The details have not been worked out just yet but it looks as if we are moving to Spain for the next 2-15 years. We consists of three children 14-19, 4 dogs and a cat. We will be living and working in the Merida area. Any advice you can give would be greatly appreciated. We will be looking for a rental until we can figure things out. We speak zero Spanish as of today but will work on that fairly soon. Has anyone has any luck with Rosetta Stone?

I have a few questions

Better to buy a car local or bring ours from the US?

I have a motorcycle i would like to bring with me, is it possible to wade through the paperwork before setting the bike on fire out of frustration?

Is the paperwork and bureaucracy as bad as it sounds?

Telephone / Cell Phone costs?

Thank You, John

Hi,
Look at the post of “Young Family looking to move from Spain to Texas”, it might give you some ideas. Yes, all that you have heard about Spanish paperwork, etc., is true, trust me.  It will be quite an adventure for you.

Saludos,

d

Oops, I meant “Young Family looking to move from Texas to Spain”. Sorry.  And the bureaucracy is lots of fun (not in a good way).

d

Thank You for the reply. I have read that thread I was looking for general ideas on the cost of living in Spain.

I already have health care, insurance, and a current salary with the company I work for here in the US, I am going over to manage our facility in Spain.  I need to negotiate my monthly increase based on what it will cost to live there versus the US.

Will my current salary of 65,000 Euro allow me to live comfortably?

ropes4u,
65,000 a year or a month? either way sounds comfortable, though it depends on how you live.
if the company is transfering you, they should handle all the paper work for your immigration and once you get the letter of approval from the spanish ministry of labor approving your residence and work permit, you will have to go the spanish consulate to submit the requirements with it for the residence and work visa.

you can at the same time apply for your wife and children residence(without work) permit at the embassy informing the consulate that they depend on you.

when you have the visa, you can fly and start working. you can get a lawyer to get your social sec num, card, acompany you to apply and get the residence cards. it should be easy in merida, i do not think there are so many foreigners there.

65k a year.

I also hope for - expect - a cost of living, housing and possibly a car allowance.

65k a year?  And in Merida?  I think you will do pretty darn good.  Extremadura (the province where Merida is) has one of the lowest cost of living rates in Spain from what I have read.  And Merida is supposed to be sweet, with the roman ruins, etc., which are a Unesco heritage site.  The town has around 60,000 people.  I can see I’ve done things backwards.  I came here to Spain and went through everything the hard way and make way less money than what I could in the US.  I need to go back to the States and find a company to ship me back over here and make some real cash.  Not to mention have a company do most of my paperwork for me. That would be nice. I don’t think you will have to much to worry about once your papers are set.  And I think you will truly enjoy the experience, as well as the rest of your family.

Hi Ropes4u,

I was just curious…where in Texas are you from?

North East of Dallas, how about yourself?

We are north of Dallas as well in the Frisco/Little Elm area…

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