# Moving to spain



## xxxxxxxxGrahamc-2008 (Nov 20, 2012)

I am thinking of moving to spain and starting my own business, i am looking for advice on the pro's and con's of doing this, i work in IT and would be starting a computer repair business .


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## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

Where exactly do you want to move to in Spain?? Where we live there are literally hundreds of IT companies offering PC repairs etc. Most of them are very bad though so if you are good at what you do you might have a chance but it will take several years at least to get established. That means you would need to come over here with a good stash of money to tide you over whilst you establish your business. And you will need health care which would mean registering as autonimo which will cost about €260 a month. Lots to consider but not impossible, just very difficult.


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## xxxxxxxxGrahamc-2008 (Nov 20, 2012)

thrax said:


> Where exactly do you want to move to in Spain?? Where we live there are literally hundreds of IT companies offering PC repairs etc. Most of them are very bad though so if you are good at what you do you might have a chance but it will take several years at least to get established. That means you would need to come over here with a good stash of money to tide you over whilst you establish your business. And you will need health care which would mean registering as autonimo which will cost about €260 a month. Lots to consider but not impossible, just very difficult.


Thanks for the reply, i am thinking of benidorm area, i will be offering a mobile repair service so i come to you.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Grahamc-2008 said:


> Thanks for the reply, i am thinking of benidorm area, i will be offering a mobile repair service so i come to you.


:welcome:

again, tons & tons of people offering this service

I'm not saying it _can't _work, just that it's a pretty flooded market already with people who have _enchufe _& often the ability to deal with customers of various nationalities due to their ability to speak Spanish & other languages, so aren't limited to just the Brits, which is a shrinking market


do you speak Spanish? 
*
*


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

I agree with Thrax, I cant imagine you would make enough to live on, what with autonomo payments, taxes, insurances, buying in spares etc. Do we also assume you speak Spanish? or are you aiming just at English speaking folk? 

Jo xxx


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## xxxxxxxxGrahamc-2008 (Nov 20, 2012)

*moving to spain*



xabiachica said:


> :welcome:
> 
> again, tons & tons of people offering this service
> 
> ...


Thanks for the reply, i am learning spanish at the moment.


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## xxxxxxxxGrahamc-2008 (Nov 20, 2012)

jojo said:


> I agree with Thrax, I cant imagine you would make enough to live on, what with autonomo payments, taxes, insurances, buying in spares etc. Do we also assume you speak Spanish? or are you aiming just at English speaking folk?
> 
> Jo xxx


I am learning spanish at the moment.

Graham


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

Grahamc-2008 said:


> I am learning spanish at the moment.
> 
> Graham


You need to make a few fact finding trips to see how much work, how much competition and how you would set up before you take the final step. Personally, I cant see you making enough money to even pay your overheads. But you need to take a look. Spain is a wonderful country to live in, but it isnt an easy country to make money in, so you would need a good financial buffer before you start and preferably a secondary/primary income source to enable you to keep going

Jo xxx


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## xxxxxxxxGrahamc-2008 (Nov 20, 2012)

jojo said:


> You need to make a few fact finding trips to see how much work, how much competition and how you would set up before you take the final step. Personally, I cant see you making enough money to even pay your overheads. But you need to take a look. Spain is a wonderful country to live in, but it isnt an easy country to make money in, so you would need a good financial buffer before you start and preferably a secondary/primary income source to enable you to keep going
> 
> Jo xxx


Thanks for the advice, i am just thinking of this and may come over in the next few months to see what is available there.

Graham


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## tarot650 (Sep 30, 2007)

Grahamc-2008 said:


> Thanks for the advice, i am just thinking of this and may come over in the next few months to see what is available there.
> 
> Graham


Not a lot,but honestly cannot speak for the Benidorm area but only the Costa del Sol and in my honest opinion there is no niche in the market for anybody new.Even the established ones down here are all fighting for a slice of the cake and the price they are advertising for doing any maintenance on a rig,just don't know how they are making it pay.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

soulboy said:


> Not a lot,but honestly cannot speak for the Benidorm area but only the Costa del Sol and in my honest opinion there is no niche in the market for anybody new.Even the established ones down here are all fighting for a slice of the cake and the price they are advertising for doing any maintenance on a rig,just don't know how they are making it pay.


Same round here. Loads of IT repair outfits, fixed and mobile.
Laptops, notebooks etc. are now so cheap it's often not worth the trouble and expense of repairs.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

It has to be said Graham, do not underestimate the effect of the recession in Spain. Many expats have returned to their homelands, many are stuck in a poverty trap and there is mass unemployment, which massively overshadows the unemployment in the UK. Top that with the lack of a comprehensive welfare payment system and things really arent great financially. 

Sorry for the doom and gloom and I do think that Spain needs a few "entrepreneurs" and some financial input, but its high risk and needs careful thought and planning - and yes, the forum is a good place to start that process 

Jo xxxx


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## xxxxxxxxGrahamc-2008 (Nov 20, 2012)

jojo said:


> It has to be said Graham, do not underestimate the effect of the recession in Spain. Many expats have returned to their homelands, many are stuck in a poverty trap and there is mass unemployment, which massively overshadows the unemployment in the UK. Top that with the lack of a comprehensive welfare payment system and things really arent great financially.
> 
> Sorry for the doom and gloom and I do think that Spain needs a few "entrepreneurs" and some financial input, but its high risk and needs careful thought and planning - and yes, the forum is a good place to start that process
> 
> Jo xxxx


Thanks so much for your help and information, i will have a good think about it and maybe have a holiday in spain in the next few months , and ask some questions on these forums also.

Thanks Graham


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

To follow up on what Jo has said, a fair proportion of those who have "gone back home" should never have come to Spain (or anywhere) in the first place. They had no job, no income, no capital, and generally no hope. Many were running away from perceived (real or imaginary) difficulties in living in the UK rather than running to something positive in Spain

They left behind a generous state supported care system (NHS, income support, pension credit, tax credit, family allowance, unemployment benefit/JSA, etc) to come to what? Nothing. the level of state support in Spain is negligible and what there is is limited and only available to those who have paid/are paying into the system. 

State healthcare is only available to those who pay either via social security payments, insurance or coverage by payment from other countries (e.g. the S1 from Newcastle - available to OAPs and for a limited period to those who have been recent N.I. contributors in the UK).

You will be required to register as a resident within 90 days of arrival (if you bring a UK registered vehicle, you will have a further 90 days from *your* registration to have your vehicle approved and re-registered in Spain; this can cost up to about €1500 or more plus any import taxes dependent on its value and how long you have owned it).

To register as a resident you will have to show that you can support yourself and have healthcare provision. Currently (although the figures and requirements vary according to where you are and which official is reading the rule-book of the month) you are likely to be required to show that you have an income of about €600 per month per person going into a Spanish bank account and/or €6,000 in capital , again in a Spanish bank account. If you have been recently making NI contributions in UK, depending on the length of time you have been contributing, you may get up to 2½years health cover (n.b. you cannot use the EHIC for this purpose since it is not valid for residents) via the S1 form from Newcastle, otherwise you will need to have private medical insurance.

As others have said if you are planning to be self-employed you will have to contribute to the Spanish version of N.I. which is currently about €260 minimum per month irrespective of whether you take €1 or €1,000 or even nothing. You will also be required to pay tax on top.

There are a number of Brits offering IT repair and other IT services and ink cartridge refills, etc but as to the quality of their work and prices, not to mention their honesty, I am not prepared to comment. The same applies to those whose limited DiY skills in the UK become re-invented into "Qualified" electrician or plumber or builder, etc. 

Sorry if this all sounds doom and gloom but you need to approach any move to Spain with your eyes wide open so that you don't add to the numbers of those who have "gone back home"


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## xxxxxxxxGrahamc-2008 (Nov 20, 2012)

baldilocks said:


> To follow up on what Jo has said, a fair proportion of those who have "gone back home" should never have come to Spain (or anywhere) in the first place. They had no job, no income, no capital, and generally no hope. Many were running away from perceived (real or imaginary) difficulties in living in the UK rather than running to something positive in Spain
> 
> They left behind a generous state supported care system (NHS, income support, pension credit, tax credit, family allowance, unemployment benefit/JSA, etc) to come to what? Nothing. the level of state support in Spain is negligible and what there is is limited and only available to those who have paid/are paying into the system.
> 
> ...


Thank you for your very honest reply, i understand what you mean, i have a friend /customer of mine who lives mostly in spain and i spoke with her about this as i run my own business in the UK. She told me i could do well there as i am honest hard working and fully qualified to do the job , the hard bit is getting established, i will look into this further but with caution as i have had very good repsponse from this forum and thank everyone who has given me advice and comments on the subject.
Graham


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Grahamc-2008 said:


> Thank you for your very honest reply, i understand what you mean, i have a friend /customer of mine who lives mostly in spain and i spoke with her about this as i run my own business in the UK. She told me i could do well there as i am honest hard working and fully qualified to do the job , the hard bit is getting established, i will look into this further but with caution as i have had very good repsponse from this forum and thank everyone who has given me advice and comments on the subject.
> Graham


We try to do our best.


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