Graham and his wife Joyce moved from the UK to Spain, little realizing at the time all the hurdles they would have to contend with. Hopefully their experiences will help others to avoid some of the pitfalls in taking such a major step, and provide some useful information about the do’s and don’ts in joining the millions of Expats in Spain
The Dream
Hola, and welcome to our site. Hopefully this will provide some helpful information to those of you who might be thinking about becoming expats in Spain at some point in time.
When my wife said that she wanted to go and live in Spain I was more than a little apprehensive. What is it that is so inviting about a country which is almost twice the size of the U.K, has a smaller population, where they drive on the “wrong” side of the road, and where most Brits cannot speak their language? One big plus was the fact that as both the UK and Spain are in the EU it meant far fewer formalities in moving from one to the other. And upon checking web sites about moving to Spain it all seemed so easy – the sun – the lower cost of living – the beaches - laid back pace of life – and we went ahead with it. We took the plunge and lived there for over six years, joining many other British expats in Spain.
Of course like countless other Brits we had been on holiday to Spain and its islands a number of times, and always appreciated the culture of Spain. This time though we felt like escaping the vagaries of the British weather permanently. Instead of moving to a place where Brits typically go when on holiday in Spain – such as along the well-known coasts – we decided to go somewhere quieter, not too close to the Costas. Spain is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, and the last thing we wanted was to live where the lager-lout culture of Britain was present. So, we sold our bungalow, said our goodbyes to our family and friends, and joined the million or so of other expats in Spain.
