Posted: Sat May 18, 2019 10:53am
“... there is a lot of contradictory information out there which can be confusing . Are we correct in thinking the the best way forward is to hire a gestor to process and translate the residency application? How did you go about it when you moved to Roquetas? What is actually required ? Can you recommend a local gestor?”
Terry and Lesley - indeed, there is a lot of contradictory information out here, mainly because local regional practice in Spanish autonomous regions seems to override national regulations.
We did use a gestor in Roquetas once we arrived a year ago - and posted on this forum our various experiences. That might help. I suggest that when you arrive here you private message me and we can meet up for a chat at a local cafe in the urbanisation where we live.
We began by getting a Spanish bank account in Roquetas, then getting a rented property, then the padron certificate, then getting an NIE ourselves (but in retrospect need not have bothered as you get this with the residency application process) and then the residency documents - requiredwithin 90 days of arriving; then medical registration at local state clinic, then obtaining a car and then Spanish driving licences. Within a few months of obtaining residence you will need to exchange your driving licence/s for Spanish ones. We did this ourselves after a simple medical test in Roquetas. It is possible to move out here and use public transport, however we bought a Spanish left hand drive car and are glad we did so.
We contacted Sabadell bank in Roquetas which has two English speakers and were told whilst in the U.K. which documents to produce. We opened a non-resident account here during a holiday visit and used Transferwise to post monies to it. Once we got residency last August we changed the account easily, to a residents free banking account. I’m sure that some can get by without a Spanish bank account but we found it makes things much easier. So I’d suggest that is the first thing to do whilst still in the U.K.
Good luck!
Chris