electra777
American looking for information about Spain
Forum posts
24
About me
American
Registration: 09 March 2020
Homeschooling in Spain by Bhavna
Hello everyone, Homeschooling your children as an expat in Spain will definitely come with its load of challenges. Here is a special call to parents who are already homeschooling their children or who plan on doing so to share any information ...
School registration is linked to legal residency. If you want to come on a DNV or NLV and go for 5-year residency after that--you have to prove your school-age children are registered in school. I'm sure people have managed to get away with it, or ... Read More
Most common scams in Spain by Cheryl
Hello everyone, Settling in Spain as an expat implies navigating into a new and unfamiliar environment and habits, making you potentially vulnerable to scammers. Whether it鈥檚 immigration or finance advice, housing scam, online traps or ...
Most common for me is the SMS texts with fake DGT fines (I don't have a car or DL) and fake package delivery texts. I delete and ignore. Am also getting email spam in Spanish now. Read More
Winter in southern Spain by bhc752013
Due to poor health I need to move to a warmer climate in the winter, there would be my wife and I plus to small dogs. We need a small property away from the towns With one bedroom and a small garden. Can anyone help or at least point us in the right ...
@bhc752013 Southern Spain gets cold in the winter. In fact, colder inside homes than outside sometimes. If you require a warm winter--Canaries are warmer. Read More
Finding a country to retire in by GuestPoster108899
My name is David. I live in Canada. I am 47. I want to retire abroad, but I am not sure which country to pick. The problem is that I am 47, not the normal retirement age.I do not have a pension, just savings and investments.I am not willing to make ...
Maybe check out Panama, Mexico, Uruguay. Read More
Keeping a us residence versus a virtual address by seamus452
Just wondering what folks experiences have been with virtual addresses (ie. mailbox services)聽 as opposed to actually maintaining a home or apartment in the states while living in Spain.聽 聽Thank you.
@seamus452 I use iPostal1. It's been fine for the most part--not the cheapest option, but you can get a street address almost anywhere in the country with them. Read More
Retirement to Malaga buying property by Wendy Clark
Helloi have a two year plan to retire to Malaga any advice wouldbe extremely helpful and welcome! Especially about buying a property
@Wendy Clark Malaga real estate is somewhat overpriced and overvalued right now--have read it is currently not a great investment. That being said--you will need to renew the NLV after first year and again 2 years after that. When you renew, you ... Read More
Retiring to Spain from South Flroida. Need a virtual address. by seamus452
Does anyone have any recommendation on how to choose a virtual address company and/ or which ones to avoid. We are retiring from the Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood/Miami area.
Choose a company that uses street addresses rather than Box no. iPostal1 has street addresses all over Florida, so you can keep one in your area. Just check it out before moving to make sure the proprietor - usually a UPS type store--is reliable and ... Read More
Keeping a us residence versus a virtual address by seamus452
Just wondering what folks experiences have been with virtual addresses (ie. mailbox services)聽 as opposed to actually maintaining a home or apartment in the states while living in Spain.聽 聽Thank you.
@seamus452 We've had a virtual address in the US since we moved to Spain 4 years ago. Use it for most US banks without issue. If you keep your house and sell it after moving to Spain, you will have to pay CG tax on it here. Read More
Roth IRA or Roth 401k taxation by Erichsisol
Hi all US expats and Tax accountants! I'm a US and as well as EU citizen (non-Spain) living in US and planning to retire in Spain. I have researched a lot online and YouTube videos but I could not find any concrete reliable information about ...
@chasleslieb Interesting. How can you claim tax residence in the US with the tiebreaker clause? I'd love to do that--but what is your argument for being a US tax resident if you don't mind my asking - we're also NLV and receive all of our passive ... Read More
Not on property registry - safe to buy or not? by H Williams
Hi thereI have found a house I like but it states that it's not on the property registry."Both the property and the land are preserved and with regular maintenance, it is not registered in the property registry, but the necessary documentation is ...
@H Williams You should have your attorney check it first. YOUR attorney--not the seller's or realtor's. There is a problem with some houses that were built illegally years ago. Antonio Banderas just demolished a villa and is rebuilding it because ... Read More
Not on property registry - safe to buy or not? by H Williams
Hi thereI have found a house I like but it states that it's not on the property registry."Both the property and the land are preserved and with regular maintenance, it is not registered in the property registry, but the necessary documentation is ...
@rogerroberts22 That is why you hire your own lawyer for a purchase. Do not use the realtor's or seller's. I wouldn't even sign lease contracts here until I had a lawyer review them. Read More
Roth IRA or Roth 401k taxation by Erichsisol
Hi all US expats and Tax accountants! I'm a US and as well as EU citizen (non-Spain) living in US and planning to retire in Spain. I have researched a lot online and YouTube videos but I could not find any concrete reliable information about ...
@chasleslieb聽 聽 Your IRA withdrawals are taxed, including Roth. Your bank interest is taxed.聽 I'm not in wealth tax bracket, so I don't know about income tax declarations regarding IRAs. I do not report anything on income tax that is ... Read More
Roth IRA or Roth 401k taxation by Erichsisol
Hi all US expats and Tax accountants! I'm a US and as well as EU citizen (non-Spain) living in US and planning to retire in Spain. I have researched a lot online and YouTube videos but I could not find any concrete reliable information about ...
@Sannapho You are lucky you get free health care. As a couple, we pay $4,800 per year for health insurance in Spain. Read More
Seniors moving from US to Spain by chrisengelart
My partner and I are thinking of moving to Spain from the US. We are both retired and have sufficient income to meet the necessary criteria. I am 78 and wondering if my age presents difficulties for such an endeavor. We are both in good health and ...
@chrisengelart A few things to be aware of regarding Spanish health care. You have to have a private coverage plan in place for the non lucrative visa if you are applying for this visa. Spanish private insurance is like the US healthy insurance ... 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 ...
I file in the US and Spain and use 2 different accountants--one for each country, but they've worked together. And I can tell you they are well worth their money. I could file my own US taxes, but it is worth it to have someone else do it for me ... 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 ...
@rogerroberts22 I file in the US and Spain and use 2 different accountants--one for each country, but they've worked together. And I can tell you they are well worth their money. I could file my own US taxes, but it is worth it to have someone else ... 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 ...
Live in Torrequebrada just west of Malaga. Rented a long-term 2-BR, 2 bath apartment directly on the water in 2021 for 鈧�1.300 p/m and long term rent increases have been capped at 2% so now at 鈧�1.355. BUT--equivalent apartments now start at ... Read More
Possibility of Spain changing its 90-day rule
It is not even under consideration in Spain currently.聽 The British tabs used it to sell papers. Read More
Type 1 Diabetic Moving to Spain by Klang180
HelloMy partner and I are thinking of moving to Spain in the coming year after a long time of thinking about it. The main thing holding me back is the fact I am type 1 diabetic (the insulin dependent auto-immune variety not the other more prevalent ...
@nicolaespana " All pensioners gain state healthcare here regardless of what country they are from because they are pensioners, it's that simple."聽I am not sure if you meant to say "regardless of what country in the EU?"聽I guarantee you ... 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 ...
Live near Malaga on the coast. Spain COL is directly relative to geographic areas. Can live much cheaper away from the coast and cities. COL has gone up quite a bit this last year & long-term rentals are scarcer.Costs are per month for a ... Read More
Cost of living in Spain in 2022 by Cheryl
Hi everyone, Two years after the start of the pandemic, it is time to take stock of the evolution of the cost of living in Spain or more specifically, in the region where you live. The idea is to help people get ready for their expatriation to ...
@Cheryl聽 We are a retired couple and rent a 2BR apartment on the water on Costa del Sol, west of Malaga city. Our rent is 鈧�1.300, but we rented long-term right before the real estate boom began.聽 Pretty sure it would be ... Read More
Will I be denied a Retirement visa because caution/record by Needtogetoutofhere2021
Have I now ruined any chances of moving to Spain Because of stupid decisions I made getting a conviction as youth for shoplifting over 40 years ago the circumstances I doubt would of got me a criminal conviction but 40 years ago they was so much ...
Just a thought--my husband is British with US citizenship. We also should have done the move before Brexit--but Covid, etc. We really want out of the US---our backup plan was to move to Gibralter if for any reason we couldn't get a visa for ... Read More
Will I be denied a Retirement visa because caution/record by Needtogetoutofhere2021
Have I now ruined any chances of moving to Spain Because of stupid decisions I made getting a conviction as youth for shoplifting over 40 years ago the circumstances I doubt would of got me a criminal conviction but 40 years ago they was so much ...
Not sure of the difference between British & US visa requirements, but in the US you can get a state background check if you've lived in the same state for last 5 years. If multiple states - FBI background check. My husband had a felony ... Read More
Looking for rental info near Malaga Center
We're doing the same thing--same timeline--from Delray Bch. We'll be in Malaga in April to check out neighborhoods. My biggest concern is finding a long term rental in Malaga, but we're willing to look outside the city center, as I think ... Read More