Moving anywhere locally is a source of big problems, let alone moving from country to country. The fact is that some of us can’t choose and when push comes to shove you need to move and you need to move into another country for whatever reason.
Today we are talking about moving from the UK to Spain. Spain is a very popular destination and it has a lot to offer. Like any other country, there are some things to know and we will gladly help you understand them today. Spain is a specific country that has 17 autonomous regions that have a very diverse culture and language. They have their dialects of the Spanish language and they have different laws and regulations in each of these regions.
This fact is why we are making this list because moving to Spain isn’t just picking up your things and hopping on a plane, you have to know where you are going, you have to know what you can expect from laws and regulations, housing requirements and prices, transportation and many other things that are important for a normal day to day life.
If you are moving there or planning a move in near future you also need a good property hunter and if we might suggest, we will advise checking out javea.properties and seeing what they have to say and offer. Without further ado here are the things you need to know before moving to Spain.
1. Time
When we say the time we mean the times you have certain things available to you. Spanish people take their Siesta time very religiously meaning that from 2 PM to 5 PM you will not be able to shop for anything. This goes for 90% of rural areas and areas that don’t have a too big population. Cities like Madrid and Barcelona do not practice these Siesta brakes for obvious reasons. Everywhere else you will have a huge break where nothing but hospitals and libraries works. This is important to know because cities and areas that practice this will put a damper on productivity. After all, public offices, banks, shops, supermarkets, phone shops and others will be downright closed in this period.
2. Language
Moving anywhere else but your home country means that the language you will use is English. It is a unified and international language that 80% of the world understands. What you need to know is that it will get you only so far and that learning the language of the country you are moving to is always a good option. Tourist places and places that have a lot of circulation will have a general knowledge of English but if you move to quieter and rural places of Spain you will need to know Spanish and you will need to know the dialect of the area you are moving to. It will make your life a lot easier.
3. Prices
Prices of everything differ from place to place. What you need to know and what should interest you the most when you are moving to a new country are the prices of food and general things like electricity, gas, fuel and similar. The prices that we mentioned will probably be a lot lower than in the UK for almost everything. Some things are even half the price than the UK. What you need to know as well as the fact that prices differ from area to area of the country because of those regulations and laws. Every region has some things specific to that are and that also reflects on prices of commodities that are widely used. Housing is also cheaper but if you move away from capital cities and if you move to rural areas. If you need or like being located in the centre of Madrid or Barcelona, for instance, you will need to set aside a pretty penny for your apartment, room and the bills that will come.
4. Transportation
Transportation will be the thing that you will have no issues with at all. Spanish cities and transportation services are so good that you won’t ever need a car to get where you need. The cities are easily walkable and everything is within walking distance, but those that need to cover bigger distances in time can utilize Spain’s transportation system which is more than good. Smaller cities utilize public buses while larger cities have metros, trams including other things an average person needs to get around. Prices of transportation are decent and in some cities cheaper than where you are from which mean that your monthly costs for getting around won’t cause you headaches.
5. Leisure time
Spain is an exotic country and as far as restaurants and meals go you can have whatever you like. From domestic to international foods, the service and the places you can go, you really won’t have issues when it comes to finding a place to eat and relax. When in Spain try and transfer to their food because you will not regret it. A fine combo of healthy and exotic is what they boast of. Spain isn’t any different from your home country and town. You can find all of the things like gyms, yoga classes, dance classes, movie theatres and so on and you will likely find those cheaper than in the UK. The fact that some things are cheaper in Spain than in the UK does not mean that the quality is bad but the difference in standard between these two countries. If anything else yoga and dance classes, for instance, are far better than in the UK.
6. Bureaucracy
We saved the worst for last, unfortunately. Spain is known for its huge and very annoying bureaucracy. It is complicated with a lot of legal and technical language that will be hard to understand if you are not a native. This is why we put language understanding so high up this list. If you want to ease your life at least in this part, try not to allow your visa from expiring because if it happens you will be in a world of problems. When we mentioned visa, and when you need any other legal document you have to know that government here really takes their time. Do not expect anything to be done swiftly. There will always be a lot of documents you need to send them, they will return something to you, sometimes to sign, then send them again, then their part of the work and it takes forever sometimes.