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US dentist wants to move to Southern Spain!

US dentist wants to move to Southern Spain!

Old Aug 29th 2010, 5:12 pm
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Default US dentist wants to move to Southern Spain!

Hello! I am a General Dentist practicing in the DC area. My husband, who is British, owns his own personal training business but has a background in working on yachts. We have a lovely new baby girl who is 13 months old! Lately we've been thinking of relocating to Southern Spain or Palma de Mallorca. Anyone have advice on the cost of living, owing a home/condo, and whether or not an American Dentist would be successful there? A lot to ask, i know!

Any help is greatly appreciated!
Thanks!
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Old Aug 30th 2010, 8:42 am
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Default Re: US dentist wants to move to Southern Spain!

Originally Posted by acgdds1
Hello! I am a General Dentist practicing in the DC area. My husband, who is British, owns his own personal training business but has a background in working on yachts. We have a lovely new baby girl who is 13 months old! Lately we've been thinking of relocating to Southern Spain or Palma de Mallorca. Anyone have advice on the cost of living, owing a home/condo, and whether or not an American Dentist would be successful there? A lot to ask, i know!

Any help is greatly appreciated!
Thanks!

Guess you realise you will be taking a 90% salary cut by working in Spain

Ive no idea how you would open a practice in Spain but I`d bet you will need to be fluent in Spanish , Spain is very protective and obstructs foreigneers from setting up business with legislation etc so be warned.
It may well be worth contacting another expat dentist who`s gone through all the BS.

I suspect your husband will find it very difficult to find work.

But as a dentist I`d guess you will turn up with sufficient funds to keep you going for a year or so?

Good luck anyway.
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Old Aug 31st 2010, 7:58 am
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Default Re: US dentist wants to move to Southern Spain!

Hi & welcome to the Spain forum,

Re: your career working as a dentist
Firstly, I am not a dentist, nor do I reside in Spain, but as a US citizen I'd guess your first research tool would be via the US embassy in Spain:
http://madrid.usembassy.gov/edu/homologacionsp.html

Key words are homologar = to endorse officially, título= professional qualification, and oposiciones= exams to verify your professional status to work in Spain. All of which takes time & money (especially by going through a third party (tercero.)

Check also with the Embassy of Spain in DC.

And then there is the issue of the visa(s), to reside and to work in Spain, although for these being married to an EU citizen may have an advantage.

Always get the correct information from the official source.

Hope this helps a bit.

Carol
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Old Aug 31st 2010, 2:57 pm
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Default Re: US dentist wants to move to Southern Spain!

Originally Posted by Carol&John
Hi & welcome to the Spain forum,

Re: your career working as a dentist
Firstly, I am not a dentist, nor do I reside in Spain, but as a US citizen I'd guess your first research tool would be via the US embassy in Spain:
http://madrid.usembassy.gov/edu/homologacionsp.html

Key words are homologar = to endorse officially, título= professional qualification, and oposiciones= exams to verify your professional status to work in Spain. All of which takes time & money (especially by going through a third party (tercero.)

Check also with the Embassy of Spain in DC.

And then there is the issue of the visa(s), to reside and to work in Spain, although for these being married to an EU citizen may have an advantage.

Always get the correct information from the official source.

Hope this helps a bit.

Carol
Visas etc have to be applied for in the US before you leave the country.
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Old Sep 1st 2010, 1:00 am
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Default Re: US dentist wants to move to Southern Spain!

Originally Posted by Carol&John
Hi & welcome to the Spain forum,

Re: your career working as a dentist
Firstly, I am not a dentist, nor do I reside in Spain, but as a US citizen I'd guess your first research tool would be via the US embassy in Spain:
http://madrid.usembassy.gov/edu/homologacionsp.html

Key words are homologar = to endorse officially, título= professional qualification, and oposiciones= exams to verify your professional status to work in Spain. All of which takes time & money (especially by going through a third party (tercero.)

Check also with the Embassy of Spain in DC.

And then there is the issue of the visa(s), to reside and to work in Spain, although for these being married to an EU citizen may have an advantage.

Always get the correct information from the official source.

Hope this helps a bit.

Carol
Thanks Carol, I will check with the Spanish Embassy. I did not realize I would have to take exams etc... to practice in England I do not have to. I will have a British passport next year when my husband & I have been married for 4 years (already checked with the British Embassy). That may ease the transition. Thanks for the info!
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Old Sep 1st 2010, 1:06 am
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Default Re: US dentist wants to move to Southern Spain!

Originally Posted by Rotor
Guess you realise you will be taking a 90% salary cut by working in Spain

Ive no idea how you would open a practice in Spain but I`d bet you will need to be fluent in Spanish , Spain is very protective and obstructs foreigneers from setting up business with legislation etc so be warned.
It may well be worth contacting another expat dentist who`s gone through all the BS.

I suspect your husband will find it very difficult to find work.

But as a dentist I`d guess you will turn up with sufficient funds to keep you going for a year or so?

Good luck anyway.
Thanks Rotor, but apparently I do not have to be fluent in Spanish, as that area has a lot of expats etc. I also do not think I will have a 90% pay cut... are you basing your comments on facts or guesses? I do have friends in Gibraltar who seem to think I can be quite successful there.

My husband should find work in the yachting industry there. Hopefully, the exercise/health industry as well. We will be visiting soon to check these things out.

Not sure if I have funds to sustain us for a whole year, but will have a nest egg to start our lives and give it a try for a while.

Thanks for your help, I think. You don't sound too positive
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Old Sep 1st 2010, 4:17 am
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Default Re: US dentist wants to move to Southern Spain!

Originally Posted by acgdds1
Thanks Rotor, but apparently I do not have to be fluent in Spanish, as that area has a lot of expats etc. I also do not think I will have a 90% pay cut... are you basing your comments on facts or guesses? I do have friends in Gibraltar who seem to think I can be quite successful there.

My husband should find work in the yachting industry there. Hopefully, the exercise/health industry as well. We will be visiting soon to check these things out.

Not sure if I have funds to sustain us for a whole year, but will have a nest egg to start our lives and give it a try for a while.

Thanks for your help, I think. You don't sound too positive
you might not need to speak Spanish to work with expat patients, bit if you do indeed have to sit oposiciones then you will need fluent Spanish
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Old Sep 1st 2010, 5:02 am
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Default Re: US dentist wants to move to Southern Spain!

Originally Posted by acgdds1
Thanks Carol, I will check with the Spanish Embassy. I did not realize I would have to take exams etc... to practice in England I do not have to. I will have a British passport next year when my husband & I have been married for 4 years (already checked with the British Embassy). That may ease the transition. Thanks for the info!
Hi there. Don't you have to live in the UK for an X number of years before getting the British passport? Is being married to a UK citizen enough?
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Old Sep 1st 2010, 7:32 am
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Default Re: US dentist wants to move to Southern Spain!

Even if you could work in Spain with your US qualifications, relying on expats would be tough, numbers are dropping and you would have a limited market. The yaughting industry has also collapsed in the past 3 years with the crisis.

If you rely on English speakers why not move to Florida or California? You could have a similar lifestyle and it would be much better for your business.

If you have your heart set on Spain then good luck, but without speaking Spanish or with Spanish qualifications it will be a tough ride.
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Old Sep 1st 2010, 7:47 am
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Default Re: US dentist wants to move to Southern Spain!

Originally Posted by acgdds1
Thanks Rotor, but apparently I do not have to be fluent in Spanish, as that area has a lot of expats etc. I also do not think I will have a 90% pay cut... are you basing your comments on facts or guesses? I do have friends in Gibraltar who seem to think I can be quite successful there.

My husband should find work in the yachting industry there. Hopefully, the exercise/health industry as well. We will be visiting soon to check these things out.

Not sure if I have funds to sustain us for a whole year, but will have a nest egg to start our lives and give it a try for a while.

Thanks for your help, I think. You don't sound too positive

I`m being realistic ,Spain`s economy is in dire straights
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Old Sep 1st 2010, 8:23 am
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Default Re: US dentist wants to move to Southern Spain!

Originally Posted by Carol&John
Hi & welcome to the Spain forum,

Re: your career working as a dentist
Firstly, I am not a dentist, nor do I reside in Spain, but as a US citizen I'd guess your first research tool would be via the US embassy in Spain:
http://madrid.usembassy.gov/edu/homologacionsp.html

Key words are homologar = to endorse officially, título= professional qualification, and oposiciones= exams to verify your professional status to work in Spain. All of which takes time & money (especially by going through a third party (tercero.)

Check also with the Embassy of Spain in DC.

And then there is the issue of the visa(s), to reside and to work in Spain, although for these being married to an EU citizen may have an advantage.

Always get the correct information from the official source.

Hope this helps a bit.

Carol
Carol's information is correct about your professional qualifications. We have done the necessary for people i.e. nurses and opticians.
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Old Sep 1st 2010, 8:37 am
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Default Re: US dentist wants to move to Southern Spain!

Originally Posted by SueG
Carol's information is correct about your professional qualifications. We have done the necessary for people i.e. nurses and opticians.
so do opticians & dentists have to sit oposiciones?
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Old Sep 1st 2010, 8:40 am
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Default Re: US dentist wants to move to Southern Spain!

Originally Posted by lynnxa
you might not need to speak Spanish to work with expat patients, bit if you do indeed have to sit oposiciones then you will need fluent Spanish
I would have thought a routine job such as ordering drugs etc would also be a problem
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Old Sep 1st 2010, 10:38 pm
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Default Re: US dentist wants to move to Southern Spain!

Originally Posted by SueG
Carol's information is correct about your professional qualifications. We have done the necessary for people i.e. nurses and opticians.
Originally Posted by lynnxa
so do opticians & dentists have to sit oposiciones?
Thanks SueG, please could you clarify lynnxa's question one step further? Are oposiciones mandatory for anyone (Spaniard or "Alien") who wishes to work in the public sector? I recall another thread on this very topic.

I understood it to be (or was once) highly desirable to land a post in the public sector in Spain (ie. job for life, etc.), hence why professionals go on to do further studies to gain their "oposiciones"?

Which leads me to thinking that perhaps "private practice" is the route that many take?

In addition, the OP mentions Gibraltar, which isn't Spain...neither is it the UK, but it is British... lol

Originally Posted by reggiedh
Hi there. Don't you have to live in the UK for an X number of years before getting the British passport? Is being married to a UK citizen enough?
Likewise, I find the statement about gaining a British passport after 4 years marriage to a British (Citizen, National, Subject?) perplexing, unless there are exceptional circumstances, eg. the OP already being a British National by Descent perhaps (dual national)?

British Citizenship may be given by the Home Office to non-UK citizens who apply after having "the right to abode" in the UK, 3 years residency in the UK, proven good conduct, passed the Life in the UK Test, and maybe also attended the Citizenship ceremony, and paid the sum of (?)£720. Phew! Did I miss anything?

It's a complicated subject and individual. To the OP: more reason to ask again at the British Embassy in DC - allow yourself plenty of time!

Good luck!

Carol
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Old Sep 2nd 2010, 3:13 am
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Default Re: US dentist wants to move to Southern Spain!

Originally Posted by lynnxa
so do opticians & dentists have to sit oposiciones?
Only if they want to work for the state. Not for private.
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