jakedunc

My girlfriend and I are 28 year old New Zealanders that have been living in London for 2 years now. We both are able to live and work in the UK as I have a 5 year ancestry visa and she has a UK passport.

I am a software developer and can work from my laptop so we are thinking of leaving London at the end of the year and moving to Spain where it is warm, cheap and we are able to live a year of the quiet life. We have both been to Spain multiple times and really like it.

Any pointers from expats that have left London and done the same? Would like a place near the beach in a quiet town, but also a decent city/airport that is accessible? Also would we need working visas or could we just stay there as long as we want?

Cheers!

Rosemary

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

chopera

If you spend more than 6 months in Spain in any year you become tax resident, so you'd need to find a way of paying your taxes in Spain. Depending on who you work for, this might entail becoming autonomo, which has it's own set of costs and red-tape.

Regarding places to live - everyone will tell you that where they live is best. My only advice is to make sure a decent internet connection is available.

jakedunc

Hi Chopera,

Thanks for the information. So after 6 months I would have to pay tax for the UK and Spain? Are their taxes high? Would you know I could read about this?

Thanks
Jake