Spain or an English-speaking country like the UK, Canada or Australia

Key rules

• Language: Most local jobs in Spain need B1 to B2 Spanish, and A2 to B1 makes daily life much easier.
• Visa: Spanish is not required to enter or live in Spain on most visas.
• Pay: Compare take-home pay after tax and rent in a specific city, because the gross wage gap is larger than the real one.
• Australia: Australian skilled visas have a 65-point pass mark, but invitations are far more competitive.
• Settlement: UK settlement has traditionally taken 5 years, and a longer standard wait has been proposed.

The short answer

Spain is the easiest of these four to get into if language is not your strength, but it is the hardest on language once you arrive. The UK, Canada and Australia pay more and need no new language. In return, they are harder to get into and often more expensive to live in.

Weigh three things together: the language you will need, what you will really keep from your pay, and whether you can get a visa at all.

Language: what Spain asks of you

Outside tourist areas, daily life in Spain runs in Spanish. Shops, doctors, landlords, banks, utilities and neighbours expect it. In smaller towns few officials speak English. Government offices work in Spanish too, so forms and appointments will be in Spanish. Many newcomers get by with basic Spanish, a translator app or a gestor.

Aim for these levels:

• A2 to B1 makes daily life much easier.
• B1 to B2 is what most local jobs need. Professional roles often need more.
• Remote workers for foreign employers can manage with less.

Spanish is not required to enter or live in Spain on most visas. Coastal expat areas need less Spanish than inland towns. In Catalonia, the Valencian Community, the Balearic Islands, Galicia and the Basque Country, a regional language is also used, but Spanish is understood everywhere.

If you later want citizenship, you will need an A2 Spanish exam and a civic knowledge test, with exemptions for some nationalities.

Pay and costs: the gap is smaller than it looks

Average wages in the UK, Canada and Australia are well above Spain's. Australia is usually highest, then Canada, then the UK, with Spain lowest.

Higher taxes, rents and living costs eat part of that gap, especially in London, Sydney, Toronto and Vancouver. Rents there typically exceed those in Madrid and Barcelona. Housing is also strained in Spanish cities such as Madrid, Barcelona and Málaga. Compare your pay after tax in a specific city, not the gross figure.

Getting in: the harder part

UK. The main routes are Skilled Worker, Global Talent, family and the High Potential Individual visa. Settlement has traditionally taken 5 years, and a rise to 10 years has been proposed, with shorter or longer times depending on your contribution. Salary and skill thresholds and the Immigration Skills Charge have gone up, and the care-worker route is closed to new overseas applicants. Check the current settlement rules before you plan around any timeline.

Canada. The main route is Express Entry, a points system. Provincial nominee programmes, family sponsorship and Quebec's own system are other routes. Permanent resident targets have been cut, to about 395,000 in 2025 and lower afterwards. Draws favour people with Canadian experience, French speakers and those with job offers. Citizenship needs 3 years of physical presence in 5.

Australia. The skilled visas (subclasses 189, 190 and 491) are points-tested with a 65-point pass mark, but invitations are far more competitive than that mark suggests. Employer-sponsored routes include the 482 and the Employer Nomination Scheme. The permanent programme is capped at 185,000 places a year for 2024–25 and 2025–26, and student and temporary arrivals have been restricted.

In all three, long-term residence is competitive and getting harder. Caps, points and thresholds change often, so check the immigration authority of each country before deciding.

How to decide

Spain tends to win if you cannot qualify for a skilled route, can work remotely, or are willing to learn Spanish over a year or two. An English-speaking country tends to win if you score well on a skilled route, work in a shortage occupation, and expect to keep more after tax and rent. The checklist below walks you through each comparison, and the FAQ answers common questions.

Checklist

• Check whether you qualify for a skilled route in the UK, Canada or Australia, such as Skilled Worker, Express Entry or a points-tested skilled visa.

• Look up the current settlement rules on the UK government site, as the standard wait is set to rise from 5 years.

• Check your points score against the latest Express Entry results for Canada and the 65-point pass mark for Australia.

• Compare your expected net pay, after tax, in your target city with a Spanish city, not just gross salary.

• Decide how much Spanish you can learn, aiming for A2 to B1 for daily life and B1 to B2 for most local jobs.

• Confirm whether your job can be done remotely for a foreign employer, which lowers the Spanish you need.

Frequently asked questions

Do higher wages in English-speaking countries make them worth it?

Not always, because higher taxes, rents and living costs offset part of the wage gap, especially in London, Sydney, Toronto and Vancouver. Average pay in Australia, Canada and the UK is higher than in Spain in nominal terms. Your real purchasing power gain is smaller than the gross difference.

Is it easier to get permanent residence in Canada than in the UK or Australia?

No, permanent residence is competitive in all three countries, and none is easy. Canada uses a points system and has cut its targets for 2025 to 2027, while Australia caps its permanent program at 185,000 places a year. The UK is moving toward a longer wait for settlement, so check current rules for your route.

Can I live in Spain without speaking Spanish?

Yes, you can live there without Spanish if you settle in a coastal expat area or work remotely for a foreign employer, but daily life elsewhere runs in Spanish. Spanish is not required to enter or live in Spain on most visas. Offices and forms are in Spanish, so many newcomers use a translator app or a gestor, an administrative agent.

What Spanish level do I need to work in Spain?

Most local jobs need working Spanish, typically B1 to B2 level, and professional roles often need more. Reaching A2 to B1 makes daily life much easier. Citizenship by residence also requires A2 and a civic knowledge test.