@tomwins
American expat in Spain
Forum
32 posts
About me
American
Lives in Santander, Cantabria
Registration: 25 July 2018
Activity
How easy is it to sell a piso in Spain?
I am preparing to move near Girona (north of Barcelona) and am not finding many rental units I like in decent neighborhoods. I see many flats for sale.Since I don't plan to live there more than four or five years, I am wondering if it will be hard ... Read More
Cost of living in Spain in 2024 by Cheryl
Hello everyone, As every year, we invite you to share your experience regarding the cost of living in Spain, and if possible, in the specific region or city where you live. This will help members who are planning to relocate in Spain. Here are ...
When it comes to housing, what is the cost of renting or buying an apartment or house in Spain?I pay 700€ for a one bedroom apartment 1/2 block from the beach in Santander (Cantabria). How much do you pay for public transports such as buses, ... Read More
Process to move permanently to Spain from the US by beeeventura
Can anyone provide information on how to navigate the visa process to move permanently to Spain from the US? The consulate office in NY does not have a live person, they don't respond to emails or messages. What do the expats living in Spain ...
I did a search for "Spain Consulate Visa New York" and found the website with the information you need to get a visa. It also says no information is given by other means. So you need to go here: ... Read More
Portugal or Spain by BeachBaby
Hello,My husband and I are visiting Valencia area soon. We've done research, explored, and spent 10 days in Portugal. Sky high real estate. Overrun by tourists. Need to move away from coast to be affordable. Interested in small neighborhood of ...
If you want cooler and can take rain, look at Bilboa or Gijon and other northern cities. I am in a smaller town that doesn't have too many expats. The temperature in the winter is mild, though damp. It can be windy, especially as the seasons change ... Read More
Portugal or Spain by BeachBaby
Hello,My husband and I are visiting Valencia area soon. We've done research, explored, and spent 10 days in Portugal. Sky high real estate. Overrun by tourists. Need to move away from coast to be affordable. Interested in small neighborhood of ...
I had been to Valencia a few times and love the city and what it has to offer. But I had only been in the Spring. So in 2021 I went to Valencia for several weeks in September. The heat and humidity there was unbearable for me.The next Spring, after ... Read More
Best bank account without DNI by peterashwell1992
Hello, I am living in Spain as a "residente", so I need a bank account. Some friends recommended me to open an account in Sabadell or in Santander, but I can't without Spanish ID (DNI). Reading online I found this article that recommends Revolut and ...
ErikWeller is right on. I'm from the US and opened an account at Santander with my NIE before I had my temporary resident card (so was not officially processed as a resident). They used my passport and when I got my card they added that to the ... Read More
Adapting to the pace of life in Spain by Cheryl
Hello everyone, When you move to Spain, you may find that the pace of life is different from what you're used to. Shop opening times, working hours, sleep cycles and variations in sunlight can all have an effect on your life in Spain as an expat ...
I have changed quiet a bit over the past year since living in Spain as a retiree. I resisted changing my eating times for a long time. But in part due to living in Spain and in part due to wanting to lose weight, I've changed from eating a big ... Read More
Lease Agreement For TIE by Fred Christensen29
Greetings everyone. We need to obtain our TIE, and just found out yesterday that this requires proof of residency established through the local City Hall, based on a lease agreement. We had already made plans to stay in different places in Spain ...
This morning I thought of two things that may help you.My lease is a month to month. So you shouldn't need to pursue a year lease. This may help you get a place to register locally and get your card and then have time to find a better solution.Find ... Read More
Lease Agreement For TIE by Fred Christensen29
Greetings everyone. We need to obtain our TIE, and just found out yesterday that this requires proof of residency established through the local City Hall, based on a lease agreement. We had already made plans to stay in different places in Spain ...
The following may help you get a local office to approve your presence there. It is what my lawyer asked me to get my landlord to sign.Yo don..... mayor de edad con DNI .... y con domicilio en..... , propietario de la vivienda sita en .... autorizo ... Read More
Lease Agreement For TIE by Fred Christensen29
Greetings everyone. We need to obtain our TIE, and just found out yesterday that this requires proof of residency established through the local City Hall, based on a lease agreement. We had already made plans to stay in different places in Spain ...
I'm sorry to hear about your difficulty but it doesn't surprise me that short-term rentals are not accepted.To get my card, I had to show a rental agreement and the lawyer I was using also suggested I get the landlord to sign a simple statement ... Read More
Gay Married Couple Looking to Relocate to Spain by markegoldstein
The question is where in Spain would a gay married couple in their 60s feel more comfortable? The choices are :Malaga/Torremolinos, Alicante, or Valencia.We like to make gay friends and have all the amenities that a decent-sized city would have ...
@redlodge925 Sorry it took me so long to reply but I just saw your request for me to tell you why I don't like September in Valencia. I don't like heat and humidity. As long as the temperature is below 25 I am fine. In dry climate I don't mind 26 or ... Read More
Moving To Santander by soeclectic
I have lived in Amsterdam, London, NY, San Francisco, San Diego, Portland, Seattle, Oakland, Laguna Beach, and now Santa Cruz California. I am well educated and have experienced just about everything life has to offer. I have always been very ...
I am not OP but I moved to Santander in March 2022. I love it!I don't consider it depressing or grey even though I'm subject to winter blues.Yes it can be cloudy and overcast and it does rain more than most other parts of Spain.The winter sun is ... Read More
Empadronamiento for Spain by TinaChico
Hello,I am trying to get my Empadronamiento, but my Spanish solicitor says I have to have an address in Spain. But we are still waiting for my husband and children's NLV to come through. So I really don't want to buy or rent in Spain in case their ...
For the visa application, you have to show an address at which you will be living upon arriving in Spain. I assume you did this since you have your NLV. I did it by renting for six weeks and included a note that I'd find a permanent rental after ... Read More
Bank Recommendations by Snapper55
Hi, my wife Renae and I are from Wisconsin in the US. We are retirerees who have traveled a good deal but who now want to establish a residence in Barcelona. We have secured NIE numbers from the consulate in Chicago. We will travel to Barcelona ...
I have been using Santander for six months now. I tried to open an account at BBVA but they wouldn't until I received my card. Banco Santander allowed me to open an account with my passport and then once I got my immigration card, they updated the ... Read More
How do you move your stuff from the US to Spain? by zurlita
Hi there!We are planning to move to Malaga this summer and we want to reduce our stuff to minimum. However, after almost 20 years in the US, it will be probably hard to leave with just a piece of luggage. Even though we would make effort to reduce ...
I made the move in 2022. In April I came to Spain to make final plans before moving in July. In April I brought suitcases (one checked and one carry-on) full of things (mainly clothes) I didn't need and left them in Spain. Then in July I brought two ... Read More