Biggest mistakes when moving to Spain (and how to avoid them)

Moving to another country is a huge step in anyone’s life. It’s an exciting and busy time, and it can be a little overwhelming too. The more research you can do ahead of your move, the better.

We’re here to help, with a helpful guide for UK expats considering moving to Spain. With the aim of helping you avoid pitfalls and have a smooth, stress-free move, we’ll run through the biggest mistakes to avoid when moving to Spain.

This includes things like leaving paperwork until the last minute, and using your UK bank to manage overseas expenses.

We’ll even throw in a handy tip to make it easier and cheaper to manage your money in Spain using the money services provider Wise. Open a Wise account online and you can send money between the UK and Spain for low fees* and great exchange rates. There’s also a Wise card for spending in EUR once you land on Spanish soil.

More on this later. Right now, let’s get back to our list of moving mistakes to avoid.

6 of the biggest mistakes when moving to Spain - and how to avoid them

Making a few small missteps is only to be expected when moving to a new country, with a different language and an unfamiliar way of doing things.

But there are some mistakes that could cause you serious headaches - and these are to be avoided if you can help it.

1: Not learning any Spanish

This sounds like an obvious one, but you really will struggle if you don’t speak more than a couple of words of Spanish. While English is spoken in Spain, you won’t hear it much on the streets. This is especially the case if you’re moving outside of a major city to a smaller town or more rural area.

You’ll also struggle to work in Spain if you don’t speak the language. And then there’s all the forms you’ll need to complete as a new arrival. Whether registering with local authorities, opening a Spanish bank account or understanding your first utility bill - having a working day-to-day level of Spanish will always be helpful.

It takes time to pick up a new language, so it’s a good idea to start learning before you move. But you’ll also find that you pick it up a lot faster when living in Spain and using it every day.

Tip: Check which language is spoken in the area you’re moving to. Different autonomous regions in Spain have their own languages, such as Basque in the Basque Country and Catalan in Catalonia.

2: Underestimating the complexity of the visa process

Applying for a visa can be complicated and time-consuming in any country. So it’s a mistake to leave it until the last minute, as delays with your visa coming through can derail all of your moving plans.

It could potentially take months for all your Spanish visa paperwork to be completed. And since the UK left the European Union, Spain’s already bureaucracy-heavy system has been made more difficult for expats to navigate.

So, give yourself lots of time to:

• Check what Spanish visa you’re eligible for
• Gather the required supporting documents - and make sure they’ve been officially translated into Spanish
• Apply for your visa at the Consulate of Spain in the UK
• Be ready for any requests for more information or additional supporting documents.

Then all you can do is wait for your visa application to be processed.

3: Not applying for your empadronamiento and TIE right away

Once you’ve got your visa sorted and you arrive in Spain, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the worst of the paperwork is behind you.

But actually, there are a couple more steps and a few more forms to fill in. Fail to complete these in a timely manner, and you could face all kinds of problems.

Within your first 2-3 weeks in Spain, you’ll need to apply for the following:¹

• TIE (Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero) - this is your Spanish identity card or residence permit, and you’ll need it to legally live in Spain for more than 6 months. You’ll need to apply for this at your local police station within your first 30 days in the country.
• Empadronamiento Certificate - this involves registering your address at the city hall. You’ll need this certificate to buy property, get a foreign tax ID number, get married and more.
• NIE - this is your foreign ID tax number, which you’ll need to open a Spanish bank account, apply for healthcare and get a job. You can apply for this from the Spanish National Police Station or from the Spanish Embassy in the UK.
• Spanish social security number (número de afiliación de la seguridad social) - if you’re working, you’ll need this to apply for free Spanish public healthcare.

4: Buying a property before living in Spain for a while

It’s tempting to dive into your new life in Spain with a new property purchase. But this could potentially be a mistake, if you haven’t researched or lived in the area you plan to settle down in.

Buying a property in Spain is a major financial commitment, and requires extra costs and paperwork. It could be worth renting for a while in your chosen area, to see if you actually like living there. Otherwise, you’re saddled with a permanent home in a new neighbourhood you’re not sure about.

5: Assuming you can get a job when you arrive

This mistake is made by many expats, who assume that it’ll be easier to start looking for a job when they’re actually living in Spain. But there are some major problems with this plan.

To start with, if you’re not from the EU, you’re required to have a confirmed job offer before moving to Spain, in order to get your work visa.

There’s also the fact that finding a job in Spain can be quite difficult, made even more so if you don’t speak Spanish. To get your work visa, you need to have a job that is on the government’s approved job shortage list. Or your employer will need to prove that you are a more qualified candidate than local Spanish people.

And these roles can be hard to find. Spain has the highest unemployment rate in the EU, sitting at 11.5% as of August 2023.²

6: Using your UK bank to send money to Spain

Lastly, there’s the mistake of using your UK bank to handle international or foreign currency transactions. For example, sending money over to Spain before your move, to cover things like rental deposits or visa application fees. Use a UK bank for this kind of international transfer, and you could face high fees and poor exchange rates.

Similarly, you might be tempted to take out cash at Spanish ATMs when you arrive, using your UK-issued debit card. Even if it’s just a temporary measure while your Spanish bank account is getting set up, this can still be very expensive.

The good news though is that there’s an alternative solution to help you avoid these unnecessary expenses, which we’ll look at next.

Wise - the ideal bank alternative for managing your money internationally

A bank account isn’t the only way to manage your finances in Spain. Many expats, international students and digital nomads use Wise instead. Wise is a money services provider, offering a multi-currency account, international money transfer services and a debit card.

Open a Wise account online and you can manage your money in 40+ currencies, including GBP and EUR.

There are no monthly fees to worry about. And you’ll only pay a low, transparent fee* when you want to make a transfer or convert currency - while also getting the mid-market exchange rate every time.

You can send money between the UK and Spain in just a few clicks with Wise, doing it online or in the handy Wise app. This makes it a great option to cover those initial relocation costs, such as putting down a deposit on a Spanish apartment. It could save you a bundle compared to using your bank for international transfers.

And while you wait for your Spanish bank account to be opened (if you even want one), you can use your international Wise debit card to spend like a local from the moment you arrive. Available for a one-off charge of just £7, it works in 150+ countries, including in Spain.

Whenever you spend, this clever card automatically converts your money to EUR at the mid-market exchange rate. So, you can spend like a local and be sure you’re always getting a great deal.

Sign up with Wise today 💰

Hopefully, after reading this, you’ll have a heads-up on the mistakes to avoid when moving to Spain. The more prepared you can be, the smoother your move overseas will hopefully be.

Good luck with your new life in Spain!

Sources used:

Sources last checked on date: 19-Oct-2023