Residency experiences in Spain can feel like a roller-coaster journey – we know, we remember those frustrating days. That’s why in this SpainGuru blog series, we’ve interviewed successful expats so they can share a more personal side of their residency experience.
We hope this series helps guide those who have some of the same questions and are in the same spot as we were once in our residency decision/process in Spain.
Expat: Shaheen Samavati, US, co-founder of VeraContent
Where do you currently live in Spain?
Madrid
Have you lived in any other cities/regions/Communidades in Spain?
I spent my first year in Madrid, then two years in Malaga (Andalucía) and now another three years in Madrid.
What year did you arrive in Spain?
2010
What kind of visa or permit did you initially come to Spain with?
I came on a student visa to do an MBA at IE Business School.
What kind of permit or visa do you currently have?
I did the “arraigo social” process and now I have a temporary self-employed work permit (residencia de trabajo temporal – cuenta propia), which I must renew every couple of years.
How long did it take you to go through that process?
It was awhile ago now so it’s hard to remember! The actual processing time was a few months, but what took a long time was figuring out what I needed to do and getting all of my paperwork together (especially since it was before SpainGuru existed!) I worked with UPTA to approve my business plan as an autónomo, and then in Malaga one requirement for arraigo social is to get everything approved by a social worker. Getting the appointment with the social worker took a few weeks, and I wish I would have known to set that up in advance. Once I had the social worker’s approval it was just the formality of applying at extranjería. From that point, it was the usual processing time of about three months to get approved and then another month or so to get my residency card.
How many different visa/permit processes have you gone through in Spain? (Tourist, Student, Work Permit, Pareja de Hecho, Marriage, Nationality)
I did the initial student student visa, two student visa renewals, arraigo social as “cuenta propia” and one renewal of my “cuenta propia” residency.
What process (if you have done several processes) was the easiest and/or the most difficult to go through?
I’d say the student visa process was a bit easier, although the processing time is about the same.
What is something you regret about your whole legal process for Spain? Anything you wish you would have done differently?
When I first decided to go freelance, I took some bad advice to start my own SL (sociedad limitada – or “SL”) in order to send legal invoices. That ended up being extremely costly and later I realized that I would have been better off finding a different short-term solution until I could get my self-employment work permit approved. Two possible options are either to just wait and invoice your clients late for the work you do while you are in “limbo.” Or, you could create invoices using the tax information from your home country and pay taxes there until you are able to become a registered freelancer in Spain.
How much longer do you see yourself in Spain?
I am pretty attached at this point and don’t see myself leaving Spain anytime soon. I now have my own translation and copywriting business, called VeraContent, based in Madrid, and we are rapidly growing. So, I’ll be here for awhile!
How does Spain compare to your home country? Why do you prefer living here?
I’m from Cleveland, Ohio, so as you can imagine there are a lot of differences! As much as I love Cleveland, it’s really hard to match the quality of life here in Spain. We have great weather, awesome walkable cities, beautiful landscapes, historic architecture and lovely people both from Spain and from abroad. I really enjoy forming part of a diverse international community here in Madrid, and it now feels like my home.
What is your current profession in Spain?
As I mentioned above, I am co-founder of a translation and copywriting agency called VeraContent. We produce world-class multilingual content for brands and publishers. We launched in December 2015. Before that I had done several different jobs and freelance gigs in journalism, communication and marketing.
What have been your past professions in Spain and for how long?
I worked in corporate communications for a solar panel manufacturer, wrote freelance stories on commercial real estate for The Wall Street Journal, contributed to Global Corporate Venturing and Latin Finance magazines, co-founded a real estate startup called Spotahome, worked with Repsol on localizing their global web site, and much more. I am good at keeping myself busy!
How easy or difficult has it been for you in Spain to find a job?
Finding a job hasn’t been hard, but finding a job that I’m passionate about and pays well was more of a challenge. If you’re bilingual and have some work experience, I think there’s a lot of demand for people with native English skills in many different types of office settings.
What have you found to be the most challenging aspects about living abroad in Spain – personally, professionally and culturally speaking?
I think Spanish culture is very open and relatively speaking is an easy one to adapt to. But, it’s always hard moving so far away from home and settling into a new, very different place. Professionally, I felt like moving to Spain stunted me quite a bit in terms of my career growth. I had been on a pretty clear trajectory before I moved here. At the same time, being in Spain took my career in new, interesting directions that I probably wouldn’t have otherwise pursued. For example, by developing my Spanish skills, I ended up becoming quite specialized in localization. For me, having financial obligations in the US while working on a Spanish salary has been challenging. However, it’s been manageable and the experience overall has been worth it. Personally, I feel quite disconnected from my friends and family – and that’s a challenge all immigrants face no matter where in the world we move to. But I have made great friends here, and six years later, it has become my second home.
Any future goals for your life here in Spain both personally and professionally?
I am doing my best to make it as an entrepreneur. All of my effort is going into that, and I’m hoping it pays off in the long term – not only monetarily, but also from the sense of accomplishment in pursuing something I’m passionate about.
Have you ever considered going back to your home country/or to another country? Is it still on the drawing board or are you only focused on staying in Spain? Why or why not?
It’s always a possibility, but it’s definitely not in my sights. As I mentioned above, I’m really invested in my business and my life here in Spain and I have no plans to move.
Any tips for those still deciding whether to stay long term to live in Spain?
I think it’s a very personal decision, and there are often just as many good reasons to leave as there are to stay. I do think it’s possible to lead a fulfilling career here in Spain; but the opportunities may be more limited depending on what your field is. I think every person has to do what is right for them!
By Shaheen Samavati, co-founder of VeraContent & SpainGuru
Social media:
- Twitter: @VeraContent @SpainGuruES @shaheensamavati
- Facebook & Instagram: @VeraContent
- Personal LinkedIn
What’s your Spain story?
If you would also like to share your personal residency experience on SpainGuru, please send your responses to hello@spainguru.es along with:
- any social media accounts or blog/website links you wish to include promoting yourself or your business
- 1-3 photos of yourself (it is up to you but we would like at least 1)
Thanks so much!
Shaheen, Stacey and Tina
