Hi everyone!! My story is quite long and convoluted so I’m gonna try to keep it short and to the point.

Basically, I’m a Portuguese citizen/EU member but have been living in the US without papers since the age of 2. I am now 22 and, as it’s impossible for me build a life here, I have committed to moving back to Europe. It just so happens that a former teacher and good friend of mine is moving to Madrid in January and she’ll be living there for the next 3 years to complete her PhD. She’s offered to let me stay at her place and plans to help find me a job before my move over there, which would probably be during the springtime (April or May).

I am excited but very scared! I have no formal education and any money I manage to gather before the move will probably be spent on airfare and contributing as much as i can to the household. I don’t have any Portuguese documentation except for my passport and ID slip (both valid and in-date) so all of that stuff will have to be worked out AFTER i arrive in Spain as the local Spanish Embassy informed that there is nothing i need to take care of here. They told me all I need to do is book a flight, arrive in Spain, visit the Oficina de Enpadronamiento and start living.

Obviously, it’s not that easy and I’m sure the people at the Embassy are very busy and can’t give me all the details, so that’s how I came across SpainExpat. All of the information is very useful and so appreciated. However, I have a couple questions and if anyone could take the time to answer, I’d be forever thankful!! Feel free to send me a private message—

1. I’d like to eventually complete my education in Spain. However, even though I’m an EU national, I graduated from a high school in the US. How can I get my education documented so that it counts in Spain?

2. Also, seeing as I have no formal education (I have not yet completed any college/university degree and I won’t be able to before moving), what can I expect as far as finding work? I figure my best shot is probably a restaurant or coffee house?

3. How much money should I have saved up to pay fees, etc., for all the paperwork I’m gonna have to file? I’m very afraid of not having enough!

By the way, I speak and read fluent Spanish, although my written Spanish isn’t near perfect.

Can you guys please tell me what to expect and how to be prepared? I’m very overwhelmed!! But I’ve made a promise to myself that I’m going to do everything I can to improve my life, and the only way to make that happen is to LIVE AND WORK, something I can’t do in the US. So please help me, anyone, with any info you may have that would be relevant. Thank you!

nobody? what’s the point of a forum if almost 60 people are gonna read your post and not even bother to reply with a tidbit of information. Thanks a lot, guys.

GoldBabyShriek - 27 December 2009 02:56 AM

1. I’d like to eventually complete my education in Spain. However, even though I’m an EU national, I graduated from a high school in the US. How can I get my education documented so that it counts in Spain?

2. Also, seeing as I have no formal education (I have not yet completed any college/university degree and I won’t be able to before moving), what can I expect as far as finding work? I figure my best shot is probably a restaurant or coffee house?

3. How much money should I have saved up to pay fees, etc., for all the paperwork I’m gonna have to file? I’m very afraid of not having enough!

Do you belong to any other forums? You ought to know how they operate before you go about criticizing our forum. Sometimes they just need a bump and a clarification of the important questions (which can easily get lost in a long post like yours).

Anyway I’ll see how I do with your

1. You should be able to get your diploma translated and notarized. Check out our article on sworn translations

2. Tough, especially right now. Even bar and restaurant work is becoming more and more scarce. The fact that you are US educated (high school) and have your EU papers gives you some edge though. It’s possible, just give yourself 3-6 months buffer, perhaps more.

3. So for a 6 month buffer I’d save around 6000 EUR. That’s living fairly frugally too. More on cost of living here and definitely check out the To Do list for teaching english in Spain.

The Expatriator - 04 January 2010 03:57 AM

1. You should be able to get your diploma translated and notarized. Check out our article on sworn translations

2. Tough, especially right now. Even bar and restaurant work is becoming more and more scarce. The fact that you are US educated (high school) and have your EU papers gives you some edge though. It’s possible, just give yourself 3-6 months buffer, perhaps more.

3. So for a 6 month buffer I’d save around 6000 EUR. That’s living fairly frugally too. More on cost of living here and definitely check out the To Do list for teaching english in Spain.

Sorry, didn’t mean to offend anyone. I was just let down that so many people had checked out my post, but nobody had bothered to try answering even one of my questions. I don’t mean to be a complainer, it’s just that this is my life we’re talking about, and i’m stressing a great deal about this. Rent is not gonna be an issue for me, as my friend has offered to let me stay at her place for free. I don’t have any savings because I can’t work in the US. I am, however, planning to take a TEFL course here in California before moving over. Do you still think I’d need so much money saved up? Isn’t there any chance at all that I’d be able to move and find work promptly? And THANK YOU SO MUCH for answering!!

Okay, if you don’t have to pay rent, then knock about 300? per month off of the savings requirement. 700? per month is a pretty bare minimum, but certainly do-able, especially in smaller cities/towns.

It totally depends on what kind of TEFL program you take. I think it behooves you to take it wherever you’re going to be teaching however, on multiple grounds:
1. The school will be locally known and therefore more easily validated
2. Your school and teachers will be able to give you tons of great advice and leads
3. Your fellow students will be GREAT boons to your job seeking throughout your time in Spain. I still know many people from my TEFL course over five years ago and some of them are still teaching out there. It’s all about networking!

goldbabyshriek,

for question number 1 (already answered by the expatriator) you have to include your high school transcript when you get your high school diploma legalized/authenticated and translated (try getting it translated by the spanish consulate in the us), when you arrive in spain, i will look for the link for the application form and send it to you.

for question number 2
i know some british with just a high school diploma working in the bank where i work, but they applied before the recession.
you can work as an english teacher in some language schools and after a year or two you can start looking for office jobs. try to learn how to make reservations.
working in europe is bureaucratic, there are paperwork that you have to go thru, when you get here i will tell, but don’t worry about the charges, there aren’t any.

if you are coming here with a tefl, many language schools start looking for teachers around september.

THANK YOU!! my email address is .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) if you wanna send the links there. thanks for taking the time.