For many, Spain is the destination. A life full of work and stress in order to finally end up in paradise. Great food, amazing people, beautiful landscape and many other charms make the Spanish territory the perfect geography to retire.
Hence no surprise year after year the amount of foreigners from all around the world choose it as their new home.
But, how to do it successfully? Which are all the steps one must follow in order to retire to Spain without stress and complications?
What’s next are some useful tips that have helped many expats in the country.
First: choose your destination
Spain occupies the 4th spot when it comes to country size within the European ranking. And means many areas to discover and possible places to settle in.
If you are planning to retire to Spain, the first thing you must do is decide which is your preferred region.
The country is divided into different autonomous communities, and each offers its own peculiarities.
Catalonia and Valencia offer a more tempered climate with great beaches, Madrid has a more extreme weather with a completely different vibe, and the north of the country is colder but with amazing mountains.
Nevertheless, the most chosen destination among retirees is the south: Andalucia.
Places like Marbella have become the perfect spot for them, offering a mix of a relaxed and chilled vibe, hot temperatures the whole year around, and tons of other expats in their same situation.
Hence, the advice here is quite simple: take your time to visit the country. Go on a long holiday and travel as much as you can. Visit north, south, east and west, so you can make an informed decision.
Be aware of the legal process
If there is something crucial you must have under control, that is understanding the Spanish immigration law and which is the residency you must obtain to stay in the country for the long-run.
There are many options when it comes to obtaining a visa to Spain, but luckily there is one option that becomes the perfect fit when retiring to the country: the non-profit or non-lucrative visa.
It’s application process is quite straightforward, and must be initiated in your country of origin (at the Spanish consulate or embassy).
You will just need to demonstrate the possession of at least 27.000€in your bank account, and hire private health insurance with full coverage in the whole Spanish territory.
Nevertheless, those requirements may be extended according to what your specific consulate demands, so it is always better to first directly contact that consulate or an immiration lawyer who can guide you step by step.
Get in touch with other expats
Among other advantages, one of the main benefits the internet brings to our daily lives is the capacity to model what others in our same situation have done before.
And moving to a new country is no exception.
It really pays to do some research online, find the most popular online forums or Facebook Groups that are filled with others that have already retired to Spain before, and get in touch with them.
You can simply learn a lot by just reading past posts and conversations. There will be, for sure, many to-dos you may not be considering right now you could discover, and even get the solution for your main questions.
Understanding your housing options
Finally, perhaps one of the main pillars of your retiring process is housing.
And here the main question is: should you buy or should you rent?
The truth is that the Spanish housing market is expanding. Not only do tons of foreigners from all around the world decide to move to Spain (and that number does not cease to grow), but also Spanish nationals need to search for alternatives due to the rising prices that rentals and properties are experiencing within big capitals.
This creates many great real estate opportunities (specially in the vicinity of big cities) that makes buying the go-to option.
