Is it possible to live in Spain for the rest of my life.?

Show all answers

BarcelonaMan

You, a passport-carrying US citizen, can only legally stay in Spain for 90 days with the possibility of an additional 90 day extension.

Short answer: Yes. There are tens of thousands of illegal aliens living their whole lives illegally in Spain, scraping by, making next to nothing in cash-salaries, sharing apartments with 10 other people, never able to afford to travel, eat well, or live well, and never getting a pension later in life because you never paid into the social security system. Is that the kind of life you want? *OR*, if you're rich and you have (about) $120,000 deposited in a Spanish bank and can prove you won't be a burden on the system you can live there legally after submitting the appropriate paperwork - but you still are not legally able to work. Take a look at your US region's Spanish consulate website for visa details/options.

Long answer: No. For you, a "United Statesen", it's nearly impossible to live in Spain legally. You cannot work legally in Spain without having a work visa - which nearly no company will give you because it costs them money, time, and they're legally required to first consider Spanish and European candidates for all jobs - UNLESS, of course, you're HIGHLY qualified in your field. And you cannot work in Spain without residency - which you cannot get without marrying a Spaniard or without first having a work visa.

Saludos, MadridMan(.com)

knitknackers

Course you can live here for the rest of your life as long as you go through the correct procedures. Don't ask me what they are as they change every day here. I have many American friends here who have been here for years and intend to stay here.
Just remember though you are not entitled to reciprocol health like a member of the EU is, so you will have to have enough money to cover medical insurance.
Check at the embassy

cee.lynn

You cannot just go there and live. You have to have a visa and means to support yourself. Without a visa, you can only stay for 90 days.

lisa h

Yes it's possible to live in Spain for the rest of your life.
You can also be faced with a lot of red tape, with regards to buying a place & it's best to get yourself an English speaking lawyer,
Getting your visa will be easy enough. You also have to register yourself with the local mayor for residency & you obviously need an address.
You could also become an English teacher - they do need them & you could also benefit from speaking a little Spanish too.
It is still possible to buy a decent property in Spain as like the rest of the world prices are dropping with the imminent recession.

If you'd like to live as cheap as possible in Spain, your best bet is to buy one of the caravans on many of the caravan parks around the coast of Spain. There's some beautiful ones in the Costa Blanca in & around Benidorm. You can buy one for around $30,000 (fully furnished) the rent is around $4k a year & most parks have a great pool, bar, restaurant, hairdressers, doctor, supermarket on site with either a free bus or bus service daily to the other beautiful towns in the vicinity.
As for the culture - you can't beat it. Once you adjust to the slower pace of life, beautiful fresh food, late nights & daily siesta's all stresses disappear & you realise you wish you'd done it years ago!

I live in the UK but have family that live in Spain. They say that their health has improved so much - due to the weather, food & slower pace of life.
Meal times can last for hours & they really make the effort. The evening meal begins around 9-10pm & the Spanish then go out to socialise around 10-11pm.
You see far more active older people during the night, meeting up with friends & they really make the effort when they're out.
As for medical insurance - you already pay it in the US so it should be as straightforward. I have found the farmacia to be a lot cheaper than the UK as I buy all my anti-biotics in Spain to take back to the UK.

BigBee

cee.lynn is right to a point. You usually can only get a travel visa up to 90 days for (I think) all EU-countries. Anyways, if you're US-citizen, a friend of mine is working in Germany as English teacher. I guess you could do the same thing. Point about work visa is, that you have to have a job to apply for those. Permit of stay then is 1 year, and has to be extended after that again and again. But it is possible.

Regarding the cultural shock, yes, there's gonna be some ;)

Try to find some information on working visa in Spain. But I guess without job it will be very difficult to get a permanent permit.

SueP

There is paperwork involved.

And the rules change constantly.

You could become a citizen, there, and you would be assured permanent status, but then, why would you ever want to give up your American citizenship??? Most people really like the fact that they are citizens of the safest country in the world, no matter what else they think of the US, they accept the fact that the benefits here are the best, even for expatriates. (people who have moved to other countries).

What is your reason for wanting to live there? I think you should really examine your decision...you might find you miss home, your friends, and your family here...

Check with the state department and the nearest Spanish consulate.

diamantes

yes,i live in valencia (spain)jijiji i am spanish

eastereuy

=) Why not? I know there will be cultural shock, but if you have decide, then go ahead =)

A new wonderful like is waiting!

Enter Your Message or Comment

User Name:
User Email:
Post a comment: