Help or advice with moving to Spain
 

Hello

Just abit about me and my family and what we are planning on doing , your comments would be greatly appreciated.So my husband and i are both 32 we have an 19 month old called Leo and we are desperate to live in Spain.I was born in Barcelona and lived there till i was 14 and moved to manchester with my parents , my spanish is good but needs some work i understand 100% however when i converse back can often get stuck i believe this would all come back once moved.Our plan is to have another baby in the UK and take the advantage of my maternity pay at work before moving.We would rent our house in the UK as security.We want to move to estepona and find jobs in gibraltar english speaking until i become fluent again and i would look for a more local job preferably part time.I have worked in insurance for 11 years and believe gibraltar have alot of jobs in this industry.One of my worries is that my son has hearing aids and at the moment all his visits and hearing aids are free with the NHS does anyone how this would work in Spain.Our move is going to take some time so i want to do lots of research as i really want this to work for my family i loved growing up in Spain as a child and i want the same sunshine and Spanish upbringing for my children.My husband has been doing some Spanish lessons with a Spanish school in the city and has over 10 years of experience in the sales /property area.Sorry for the long post but wanted your thoughts/advices from people who have already made the plunge.We have booked to fly over in February for 5 days to have a look around and visit other towns and get a feel for the area while also seeing what the commute to Gibraltar is like.Thanks for reading

Re: Help or advice with moving to Spain
 

Hi ASD82

One issue is that Gibraltar isnt Spain. So you wouldnt have access to the Spanish health service if you worked in Gibraltar

You would have to get private health cover

Another issue is that the Gibraltar commute is really bad with the border crossings

Re: Help or advice with moving to Spain
 

Hi and a warm welcome to the Spanish forum on BE. Myself and Fred James are the moderators for the Spanish forums whilst BEVS moderates Europe. Moderators are there to ensure that the site runs smoothly within the rules of BE. 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

Re: Help or advice with moving to Spain
 

Hi Cricketman Thanks for your reply.

Someone was telling me but dont know how true it is that Gibraltar have an agreement with spain where if you work in Gibraltar but live in spain then spain will receive a percentage of the tax you pay in Gibraltar which then covers you for the health care etc.. in spain, as i say someone told me about this but dont know how true it is.

I believe the commute to Gibraltar can be a nightmare ,we plan to drive to the border and park the car there and then walk across or go by pedal bike across the border.

Re: Help or advice with moving to Spain
 

It always depends on the individual circumstances, but why are you desperate to live in Spain and why that specific area (apart from sun)? There are jobs for foreigners in Gibraltar, but it's not all well paid and locals support locals. Apart from Gibraltar, there aren't really many opportunities in that area and commuting might not always be easy. I don't know how good your life is now, but you really need to calculate the costs and seriously consider if a move makes sense with kids. We have a place not too far from Barcelona (1 hour), but I would not move over now in my 30's. My wife is probably more drawn to the sun than I am, but even she realises that we have a far better life in Ireland or UK. With a good job and money you can certainly have a great life in Spain, but it's the same s... different story:lol:

Re: Help or advice with moving to Spain
 

She wants a Spanish upbringing for her child

I agree that there are way better areas of Spain than Estepona and the area around Gibraltar

I always think that the medium size cities offer the best quality of life, especially for children, but of course the family need work and have the language barrier

I assume that the OP isnt actually Spanish as otherwise living until 14 years old in Barcelona she would already be fluent in Spanish and Catalan. What a missed opportunity there!

Re: Help or advice with moving to Spain
 

sorry lads, new to this any body able to help with information about Sabariego, near Jaen Spain please ?
thanks Louise

Re: Help or advice with moving to Spain
 

Hi and a warm welcome to the Spanish forum on BE. Myself and Fred James are the moderators for the Spanish forums whilst BEVS moderates Europe. Moderators are there to ensure that the site runs smoothly within the rules of BE. 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

Re: Help or advice with moving to Spain
 

Hi does anybody have any information on Sabriego, Jaen, Spain please? we are interested in a property there and would like to know a little about the area many thanks Louise

Re: Help or advice with moving to Spain
 

You really shouldn't believe what 'someone' tells you. AFAIK that just not true, Fred will be able to give the definitive answer.

Re: Help or advice with moving to Spain
 

You are right about bringing up your children here in Spain its so nice for them !!

That was one of the main reasons we moved over 12 years ago , and I am so glad we did !!!!!

Dont worry your Spanish will come back very quick ! , I am sure you are 100% better than me after all my time here !

Cheers Tony

Re: Help or advice with moving to Spain
 

As long as you don't live in a rough area and have enough money to support them, anywhere can be good for children. If you come from a crappy part of the UK and move to a nicer part of Spain with money, it's probably always great for the parents. In general kids aren't bothered where they live and will adapt.

Re: Help or advice with moving to Spain
 

The most important thing for children is a balanced and loving family.

However, growing up in Spain is good for feeling loved and for social skills because Spanish society is very loving, caring and sociable. These are very important values to create happy adults

It's not so good for developing those skills that are so useful in a 21stC capitalist society i.e. individualism, drive, entrepreneurship - and the education system is a mess

Re: Help or advice with moving to Spain
 

I think having drive is innate, and entrepreneurship is in your DNA, or not. UK or Spain.

Agree that anyone possessing those particular traits would become frustrated starting up in Spain, its risk averse culture, lack of capital and the hoops to go through even to get the ball rolling. A reason why so many of the young Spanish of that mould, emigrate.

Re: Help or advice with moving to Spain
 

I don't agree at all

We are all shaped by the society we grow up in. Spanish society is very communal with things being done for the good of the family or the good of the local community.

Having drive and wanting to change your own situation and the world (in some small aspect) is based on a feeling that you are not happy with how things currently are individually. An inherent sense of insecurity is needed

Spanish people are very content because they are safe and secure. Very few are willing to miss out on relationships with family and friends to work 100 hours per week in the hope of getting rich.

The rich and famous Spanish companies were built by families living within the community e.g. Indetex and Banco Santander. In a sense they were not entrepreneurs at all, they were social leaders - the very opposite of entrepreneurs

You can't be an outsider and build an impressive business in Spain, you have to be at the centre of the community