# Relocation Concerns



## belenmartin (Apr 19, 2016)

Hi all,
I just join this website, i would very much appreciate your help if you could provide feedback, based on your experiences, what are the biggest concerns you have encountered when relocating to Spain or planning to relocate to Spain, I am in the same process and I would like to know, thank you in advance.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

belenmartin said:


> Hi all,
> I just join this website, i would very much appreciate your help if you could provide feedback, based on your experiences, what are the biggest concerns you have encountered when relocating to Spain or planning to relocate to Spain, I am in the same process and I would like to know, thank you in advance.


Hello!
Concerns are sometimes different depending on the needs/ wants of each member and perhaps the age of the person puts a different slant on it.
Some people will be concerned about finding work, others about missing grandchildren. Money issues can also be a worry for example how do I pay taxes, which taxes do I have to pay and where do I pay - Spain or the UK? Another that some people think about, and others don't give a second thought to is the area of language ...


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## belenmartin (Apr 19, 2016)

Thank you Pesky, and do u think there are any legal stuff we an encounter? do we need a lawyer?


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

belenmartin said:


> Thank you Pesky, and do u think there are any legal stuff we an encounter? do we need a lawyer?


It depends what you want to do! 

Do you want to buy a house, buy some land, set up a business?

If you could say a little more about your position then people might be able to post more ideas...


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## cllve (Apr 19, 2016)

It is inevitable that there will be some "legal stuff" at some point as you plan to live in Spain and not just visit. A certain amount of form filling can be done on line, and if you are prepared to do the footwork yourself visiting Town Halls, Tax Offices and Banks, can lessen the cost. At some point however you will probably have to hire legal services for more complex problems.

Spend time exploring this site to get an idea of what you need to know about living in Spain and more information from yourselves might get more targeted replies.


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## belenmartin (Apr 19, 2016)

Hi Pesky a cllve, yes i would like to buy a house or may be rent a flat to start with and also start up a business in Spain, what are the main concerns in those areas that expats encounter generally? thank you again for your help.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

You will find a lot of answers on the British governmnent website about moving to Spain.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/living-in-spain
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/residency-requirements-in-spain

Starting up a business is more difficult, it is much more expensive to be self-employed here than it is in England, and there is a lot of red tape. You'd also need to be fluent in Spanish, in order to cope with all the bureaucracy and communicate with your suppliers and customers.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

belenmartin said:


> Hi all,
> I just join this website, i would very much appreciate your help if you could provide feedback, based on your experiences, what are the biggest concerns you have encountered when relocating to Spain or planning to relocate to Spain, I am in the same process and I would like to know, thank you in advance.


Hi

Where are you planning to move to? 

What kind of business were you thinking of starting & what concerns do _you_ have?

Whatever concerns any of us may have had might be completely irrelevant to you. 

Most people, including the Spanish, use a gestor to help them through the red tape of setting up a business.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

belenmartin said:


> Hi Pesky a cllve, yes i would like to buy a house or may be rent a flat to start with and also start up a business in Spain, what are the main concerns in those areas that expats encounter generally? thank you again for your help.


Well, like I said it depends on each person. Personally I didn't have any concerns, although maybe I should have! I was young, I had no dependants and wasn't leaving any investments or anything in the UK. I was coming to a job and they sorted out paperwork...

How about you? What kind of business are you hoping to set up? I expect you know unemployment is still a lot worse here than in the UK so you'd better be prepared. I see your first name is Belen so if you speak Spanish you could try asking at the Cámara de Comercio and most people setting up a business get a gestor to help them go through the different stages. I don't think I've ever used a Spansih lawyer and if I did need one there's one in the family (isn't there always in a Spanish family along with the priest and the nun?) and 2 friends are lawyers too.


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## belenmartin (Apr 19, 2016)

thank you for the information, Xabiachica, 
I would like to move to either Barcelona or Madrid, and set up a consulting business, 
I know that there may be some specific items that apply here and there, but would be great to know which are the main concerns in general when relocating, so I know what I´ll find,.. everyone´s experience may be useful, thank you again,


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

belenmartin said:


> thank you for the information, Xabiachica,
> I would like to move to either Barcelona or Madrid, and set up a consulting business,
> I know that there may be some specific items that apply here and there, but would be great to know which are the main concerns in general when relocating, so I know what I´ll find,.. everyone´s experience may be useful, thank you again,


Interesting.... what sort of consultant are you?


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## belenmartin (Apr 19, 2016)

thank you Alcalaina


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## AllHeart (Nov 22, 2013)

I was scared to death about moving to Spain because I had only ever lived in Southern Ontario. But I had moved a lot for school and work, with my record being six moves in one year! So what I did in my move to Spain was to frame it as just another move. So my concerns in moving were the same as always:
-Set up change of address
-Get new identification
-Get source of income 
-Get to know the neighbours
-Set up healthcare
-Find all businesses needed (post office, bank, city hall, school, grocery stores, clothes stores, tax office, spas, hairdresser, housewares store, etc.)
-Make friends
-Join social clubs
-Find entertainment spots (museums, dancing, galleries, movie theatres, etc)
-Learn public transportation inside city and surrounding area
-Find good restaurants
-Find gym and walking routes
-Find a place to live and set up a comfortable home

Those are the basics I've learned that are needed in every move. It is an extra challenge because this is a new country, so everything is very different and in a foreign language, but I keep in my mind this is just another move, and it keeps me focused, grounded and confident that I can make the transition. 

The most important ingredient I have found in every move that is particularly important in this move is to ask questions. So you're off to a great start!


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## xicoalc (Apr 20, 2010)

All seems a bit vague!

As other have said, please try to be a little more specific. Moving to Spain can be as simple or hard as you want to be... setting up a business means some paperwork and regular bills.. but relocating to Spain is a whole change of life... if you can say a bit more about you, what you want to consult in, why you want to come to spain, what area, what worries you have, what you know and don't know.. then we can give you better advice!


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

AllHeart said:


> I was scared to death about moving to Spain because I had only ever lived in Southern Ontario. But I had moved a lot for school and work, with my record being six moves in one year! So what I did in my move to Spain was to frame it as just another move. So my concerns in moving were the same as always:
> -Set up change of address
> -Get new identification
> -Get source of income
> ...


Cristina will reply soon to your pm. Every time I sit down to give it my full attention, I get distracted..
Disculpa


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## AllHeart (Nov 22, 2013)

mrypg9 said:


> Cristina will reply soon to your pm. Every time I sit down to give it my full attention, I get distracted..
> Disculpa


There's no excuse. It's one sentence.  

....but maybe it's a loaded question? So you're forgiven.


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