|
The idea of moving to Spain with young children is obviously much more daunting than making the leap as a couple or a single person with no dependents. It's a fact that Spain offers a wonderful lifestyle for people of all ages, particularly youngsters who are generally adored by the Spanish.
In most Spanish bars, restaurants and public places children are welcomed with open arms which is a far cry from the very British "children should be seen and not heard" mentality. Spanish fathers, uncles and grandfathers openly kiss and cuddle their children in public showing a touching kind of affection which is rarely seen (and might even be frowned upon) in colder climes.
 In Spain you'll see teenagers gathered in a bar drinking coffee or coca-cola for hours on end, even though Spain's relaxed licensing laws allow kids to consume alcohol at almost any age. It's rare to see the drunken brawls which are now a normal part of the "teen scene" in any of the major towns and cities in the UK on Friday and Saturday nights.
In anywhere except the far north of Spain the climate enables youngsters to be out of doors for most of the time (a boon for anyone who's ever been cooped up with energetic children or teenagers on a rainy day!).
So that's all the good news. But think very carefully before removing your children from everything they're familiar with because, especially with older kids, a permanent move to Spain isn't always successful.
The age of your children is a vital factor when considering a move to Spain, especially if you're thinking of sending them to a Spanish school. The younger they are, the better chance they'll have of learning the language and settling into their new environment. There are no hard and fast rules on this one of course as much depends on the character and ability of your child. But generally speaking, children up to the age of around seven will adapt well and quickly to life in Spain (as long as they perceive that their parents are adapting well themselves of course).
After the age of seven (sometimes earlier, sometimes later depending on the particular child), mastering the language and adapting to a completely alien environment will become increasingly difficult. Spanish state schools accept children from EU countries with a minimum of fuss and those in the popular tourist / ex-pat areas normally make special provision for foreign children. They usually lay on extra tuition to help the children learn Spanish and assign (where possible) a pupil of the same nationality to accompany your child for at least the first few days in school.
Very young kids will pick up the language within a matter of weeks but older children are more inhibited, self-conscious and therefore unwilling to make fools of themselves until they're completely confident in their ability to speak fluently. This can lead to isolation, depression and a total inability to integrate with the Spanish children.
If you're moving to Spain with children over the age of 10 you should consider whether you can afford to put them into an international school where they can continue their studies in their own language. It's rare to find children above this age who adapt well to a totally Spanish environment without some major problems along the way. It's not impossible…but the older your children are, the more difficult the move is likely to be.
Cost of Living on the Costa del Sol Spain
It's hard to give anything more than a very rough guide, but since this is one of the big questions when somebody is deciding to move to the Costa del Sol, Spain, here are some examples:
- Rental costs: From 600 € for a 2 bedroom appartment and upwards.
- Electricity bills: for two people, our bills are 45 €/month
- Gas bills: for two people with a gas water heater and a gas stove, our bills are 40 €/month.
- Water bills: for two people app. 25 €/month
- Telephone bills: 25 €/month, plus the calls you make.
- For private health insurance costs, see Health Care.
- Food: for two people, our food bills are 350 €/month. An average restaurant per person bill is 18€. A glass of beer or wine at a bar is 1,2€. A tapa is 1,5€.
- A nursery for a child is 110 €/month for 5 hours/day.
- A parking space in a garage is 95 €/month.
- A gym is 35 €/month.
- A movie theatre ticket is 7€.
- A man's haircut is 15€.
ID Numbers in Spain
- NIE: (Número de Identidad de Extranjero): The immigration service issues this number to you once you obtain residency (you will find the number on your Resident Card). This is your identification number in Spain. It is needed in order to file taxes, establish a business, open a bank account, and for almost all other forms you fill out. Both EU citizens and non-EU citizens get issued a NIE.
- DNI: (Documento Nacional de Identidad): This is the ID number for Spanish citizens. The same number is used for one's driver's license.
- NIF: (Número de Identificación Fiscal): This is the tax ID number for all individuals. For Spaniards, it's the DNI plus one letter; for foreigners, it's the same number as your NIE. Once you have a NIE, you do not need to reapply for a NIF; if and when you have to pay taxes, use your NIE number. If you're a nonresident who has to pay taxes in Spain, you may get a NIF issued to you without having a NIE. This, of course, does not mean you get automatic residency in Spain, nor will it make it any easier to get residency.
- CIF: (Certificado de Identificación Fiscal): This is the the same as the NIF, but for companies.
- Social Security Number: Your employer applies for this number when you start your first job in Spain. This number then stays with you for all subsequent jobs. If you are self-employed, you apply yourself for this number.
Visas in Spain
If you're an EU citizen, you don't need a visa; you already have the right to residency.
You'll probably find it useful, though, to apply for a NIE.
If you're a non-EU citizen, and you want to stay in Spain for more than 30 days, you need a visa. If you want to live in Spain, the process is this: First get a visa from the Spanish Embassy or Consulate closest to your home. When you arrive in Spain, you work on getting residency. After you get that, you can begin work on getting citizenship.
Getting residency in Spain allows you to live anywhere in the EU. Likewise, getting residency somewhere else in the EU gives you a right to residency in Spain. That means that if your goal is residency in Spain and you have relatives or ancestors in some other country in the EU, then the easiest way may be to first apply for residency in that other country.
Residence Visas: here are the requirements for each of the types of residence visas/work permits.
- If you're married or related to a Spanish citizen, you apply for the Visa de Reagrupacion Familiar .
- If you're retired, you apply for the Visa de Jubilados. Note: on arrival in Spain, you may be asked to get medical insurance, so you're not a drain on the Spanish public medical system. This may not be the easiest request for an older person.
- If you're wealthy, apply for visas #4 or #5.
- If you're a Mormon, apply for visa #6.
- If none of the above, then it gets tougher. You can come for three months, then try to find a company to sponsor you, or you might try to get residence in another EU country first (do you have an Irish grandmother?). Or if you just love Spain but hate bureaucracies, you can probably live here illegally many years without difficulties, as long as you keep a low profile.
Once you have the residence visa in your passport, you have three months after arrival in Spain to go to the nearest Oficina de Extranjeros. Below are the following documents you will need to bring, based on our own experience (we haven't found any official listing).
- Form called Solicitud de Tarjeta en Regimen Comunitario
- Passport and 2 photocopies
- 3 passport-sized photos
- Medical certificate
- If a member of the family is Spanish (or has residency): your Libro de Familia, DNI (or Residency Card) of that family member, Empadronamiento, and medical insurance.
- If you will be working for someone: a contract of employment.
- If you will be self-employed: documents that prove you fulfill the requirements necessary to undertake that activity.
- If you won't be working: documents that prove you have enough money to live during your time in Spain, plus medical insurance.
- If you will be a student: proof of matriculation in an accredited school, plus the requirements of the previous item.
You will then receive your Resident Card in a few days or many months. (Each Oficina de Extranjeros processes candidates locally. The time spent both waiting in line at the office and waiting for your Resident Card can vary tremendously, depending on where you do it. If you want to get it done fast, you'll probably find it better to do it in a small town.)
Spanish Citizenship
After you have been a resident of Spain for two to ten years (depending on the circumstances under which you got your residency), you have the right to apply for citizenship. Once your application is approved, you swear allegiance to the King and to the Spanish Constitution. The public body in charge of citizenship is the Ministerio de Justicia ; the place to apply is the Registro Civil. You must technically renounce citizenship with your country of origin (unless you're from Latin America, Portugal, Philippines, Equatorial Guinea, Andorra, or you're a Sephardic Jew). In practice, countries do not generally exchange this information, so as long as you don't show both passports at the airport, you won't get in trouble.
Is it worth getting citizenship? The main difference is you can get a passport and the right to vote, though there are many minor advantages (EU citizen rates for museums, etc.)
|
