25 Year old moving to Spain advice
 

Hi all,

This last year has made me realise I've had enough of my surroundings and have started to try and plan my dream of moving to Spain. I'm looking at moving to Valencia because of the affordable accommodation and location in Spain.

Regarding my personal situation - I'm 25 years old with no degree. I've been working in Customer Service since I was 18.

I've been studying Spanish for about 2 months now, with a private tutor. I'm studying hourly, daily. I'll be looking to move over in Autumn 2022, which will make it a year of learning from when I started. I don't expect to be anywhere near fluent, but just want to get a grasp of the basics before going over, so I can converse with locals and eventually find a basic job.

I intend on taking some time off work and exploring Spain before getting a job. I know there's an initial 3 month period where I can stay without a visa and I intend on using this time to travel around the country. I have savings to do this and will continue to save over the next 10 months.

Now, I understand my only real way of staying past 3 months is to find a job and have the company support my visa application? Should I look to find something before going out there (if so how do I do this), or chance my arm and look for something while I am in Spain for the first 3 months? The type of work does not matter that much to me, it just needs to get me by for the first year or two while I am still settling in to the country and my Spanish is still improving. It can be shelf stacking, bar work or working in a cafe - I really am easy. Firstly what are my chances of finding work and secondly how should I go about making the move? Was anyone in a similar position to me post-brexit?

Thanks so much and any help would be greatly appreciated!

Re: 25 Year old moving to Spain advice
 

hi Tom,

Firstly, any work vacancies that are available must be offered to an EU citizen. If you have skills that are unique or exceptional then it unlikely that an employer will sponsor the visa. Run of the mill jobs like bar work etc will only be offered to fully legal residents. Often there are long waiting list for employment. Bar work is notorious for being low paid ( and long hours) Spain has a very high employment rate especially amongst younger people.

Here is a link to visas that are for Spain:

https://visaguide.world/europe/spain-visa/



You will need to apply for a visa from the Spanish consulate while you are still living in the UK. You will need to meet the income and healthcare requirements.

Best of luck.

Steve

Re: 25 Year old moving to Spain advice
 

Hi Steve,

Thanks for the response. I'm not going to lie the info you've provided has been a tough blow and I'm having to re-evaluate everything. Are you basically saying it's pretty much impossible?

Re: 25 Year old moving to Spain advice
 

Is it possible to work remotely in Spain?

Re: 25 Year old moving to Spain advice
 

It is not impossible, but not as easy as it once was.
It is possible and many do, however you will still need to meet residence requirements.

You MIGHT be able to find work cash in hand and stay for up to six months.

Re: 25 Year old moving to Spain advice
 

Worth a look here https://www.gov.uk/guidance/living-in-spain

Re: 25 Year old moving to Spain advice
 

But how can you stay for 6 months without a visa?

Re: 25 Year old moving to Spain advice
 

While moving to Spain used to be easier for Brits, one thing hasn't changed and that is the job market. Unless you have the skills or can manage to get a remote job that pays a decent wage, rents only look cheap on paper. It's great you are learning Spanish but as a friend once said, you are better off learning a different foreign language (French, Dutch, German etc.) and will get a higher paid job in Spain. Even if you are fluent, 40+ million people also have that skill. You'd be better off learning other skills and putting more time into a career that will open other doors.

Re: 25 Year old moving to Spain advice
 

Welcome to the reality of Brexit. Your ability to leave HMP UK is pretty much over.......

Re: 25 Year old moving to Spain advice
 

Yes, that is very true and also very, very sad.

I have known plenty of people like Tom over the years who have moved to Spain. Some have found a job/started a business and some failed to make a go of it and returned to the UK but at least they had a chance to try. That opportunity has been ripped away from people thanks to Brexit.

Tom, this is a long shot but do you qualify for an Irish (or other EU) passport?

Re: 25 Year old moving to Spain advice
 

Hola,
While part of me says "You have to do these things while you are young" the reality is that you are unlikely to get an unskilled job unless the English language is involved. You appear to have no wanted skills so the opportunity for niche skills is low.
Unfortunately, the EU has changed as British passport holders are no longer part of it and this makes it difficult if not impossible for you. Might I suggest you think of other non-EU countries where you will have an equally good life as you would had Brexit not happened.

Good Luck

Davexf

Re: 25 Year old moving to Spain advice
 

Tom just do it
It may work it may not.
But if you don't try you will always regret it.

Re: 25 Year old moving to Spain advice
 

It doesn't work that way now:

Visa for Seasonal Workers

The process of obtaining a Work Visa for Seasonal Workers is similar to the process for highly-skilled workers. Employers need to apply for the visa on the worker’s behalf from the Ministry of Labour.

In addition to this process, seasonal workers need to demonstrate they have suitable accommodation arranged, their travel costs are covered, and that they will return to their country once the job has finished. The visas are valid for the duration of the work contract.

EU Blue Card

The EU Blue Card is for people who spent at least 3 years completing a higher education qualification which allows them to work as a skilled professional. People who have a minimum of 5 years’ professional experience at a high level are also eligible. The employer submits the application on the behalf of the applicant.

A work contract that includes a salary which is at least 50% more than the average wage in Spain (or at least 20% more if the skills are in demand) is a requirement. Once approved, the worker also needs to apply for a visa from a Spanish embassy or consulate in their home country. Blue cards are valid for one year but can be renewed as long as the conditions are still met.

Re: 25 Year old moving to Spain advice
 

That's the whole point, Brexit has taken that opportunity away from UK nationals, they can't "just do it".

Tom, this might sound radical but you could move to Ireland. You would be able to get a decent job there, continue with your Spanish classes and then after 5 years, you would qualify for an Irish passport and get your freedom of movement back. Ireland is a great place and you might even decide to stay there.

If I was in your situation at your age, that is what I would do.

Re: 25 Year old moving to Spain advice
 

That's an interesting suggestion, I have to admit that today has been quite soul destroying, finding out just how limited my options are. 5 years just seems so far away for me now and there's obviously so many things that can change in that time. But yes it's definitely worth considering. I think the Spanish government are looking at bringing in a digital nomad visa which means you can work remotely in Spain for a year and then renew it for another couple of years. Either way this is not how I envisaged it going, obviously I was really naïve in that sense!