Hello – I’m new to the forum

I’d really appreciate any advice on the following:

My husband and I are looking into moving to the South of Spain. I’m a teacher and I’ve applied for an international school near Malaga. The salary is low (1,210 after tax) this is about half my current wage and no pension so it’s a big step down financially. My husband works for a company in the UK and his wage would equate to 2,110 after tax.

Can we live off this?

We’d like to know if it seems realistic to live on $3,320 a month? We’ve looked at 3 bed villas a bit further out from the coast at around $800 a month (we need a garden for our dog so an apartment isn’t suitable.)

On that note if anyone is in the Malaga province area and has experience living with a Staffordshire bull terrier type dog? I’m aware we might have to muzzle and register him?

I’ll also need to run a car.

What are people paying in bills? Do you find it generally speaking more or less expensive?

Does anyone have experience of being employed in the UK but living in Spain?

Thank you very much in advance

Hi and a warm welcome to the Spanish forum on BE. Myself and Fred James are the moderators for the Spanish forums whilst myself and BEVS moderate Europe. Please read the Site Rules Site Rules | British Expatriate Community adhere to them so that the site runs smoothly. Moderators are there to ensure that the rules of BE are maintained. This is so that members gain the information that they are looking for and find their experiences on the forums to be friendly and worthwhile.

Problems and complaints should always be addressed to a moderator who will look into the matter and deal with it efficiently and fairly. Our members who post in the Spain Forums are usually friendly and helpful with a wealth of knowledge about the issues of living in Spain. I hope that you enjoy your time participating in the forums.

Please let me know if you need any further help.

Rosemary

Maybe you need this:

https://moneysaverspain.thinkific.co...aver-spain-way

If you're full time, and that is 1210€ for 12 months per year, then it sounds as though it's also below the legal minimum for a teacher. even if it's GBP it's probably too low. Be wary.

Assume you are actually quoting Euros , right ?
Generally expect the cost of living to be lower than UK

The attached link will give you a good guide to cost of living in Malaga

https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/in/Malaga

Yes your dog comes under the list of eight breeds to be considered dangerous in Spain. Latest legislation was 2002 and they created a list of "Perros potencialmente peligrosos". You have to register through the vet who will also do the chip registration. Among other things you will need is an insurance against third party risk, have a pyschological test and register the dog on a special register at the town hall. This is a five year licience which has to be renewed. Your vet will be able to advise you as to the full requirements

As to your own plans you will need to demostrate sufficient income so as "Not to be a burden on the state", have private health insurance at least for your first year. presumably the school will pay Social Security contributions for you ?

After 183 days you are considered tax resident and will have to make your tax declaration in Spain for your worldwide income..

Others may be able to quote their experience of working in the UK and living in Spain.

it's $1832 gross but it's a 10 month contract so i don't get paid july/august which I calculate to come out as $1210 each month.

It's really poor isn't it? i'm highly qualified and experienced.

I do mean Euros!

Yes i reckon you should be able to live off that fairly easily... it depends on your expectations and your current life style of course. The cost of living is a lot cheaper, especially if you are from the south of England etc.

Our council tax went from 2400 pounds a year to IBI 580Euros for example. If you are away from the main tourist areas, eating out and the supermarket shop will also be a lot cheaper.
The cost of energy is generally more though... So you want a place, that has a nice wood fire and perhaps oil central heating (if in a more rural setting) although that can be pricey to run the whole time... Any house with electric heating only, will cost you a fortune to run and you will need heating in the evenings during the winter months (I know it is hard to imagine even in October LOL).

In Spanish terms, €3320 for a couple is a very good income. You should be able to pass the residency application easily enough on this and you have an employment contract also!

It sounds like a great opportunity!

As for your husband. Don´t worry about the tax implications at the moment. You both need to be living here, gain residency and then after 6 months tax residency before worry about this. Basically your husband as a UK worker would be liable for the extra tax that would have been paid if he was a Spanish worker.. ie the difference (this can be paid as tax on world wide income)... but you need to be here and tax residents before this.... so nothing to worry about in 2018 etc.

In UK terms that sounds poor, but the national average take home wage is €1000.

You would of course get paid more in the state system, but you would find it impossible to get in. The system is based on a points scale, passing state exams, jobs for life and nothing to do with merit.

They have to gain their degree and pass the optiones exam before they are even considered for a job. The way that points are earned is by gaining more and more qualifications by taking relevant courses in their own time. It is not possible for them to apply for a job vacancy in any particular school but may if lucky be offered a temporary placement initially. Afterwards the points system well and truly comes into play and it is in this way that they may gain employment nearer to their homes and also may be considered for a permanent post. Not an easy system at all but it does encourage people to become extremely qualified.

When I tell my friends that in the UK teaching jobs are advertised and anyone qualified are able to apply they are really surprised.

Rosemary

Press the ctrl+alt+4 and it gives the € euro symbol.

At first both wages together sound decent for Spain, but if it's decent for Spain is irrelevant. You have to look at your life and expectations and what I find very important is your age. For example, do you have career goals, are you aiming to save for a home, or want security in the future (family maybe). You say no pension and what happens after the 10 months, or if one of you lost the job? Smithy73 wrote "Our council tax went from 2400 pounds a year to IBI 580Euros for example"


Well to be honest, we don't even pay €580 for a 4 bed house in Ireland, so even the €580 sounds expensive to me and maybe pointless to know in your case. As you can see, we're all different.

Or even : <Alt GR + $>

Hi
I am very interested in hearing what you decide, I currently teach in the Caribbean on a stupidly high wage but where the cost of living is also ridiculous. I am looking to return to Europe and would love to teach in Spain however 1200 euro seems low - Is this wage the norm? can you negotiate being paid over the summer? Is this a secondary school (not that it usually matters in the UK but here the primary earn less as they are more readily available)? Not being in a position of owning a house outright (I am working on that) and me being the main bread winner I am getting put off by Spain by the wages - would love to hear back to see what you find out.

thanks
Tony

Hi Tony - I've been trying to secure a job in Spain because my husband and I want to go somewhere warm and beautiful and we like Spanish culture, also his employer is based here in the UK so he'll need to come back regularly so we can't go further away than Spain. It's a pain getting a job in a Spanish international job - you can't get a job in a Spanish school without a lot of complications. I've been following posts on the TES, Spanish international schools are slated for being low paid, corrupt and likely to fire staff without cause or notice. The wage i've been offered is fairly standard but some offer a little more and 12 month contracts but the 10 month is common. I'd not make the move if you are the bread winner. There is no salary scale or pension. If you need money, i would not go to spain and teach in an international School. You can't negotiate - the head did tell me that after a year paying into the system you can claim Spanish dole for the summer and also summer camp and bonuses also possible.

It seems tuition is big on the costa del sol, too. Hope this helps.