Hi, my name is Samantha and I am new on here, so I hope you guys can help me out...

I am British but currently live for various reasons in Belgium, these reasons are no longer a reason to be here. I have a daughter and we both have already been through the whole moving country/learning language thing. I am now (and have been wanting to for a long time) thinking of moving to Spain, poss round the Costa Del Sol area...

I am doing research but nothing beats 'hands on' advice, really looking for advice as to if this would be a good area for a single mum, and if there are any free state international schools... The other things I wonder about is about finding an area with a large english speaking community... Hopefully making finding work easier... I work in the hotel and restaurant industry now so hoping to carry this on in Spain..

Thanks

You are a single mother, looking for work, looking for free schooling for your child. I dont know if you have any resources or can speak Spanish.

But, on the info you have given, stay as far away from Spain as you possibly can except for a holiday.

You want to move into an English community, another person seeking the dream among many who are living the nightmare.

If you have decent income in Belgium, norish it, cherish it, love it, use it and dont give it up. Unemployment in Spain is currently running at 25% and 35% on the Costas.

As Concierge for the Spanish section of BE I would like to say hello and welcome.

BE is a very large expat website, so if you have problems finding your way around we have concierges who will try to direct you. The moderators for the Spanish forums are Mitzyboy and Fred James, moderators are there to ensure that the site runs smoothly within the rules of BE. Problems and complaints should always be addressed to a moderador who will look into the matter and deal with it efficiently and fairly. Our members who post in the Spain Forums are friendly and helpful with a wealth of knowledge of the issues of living in Spain. At the top of the page you will find a quirkily named thread called Free Beer which is full of important and useful information. Hope you enjoy your time participating in the forums.

I am really sorry to welcome you and then launch into a very negative reply to your post but unemployment is dire in Spain so my advice is to stay where you are or look elsewhere. It is a wonderful place to live, the people are genuine and friendly but I think that unless you have a guaranteed job or an income from elsewhere it is not advisable to move here. So many Spanish people are struggling with the situation so a foreigner is going to find it even more difficult.

Please let me know if you need any further help.

Rosemary

Rosemary could not be more right. Wrong place, wrong time, but dont take anybodies word for it. Book a holiday, come here to see for yourself, and ask around. Or to save yourself some money, just look at other threads in the forum on the same theme, it is not promising I'm afraid
Pete

How do you think you are supposed to get a job in the hospitality industry unless you speak Spanish? Baffles me.

Unfortunately I have to agree with what has been said by the forum members. We lived in Spain for 5 years and had to come back three years ago. Even the few friends that are still living there (who are fluent in Spanish) are struggling. Its a miserable life for them. We did the right thing and moved back to the UK and now are both in full-time employment, giving our kids a life they deserve. Dont go.

Thank you for your honesty. It's good for people who are contemplating a move to Spain in these difficult times to hear the reality from someone who has done it and realised the near-impossibility of making a go of things if you have a family and need to find work, rather than a bunch of pensioners and early retirees (including me!) advising them not to do it. Sometimes I think the prospective emigrants just think we are a load of smug so and sos who don't want them to succeed!

Maybe if things improve in the future you can give it another go, in the meantime as you say you have done the best thing possible for your children especially for their future career prospects.

If you're willing to move to Spain proper and avoid the CDS, then it may be worth monitoring the EuroVegas development in Madrid. Now, it's been said by more than 1 expat that it won't happen, in which case you have not lost anything by taking a wait-and-see approach. But if it does get built (and we are talking 3-4 years for the initial stage) then it's quite obvious that English-speaking hotel and customer service staff will be in demand. In fact the casino people have made it quite clear (to the annoyance of local Spanish reps) that they want a free hand to recruit foreigners with relevant language skills. So, if you can speak French and/or Dutch as well as native English, you will have an advantage.
There are obvious disadvantages to living and working in Madrid (the high cost of accommodation, the traffic, the pollution etc) but for me it was a great place to live and work. 4 million other people seem to endure living there too! Don't rule it out because it's not next to the beach!

I don't think there are any "free" state international schools (someone will jump in to correct me)

Spain is a nice place to visit for a holiday, but living when you have to work - not so nice.
In your (presumed) age bracket unemployment is around 40% in Andalucia.
There are jobs in the hotel industry but not the sort you would probably want to take part in.

If you feel you want to come to Spain then get a proper job with an international company before giving up what you have.

kr

you're right - there is no such thing as a free state international school

there are some free state schools which claim to be bilingual - & some which have a very international population

but they teach predominantly in Spanish & follow the Spanish curriculum

There are some free bilingual state schools, but the international schools charge high fees. Younger children usually manage better and pick up the language quickly, but f your daughter is more than 6 or 7 years old it would be quite difficult for her to cope even in a bilingual school with no Spanish.

Remember there is no child benefit here, or assistance with your rent. You wouldn't even get unemployment benefit or free healthcare unless you have paid into the Spanish system for some time.

Even if you were lucky enough to find a job (big if!!) there are so many people desperate for work that the wages and conditions are really dreadful. You'd have to work very long hours and pay a childminder.

If you are serious about coming to live here, why not start learning Spanish now and you'll be in a better position if and when things get better in future?

There is child benefit, but in the form of tax deductions on your income

But of course nothing like the generosity of the UK

Well then it is not child benefit, it is a tax allowance, and for non tax payers, low earners, there is effectively no benefit.

I think (but am not sure) that everyone gets 100 euros per month until their child in 3. And that isnt income based

Not sure though, my wife doesnt know either!

You won't be able to get residency without an income and I would have thought you wouldn't be able to put your kids in a state school without residency.