Are you a US citizen thinking about moving to Spain.
Recently at Just Law Solicitors we’ve experienced a huge increase in the number of clients from the United States looking to move to Spain. It’s nothing like we have seen in our 30 years of being in the legal business here in Spain.
There are many reasons why American citizens are looking for a new life in Spain and numerous websites provide comparisons of the cost of living in Spain v America for example https://livingcost.org/cost/spain/united-states
It has to be said that you will save a huge amount of money if you move to Spain.
However, there are a few things to consider when you are thinking about coming to live in Spain. Firstly is the issue of healthcare in Spain. For the first year you have to have private healthcare here. We can refer you to a Spanish insurance agent who can give you a quote.
The cost of private healthcare in Spain will depend on your age, gender, and any pre-existing conditions. The average cost of health insurance is typically from 100 to 200 EUR (112 to 224 USD) per month. You can also find plans for as low as 50 EUR (56 USD) per month with some of the bigger insurance companies. Source https://www.internations.org/spain-expats/guide/healthcare#:~:text=The%20cost%20will%20depend%20on,of%20the%20bigger%20insurance%20companies.This of course compares favourably to the costs of healthcare in the US of $438 a month. https://www.healthmarkets.com/resources/health-insurance/health-insurance-cost-per-month/#:~:text=The%20average%20national%20monthly%20health,subsidies%20in%202022%20is%20%24438.
In the second year you effectively have a choice to either remain in the private system of pay and join the public system the Spanish National Health Service, something which is a little foreign to US citizens. This is called the ‘convenios especial’ everyone is accepted irrespective of previous conditions for a monthly fee of 60 EUR (67 USD), or 157 EUR (176 USD) for people over 65 years of age. You would still have to pay for your prescriptions but they are significantly cheaper here in Spain. For example Novolin short acting insulin is $80 and $17 in Spain. https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/cost-of-insulin-by-country
Of course these figures are liable to change and you should get some quotes.
The next issue is buying a property in Spain, at Just Law Solicitors we always advise that you rent first and have a law firm like us check the rental agreement before you sign or pay anything.
Once you have decided to buy a home in Spain always take independent legal advice from your own lawyer again before you sign or pay anything. You need a lawyer that is only acting for you so don’t go with the Spanish law firm recommended by the Spanish realtor.
Realtors in Spain for the most part do not have to be licensed or qualified. https://www.idealista.com/en/news/property-for-sale-in-spain/2022/07/28/76044-how-to-become-a-real-estate-agent-in-spain?amp that’s why it’s always advisable to instruct your own Spanish attorney or abogado. We have specialist lawyers but you’ve a huge choice. Just make sure you get their bar registration number and ask if they are able to represent you in court.
What about the visa? There are a few you can choose from. Perhaps the ‘easiest’ one to get is the non lucrative visa ‘NLV’ you will need income or savings of 28,800 euros and 7,200 euros for each dependent. There is also the digital nomad visa ‘DNV’ so you can work from home in Spain. We have an English speaking specialist visa lawyer.
Of course this is just an overview and we would be happy to discuss your requirements with you regarding your move to Spain.
You can read about the experience of one of our clients here; https://nypost.com/2023/07/24/the-number-of-americans-moving-to-spain-has-risen-since-2019/?fbclid=IwAR2OVBVrdRfUE8eV4RVWYyA1CXdMSz5kI7QLjHx26rAaaYbQ0bozSuC66KU_aem_AXFPj6949ayFeszmGHB0PkagJGlPCYHkngGnkdUjXLhcaovgEhDuK2iNZPc_2QwtpK4
Just Law Solicitors since 1992. We don’t work with Spanish lawyers we are Spanish lawyers
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