LeeAnthony21

Hello everyone,

This is my first post and I have been contemplating this for a while, but I am so sick of living in the UK, I am very unsatisfied with life here and I have liked the idea of emigrating for as long as I can remember. I thought I would wait it out and see how Brexit goes but now with the threat of a no-deal Brexit looking more likely, I am very worried that after 31st Oct that the drawbridge will go up and I will not be able to fulfil my dream of living in Spain. I'm in my early twenties, and I speak Spanish fairly well (C1 level), I have studied it for years and even spent 6 months there learning the language, So, I am familiar with what it is like living in Spain and not just going there on holiday. I feel much more at home there and out of all the countries I have been to, Spain attracts me the most.

I have experience working as a waiter, I was thinking maybe I could find a job in restaurants or even in hotels, and I have around 10k in savings.

I don't know where in Spain I would like to live... maybe someone can give me some recommendations? I have Madrid, Malaga and Barcelona in mind. I would be making the move alone. Is it worth taking the risk and moving out there? I feel like I have nothing to lose.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Dxf

Hola

First find a job as that will decide where you move to; with massive unemployment and very low wages, I question the quality of life you would lead here.

Davexf

Moses2013

Can only agree with Dxf. Look where you can find the best job, or let's say where you get more for your money first and then see. But think about it, you managed to save 10K, so life isn't as bad as you make it. Even in 5 - 10 years Spain will still exist and people will come and go regardless of Brexit. You might be better off saving more and learn skills that will get you better paid jobs in the future, rather just rushing into things.

Retired in Euskadi

Being young, perhaps you will be short on experience but full of energy and enthusiasm, things that count very often with employers. Trying to find a job in Spain from England, I'd forget, despite what others might say. Employers like to see a potential client face to face. Yes, there's youth unemployment here, but with the right attitude you might survive.
Ever thought of this part of the world? The Basque country is making serious links with Britain, trade-wise and is considered the culinary capital of Spain, deservedly so. You wouldn't need to speak Basque, unlike Catalan in Barcelona, in fact not a lot of Basque is spoken in Bilbao, more so in Donosti / San Sebastian.
Spanish people's level of English in general is not as good as we might have thought, bearing in mind tourism is the number 1 industry.
If you don't come, you'll only regret it later on.
As for Brexit, absolutely nobody knows, but my personal opinion is that not a lot will change initially.

Loafing Along

Obviously with your language level you will find jobs more easily in the tourist areas but the season is drawing to a close and many temporary staff contracted for the summer will be laid off. Madrid is a good place to start, less likely to encounter language issues ( catalan ! ) than in Barcelona or head to somewhere like Malaga - year round cruise ships make the tourist market less seasonal . Be prepared for a lot of disappointment but stick at it, somewhere they will offer you a temprorary job. Bear in mind that there is a lot of paperwork associated with settling long-term so try and make the most of the first 90 days which is the time period allotted to a non-registered person. Then you will have to register with the police , the town hall, show medical insurance, funds to support you and so on . Critical then get a job within 90 days.

el collado kid

hi leeyou are a young bloke with a little bit of money behind you think very carefully where you might go in spain i,e right city, you seem sensible to me ,if i were 21 and single with 10k i,d give it a bloody good go son, you have had a couple of good replies already ask for more i,m 62 lived here 4 years so a little a little different to you, i to got feed up with uk moved to spain i have enjoyd every second of if. not every thing is Rosie but i think a far better liveas i said have a bloody good go son,you can always go back and earn more money in uk if it does not work out .think very hard and careful make your own mind up

mikelincs

Hospitality pay is extremely bad, as many restaurants rely on family to staff the place and pay them peanuts., also many are not contract jobs, so no coverage in the Spanish health service and no benefits. I know of one place a few years ago that was advertising for staff, this was a brit run place, and someone I knew got a job there having been told the pay was €5, she thought it was per hour, turned out it was per NIGHT, she never went back. You may foind out that the 10K doesn't last too long in those circumstances, and most of the jobs are seasonal, with many places shutting down in September, and a lot just don't reopen the next year, unless they have sold the premises.

rachelk

Agree with el collado kid - if you can afford to risk those 10k savings I'd give it a go, particularly since we don't know conditions might apply to residence post-brexit.
C1 gives you a great advantage over most job-hunting brits and while hopitality jobs might not be the best paid or most stable, you can get your foot in the door, get your paperwork sorted and then start thinking about what you might really like to do.

If you're going to rent on your own, choose your location wisely - if I'm not mistaken the current laws on long term rentals mean that if you leave a place before the year is out, or certainly before 6 months is up, you can be severely out of pocket. Flatshare might be safer initially.

Good luck, I hope it works out for you

el collado kid

hi racelk, good info and advice just what the boy needs

Mustard

There is a company in Madrid which is always advertising for native speaker 'sales agents' aimed at UK clients. Not everyone's cup of tea but it could be a starting point to establish yourself. Here is a link.

el collado kid

hi lee morningi just told my wife about you ,she told me our friends son who is 21 live lives with mum and dad in the valley. he looked for work in restaurants in moraira costa blanca he walked a round the town asking in person he had four job offers took his pick happy as larry,
moraira costa blanca 15 minuet drive for us,

Moses2013

One other thing to consider is what kind of life you are seeking in Spain. While many people always talk about Spain as a country, every area will be very different. In Madrid you don't have any beach and climate is completely different to Barcelona. Both cities are very expensive and crowded, but at least in Barcelona you can still smell the Med, have amazing coastline close by and have milder winters. Malaga is great for the sunseeker and again offers you beach living if you of course have the right job. Especially if you're in IT, Malaga might be an option. Rather than wasting your hard earned money, find out what kind of location you want and then look online for jobs.

bob_bob

Unless you speak Spanish and have a 'needed' skill you can forget Spain. Better off gaining UK qualifications that will get you out to Canada/New Zealand/Australia.

Rosemary

He has stated that he has C1 level Spanish.

Rosemary

Retired in Euskadi

Give the lad a chance; at least he speaks reasonable Spanish, is keen and willing to give it a go. And he's English, so could fall back on that with some extra teaching if need be.
I find many of us here on this forum tend to be too negative. Yes, spell out the true facts, but let's encourage people.
My whisky glass is always half full.