# Where abouts in Spain



## the scotts (May 9, 2017)

Hi,

We (our family consisting of me, my wife and two young children aged 3 and 5) are looking to move to spain but cant decide which area!
We are not overly fussed about being on the doorstep of a beach but 15 mins drive away would be good. Also, near(ish) or between airports for the obvious home visits etc.
we like the thought of being in a community but equally dont mind being at the edge of a town providing we can walk to shops, school etc.

Help please! suggestions and guidance gratefully received.


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## the scotts (May 9, 2017)

Hi folks,

You must be fed up of people asking where is the best place to move to. We (our family consisting of me, my wife and two young children aged 3 and 5) are looking to move to spain but cant decide which area!
We are not overly fussed where, or about being on the doorstep of a beach but 15 mins drive away would be good. Also, near(ish) or between airports for the obvious home visits etc
we like the thought of being in or near an expat community but equally don't mind being at the edge of a town providing we can walk to shops, school etc.

we are happy to buy but thought we might consider renting for the first 6/12 months to give us time to decide on a house or area?
Help please! suggestions and guidance gratefully received. we dont speak spanish but keen to learn. for some reason we are drawn to south east or east coast areas but no idea why!


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## Megsmum (Sep 9, 2012)

the scotts said:


> Hi folks,
> 
> You must be fed up of people asking where is the best place to move to. We (our family consisting of me, my wife and two young children aged 3 and 5) are looking to move to spain but cant decide which area!
> We are not overly fussed where, or about being on the doorstep of a beach but 15 mins drive away would be good. Also, near(ish) or between airports for the obvious home visits etc
> ...


Unless financially independent I would have thought your choice of location would depend on where you are intending to work and what you are intending to do for work?


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## bob_bob (Jan 5, 2011)

Do you speak Spanish?

Do you have skills needed in Spain (given the mass unemployment there)?

Can you show a full time work contract in Spain or and income of over £2400 per month?


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

bob_bob said:


> Do you speak Spanish?
> 
> Do you have skills needed in Spain (given the mass unemployment there)?
> 
> Can you show a full time work contract in Spain or and income of over £2400 per month?


Not an income of over 2,400 pounds per month, but €2,400. I know the difference isn't so great as it once was, but still important to be accurate when advising people.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Lynn R said:


> Not an income of over 2,400 pounds per month, but €2,400. I know the difference isn't so great as it once was, but still important to be accurate when advising people.


I read somewhere that the amount had been raised to over 700 euros per person as the Spanish Minimum Wage had been increased. So if that is the case the amount for a family of four would in fact be over 2800 euros a month plus savings and private health insurance.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

the scotts said:


> Help please! suggestions and guidance gratefully received. we dont speak spanish but keen to learn. for some reason we are drawn to south east or east coast areas but _*no idea why!*_


Hi there - the south-east/east coastal areas are where most British immigrants live, so it's much easier to get by without speaking Spanish. I would still recommend you start learning _now_ though.

Other people have mentioned the financial aspects of moving but I'm guessing you've already been through all this, to get to the stage where you're looking at where to live?


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

bob_bob said:


> *Do you speak Spanish?
> *
> Do you have skills needed in Spain (given the mass unemployment there)?
> 
> Can you show a full time work contract in Spain or and income of over £2400 per month?


Please keep up Bob-bob, the OP said he/she/they DON'T speak Spanish (Post N° 2).


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## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

Personally, if I was free (financially) to choose where to live in Spain, I would head for the North coast. For me the climate and food of the north is more appealing (although I don't complain much about either where I am now). However these factors are obviously personal and subjective. You need to work out your own personal preferences.

The problem for many however is that we have to live wherever we can find a job (even if, in my case, that meant leaving Spain for 3 years during the worst of the crisis).

If you will be looking to work in Spain, you will have a much better chance if you live in, or close to, one of the larger cities, mainly Barcelona or Madrid.


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## KG5 (Mar 21, 2016)

Your situation sounds very similar to ours.

We are moving, to Rincon just outside Malaga in just over a week.

We chose there because

- we want the kids to learn the language and it should therefor be Castillian Spanish rather than a regional version
- the climate is good
- it is well connected via Malaga airport (I will travel for work fairly often)
- it is a town with enough facilities for a young family but not so large that we cannot enjoy some quiet life and we will live on the outskirts
- it is on the coast
- it is good value for money compared areas west of Malaga or Malaga itself
- the UK ex pat population there is pretty low (hoping to immerse ourselves in Spanish life, the kids particularly)

PM me if you want to know anything else ( I'll be learning as I go too).

KG


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

KG5 said:


> Your situation sounds very similar to ours.
> 
> We are moving, to Rincon just outside Malaga in just over a week.
> 
> ...


I don't disagree with your summary of the town, but with regard to the language, outside the classroom at least the Spanish your children are likely to hear will be Andaluz rather than Castellano. It's quite a pronounced regional dialect and if you have learned Castellano in Spanish lessons you are likely to find it very hard to understand!


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## the scotts (May 9, 2017)

Do I need a minimum income? My wife and I will have 24K per year from a work pension. im not sure how it works. thank you!!!


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## the scotts (May 9, 2017)

why do i need 2,400 per month. ive tried to research this. is there a minimum income before being permitted?


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## the scotts (May 9, 2017)

not really been through finances. we will have around 2k per month from a work pension. i dont really understand what is required. is there a good site to offer advice? thanks!


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

the scotts said:


> not really been through finances. we will have around 2k per month from a work pension. i dont really understand what is required. *is there a good site to offer advice? thanks*!


This one  

There are no officially published figures, but the requirement is currently around 700€ per month per person. Some offices demand more, some less. Some don't expect the full figure for children, some do. Some will also want savings in the bank. You won't know exactly what you need until you actually go to the local office. and even then it might change somewhat from one week to the next!

You will also need private healthcare.

However, if one of you has a proper work contract, or is registered as self-employed, that covers both income & healthcare requirements.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

the scotts said:


> not really been through finances. we will have around 2k per month from a work pension. i dont really understand what is required. is there a good site to offer advice? thanks!


The requirement to show an "income" of €xxx per person per month can be simplified by drawing the money out again and the paying it in a few days /a week later so that you show that €xxx goes into your account on a regular basis. Obviously you don't draw out in one lump sum but in various amounts so that it looks less obvious.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

the scotts said:


> why do i need 2,400 per month. ive tried to research this. is there a minimum income before being permitted?


The reason why you need a minimum income is that people who are registering as foreign residents in Spain are required to show that they have sufficient funds to support themselves so that they will not become a burden on the state. The amount required for non EU citizens is substantially higher than the current €700 per person per month required for EU citizens. The actual amount is not written down anywhere because each case is supposed to be assessed according to individual circumstances - eg if someone owns their own property so has no rent to pay out of their income, then often they will be permitted to register with a lower level of income, or if they have a substantial lump sum in their Spanish bank account that could also be accepted.

As Xabiachica said, though, each office interprets the rules diffferently so really the best course of action, once you have identified where you want to live, is to visit the office (or consult a gestor in the local area who is accustomed to helping people with the registration process and will know the local requirements) and ask them what their requirements are - and do that before you actually make the move. 

As has also been mentioned, if you have an employment contract for a job in Spain, or are registered as self-employed and paying social securrity contributions, that will suffice for evidence of self-sufficiency and you wouldn't have to show additional proof of income.


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## kaipa (Aug 3, 2013)

Yes, No point in trying to find exact figures etc. Basically as has been said if you are not working and paying SS then the state won't support you. So no free health care for you or family. Hence the need to show you can support yourselves. Different places, different offices, different people all mean different requirements. Even is you speak Spanish it is better to get a local Gestor to do this for you. I say local because it is often the case that they will personally know the people who do this process and this means the conditions might be interpreted as less stringent. You'll get "it" when you move here!! Don't worry though as long as you have sufficient means you'll be fine and remember you are just showing you have the money you don't have to spend it. However bear in mind that with Brexit coming into play it is difficult to say what the situation will be post Brexit or even post Article 50. The UK has basically indicated that it is not happy allowing non_UK nationals full rights until Brexit. They want them curbed as soon as possible. IF that was the case they could change these income levels to those of Non_EU citizens which is very much larger than 700 a month


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## KG5 (Mar 21, 2016)

Lynn R said:


> I don't disagree with your summary of the town, but with regard to the language, outside the classroom at least the Spanish your children are likely to hear will be Andaluz rather than Castellano. It's quite a pronounced regional dialect and if you have learned Castellano in Spanish lessons you are likely to find it very hard to understand!


Thanks Lynn - hadn't factored this in but we know now!


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## josekoko (May 25, 2017)

I'm interested in Malaga also. I wish there was an official, EASY way to understand visa requirements, income requirements and all that jazz. It seems like there's always a different answer to everything.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

josekoko said:


> I'm interested in Malaga also. I wish there was an official, EASY way to understand visa requirements, income requirements and all that jazz. It seems like there's always a different answer to everything.


Actually for a non-EU citizen the visa requirements are well-documented on many Spanish Consulate websites, including exactly what the financial requirements are.


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## josekoko (May 25, 2017)

i've seen different things from different sites but will go to the spanish consulate...i looked quite a bit last night but probably wasn't on an 'official' spanish consulate site, although I'm pretty sure I was....


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

josekoko said:


> i've seen different things from different sites but will go to the spanish consulate...i looked quite a bit last night but probably wasn't on an 'official' spanish consulate site, although I'm pretty sure I was....


This is official Visados de larga duración

as is this http://www.exteriores.gob.es/Consulados/SANFRANCISCO/en/ConsularServices/Documents/visas/NonLucrative.pdf


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