It’s top tips time! And this top ten is all about moving to Spain, what to do in advance and when you get there so you can make the most of your new adventure.

1 – Visas & Residency

As a non-EU citizen, you will need a visa to become a resident of Spain. We have lots of specific blog articles on our website and videos on our YouTube channel, which tell you everything you need to know about the different types of visas.

2 – Learn Spanish!

Whether you’re going to a part of Spain where they speak English a lot, like the major cities or the tourist areas, it’s not only polite to learn the language, it will really help you to know what’s going on, how to get around and how to make friends. Spanish people are famous for being happy that you’ve made the effort to speak their language.

There are lots of ways to learn, try different methods and find the right one for you. Most of them will give you a good basic start, then the best way to learn properly is to immerse yourself in the culture by being there and hearing the language spoken. And don’t stop the lessons after you arrive.

Take classes, read newspapers or books, watch Spanish TV, mingle with people. The more you put in, the quicker you’ll become fluent. If you use this link https://uta.lk/youtoospain you can get a 30% discount on the uTalk language app, which is a fun way of starting your journey to fluency.

3 – Try before you buy!

Before you choose where you’re going to live in Spain and where you’re going to buy a house, really the only way to be sure is to travel around and find out where feels best for you. There are lots of things to take into account, like can you stand the extreme heat of the interior of the country or in the southern cities, how old are you, is the area right for your needs, does it have the facilities you’ll need now and into the future – especially if you’re buying a house because you don’t want to have to keep selling a property every time you realise you’re in the wrong place.

‘Rent before you buy’ is the cry you’ll hear from expats, and they’re right. Find the right area first, check out the community, work out whether you need to be in a town or city or village or way out in the mountains. Try before you buy. One last addendum to this tip, if you don’t need the money from your UK property, don’t sell straight away, hang onto it, rent it out to give you funds, then if you find Spain isn’t the right place for you, you have somewhere to move back to.

4 – Don’t take too much stuff!

Spain has all you need, and a lot of it, like furniture for example, can be found much cheaper at flea markets. Removals cost a lot of money, and if you sell loads of your belongings and get rid of the rest of your excess baggage, you’ll not only make a bit of cash, you’ll also feel lighter and better. You also learn such a lot about yourself when you’re doing it, and it can make you happier and stronger.

Also, if you’re moving from the UK, you might have to pay fees to get your belongings over the border since Brexit, and there’s a lot more paperwork for the removals companies to make sure your stuff doesn’t get stopped, searched and delayed. So take the minimum you need.

5 – CHILL OUT!

A lot of people move to Spain because the pace of life is slower, then they complain that things don’t happen quickly. Don’t get frustrated by this fabulous culture, embrace it, it will actually do you good. Time moves slower in Spain.

Morning doesn’t end until lunchtime which could be as late as 2 o’clock in the afternoon. After that, it’s afternoon until about 10pm which is when the night begins and people go out.

Everything is later than in the UK, including the people. If you’re invited somewhere for a certain time, don’t be early, they won’t be ready, it might even be considered rude. If you’re going out for dinner and turn up exactly on time, you’ll probably be on your own for 10 minutes, or 30 minutes. So don’t panic, relax, chill.

6 – Medical Care

Sort out your medical care in advance. Now, this goes without saying if you’ve had to get a visa, you will need to get healthcare cover as part of your application. Everyone needs health cover, you can’t move to Spain without it.

There is a state health service but it’s not like the NHS in the UK, you have to pay for it somehow. If you’re older or have pre-existing conditions, it can be expensive or even impossible to get full private medical insurance.

Emergency care is always available of course, they won’t bother to check your policy before treating you in an emergency, but any treatment can be expensive if you’re not covered. Remember, your EHIC or GHIC card is only applicable if you’re on holiday. Once you’re a resident, you can no longer use it.

7 – Driving

Make sure you check out the Spanish Highway Code, there are some important differences, like how to negotiate a roundabout for example. It’s advisable to get a Left Hand Drive car because it’s easier to see what you’re doing when you’re overtaking for example, and going through the toll booths you’ll be on the right side to pay. It just makes sense to have a left-hand drive, the system is built for it.

At the present time, if you’re a UK passport holder you will need to pass the Spanish driving test (the theory test is Google-translated, and the practical is in Spanish) before you’ve been there for 6 months, otherwise, you won’t have a Spanish licence and you will not be allowed to drive.

Talks are ongoing to change that so you will hopefully in the near future be allowed to exchange your licence for a Spanish one without taking the test.

It’s worth knowing that Spanish public transport is really good, you’ll find there are plenty of busses and trips to get you around, especially if you’re on the transport routes, so that’s one of the things to check out when you’re choosing where to live.

8 – Make a will!

This is something you probably won’t want to be thinking about I know, but especially if you’re buying property, you want to make sure that you’ve arranged a will. And it pays to stipulate that you want to use British law when it comes to passing property on. Spanish law is very different. So consult an English speaking lawyer and ask all of the right questions.

9 – Get a good Gestor!

A Gestor (pronounced ‘hestore’) is basically someone who helps you carry out administrative and bureaucratic tasks, a lot are qualified accountants, but there are different kinds. You could try doing all the admin on your own, but a good Gestor is worth their weight in gold as making the simplest slip up could cause you an awful lot of trouble. Get recommendations for a good one and make sure they’re properly licensed to help you.

10 – Get involved

Yes, the best top tip is to get involved in the local community. There will be lots of groups, clubs and fiestas where you can meet your community. They will be full of advice, they’re a fountain of knowledge, and they can be lots of fun. They will be there for you if you need a plumber, and taking you all the way back to top tip number 3, when you’re finding a place to live in Spain it’s not the house you’re looking for, it’s not the view, it’s the community.

Find that, find the people you’ve been looking for and you’ll be happy. Everything flows outwards from there.

Spain is waiting for you, and so is YouTooSpain.

Get involved with our community on The YouTooSpain Community Facebook group here https://www.facebook.com/groups/youtoospain because if they can move to Spain, YOU can TOO.