# Moving to Spain



## spainward (Feb 20, 2017)

Hello guys.

I was wondering if anyone can share their advice and opinions on the following.

I am considering moving to Spain in the near future. I have been to Spain a number of times but don't know it very well so haven't got a specific area in mind, although from my initial research, the south coast is probably where I will end up.

I was thinking of travelling to Spain and spending 6 months to 1 year exploring different areas and finding what it's like actually being there for longer than a holiday spell. Find out how easy it is for me to learn Spanish, get a feel for the job market, apartment rental costs and see whether I can live with all the bureaucracy that exists!

During this trip I intend to do volunteer work with families / businesses through the likes of the workaway website etc. This will allow me to explore a number of places and hopefully get a feel of some different areas.

I guess my question is: 

Has anyone done any volunteering work via these type of websites? What are the pros and cons and is it a plausible way of learning about Spain with a view to re-location permanently?

Conversely has anyone hosed a volunteer through one of these websites, if so what are your thoughts?

Many thanks

Jake


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Hi Kane, welcome. Some friends of mine regularly use Workaway volunteers to help maintain their finca. Some of them have remained friends for years afterwards. It seems like a good scheme because it is flexible on both sides - if your expectations aren't met you can end the agreement with no hard feelings.

Officially you are supposed to register on a list of foreign residents once you have been here three months, and show that you have private health insurance and enough money to support yourself. Also if you spend more than six months here in any calendar year, you are automatically "fiscally resident" and you're supposed to do a tax return (even if you aren't earning). So you might want to do two or three shorter trips just to stay the right side of the law.


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## spainward (Feb 20, 2017)

*Good advice*



Alcalaina said:


> Hi Kane, welcome. Some friends of mine regularly use Workaway volunteers to help maintain their finca. Some of them have remained friends for years afterwards. It seems like a good scheme because it is flexible on both sides - if your expectations aren't met you can end the agreement with no hard feelings.
> 
> Officially you are supposed to register on a list of foreign residents once you have been here three months, and show that you have private health insurance and enough money to support yourself. Also if you spend more than six months here in any calendar year, you are automatically "fiscally resident" and you're supposed to do a tax return (even if you aren't earning). So you might want to do two or three shorter trips just to stay the right side of the law.


Thanks for the reply.

Ref the residency requirements, I did not know this!: This is the type of bureaucracy I was talking about. Do you know if this is a straight forward procedure, especially in my early months while I still am learning the language? I guess these forms will need to be completed in Spanish.

Regards

Jake


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

spainward said:


> Thanks for the reply.
> 
> Ref the residency requirements, I did not know this!: This is the type of bureaucracy I was talking about. Do you know if this is a straight forward procedure, especially in my early months while I still am learning the language? I guess these forms will need to be completed in Spanish.
> 
> ...


I'll let someone else answer that, as it's nearly nine years since I became resident and it was all much simpler then!


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## spainward (Feb 20, 2017)

That's a fair point. Things might change again once Brexit negotiations get underway!


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## Megsmum (Sep 9, 2012)

We arrived three years ago. 

I'm not going to advise as I live in Extremadura and requirements can vary especially in the amounts. 

but I think the advice of doing two or three trips would negate any need to get involved in residency or taxes. 

Yes. Brexit could be a game changer


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Megsmum said:


> We arrived three years ago.
> 
> I'm not going to advise as I live in Extremadura and requirements can vary especially in the amounts.
> 
> ...


Not quite. Registering on the list of foreigners (residency) is only required if you are, or are planning to be, in Spain for more than 90 days. To do this, you have to show proof of a regular income (usually in excess of 600/650€ [varies according to which foreigners' office you go to] per person per month) going into a Spanish bank account and proof of healthcare coverage (in your case - private health insurance without co-pay.) However, you can reset this 90 day countdown by leaving the country, for a day or two and then re-entering. 

The Tax Residency question is a completely different kettle of fish. If you are here for more than 183 days in a tax year (Jan - Dec) you are considered to be tax resident and liable to pay taxes on your worldwide income. The 183 days do not reset if you go out of the country, i.e. they are cumulative. The way to avoid this problem is to arrive in Spain on or after 2nd July (3rd July in a leap-year) and leave before the 1st July (30th June in a leap-year) the following year so that you aren't here for more than 182 days in either year.

In both cases, make sure that you get your passport stamped or some other verifiable proof of your comings and goings.


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## spainward (Feb 20, 2017)

Hi.

Thanks for the info.

It sounds like I might need to do the following, if I want to avoid paperwork in the early stages:

Come to Spain for 89 days, then visit Portugal for a day (getting passport stamped). Then on my return, after another period of 90 days either leave the country completely or if I decide to stay I would have to go through the process of becoming a tax resident.

Does that sound correct?

Many thanks.


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## Megsmum (Sep 9, 2012)

spainward said:


> Hi.
> 
> Thanks for the info.
> 
> ...


I'm not sure anyone stamps passports of Europe citizens? Never had mine stamped


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Megsmum said:


> I'm not sure anyone stamps passports of Europe citizens? Never had mine stamped


There is no passport control between Spain and Portugal anyway, because they are both in the Schengen zone. So presumably you'd need evidence in the form of tickets, ATM withdrawals, credit card statements etc to prove you had left the country.

Post Brexit who knows, you might even need a visa to visit Spain ...


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## spainward (Feb 20, 2017)

Alcalaina said:


> There is no passport control between Spain and Portugal anyway, because they are both in the Schengen zone. So presumably you'd need evidence in the form of tickets, ATM withdrawals, credit card statements etc to prove you had left the country.
> 
> Post Brexit who knows, you might even need a visa to visit Spain ...


That's a fair point, a receipt from a hotel might be the way forward.

I have dual nationality (British and Italian) so I could always fall back on that as a last resort if the Brexit negotiations don't go well. Although I have no idea how straight forward it would be to arrange residency in Spain as an Italian as I no longer have any solid links to Italy (other than an Italian identity card and a Codice Fiscale, their equivalent of a national insurance number)!

Interesting times ahead.


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## Megsmum (Sep 9, 2012)

Alcalaina said:


> There is no passport control between Spain and Portugal anyway, because they are both in the Schengen zone. So presumably you'd need evidence in the form of tickets, ATM withdrawals, credit card statements etc to prove you had left the country.
> 
> Post Brexit who knows, you might even need a visa to visit Spain ...


Well I should have known that as we pop into Portugal once a month😏


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Alcalaina said:


> There is no passport control between Spain and Portugal anyway, because they are both in the Schengen zone. So presumably you'd need evidence in the form of tickets, ATM withdrawals, credit card statements etc to prove you had left the country.
> 
> Post Brexit who knows, you might even need a visa to visit Spain ...


I would think that if one popped into a National Police station and explained why one wanted the passport stamped, they would oblige.


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