Hi there,

A bit of an open ended one here, but was wondering if there are Brits/anyone on the site that have moved to Madrid for/with work ? If so could you provide me any advice - I work in IT and have the possibility of moving to Madrid soon.

e.g. - acceptance of English speaking in the professional workplace (i have obviously made a committment towards learning Spanish as part of the move.. my wife is Colombian, so I am not coming from zero)
-housing affordability and availability (rent to start)
-suitability for kids (ihave a 10 month old son)
- general stuff

thanks for any help you can give. its a bit daunting , and dont have much time to decide.

Paul

I can't think of anyone off the top of my head in Madrid....but we do have a few IT type peeps who will be along at some stage I'm sure.....

Great. Look forward to hearing from a fellow IT 'type'

Language shouldn't be too much of a headache as many offices have English as their official language (even though the talk around the water cooler is in Castellano!!!) particularly the Multi-Nationals of which there are quite a few.

Rent is costly. Segunda Mano (www.segundamano.es) is a good newspaper of free ads that is arguably the best place to go when flat hunting in Madrid. I've taken the liberty of inputting a 3-bed Flat in Madrid capital to give you an idea of prices. http://inmobiliaria.segundamano.es/r...d=69&busqueda=
Depending on the area, you should imagine anything from 900 - 1500 € a month. Obviously you can find cheaper. If you want some advice on specific areas let me know

Make sure your wife's papers are in order or she will struggle in Madrid. With the massive influx of Columbians to Madrid over the last 6 or 7 years, there's an unspoken resentment among many Madridleños especially when it comes to institutions (hospitals, bureaucracy etc) and the job market, and many are treated very much as second class citizens, especially those whose papers aren't in order.

Madrid is fine for kids but like all places it depends on your area.

There's a huge expat community in and around Madrid but it's different to the kind of expat found on the coast. Most are professionals, the rest are English teachers .
So one of the first things you should do on arrival is start networking among the longer serving expats in the city. You will often find them in some of the many Irish Pubs but the knack is knowing which ones to go to. Also a lot of Madrileño "Pijos" (in this context, similar to Yuppy!) use these pubs as they think it is "cooler". I would suggest you'll find the kind of people you need to know in these places:

Finbars - Marques de Urquijo, Metro Arguelles (off Princesa); Speak to John. He's been there donkeys years and can introduce you to many people

Finnegans - Plaza Salesas, Metro Chueca or Cercanias Recoletos; a little off the beaten track so gets few tourists. Now part of a Spanish chain but start chatting at the bar and you soon get tips

James Joyce - c/Alcala, Metro Banco de España or Cercanias Recoletos (near the famous Cibeles monument and the Puerta de Alcala); Matthew is the owner and depending what mood he's in he can be extremely helpful or a snotty brat, but his bar attracts a lot of Spanish Professionals as a lot of major offices are nearby

Irish Rover - Avda Brasil, Metro Santiago Bernabau or Cuzco; several partners but Brendan is a good bloke who can make intros for you. Again in a business district so many Professionals

How are you with Java applications, principally for ATM technology??? I can almost certainly get you an interview (no promises though) with a very good company who need their staff to speak English (they don't do it really well!!!) and they have often asked me if I know English people to work there. They have clients all over the world so they need to communicate in English quite a lot. Currently their best friends are Babylon and Google Translate!!!!

I really appreciate those useful pointers. Thank you.

I'll be sure to check out the bars and get talking (sense, if i havent had too much to drink)

Interesting - not surprising - to hear of the Colombian perception. Seems to be the case in many countries. Unfortunate, they are a beautiful people (I would say that though )

On the work front i work for a software vendor rolling out STP solutions to banks/brokers etc, so unfortunately probably cant put my hand up for that role. Thanks anyway, obviously if you hear of anything in my space drop me your email..

Cheers,
Paul

Hi Paulchas and Welcome,

I think you should look out for Timhortensman who posts on here and is doing exactly the same as you but from Frankfurt to Madrid. If you search for his posts you will find the whole saga of rents, TV, cars, jobs and such. He or his wife may even be in IT. Mercedes is definitely an IT bod so you will find his posts useful as well.

Regards,

John.
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If you've got a company behind you, it's a lot easier, especially if you can stay on a UK contract. Relocation, lessons, admin assistance are all a lot easier within the corporate bosom. You could probably wangle 2 years on a UK contract with the better salary and benefits, eg pension, before it becomes necessary to switch to a Spanish one. But be prepared for the come-down when/if that happens.

You'll probably get on fine with the language - a mixture until you build up your own abilities by being in the deep end.

Schools, nurseries and affordable home help are all good over here. If you're renting in the centre, watch out for air-con. I've heard that older flats without it can be unbearable in the summer months.

If you've got property in the UK, keep hold of it until you're certain. I know of people who sold up, some of the money disappeared on 'essentials' and had problems when it didn't work out after a few years and they needed to move back to the UK. Renting is definitely the way to go, but you might want to take temp accommodation for a few weeks while you look, so that you don't end up committed to a 12 month or 2 year deal in a place that turns out not to be so good. Check out a place over different times of day, too - you don't want to end up somewhere that's quiet in the day but keeps you awake at night because of something you didn't spot during your visit.

Watch out for being stranded in the commuter-town urbanisations - they can be a bit souless if you don't have family and friends to visit. The old village centres and the main city are great, but these places can be very lonely, with few facilities and transport. Having said that, there can be lively communities in the blocks with loads of family activities going on.

It's a great experience for a couple of years even if you decide it's not for you long term, but you need to be open to the social and cultural differences to be able to adapt. Embrace it, stay flexible and you'll get a lot out of it.

It'll still be hard work, mind, but plenty to enjoy.

Thank you to all who have replied. It has really helped me make an informed decision about relocating.

I am now at the pointy end of that decision and was wondering if anyone could give me advice on salaries for IT professionals based in Madrid? What would be considered a 'good' Madrid salary (for IT)? Again I know it is a broad one , but any help really would be appreciated. I have to make a decision, very soon.

Also is it true that there is 25% tax for non residents who have never worked in Spain ?

Any help please.. I'll buy you a whisky if I ever make it over (likely) !

From people I know I would say it varies greatly - one friend is earning 35,000 € approx whilst my Brother in Law doing more or less the same job earns just 18,000 €.

These websites are well worth a look and having had a look round on both, I'd say the first one, Payscale.com, seems more reliable

http://www.payscale.com/research/ES/City=Madrid/Salary

http://www.salaryexpert.com/

I'm from Madrid and I've never heard of that tax before. Non residents? as british I guess you are EU citizen. I think you will pay, if you decide to come, the common taxes here (I.R.P.F. and the Seguridad Social).

Welcome.

I'm afraid this tax of 25 % exist:


"Saturday, June 11, 2005
Lower taxes for non-residents in Spain
The Spanish government has announced its intention to lower the income tax charged to non-residents in Spain. The tax is called Impuesto sobre la Renta de no Residentes (impatriados).

The new law allows people with fiscal residence to declare Non-Resident Income Tax (Impuesto sobre la Renta de no Residentes) and aims to encourage activity of foreign companies in Spain.

People who have fiscal obligations in Spain but have not been residents here for the last 10 years and who have arrived as a result of a contract can opt for Non-Resident Income Tax. The work they are paid for must take place in Spain, although some activity can take place abroad (no more than 15 percent of overall earnings). If the company they work for is part of an international holding, then 30 percent of their wage can be earned abroad.

Non residents must work for a company registered in Spain. Tax payers who opt for this fiscal status will have to declare their taxes each year and will pay a fixed rate of 25 percent. They will not be liable to any tax deductions. They will have to apply for Non-resident status during the first 6 months of working in Spain, and the maximum period granted for non-resident status is set at 5 years."

I pay 12 % of my salary for IRPF, but I'm too far from the income of a IT consultant...

thanks all. with your help the deal is just about sealed. Now the pain of moving, still i think Posh and Becks have moved out of their house.. I might see what its going for (if only).

I think I will be heading out late August, so will post a note then to offer that promised drink to anyone whos thirsty .. cheers!