# American couple wanting to move to Spain



## Natty12 (Apr 12, 2010)

Hello everyone! 

My name is Natalie and my husband Bill and I live in Austin Texas. After doing lots of research on several countries, we keep coming back to Spain as the place to relocate. We have thought it through for the past few years and decided the time is now, as Father Time won't stop ticking...

Here's a rundown of us and what we're thinking of doing: 

We plan on being in Spain(Barcelona, Valencia, Alicante and Albir) on vacation this June to try and get a feel for just how expensive it will be, as we have no delusions that it will be as cheap as it is in the US. I remember reading that Barcelona is the most expensive place to live in Spain, so that would probably not be an option. Being close to great medical facilities is a must, so living far away in the countryside is out, unfortunately. 

We possibly want to look at rental properties while we are there. Can anyone recommend a reputable realtor in any of those areas? I know we don't want to buy right off, as we have to make sure we know what we're up against and don't get in over our heads. We would not be bringing much with us. Do they offer long term funished rentals. Do they have AC? Coming from Texas and being in Europe the past 4summers in various parts, I hoping more and more people are installing A/C units!

My head is reeling from the mound of paper work we have to fill out to move there. I know it's going to take some time to get all that in order, processed and filed. It's just overwhelming to me that it's so hard to move to another country by choice!

My husband owns his own company (he makes iphone/ipad/computer games) so that will be the income we will be living on as he can work from anywhere. We will lose my income since I won't be able to work (I'm a corporate Travel Agent) I don't speak the language, however, I am doing the Roseta Stone. My husband had 6 years of Spanish, but like any language, use it or lose it. He is however, doing Rosetta Stone with me! We both took one semeter of German, but again...not many people speak German in Austin! 

We do have a business plan for me for our own business, however, everything I've read is saying we must have at least 150,000 in a bank account there! That seems to go along the lines of pretty much every country. I'm thinking a lot of Europeans think all Americans are rich...not so in our case. Or this could be a ploy to deter anyone from moving.. Any insight on this idea would be helpful! Does anyone know any Americans that have moved there and started their own business? If so, how in the world did they do it if they didn't have that kind of cash lying around?

We have 3 cats to bring with us, so that's another mound of paper work. Do they have Western speaking Vet clinics that anyone knows of? My 16 yr old has Kidney issues, so that is a major concern with me, making sure he continues having great care. I know this may seem pretty vague, but it's a lot for me to take in, as this is HUGE lifestyle change for us. Everything we know and are use to, is getting ready to be tossed out the window for a new, fresh start! i know I've probably missed a few things, however, please be patient with me, as this is such a HUGE step for us, so we are just trying to find avenues of help anywhere we can get them!

Thank you all for your time!

Natalie


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Natty12 said:


> Hello everyone!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


which as far as I understand is also the minimum a Brit (or other qualifying national) would need to be able to legally move to & set up a business in the US

just business value - not counting living expenses for a year or so until the business gets off the ground


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## nigele2 (Dec 25, 2009)

Natalie welcome to this happy forum.

Well from what you have offered you have set yourself a mammouth task but as you research I'm sure your objectives will become more focussed and that will help.

What I'd like to know is 'what is it you want from Spain' in terms of lifestyle and quality? You seem on the surface to have an established lifestyle in Texas: employment, cats, money (even if not rich you can't be poor ). You want the luxuries of home, close by medical, vets, air conditioning. To be honest if you were spanish I might suggest you migrate to Texas 

To decide to leg it half way across the world is some decision to make and I would love to no more of this.

One thought from me would be to choose the location for your exploitary trip in June very carefully. I don't know how long you aim to stay but Spain is I believe considerable larger than Texas but also with greater variance. And from what you say you are going, in at least the shortterm, to need the support of English speakers. 

Anyway for sure here you will get offered a lot of info and there are several of your countrymen here from time to time. Enjoy and contribute


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## Guest (Apr 13, 2010)

nigele2 said:


> One thought from me would be to choose the location for your exploitary trip in June very carefully. I don't know how long you aim to stay but Spain is I believe considerable larger than Texas but also with greater variance. And from what you say you are going, in at least the shortterm, to need the support of English speakers.


Oy oy.... Spain takes much less to drive across than Texas!  



> We do have a business plan for me for our own business, however, everything I've read is saying we must have at least 150,000 in a bank account there! That seems to go along the lines of pretty much every country. I'm thinking a lot of Europeans think all Americans are rich...not so in our case. Or this could be a ploy to deter anyone from moving.. Any insight on this idea would be helpful! Does anyone know any Americans that have moved there and started their own business? If so, how in the world did they do it if they didn't have that kind of cash lying around?


You hit the nail on the head with the bit about deterring, I'm afraid. 




> We have 3 cats to bring with us, so that's another mound of paper work. Do they have Western speaking Vet clinics that anyone knows of? My 16 yr old has Kidney issues, so that is a major concern with me, making sure he continues having great care. I know this may seem pretty vague, but it's a lot for me to take in, as this is HUGE lifestyle change for us. Everything we know and are use to, is getting ready to be tossed out the window for a new, fresh start! i know I've probably missed a few things, however, please be patient with me, as this is such a HUGE step for us, so we are just trying to find avenues of help anywhere we can get them!


You need to look into the insurance situation here in Spain, and how you would access health care here. I am here on student status at the moment and have no access to the public system. Thankfully, my program offers me an amazing insurance package that I rather enjoy having - sure beats the basic Blue Cross/Blue Shield I bought back home! If you've got a kid who is sick, you really need to work this out before you come over. (My health insurance provider is MAPFRE if you want a company name.)

Also, if you're choosing to "live in English" (I assume that's what you mean by "western speaking") you will want to limit yourself to the big expat communities. I'm hard pressed to find anyone up here who speaks English, let alone a vet! Keep in mind that you're in Spain, and please make every effort to learn Spanish. (And you're in Austin for pete's sakes! You've got loads of resouces to learn down there! Not like we had in NH....)


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## nigele2 (Dec 25, 2009)

halydia said:


> Oy oy.... Spain takes much less to drive across than Texas!


Only because in the US you drive so slowly


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## Guest (Apr 13, 2010)

nigele2 said:


> Only because in the US you drive so slowly


There ain't no po-lice out there on them back roads, you ken go as fast as ya want!


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## MichaelS (Nov 8, 2008)

nigele2 said:


> I don't know how long you aim to stay but Spain is I believe considerable larger than Texas but also with greater variance.


Texas is nearly 25% larger than Spain, and also has a fair amount of variance. In fact, Texas is over 60% the size of the entire continent of Europe and larger than any single country there (unless you count Russia, which is mostly in Asia).

(Sorry for the off topic post. I recently had to drive across Texas and want everyone to appreciate how incredibly big is it


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

halydia said:


> You need to look into the insurance situation here in Spain, and how you would access health care here. I am here on student status at the moment and have no access to the public system. Thankfully, my program offers me an amazing insurance package that I rather enjoy having - sure beats the basic Blue Cross/Blue Shield I bought back home! If you've got a kid who is sick, you really need to work this out before you come over. (My health insurance provider is MAPFRE if you want a company name.)


Private health insurance in Spain is relatively cheap. You have to be careful who you chose of course! BUPA for instance were really expensive when I was getting quotes, but their Spainsh subsiduary Sanitas isnt expensive. For someone in mid fifties a while back it was €600 a year.

Mapfre may well be competitive, but we had to start moving our car insurance from them because they were loads more expensive than the competition


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## MichaelS (Nov 8, 2008)

MichaelS said:


> Texas is nearly 25% larger than Spain, and also has a fair amount of variance. In fact, Texas is over 60% the size of the entire continent of Europe and larger than any single country there (unless you count Russia, which is mostly in Asia).
> 
> (Sorry for the off topic post. I recently had to drive across Texas and want everyone to appreciate how incredibly big is it


I retract the "Texas is over 60% the size of the entire continent of Europe" part (It only seems that big when driving across it, or I suck at math. one of those). The rest is accurate though...


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## Guest (Apr 13, 2010)

Stravinsky said:


> Private health insurance in Spain is relatively cheap. You have to be careful who you chose of course! BUPA for instance were really expensive when I was getting quotes, but their Spainsh subsiduary Sanitas isnt expensive. For someone in mid fifties a while back it was €600 a year.
> 
> Mapfre may well be competitive, but we had to start moving our car insurance from them because they were loads more expensive than the competition



600/year? Amazing! I was paying that every three months back home... 

Did that cover most everything as long as you keep within their recommended network, or are there American-style co-payments?


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Stravinsky said:


> BUPA for instance were really expensive when I was getting quotes, but their Spainsh subsiduary Sanitas isnt expensive. For someone in mid fifties a while back* it was €600 a year.*



That is truly amazing. Ten years ago I was paying £100 plus a month in the UK for BUPA ....
How come it's so much cheaper here? It sounds as if it's a serious rival to the state health system. Maybe worth looking at this Sanitas..


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

halydia said:


> 600/year? Amazing! I was paying that every three months back home...
> 
> Did that cover most everything as long as you keep within their recommended network, or are there American-style co-payments?


When we first came here we paid €1150 a year for the two of us. The plan was that you pay a small fee every time you access the system. I think it was less than €10 but I've never been charged after the first occasion. We are covered here in Spain, anywhere in Europe, including the UK.

I have a large book of all doctors, hospitals, specialists etc, so theres no much problem there.


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## ars338 (Apr 20, 2009)

As an American who has lived in both Spain and Germany I have a few thoughts for you. I'm back in the US now but that might change in the future.

First, I dont want to throw cold water on your dream but deciding on where to live in new country should not be taken lightly. One trip, unless it is of a long duration, is insufficient time to know if any country is right for you. 

Second, In addition to the language issue, which everyone seems to focus on, cultural issues must be taken in account. For many Americans, living and working day after day in a different culture is the biggest problem. Some people adapt quickly while others have a difficult time adjusting. Its' VERY different than spending a few weeks on the beaches soaking up the sun. Think about moving from Austin (great city by the way) to New York, then multiply by 10.

Obtaining the proper visas and other associated paperwork for any American who plans on moving and working in Spain is long, confusing and nearly immpossible task but worth the effort.

Spain is a really great place and I wish you luck and hope it turns out to be everything that you expect


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Just to clear up the odd point:
Spain 524,030 sq kms
Texas 696,241 sq kms
although quite what that proves (bigger isn't necessarily better) beats me!


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## lynn (Sep 25, 2008)

mrypg9 said:


> That is truly amazing. Ten years ago I was paying £100 plus a month in the UK for BUPA ....
> How come it's so much cheaper here? It sounds as if it's a serious rival to the state health system. Maybe worth looking at this Sanitas..


My Dad is with Sanitas and has been having extensive treatment for cancer over the past year. I have to say, they have been BRILLIANT in every way. However, I'm sure in his case, he is only covered in Spain. My Mum was with BUPA because she had wanted to be able to be treated back in the UK, but the cost was crippling her. She has now swapped over to Sanitas (its the same company) and is saving over 400 euro a month

:clap2::clap2::clap2:


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## nigele2 (Dec 25, 2009)

baldilocks said:


> Just to clear up the odd point:
> Spain 524,030 sq kms
> Texas 696,241 sq kms
> although quite what that proves (bigger isn't necessarily better) beats me!


 I originally raised this to make a serious point. OK I own up I can't convert miles to ks.

Texas may be big but it is also relatively empty  And to be fair you could drive west-east or north-south of Texas much quicker than you could drive from Galicia to Tenerife


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

lynn said:


> My Dad is with Sanitas and has been having extensive treatment for cancer over the past year. I have to say, they have been BRILLIANT in every way. However, I'm sure in his case, he is only covered in Spain. My Mum was with BUPA because she had wanted to be able to be treated back in the UK, but the cost was crippling her. She has now swapped over to Sanitas (its the same company) and is saving over 400 euro a month
> 
> :clap2::clap2::clap2:


That sounds really great, thanks, Lynn. I wonder why private insurance cover is so much cheaper here?
I was with BUPA for years and must have paid out £thousands and never needed to use their services!!!!! I know it's daft to see it as money wasted and I certainly wouldn't have wanted a broken leg etc. just to get vfm but....a lot to pay for peace of mind.
Hope your Dad is recovering well, a close friend in the UK has just been diagnosed with Hodgkinson's Lymphoma (spelling?) and has just completed radiotherapy. We're hoping she will visit for a rest before it gets too hot.
Does Sanitas cover dentistry? I was spoilt in Prague as we had more purchasing power with our £ at least until a couple of years ago and used top dentists who specialised in British, Swiss and German clients. Can't afford that standard here, alas.....


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## lynn (Sep 25, 2008)

mrypg9 said:


> That sounds really great, thanks, Lynn. I wonder why private insurance cover is so much cheaper here?
> I was with BUPA for years and must have paid out £thousands and never needed to use their services!!!!! I know it's daft to see it as money wasted and I certainly wouldn't have wanted a broken leg etc. just to get vfm but....a lot to pay for peace of mind.
> Hope your Dad is recovering well, a close friend in the UK has just been diagnosed with Hodgkinson's Lymphoma (spelling?) and has just completed radiotherapy. We're hoping she will visit for a rest before it gets too hot.
> Does Sanitas cover dentistry? I was spoilt in Prague as we had more purchasing power with our £ at least until a couple of years ago and used top dentists who specialised in British, Swiss and German clients. Can't afford that standard here, alas.....


I don't know for sure, but I think you can add dental treatment on to your policy as a 'bolt on'. Best to look at their website Sanitas - Seguros médicos y servicios de salud (it's in English as well as Spanish)


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

lynn said:


> I don't know for sure, but I think you can add dental treatment on to your policy as a 'bolt on'. Best to look at their website Sanitas - Seguros médicos y servicios de salud (it's in English as well as Spanish)


Thanks for that. High on my 'to do' list - comes after taking Our Little Azor to the vet tomorrow for his anti-sand flea/tic etc. injections.


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