has been committing a lot of crime during the lockdown. What crime has been committed?

And where, exactly do you live?

Steve


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## Rich & Wendy (May 28, 2018)

We're in the same boat as you KennyM, we've been visitng the are for five years now, and are hoping to move over in October, and will be looking at property in nearby Albir, which is a lovely place. We should be able to get our residency application in before the end of December.


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## KennyM (Jun 25, 2020)

I was hoping to pop over to Benidorm in the next couple of weeks but EasyJet, Ryanair and BA are all charging ridiculous sums of money for flights, it appears the airlines will be rapidly getting back their lost revenue.


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## tebo53 (Sep 18, 2014)

I've heard of airlines cancelling people's holidays then reselling the same package for much more money.

Steve


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## Ramalamadingdong (May 26, 2020)

tebo53 said:


> That is definitely an incorrect statement.....
> Can you qualify that statement? Who has been committing a lot of crime during the lockdown. What crime has been committed?
> 
> And where, exactly do you live?
> ...


Hello Steve

I do not have any names and addresses of the criminals.


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## Isobella (Oct 16, 2014)

KennyM said:


> I was hoping to pop over to Benidorm in the next couple of weeks but EasyJet, Ryanair and BA are all charging ridiculous sums of money for flights, it appears the airlines will be rapidly getting back their lost revenue.



Said that flights from mainland Spain to Balearics have risen 200% yet the Daily Mail had headline today saying tour operators are offering up to 70% off


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## tebo53 (Sep 18, 2014)

You should not make sweeping statements like that without the qualifiers. Benidorm has it's crime rate like other cities in the world. Actually 3rd highest in Spain. The first being Torrevieja with this qualifier from www.thinkspain.es

Torrevieja
Torrevieja is the most dangerous city in Spain with 325.57 crimes per 10,000 inhabitants, show figures released this week. Benidorm is in third place with 291.91 for every ten thousand people. Surprisingly, these come ahead of Ibiza - the clubbers' capital - and the north African enclave of Ceuta.

Even so, I love living in Benidorm and wouldn't want to live anywhere else. Benidorm is like Marmite. Love it or hate it.

Steve


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## Megsmum (Sep 9, 2012)

Ramalamadingdong said:


> Hello Steve
> 
> I do not have any names and addresses of the criminals.


Then you should provide an evidential link.


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## Ramalamadingdong (May 26, 2020)

Megsmum said:


> Then you should provide an evidential link.


Due to Data Protection laws I do not think it would be legal to have such a database. Tebo53 who lives in Benidorm has already confirmed it has the 3rd highest crime rate of the whole of Spain.:eyebrows:


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## tebo53 (Sep 18, 2014)

Ramalamadingdong said:


> Due to Data Protection laws I do not think it would be legal to have such a database. Tebo53 who lives in Benidorm has already confirmed it has the 3rd highest crime rate of the whole of Spain.:eyebrows:


The thing about the "high" crime rate in Benidorm is that most of it is avoidable. 

Each time the punters realise the "Pea Men" have ripped them off they go crying to the police....high crime rate because punters always think they can win.

Stolen high end phones....holidaymakers seem to leave common sense at home. An evening out taking their expensive phones. First chance and the thieves will have it away.......another high crime. 

Pick pockets......they are rife in Benidorm but mainly only pick on lone drunks who take far to much money out and flash it around.....another high crime.

Handbag thieves....The ladies often leave handbags unattended and often hang them on chair backs.....easy pickings....high crime rate. 

Beach thieves, hugger muggers etc, etc.

Very rare do you here about property crime as it's easier for the lowlife toerags to make a (good) living on the club strip and English square.

Each phone, handbag, money or Pea man rip off goes down as a crime in Benidorm. 

We have lived here for years and always feel safe day and night in our apartment or in a bar. 

Benidorm overall is a very safe place if you use common sense. 

Steve


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## Barriej (Jul 23, 2012)

Rich & Wendy said:


> We're in the same boat as you KennyM, we've been visitng the are for five years now, and are hoping to move over in October, and will be looking at property in nearby Albir, which is a lovely place. We should be able to get our residency application in before the end of December.


We are moving inland of Albir in mid August and our solicitor has said that its very hard to get appointments for residency. You are only able to go to the office in Alicante now (not Benidorm) if British as thats the only place in the area doing the appointments. 

Remember that there is a backlog of around 3 months applications at the moment.

But good luck with the move, we like Albir and spend quite a bit of time there.


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## KennyM (Jun 25, 2020)

How do I find a good local Gestor in the Benidorm area that speaks fluent English?


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## KennyM (Jun 25, 2020)

How do I find a reliable and honest local Gestor in the Benidorm area that speaks fluent English, is there an online directory with reviews or is it word of mouth recommendations?


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## Barriej (Jul 23, 2012)

KennyM said:


> How do I find a reliable and honest local Gestor in the Benidorm area that speaks fluent English, is there an online directory with reviews or is it word of mouth recommendations?


Depends what you want help with, but I wouldn't have thought there would be a lack of English speaking ones in Beni.

Mostly word of mouth, but your idea of honest may not be the same as someone else's

We were given the details of someone local to where we are going to be living and I was not impressed with some of the answers I was given. 

We now use a good firm of solicitors who have Spanish partners and English ones who speak good Spanish. they were recommended by a couple of people on here and it just so happened that my FIL used them (but we didn't know that at the time).


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## tebo53 (Sep 18, 2014)

KennyM said:


> How do I find a reliable and honest local Gestor in the Benidorm area that speaks fluent English, is there an online directory with reviews or is it word of mouth recommendations?


There is an English firm of solicitors in Albir that we have used for years. Firstly to get me and wife fully legal in Spain and then to make us Permanent Residents of Spain. 

They also sort out all our taxes and other financial services. 

All English people who know the Spanish system inside out. 

Look at: www.expresslegalsolicitors.com

Steve


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## Rich & Wendy (May 28, 2018)

That sounds like a very useful endorsement tebo53 thanks.


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## Mark s (Jun 6, 2019)

We also used express legal solicitors for our house purchase in Cautivador and I would highly recommend them. We will be using their services as tebo53 outlined when we finally move permanently later on this year.


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## Barriej (Jul 23, 2012)

Snap, we also used them for our NIE and house purchase in Xirles last year. 

Will be using them for our residency and they have a good accountant who can help with tax matters.


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