Moving advice - Page 4

Please don't take this reply as backlash Devo, as what you have said is true in so many cases. However, if I were paid a Euro for every time I either heard first hand or read a social media post  from an immigrant either

 a) desperately requesting  a translator for  a health related issue and complaining that their Spanish doctor, working in Spain, didn't speak English,

b) as above for any issue relating to town halls/administration/police or Spanish bureaucracy in general

c) the need to employ only English speaking plumbers/electricians/carpenters etc then, in many instances,  bemoaning the fact that they have been ripped off in some way by an unscrupulous, often operating below the radar, individual...   

I'd be a very wealthy person. 

If for no other reason than respect for the country you are residing in, I would still say; learn Spanish and socialise with the Spanish rather than limiting your socialising to people only of your own nationality. 

Yes, you can indeed get by, but life here is far more enriching and real if you take the time to learn the language. 

I fully agree Susi - if you reside here full time, learning the language is vital - if only because living here full-time you can’t always ensure there will be an English-speaking Doctor / Dentist / Electrician / plumber etcetera available.

A good example is if in Vera you need to go to either the Health Centre or the Correos.  Neither Yolanda nor MªAngeles who are most often on reception speak a word of English - and neither do any of the ladies in the Correos.

If you reside here, eventually you may have need of the TGSS if you are working - the main office is Huércal-Overa, but don’t go there if you don’t speak Spanish because there is one individual who I think is the office manager who will just send you away irrespective of what you need.

You can if you hunt round find English speaking tax advisors / lawyers etc, but being able to speak even a little bit of Spanish opens the field much much further and doesn’t restrict you to the handful that can speak English.

I would also entreat everyone to remember; English is not one of Spains official languages; it is not a right to expect someone to speak English, it is a privilege if they do because it means they have taken the time and effort to learn English … the least those of us who live here full time can do is repay that compliment and learn the language.

1. Learning Spanish is important. You don’t have to be anything near 100% proficient, but the more you learn the better the experience. Spaniards tend to be helpful with someone is making the effort. I’m glad when a Spaniard corrects my use and at least I know I’ve learned something new then. Enjoy the learning.

2. Anybody who is thinking of moving to Spain I would advise to get an NIE number asap as in asap. You need this. Contact the Spanish embassy or consulate in your area and arrange an appointment and bring all the documents they ask. This costs about €8.00, but if you wish to spend circa €200.00 after your move to Spain go ahead. This forum is saving you money already.

3. I have two dogs in Ireland. I’m not  certain that a dog will make life easier for anybody breaking new ground in the Costas (just my opinion, hold the firing squad).

4. Pub scene is good for contacts. But, there are several womens groups in Mojacar. They are good for Mrs Matt and if things are not going according to plan they tend to be of help. 

5. I read my brains out whenever I go to Spain. New books in English are more expensive there.If you use contact groups for even swapping books you’re financially ahead.

6. Expats in Spain may do work that they wouldn’t even think of doing in the UK. Looking after holiday homes, cleaning etc is available and always in demand. I recommend if doing this you do it privately. 

Another bad day at the office yesterday for me, but hoping Rachael Blackmore and Gordon Elliott will come good for me today at Leopardstown. Now you know horses to be avoided today.

Hi Susi  , cheers for being kind . I actually agree with everything you say . How many of the people on these place in the sun style programs say we want to learn Spanish and then buy a property on their first visit . Kathy is doing it right and now has the chance to start to learn Spanish , it’s called forward planning , before actually living their . I know that free lessons are available in a lot of areas . Mathew , you say about working and obviously if someone’s Spanish is up to scratch there is money to be earned as an interpreter but I hope your not suggesting only work for cash to fiddle the tax , a fine upstanding citizen like yourself . 😂     In all seriousness tho how many people actually make the effort to learn to a decent standard  to be able to hold a conversation with a Spaniard 5% ;10% .  It’s brilliant to see younger families that settle and how quickly their children pick-up the langue at school ,I just think it’s more difficult for retiree’s, certainly in my case as I can’t hold stuff in my head like I used to .  I have used the words enriched experience in my post so again I agree with you Susi . I don’t feel that I have had a lesser experience in my forty plus years of visiting and living for a couple of years in early 2000s by not been fluent in Spanish . A lot of fun has been had by trying to get through with my Spanglish in hardware shops etc .        Dario I seem to remember in someone’s post that they said whatever you do don’t rush to get your padron as once on the system that’s it ?? True or false 

Padrón - if you reside here, it’s obligatory and necessary for a lot of official things, and should be done as soon as possible after moving to your new address.  As a resident, without Padrón you cannot apply for your TIE, get in Spanish Health or do a myriad other things, but if you only have a holiday home here and do not reside full time, i.e. it is not your place of habitual residence, then DON’T go on the Padrón, no matter how much the house purchase lawyers or ayuntamiento officials tell you it’s ok (Lawyers because honestly, some of them have got absolutely no idea and will tell you whatever they think will extract more money from you and ayuntamiento because the more people they have on the Padrón, the more money they get and they really don’t care if it causes problems for you)

If you are non resident, and go on the Padrón, as far as officialdom is concerned, you have taken on the responsibilities of a resident - because that is what a Padrón declares, that you habitually reside at the address stated, not occasionally as per a holiday home.  This can not only have tax implications, with AEAT chasing you for back tax (as you’ve declared yourself resident and therefore resident for tax purposes) it can also lead to getting fined for driving on a UK licence, because as resident, a Spanish licence is obligatory.

Hi Kathy, I can only agree with what everyone says. 

Renting first will give you a flavour for the different areas and how easy it is to get around. We are in the UK and bought our holiday home a year ago, visiting five times since. I have to confess, I ignored Matthew's sage advice to rent first as we thought we knew the area reasonably well but once viewings started, we completely lost track of where different properties were located. Thankfully, we ended up in a location that's perfect for us. 

There are lots of apartments in gated communities - urbanisations - and in our small community we have met neighbours round the pool or just walking to and from our place. They even held a welcome party for us in June! 

We have also become aware of more distant British friends, or 'friends of friends', who live in Spain and forged links with them. They speak much better Spanish than us and are good sources of knowledge. 

The cafes, bars and restaurants are great places to meet people, and if you volunteer a friendly comment when you hear English being spoken, a lot of people are happy to chat. That includes Americans, Canadians etc. We're in a couple, so I always welcome a new person to talk to! 

One thing I have noticed, I am more willing to spend time with some people than I might be at home, where a busier life makes time with friends a limited treat. A shared love of Spain added to the pleasure of sitting in the sunshine with a drink certainly oils the wheels of acquaintance and friendship.

Once again the man with the answers . I remember now what it said in an earlier post . For the likes of me that have only ever rented . Although when I thought I may settle in mojacar 2007 to 2009 I had long term lets, I did go on the padron and with a brilliant lawyer Pillar Perez , I think , took me to Almeria , sorted all the paperwork and got my Nie . Illness and family took me back to uk ,end of adventure . 

Sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.  England has a lot of immigrants and it can cause resentment if any 'don't bother to learn English' and clog up the queue in a busy surgery, cannot read warning signs, drive illegally, or steal jobs at a cut price rate because they do not pay tax but benefit from the infrastructure provided by people that do.  

Why should the monoglot British think that all the above is OK for them in Spain if they are resident ( different for tourists). Perfect Spanish is a very difficult goal but we in Britain expect a working knowledge of English from all people who make their home in our country, good manners we should behave the same to Spain.

Hi Bess , when you say our country are you Spanish born or just moved their . I’m not been discourteous just wondered what nationality you where . I have lived in East Sussex for last 40 plus years but born in the midlands and left their in my 30s but still say I’m going home when I visit relatives and sole surviving friends .

I found the Michel Thomas mp3 system very good,whereas it will not get you fluent it will give you a good grounding that you can expand on

I also got a lot of help from Jose in MiTaberna his English is good and his Spanglish is passable and it certainly enriched my life in Spain.

Now trying to learn Albanian but it is a very tricky lingo