Moving with teenagers

Hi Liz. 

Your kids would pick up spanish in school very quickly, most British/irish people i know who speak Spanish were just thrown in at the deep end and sent straight to Spanish school 3months max and your kids will be fluent. As for lessons for yourself, there are really good adult classes here where you sit with spanish people and talk, its the best way aswel because you can practice more. Also spanish schools are free, no tuition fees apply unless you go private so dont worry financially. Hopefully we will see you soon

Thanks so much for that, makes even thinking about it a lot less scary!!

Na bother. Its a good life but its not always as easy as people think. I would recommend moving and asap getting all your necessary paperwork so you can start working, there are plenty offices and uk translaters who will help you with that. Also in regards to moving i would recommend really looking at where you would like to move because there are so many options, for example i live in La Nucia because i dont like Benidorm but before that i lived in Tenerife and loved it because its better money and alot cheaper to live and no house bills either, but my wife didnt want to live there because she doesnt like living on an island. Some people like the party areas, some people want only british areas, there are so many options. Apologies for the long message, im just trying to be thorough 

It’s very much appreciated! It’s a daunting thought, especially uprooting the kids but definitely feel it’s the right thing to do. Planning on a recon trip as soon as all this Covid crap is sorted! Thanks for the advice, if you’ve any more it would be most welcome!

And if you want to know anything just ask 😁

Wow that’s a huge decision and very brave. I suggest you try before you buy and rent a property rather than buy so you can easily relocate until you find your shangri-la.  So many different areas to choose from.

We’ll define renting first, location decision will be made according to schools, and extra curricular activities for the kids. Can’t wait to get out there and scope the place out!

I have never met anybody yet that doesn’t live it. Good luck.

Hi Liz, 

I hope you carry on forwards with your dream. I can't help at all really with the schools other than I've read on this and other forums that private schools are very expensive. As for location......that can be a difficult decision. Martyn said in an earlier post that he lived in La Nucia because he didn't like Benidorm but I'm just the opposite....I retired early to live here in Benidorm (Benidorm is likened to Marmite, you either love it or hate it). Living here in Spain is idyllic for me as ive retired and can afford it but i know of many people struggling to make ends meet and are desperate. Please enquire about jobs before you come as the unemployment rates here in Spain are amongst the worst in Europe. Even here in Benidorm, because of the Covid problem, there are no bar or cleaning/maintenance jobs and most of the entertainers have gone back to the UK.

To live here in Spain full time you will need to prove that you have enough income to satisfy the authorities you won't become a burden on the state. At present time that figure stands at around €700 per month going into a Spanish bank account for the last three months. You would need to prove that you have full healthcare cover for you and your family for a full year. Depending on your chosen area rent for a 3 bed apartment will be around €650 a month plus electricity. Living expenses for food etc are very similar to the UK and maybe slightly cheaper. There are no family benefits paid at all in Spain. 

Hope that has given an insight to what is required to start a new life here in Spain. 

I recommend you read Jim's Guides that can be found in the drop down menu on the left side of this page or the tab at the top of the page. Jim's Guides have all the information you need to know about living here legally in Spain. 

Steve