# Moving somewhere, maybe Spain. Advice?



## Hawaiianturbo (Sep 13, 2009)

Greetings, I see many posts similar to the one I'm making and I hope I can gain some insight. 

Basically I am wanting to move out of North America, where I currently live. I have travelled extensively here and visited nearly every state. The bureaucracy of this country is what I can take no more of. I realize there is a global structure that is hard to escape but I have to try. I have researched South America and Spain and from what I have read and heard these places both sound like a better environment for me based on life styles/societal norms. 

I'm male, 27, and of mixed ethnicity (adopted at birth and no knowledge of race background). I consider myself an abstract thinker, art and music lover. I'm not a criminal, addict, or a lazy person. I just want to surround myself with other like minded individuals that have a passion for life. I am not a skilled worker as I'm still trying to find what I want. I have been saving most of my earnings in hopes of a big move. 

Any help/advice you can give me would be very appreciated. My goal: To find a place where I can live free, EVENTUALLY fall in love, and raise a family.


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

Your biggest problem, assuming you only hold a US passport and aren't eligible for one from an EU country, is that it will be very difficult to get a visa that allows you to live in Spain, esp if it involves working or some kind of self-employment. Spain has an unemployment rate of 20% and rising, and jobs, even for locals with all the right education, training, experience and connections, are very hard to come by. You need a work permit, and Spanish government won't issue one unless you are sponsored by a potential employer as someone indispensible, and they have scoured the labour market without finding one qualified to do the work who has the right to work in Spain. As you've acknowledged you don't have a specialised skill or qualification, your chance is close to zero. 
You can come to Spain as a visitor without a visa for up to 90 days but you have no right to work and have to leave the country (and the rest of Schengen area) for further 90 days before returning. 
You will get the right to live and work in Spain if you marry an EU national. Or if you sign up to an education course, such as learning Spanish, you can come over as a student, and depending on the type of visa you hold, can work in spare time. But initially you have to satisfy the authorities you have enough money to pay the fees and support yourself without working for the duration of your course. Studying in Spain does give you a chance to get immersed in Spanish culture and and improve your language skills, which will help you to decide if you eventually want to relocate to Spain once you can satisfy immigration requirements.
Sadly, there is no working holiday programme for US citizens in Spain.
Sorry I don't have a more hopeful reply, but this is the current situation in Spain (and most other EU countries too), which you should bear in mind before you get your hopes up of imminent relocation.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Joppa said:


> Your biggest problem, assuming you only hold a US passport and aren't eligible for one from an EU country, is that it will be very difficult to get a visa that allows you to live in Spain, esp if it involves working or some kind of self-employment. Spain has an unemployment rate of 20% and rising, and jobs, even for locals with all the right education, training, experience and connections, are very hard to come by. You need a work permit, and Spanish government won't issue one unless you are sponsored by a potential employer as someone indispensible, and they have scoured the labour market without finding one qualified to do the work who has the right to work in Spain. As you've acknowledged you don't have a specialised skill or qualification, your chance is close to zero.
> You can come to Spain as a visitor without a visa for up to 90 days but you have no right to work and have to leave the country (and the rest of Schengen area) for further 90 days before returning.
> You will get the right to live and work in Spain if you marry an EU national. Or if you sign up to an education course, such as learning Spanish, you can come over as a student, and depending on the type of visa you hold, can work in spare time. But initially you have to satisfy the authorities you have enough money to pay the fees and support yourself without working for the duration of your course. Studying in Spain does give you a chance to get immersed in Spanish culture and and improve your language skills, which will help you to decide if you eventually want to relocate to Spain once you can satisfy immigration requirements.
> Sadly, there is no working holiday programme for US citizens in Spain.
> Sorry I don't have a more hopeful reply, but this is the current situation in Spain (and most other EU countries too), which you should bear in mind before you get your hopes up of imminent relocation.


Unfortunately for you Hawaiianturbo, I think Joppa has summed the situation up quite accurately . In other times an unskilled worker would probably have been able to pick up work and find his/ her niche here. Now that's not happening in Spain because of the unemployment issue. Add to that the "problem" of your nationality and it gets complicated to say the least. Perhaps in another part of the world?
However that's not to say don't come. Come here if you think it's the place that you really want to be and try to make a go of it. However if you have other ideas floating around perhaps you should try those out first


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## Hawaiianturbo (Sep 13, 2009)

Thanks for the replies!! Some great points made and unfortunately reaffirming what I've been researching. I just don't know where to go anymore.


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## Estepona Phil (Sep 22, 2009)

Wish you the best of luck. In a few years' time, this idea of Europe for the Europeans, American for the Americans etc will be history, economic blocs are just as inherently wrong as freedom of work stopping at country borders.


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