# Seeking General Advice About Moving To Spain



## Sweet Joey (Mar 19, 2020)

Hello, I am looking to get as much advice as possible..I am engaged to a woman who lives in Galicia and I am strongly considering moving to Spain to live with her, instead of her coming to the US with me. Any advice or info on getting married in Spain, how long the visa process takes, being able to work etc....Any vital information I should know about being a foreigner living in Spain? I'm very excited at the possibility of moving to Spain to spend the rest of my life with this incredible woman and any advice would be greatly appreciated!!


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## fortrose52 (Nov 29, 2018)

Try the search button at the top of the thread and your US Embassy


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## Juan C (Sep 4, 2017)

In your situation, as a first step, I would ask my Spanish friend to make enquires in Spain.


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

After the current lock-down is lifted, as I imagine the authorities have pressing matters to attend to.


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## kalohi (May 6, 2012)

Sweet Joey said:


> Hello, I am looking to get as much advice as possible..I am engaged to a woman who lives in Galicia and I am strongly considering moving to Spain to live with her, instead of her coming to the US with me. Any advice or info on getting married in Spain, how long the visa process takes, being able to work etc....Any vital information I should know about being a foreigner living in Spain? I'm very excited at the possibility of moving to Spain to spend the rest of my life with this incredible woman and any advice would be greatly appreciated!!


Obviously you're talking about doing all of this when life gets back to normal. Who knows when that will be. But let's see if I can answer some of your questions.

I'm married to a Spaniard and I got married in Spain. I would recommend getting married in Spain if you want to live here because it really facilitates your residency paperwork - and not just the first time you apply for residency but every time you have to renew your residency. To get married to a Spaniard here in Spain you'll have to jump through some bureaucratic hoops but it's doable (basically what you'll need is a recently issued birth certificate and a certificate from the US embassy in Spain saying that you're single). You won't need a visa to come to Spain to get married, assuming you get married within your first 90 days of arrival as a tourist. 

Once you're married you can live in Spain while you apply for residency as a family member of an EU citizen. That will require another slew of paperwork, and your wife will have to demonstrate that she has enough income to support the household. The residency application can take about 6 months to process, but at least you can be together in Spain during that time. 

You'll be able to work once you get your residency approved. Unfortunately the job market in Spain is dire, and salaries are very low compared to in the US. And it's anyone's guess what the situation will be like after coronavirus.

There are plenty of threads here on the forum that talk about life in Spain, so sit back and start browsing. 

If you decided to live in the US with your Spanish wife, you would have to sponsor her visa application (proving you have sufficient income) and wait until it's approved before she could go and live in the US. Apparently that process can take up to a year, so it would mean living apart for all that time.

Hope that helps!


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## Juan C (Sep 4, 2017)

As an EU national living in spain I married in the Philippines. 

The process for family reunification was straightforward as too was the process for my wife to become resident or spain.

That was 14 years ago ( in four days time). All renewals of my wife’s residencia have been without problems.

Thus it would appear from our experience and that of the last poster both marriage in spain or abroad appear to be more or less the same


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

Downside to getting married outside Spain is extra hoops you have to jump through when evidence of marriage has to be presented for residency and some other procedures. For some countries, all you need is a sworn translation if the document isn't in Spanish, but for others you need Hague apostille, usually through the Foreign Ministry of the country. This can be a nightmare in many Third World countries with convoluted bureaucracy. I've heard of a couple who were married in Barbados and had a really tough and frustrating time. A good immigration lawyer in Spain can guide you through the red tape.


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## scoobyroo (Apr 21, 2020)

Getting married in Gibraltar could be an option if you want to avoid the bureaucracy. 

Your decision might come down to your personal trade off between your career, family and friends prospects in Spain vs what it would be in the US.

I don't know your situation but the chances are you have zero chance of finding work in Galicia. If that is not a big issue for you then great. 
Are you really likely to learn Spanish and be able to make friends and get on well with her family and friends? Thats great.. chances are they wont speak English if they are in a small Galician otwn and this is good as it will help force you to learn Spanish and then help you fit in and make friends.


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