# Moving to Spain, I need a few advices



## doro (Aug 1, 2010)

Hello,

We (me and my wife) plan to move to south of Spain this month or next, however, I have some questions:

1. I own a small business, is possible to move my little company to Spain? How complicated can be? Do I need to own a property in Spain to can do that?

2. Speaking of jobs, I am a software engineer, how developed is IT industry in south of Spain? Any chances for some one like me to find a job?

3. I plan to buy a car already registered in Spain, is there any way to check if all car papers are OK and I will not pay any hidden taxes?

4. Any recommendation for a city? I target currently Estepona but anything between Tarifa-Malaga is OK if is near the sea.

Thanks in advance for all answers!


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## gerrit (Jul 15, 2008)

I've been in Malaga and it's a very nice and quite vibrant (and crowded) town. Other than that, I can't really help since I'm in Catalunya which is the whole other side of Spain. But there's some members living in the south of the country who can no doubt give you advice.

PS: keep in mind that IT is quite big in Gibraltar, and crossing the border is now becoming more and more relaxed. There's enough people commuting between work in Gibraltar (very well paid) and home in Spain (lower cost of life) ...


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## dunmovin (Dec 19, 2008)

doro said:


> Hello,
> 
> We (me and my wife) plan to move to south of Spain this month or next, however, I have some questions:
> 
> ...


sorry can't be more help


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## rjnpenang (Feb 20, 2008)

This job was in the Sur in English last week =
PHP PROGRAMMER

Snuko is looking for an individual to take on the role as PHP Programmer referring directly to the CTO. Required skills: Must Haves: PHP, 4+ yrs, Javascript, 3+ yrs, AJAX, 3+ yrs, Linux (server side), 3 + yrs, MySQL, 3+ yrs, XML (programmatic) 2 + yrs, excellent written and verbal, communication skills, basic knowledge of the concepts of encryption. Nice to have: Java, 4+ yrs, .NET, 3+ yrs. Qualified applicant should have experience in implementing large scale web applications with PHP and custom frameworks, plus have an understanding of UI functionality on the client side. This position is responsible for some server and database administration as well as the ongoing maintenance of an existing code base that comprises the entire communication API, and the browser level presentation layer. What can Snuko offer: Salary package matching your skill set. Working in an international environment. Young and dynamic company. How to apply: Please send your CV to [email protected] About Snuko: www.snuko.com


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

doro said:


> Hello,
> 
> We (me and my wife) plan to move to south of Spain this month or next, however, I have some questions:
> 
> ...


Is your business a limited company?
I run a small business in the UK as a Ltd company and it is totally based there


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## doro (Aug 1, 2010)

Stravinsky said:


> Is your business a limited company?
> I run a small business in the UK as a Ltd company and it is totally based there


Yes is Ltd company, but from what I've seen, in Spain the taxes are progressive for companies and that's I like it and found it fair. I still try to put all details on paper to see whats the best way to run it from Spain.

Gerrit, dunmovin, rjnpenag, thanks for reply's too


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

doro said:


> Yes is Ltd company, but from what I've seen, in Spain the taxes are progressive for companies and that's I like it and found it fair. I still try to put all details on paper to see whats the best way to run it from Spain.
> 
> Gerrit, dunmovin, rjnpenag, thanks for reply's too


Maybe so, but you know you will be paying €3000 a year approximately into the system as well if you register as an autonomo?


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## Guest (Aug 3, 2010)

Depends what your software skills are! I have two clients that are looking for programmers; one is PHP based, the other ASP with good SQL skills. As mentioned Gibraltar is a hot bed of activity IT wise, although you need to deal with the border crossing each day if you choose to live in Spain. The rest of the South coast isn´t great with the occasional job popping up but might not meet your salary expectations

Running a business here can be complicated if you need to recreate the Ltd company you already have, if you can however run it as autonomo (self employed) then it´s a lot simpler. Although all of it can be as uncomplicated as you like if you pay an accountant to look after everything for you


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## doro (Aug 1, 2010)

ShinyAndy said:


> Depends what your software skills are! I have two clients that are looking for programmers; one is PHP based, the other ASP with good SQL skills. As mentioned Gibraltar is a hot bed of activity IT wise, although you need to deal with the border crossing each day if you choose to live in Spain. The rest of the South coast isn´t great with the occasional job popping up but might not meet your salary expectations
> 
> Running a business here can be complicated if you need to recreate the Ltd company you already have, if you can however run it as autonomo (self employed) then it´s a lot simpler. Although all of it can be as uncomplicated as you like if you pay an accountant to look after everything for you


As I said, I am software engineer (graduate and with a nice CV), and about 15 or more years of c/c++ as base (+others). PHP, ASP are ok for me also, should not represent a real challenge. Of course, all depends on projects complexity also.

And just a correction for you (I hope you do not mind), PHP and ASP are not quite considered a programming language, both of them are scripting languages. PHP, ASP don't produce executable code, both are just interpreted.

Thanks for advices, until now looks like only Gibraltar could be a good place for me


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## Guest (Aug 3, 2010)

doro said:


> And just a correction for you (I hope you do not mind), PHP and ASP are not quite considered a programming language, both of them are scripting languages. PHP, ASP don't produce executable code, both are just interpreted.


I don´t mind and I know the difference, they are just widely advertised as programmer roles as ASP Scriptor makes it sounds like they need some Script Kiddie to write dodgy hacking code! If you are serious about a role then send your cv over to Select Recruitment in Gibraltar, I know they always have a good selection of IT work in all areas


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## doro (Aug 1, 2010)

ShinyAndy, thanks I am on SRG site now


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

This is reallly interesting. Suddenly it seems there's a flow of people with IT skills and salary expectations at varying levels looking for work in Spain.
Last year it was all about beauticians, dog groomers, brickies, handymen etc.
Why is this, I wonder?
Surely there's no shortage of IT jobs in the UK? My son has an IT Consultancy business in the UK, working in the City in the financial sector and it seems jobs are plentiful with six-figure salaries in abundance, not to mention bonuses, albeit not on the same scale as before.
He is currently working on a huge integration project for a leading bank and many people he'd worked with previously at other institutions are now also working on this project. 
Admittedly, I know very little about the structure of the IT industry but I do understand that not all situations command what my ex-husband continues to refer to as 'obscene' salaries.
But if jobs are available at the top of the pyramid, surely they rely on an army of people with different skills further down the pyramid? There must be vacancies there with salaries much higher than in Spain, even when the slightly lower cost of living is factored in.
It's fascinating to an outsider like myself to see these patterns emerging. What will be next, I wonder???


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## Guest (Aug 3, 2010)

Well for me I went from running my own IT Support company in Bournemouth in the mid 90s to 6 figure jobs in the City back in 2001 down to about 15K a year doing three times the work in 2002. Fast forward four years and I was on a decent salary managing the IT department for a large womans clothing retailer but working 7 days a week 18 hour days with endless stress and no matter what you did it was never enough.

Gave everything up to come here and paint walls/walk dogs/change lightbulbs but that lasted about a month before I thought sod it and started helping out people with computer problems after it transpired that most of the "support" people here didn´t have a clue and had fleeced them, done a runner and left them with even more of a mess

I have friends back in England working in IT and the situation is just as dire and the wages dreadful considering what you´re expected to do for it. Yes there may well be highly paid jobs in banking in the City but that´s not what most people want or could handle


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

ShinyAndy said:


> Well for me I went from running my own IT Support company in Bournemouth in the mid 90s to 6 figure jobs in the City back in 2001 down to about 15K a year doing three times the work in 2002. Fast forward four years and I was on a decent salary managing the IT department for a large womans clothing retailer but working 7 days a week 18 hour days with endless stress and no matter what you did it was never enough.
> 
> Gave everything up to come here and paint walls/walk dogs/change lightbulbs but that lasted about a month before I thought sod it and started helping out people with computer problems after it transpired that most of the "support" people here didn´t have a clue and had fleeced them, done a runner and left them with even more of a mess
> 
> I have friends back in England working in IT and the situation is just as dire and the wages dreadful considering what you´re expected to do for it. Yes there may well be highly paid jobs in banking in the City but that´s not what most people want or could handle


Yes, you're right, it all depends on the lifestyle you can endure....and I mean 'endure'. 
Both my son and dil have high-paid jobs in the City IT sector but inspite of their comfortable material lifestyle I couldn't hack it myself. My dil complains that my son is so wrapped up in his highly-stressed and demanding work that he is always tired and short-tempered. My dil spends a lot of time flying to Edinburgh and Zurich....up at 04.00 when the car comes to fetch her. Back at midnight. No way could I live at that level even if I were much younger.
It seems though that a lot of people do want this kind of lifestyle. The problem is that once you get into it you're trapped. School fees, big mortgage, entertaining....
generally 'keeping up with the Joneses' taken to extremes.
It seems you've thought it through and got your priorities sorted, Andy.
I used to go to school in Bournemouth...still got family in Dorset.


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## doro (Aug 1, 2010)

mrypg9 said:


> This is reallly interesting. Suddenly it seems there's a flow of people with IT skills and salary expectations at varying levels looking for work in Spain.
> Last year it was all about beauticians, dog groomers, brickies, handymen etc.
> Why is this, I wonder?
> Surely there's no shortage of IT jobs in the UK? My son has an IT Consultancy business in the UK, working in the City in the financial sector and it seems jobs are plentiful with six-figure salaries in abundance, not to mention bonuses, albeit not on the same scale as before.
> ...


Well, in my case, I am not moving to south of Spain with the final scope to find a job. I move because of weather and sea mostly. Then fallow a list of reasons why I choose that zone.

I was asking about jobs, for a backup solution, just to know how things are going.
Sure if I can find a serious offer I will take it in account.


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## Guest (Aug 3, 2010)

Yup, nail head! I realised there was more to life than working every hour and never really getting any chance to enjoy life other than wasting all the money on the lastest tv, hifi, phone, car, sofa, bathroom. Not many people are cut out for a job in the banking industry either, it´s very ruthless and no room for any mistakes. I had friends that worked in it and they were good people but lucky if they lasted a week and unfortunately it´s one of those industries that´s virtually impossible to get into unless you´ve got experience (chicken and egg situation)

Most people I know are sick of it all, tired of the ratrace and want a better quality of life which is why I think we´re seeing an interest in working abroad. It was fine when you´re in your 20s or 30s and no kids or cares in the world but a lot of people grew up, got married and had kids (that´s not happened to me yet though so don´t know what my excuse is!!)


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## Guest (Aug 3, 2010)

doro said:


> Well, in my case, I am not moving to south of Spain with the final scope to find a job. I move because of weather and sea mostly. Then fallow a list of reasons why I choose that zone.
> 
> I was asking about jobs, for a backup solution, just to know how things are going.
> Sure if I can find a serious offer I will take it in account.


That was my plan, I´d never even been to Spain on holiday before but just thought "what the heck, nothing to lose!". My backup plan was to just do what I did in the past if it didn´t work out being a bum. My backup plan now is just to work in Gib if required (though that would absolutely be the last resort!)


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## scorour (Aug 3, 2010)

ShinyAndy said:


> That was my plan, I´d never even been to Spain on holiday before but just thought "what the heck, nothing to lose!". My backup plan was to just do what I did in the past if it didn´t work out being a bum. My backup plan now is just to work in Gib if required (though that would absolutely be the last resort!)


I moved my family to Tenerife for exactly the same reason as other IT people on this thread, I had am excellent data centre job, but the quality of life with my family became more important.

We moved to Tenerife in January and I was lucky to get a job in April, my intention was the same as Andy, do whatever I had to for my family to enjoy their time. I am now going to start pushing my own Computer services as Andy, I also found a lot of people had been ripped of or left with partially finished websites...

I would rather have better quality of live with my family than the money I was making back in the UK.


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## Guest (Aug 3, 2010)

Although I don´t think I would have been so gung ho if I did have a family! I was lucky in that I came here alone so if it all went wrong it only did for me


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## scorour (Aug 3, 2010)

I chose Tenerife as my parents have lived here for 6 years, making certain things like NIE, doctors, schools etc a lot easier, I saved up enough money for us to live out here for a year with no income, if at all it does not work out, we still have house in UK. A lot of my work now is web based so I still have customers in England as well as Tenerife, we shall see how things progress, my kids absolutely love it out here.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

ShinyAndy said:


> Although I don´t think I would have been so gung ho if I did have a family! I was lucky in that I came here alone so if it all went wrong it only did for me


That's the main point. If you have no ties you can suit yourself. 
My son is happy enough with his longish hours and high salary (he says) and he is self-employed so he has some, albeit limited, flexibility, I guess. He does take a lot of time off and visits his house in Spain near us almost monthly as well as having more luxurious holidays. He used to talk about retiring at fifty but I guess that's not an option now.
I think it's horses for courses. It's not a lifestyle I would choose - my OH would say being MD of a business is equally if not more stressful though - as I don't have the same aspirations as my dil. I always avoided taking jobs with too much responsibility when I worked in the UK.
But if everyone were like me we'd still be in the nineteenth century....


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