Spain versus staying where you are

It covers what you gain and lose by moving compared with staying put, splitting your time or keeping a home base. That includes pay versus lifestyle, career momentum versus a slower pace, distance from family, and whether a home base with long visits to Spain would suit you better than a full move.

It is written for anyone who is thinking about, planning or already carrying out a move to Spain.

Start with "Spain versus staying where you are, compared honestly". It lays out the concrete gains and losses side by side. From there, go to whichever trade-off worries you most:

• "Can you accept lower pay for a better life in Spain?"
• "Slower pace or lost momentum? Weighing work-life balance against career ambition"
• "Why family visits are not a support network"
• "How easily can you travel between Spain and home?"
• "Keeping your home base and spending long stretches in Spain instead"

Personal readiness, scouting trips and returning home are covered in other topics.

Key rules

• Visitor stay limit: Non-EU visitors without a residence permit may stay up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period.
• Weekly hours: The legal maximum ordinary working time in Spain is 40 hours a week averaged over the year, though many collective agreements set lower hours.
• Tax residency: You become tax resident in Spain if you spend more than 183 days there in a calendar year, or if Spain is the base of your activities or economic interests.
• Annual leave: Employees in Spain get at least 30 calendar days of paid annual leave a year, unless a collective agreement gives more.
• Family emergency leave: Paid leave for a close relative's serious illness or hospitalisation is 2 working days, or 4 working days if you have to travel, and relatives abroad are covered.
• Pay: Expect lower pay in Spain than in the US, Switzerland or northern Europe if you work for a local employer.

Spain versus staying where you are: the whole process, step by step

From weighing the move to settling in

• Weigh what you would gain and lose against the life you have now (read: Spain versus staying where you are, compared honestly): Before you commit to anything

• Test whether lower pay can still give you a better life (read: Can you accept lower pay for a better life in Spain?): Before you decide to move

• Judge whether the work-life balance suits your career, including 30 calendar days of paid annual leave (read: Slower pace or lost momentum?): Before you accept or quit a job

• Work out what daily support you lose when family are a flight away (read: Why family visits are not a support network): Before you decide

• Check flights, cost and time zone between Spain and home (read: How easily can you travel between Spain and home?): Before you decide

• Try long stays first. Non-EU visitors without a residence permit can stay up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period (read: Keeping your home base and spending long stretches in Spain instead): Before any move; count back 180 days from each day you are in Spain

• Watch your tax position. You become tax resident in Spain with more than 183 days there in a calendar year, or if Spain is the base of your activities or economic interests (read: Keeping your home base): Every calendar year you spend long periods in Spain

• If you own a holiday home, plan the yearly property tax, non-resident income tax and any rental filings (read: Keeping your home base): Every year; rental income is filed quarterly, 20 days after each quarter ends

• If you move for an employment contract and qualify, apply to the Tax Agency (AEAT) for the special regime for incoming workers (read: Keeping your home base): Within six months of registering with Social Security

• If you are an EU citizen, register at the foreigners' office or a police station and get your registration certificate: After the first three months in Spain

• Build your local circle through language exchanges, clubs, sports and volunteering (read: Spain versus staying where you are, compared honestly): Allow 6 to 18 months to build a stable circle

• If you hold a temporary residence permit, plan trips home so the permit does not lapse (read: Keeping your home base): Do not spend more than 6 months outside Spain in any 12-month period

Documents you may need

Identity and residence

• Certificate of registration as a citizen of the Union — Keeping your home base and spending long stretches in Spain instead
• Residence card for family members of an EU citizen — Keeping your home base and spending long stretches in Spain instead
• Certificate from your home country's tax authority proving you are tax resident — Keeping your home base and spending long stretches in Spain instead

Income and work

• Proof that you have worked for the foreign company — Can you accept lower pay for a better life in Spain?
• Proof of income of at least 200% of the monthly minimum wage — Can you accept lower pay for a better life in Spain?

Guarantees

• Health insurance cover — Can you accept lower pay for a better life in Spain?
• Comprehensive health insurance valid in Spain — Keeping your home base and spending long stretches in Spain instead

Other documents

• A clean criminal record certificate — Can you accept lower pay for a better life in Spain?
• Fee form Modelo 790 código 012 — Keeping your home base and spending long stretches in Spain instead

Spain versus staying where you are: questions that cross several articles

Is Spain cheap enough to make up for lower pay?

Partly: overall prices are lower than in northern Europe, but wages are lower too. Spain's price level is about 85 to 90 where the EU average is 100, while median pay is roughly 60 to 70% of the German or Dutch level. Madrid and Barcelona cost far more than mid-size cities, so read "Can you accept lower pay for a better life in Spain?" and "Spain versus staying where you are, compared honestly".

Do I need Spanish to find a job in Spain?

Yes, for most jobs you need working Spanish. English-only roles are a small minority, mostly in multinationals, tech, international sales, remote work and tourism, in big cities. Unemployment is also roughly double the EU average, so read "Can you accept lower pay for a better life in Spain?" and "Slower pace or lost momentum?" before you plan on local work.

How long does it take to build friends in Spain?

A stable circle usually takes 6 to 18 months, and faster if you speak Spanish, have a job or children in school, or live in a smaller community. Close local friends are harder to make than expat friends. Read "Why family visits are not a support network" and "Spain versus staying where you are, compared honestly".

Can I lose my residence permit if I spend months back home?

Yes, a temporary residence permit lapses if you are outside Spain more than 6 months in a 12-month period, unless you have a justified reason. Long absences can also hurt renewals and later applications. Read "Keeping your home base and spending long stretches in Spain instead" and "How easily can you travel between Spain and home?".

Wage, rent and price comparisons change often, so check the latest official figures for your own city and home country.