tomwins
American expat in Spain
Forum posts
32
About me
American
Lives in Santander, Cantabria
Registration: 25 July 2018
How easy is it to sell a piso in Spain?
I am preparing to move near Girona (north of Barcelona) and am not finding many rental units I like in decent neighborhoods. I see many flats for sale.Since I don't plan to live there more than four or five years, I am wondering if it will be hard ... Read More
Cost of living in Spain in 2024 by Cheryl
Hello everyone, As every year, we invite you to share your experience regarding the cost of living in Spain, and if possible, in the specific region or city where you live. This will help members who are planning to relocate in Spain. Here are ...
When it comes to housing, what is the cost of renting or buying an apartment or house in Spain?I pay 700鈧� for a one bedroom apartment 1/2 block from the beach in Santander (Cantabria). How much do you pay for public transports such as buses, ... Read More
Process to move permanently to Spain from the US by beeeventura
Can anyone provide information on how to navigate the visa process to move permanently to Spain from the US? The consulate office in NY does not have a live person, they don't respond to emails or messages. What do the expats living in Spain ...
I did a search for "Spain Consulate Visa New York" and found the website with the information you need to get a visa. It also says no information is given by other means. So you need to go here: ... Read More
Portugal or Spain by BeachBaby
Hello,My husband and I are visiting Valencia area soon. We've done research, explored, and spent 10 days in Portugal. Sky high real estate. Overrun by tourists. Need to move away from coast to be affordable. Interested in small neighborhood of ...
If you want cooler and can take rain, look at Bilboa or Gijon and other northern cities. I am in a smaller town that doesn't have too many expats. The temperature in the winter is mild, though damp. It can be windy, especially as the seasons change ... Read More
Portugal or Spain by BeachBaby
Hello,My husband and I are visiting Valencia area soon. We've done research, explored, and spent 10 days in Portugal. Sky high real estate. Overrun by tourists. Need to move away from coast to be affordable. Interested in small neighborhood of ...
I had been to Valencia a few times and love the city and what it has to offer. But I had only been in the Spring. So in 2021 I went to Valencia for several weeks in September. The heat and humidity there was unbearable for me.The next Spring, after ... Read More
Best bank account without DNI by peterashwell1992
Hello, I am living in Spain as a "residente", so I need a bank account. Some friends recommended me to open an account in Sabadell or in Santander, but I can't without Spanish ID (DNI). Reading online I found this article that recommends Revolut and ...
ErikWeller is right on. I'm from the US and opened an account at Santander with my NIE before I had my temporary resident card (so was not officially processed as a resident). They used my passport and when I got my card they added that to the ... Read More
Adapting to the pace of life in Spain by Cheryl
Hello everyone, When you move to Spain, you may find that the pace of life is different from what you're used to. Shop opening times, working hours, sleep cycles and variations in sunlight can all have an effect on your life in Spain as an expat ...
I have changed quiet a bit over the past year since living in Spain as a retiree. I resisted changing my eating times for a long time. But in part due to living in Spain and in part due to wanting to lose weight, I've changed from eating a big ... Read More
Lease Agreement For TIE by Fred Christensen29
Greetings everyone. We need to obtain our TIE, and just found out yesterday that this requires proof of residency established through the local City Hall, based on a lease agreement. We had already made plans to stay in different places in Spain ...
This morning I thought of two things that may help you.My lease is a month to month. So you shouldn't need to pursue a year lease. This may help you get a place to register locally and get your card and then have time to find a better solution.Find ... Read More
Lease Agreement For TIE by Fred Christensen29
Greetings everyone. We need to obtain our TIE, and just found out yesterday that this requires proof of residency established through the local City Hall, based on a lease agreement. We had already made plans to stay in different places in Spain ...
The following may help you get a local office to approve your presence there. It is what my lawyer asked me to get my landlord to sign.Yo don..... mayor de edad con DNI .... y con domicilio en..... , propietario de la vivienda sita en .... autorizo ... Read More
Lease Agreement For TIE by Fred Christensen29
Greetings everyone. We need to obtain our TIE, and just found out yesterday that this requires proof of residency established through the local City Hall, based on a lease agreement. We had already made plans to stay in different places in Spain ...
I'm sorry to hear about your difficulty but it doesn't surprise me that short-term rentals are not accepted.To get my card, I had to show a rental agreement and the lawyer I was using also suggested I get the landlord to sign a simple statement ... Read More
Gay Married Couple Looking to Relocate to Spain by markegoldstein
The question is where in Spain would a gay married couple in their 60s feel more comfortable?聽The choices are :Malaga/Torremolinos, Alicante, or Valencia.We like to make gay friends and have all the amenities that a decent-sized city would have ...
@redlodge925 Sorry it took me so long to reply but I just saw your request for me to tell you why I don't like September in Valencia. I don't like heat and humidity. As long as the temperature is below 25 I am fine. In dry climate I don't mind 26 or ... Read More
Moving To Santander by soeclectic
I have lived in Amsterdam, London, NY, San Francisco, San Diego, Portland, Seattle, Oakland, Laguna Beach, and now Santa Cruz California. I am well educated and have experienced just about everything life has to offer. I have always been very ...
I am not OP but I moved to Santander in March 2022. I love it!I don't consider it depressing or grey even though I'm subject to winter blues.Yes it can be cloudy and overcast and it does rain more than most other parts of Spain.The winter sun is ... Read More
Empadronamiento for Spain by TinaChico
Hello,I am trying to get my Empadronamiento, but my Spanish solicitor says I have to have an address in Spain. But we are still waiting for my husband and children's NLV to come through. So I really don't want to buy or rent in Spain in case their ...
For the visa application, you have to show an address at which you will be living upon arriving in Spain. I assume you did this since you have your NLV. I did it by renting for six weeks and included a note that I'd find a permanent rental after ... Read More
Bank Recommendations by Snapper55
Hi, my wife Renae and I are from Wisconsin in the US. We are retirerees who have traveled a good deal but who now want to establish a residence in Barcelona. We have secured NIE numbers from the consulate in Chicago. We will travel to Barcelona ...
I have been using Santander for six months now. I tried to open an account at BBVA but they wouldn't until I received my card. Banco Santander allowed me to open an account with my passport and then once I got my immigration card, they updated the ... Read More
How do you move your stuff from the US to Spain? by zurlita
Hi there!We are planning to move to Malaga this summer and we want to reduce our stuff to minimum. However, after almost 20 years in the US, it will be probably hard to leave with just a piece of luggage. Even though we would make effort to reduce ...
I made the move in 2022. In April I came to Spain to make final plans before moving in July. In April I brought suitcases (one checked and one carry-on) full of things (mainly clothes) I didn't need and left them in Spain. Then in July I brought two ... Read More
The cost of Living in Spain in 2023 by Mickael
Hello everyone, As every year, we invite you to share your experience on the evolution of the cost of living in the region or city where you live in order to answer future requests for information from new members of the site who would like to ...
In terms of accommodation, how much does it cost to rent/buy a flat or house in in Spain?I pay 700鈧� a month in rent for a one bedroom apartment near the beach.How much do you pay on average for public transport (bus, metro, train, tram, ... Read More
Moving to Spain by mscarolyn030
Am I too old (80) to move to Spain? I Am an independent woman in excellent health and love the more relaxed style of living in Europe.
mscarolyn030, I moved from the US to Spain in July '22. I turned 65 a couple of weeks after the move. In the seven months since my move I am more physically and mentally fit than I've been in for years. You mentioned lifestyle as a reason to move. I ... Read More
HELP / Why are we always doing things the hard way! by Guest8863
Hello Fellow Expats,聽sorry for the long post, but the information I am finding on the internet is too basic to help us strategize on how to relocate back to Spain with our situation.聽Looking for some help!My non-EU spouse (US citizen) was ...
Have you asked the Spanish Consulate on the best way to proceed. Since they will be the people who will approve your application, they are the best people to answer your question about what options are available to you and what steps need to be ... Read More
NLV vs Digital Nomad visas by Docx2
I am a 70 year old single man, who wants to move to the EU.聽I "was" planning to go to Portugal, but the spoken language seems impenetrable.聽I am quite concerned about being lonely.聽I speak some Spanish and have loved visiting Spain, ...
I'm a 65 year old, recently divorced man who moved to Spain in July '22. I'm happy to help if I can.First, the digital nomad is for people working. Are you planning on working. If not, you will need to apply with the NLV.I haven't seen the amount ... Read More
What company (that isn't a law firm) helped you obtain your NLV? by NomadWriter
I am retiring and planning to move to Valencia from the United States next year. I know hiring a lawyer is an expensive way to get your NLV and I don't believe my personal circumstances are complicated enough to warrant one. What company (such as ...
I immigrated to Spain in July. I could have done it myself without help but I was going through a divorce and decided I wanted help in getting through the immigration process as the divorce process was far messier than I thought it was going to ... Read More
Gay Married Couple Moving to Malaga, Valencia or Barcelona by markegoldstein
Hello All- My husband and I are currently from Phoenix, AZ, USA and are thinking of moving to Spain. Malaga, Valencia, and Barcelona are on the list. I won't rule any place out until we visit, but Valencia and Malaga seem they are more suited for ...
@JT Dark Sorry it took so long to reply. I worked with Olivia Foster at Asisa Health Insurance.asisacaresforyou.comask@asisa.esIt was 835 鈧� for my first year, I'm 65.I liked her a lot. She answered all my question promptly. I needed to copy the ... Read More
Gay Married Couple Moving to Malaga, Valencia or Barcelona by markegoldstein
Hello All- My husband and I are currently from Phoenix, AZ, USA and are thinking of moving to Spain. Malaga, Valencia, and Barcelona are on the list. I won't rule any place out until we visit, but Valencia and Malaga seem they are more suited for ...
They took out the link to weatherspark that compares climates so I suggest you use the weatherspark site to do the comparison. I really like this for travel planning as the history they use seems to be better than many other climate forecast sites. ... Read More
Gay Married Couple Moving to Malaga, Valencia or Barcelona by markegoldstein
Hello All- My husband and I are currently from Phoenix, AZ, USA and are thinking of moving to Spain. Malaga, Valencia, and Barcelona are on the list. I won't rule any place out until we visit, but Valencia and Malaga seem they are more suited for ...
Last month, I received my visa and will be moving to Santander in July. The application process was smooth but it did take time to pull all the documents together. I can talk about Valencia as it was on my short list. I've been to Barcelona many ... Read More
Gay Married Couple Looking to Relocate to Spain by markegoldstein
The question is where in Spain would a gay married couple in their 60s feel more comfortable?聽The choices are :Malaga/Torremolinos, Alicante, or Valencia.We like to make gay friends and have all the amenities that a decent-sized city would have ...
[link under review]https://www.ilga-europe.org/sites/default/files/2022/spain.pdfThe above links are for the ANNUAL REVIEW OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION OF LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANS, AND INTERSEX PEOPLE IN SPAIN for 2021 Read More
Gay Married Couple Looking to Relocate to Spain by markegoldstein
The question is where in Spain would a gay married couple in their 60s feel more comfortable?聽The choices are :Malaga/Torremolinos, Alicante, or Valencia.We like to make gay friends and have all the amenities that a decent-sized city would have ...
@markegoldstein I have been to many places in Spain as I was looking for a place to live as a single gay man turning 65 in July. Today I got notice that my Visa application has been approved and I have an appointment on Monday to get the visa put ... Read More
Most Mild Climate? by Tony_Amigo
Hi everybody. My first post here. What cities/regions have the mildest climates in Mexico? I am not a fan of intense heat and humidity, and know that parts of Peru and Ecadour have cooler climates. What about Mexico? Gracias!
I moved from San Diego and visited much of Baja California prior to deciding to live in the mountains. San Diego and Baja are dry but they are too dry for me. It is also getting hotter. San Miguel Allende is too cold for my taste for a lot of the ... Read More
How do I settle down here in Mexico? by Soulsong
1.-What steps does my friend follow to have her pension wired from the US to her here in Mexico? 2.- What does she have to do to settle here in the city of Cancun or Playa Del Carmen, Mexico?
If the pension can be sent to a non-US bank account - that is one option. I have a pension and rather than incurring fees for wire transfers, I use the ATM to get money as needed. You'll find Charles Schwab HY Checking account is popular among ... Read More
Turning your FMM in when you leave? by JulianDave
I spent a week in SMA and flew from Leon to the Tijuana airport on my way out. I crossed into the US using the bridge in the airport that goes directly to the US, but there was nobody collecting my FMM. The next thing I know I'm in the US and I ...
I know what you mean and you have some reason to be concerned. They are getting tough on people overstaying the tourist visa. Challenging you for overstaying would occur as you are leaving the country and they compare when you entered. I would be ... Read More
Best cities to live in Mexico by Julien
Hi, It聮s not always easy to decide in which area to settle in when moving to Mexico. According to you, what are the best cites to live in? Which regions offer most of the job opportunities, a good quality of life, an affordable cost of ...
I live in San Juan Cosala on Lake Chapala and go to Costco, Petco, Home Depot about once a month. It is a 45 minute drive, most of which is not congested. I live with a beautiful view of the lake with great neighbors. So it may not work for you ... Read More
New members of the Mexico forum, introduce yourselves here - 2018 by Julien
Hi all, Newbie on the Mexico forum? Don聮t know how to start? This thread is for you聽;) We invite you to introduce yourself on this topic, to share with us your expat story if you are already living in the country, or to tell us more on ...
My name is Tom. I've lived in San Juan Cosala (Lake Chapala) for three years. I retired from San Diego before moving to Mexico. Born and raised in Alabama but moved to California my late 20s and then to Florida for ten years before moving back ... Read More
Turning your FMM in when you leave? by JulianDave
I spent a week in SMA and flew from Leon to the Tijuana airport on my way out. I crossed into the US using the bridge in the airport that goes directly to the US, but there was nobody collecting my FMM. The next thing I know I'm in the US and I ...
It is not unusual for them not to collect. I assume you were in Mexico with a tourist visa. If you were a permanent or temporary resident of Mexico, the airline would have taken a portion of the FMM as part of their boarding process at the ... Read More