Question
Just wondering if there is a sort of “punch list” of things we need to do to move from the USA to Spain, perhaps a website that offers a complete list? In the short term, we are both still working full-time, but the situation in the States worsens by the day.
Our original plan was to split our time between the Spain and USA. I’m most concerned about banking. Is Wise the best choice? My husband has dual citizenship (EU) and I’m working on it. I speak Spanish, but will need a refresher, so any advice on this is gratefully received!
Answers
These are the answers of some Facebook group members:
“Use Wise if consider remote working. Jobs in Spain generally pay low compared to the US and unemployment is pretty high too. Cost of living is much less in Spain so you can make a mediocre remote job go pretty far.”
“Bring your favorite items, of sentiment value, extra favorite underwear brand, (clothes are sized different and smaller fit) over the counter meds usually needed, all favorite spices (for me it is tacos mix, chilli powder, lipton onion soup) because rooms are smaller, do not bring furniture. Beds are sized in cm so US bedding does not fit, electric appliances do not work on spanish electricity.
Happy travels.”
“Since your husband is an EU citizen, you can move to Spain any time you like. You don’t need to apply for a visa yourself or obtain EU citizenship, you can have residency in Spain as his spouse, and you will have the right to work in Spain.”
“Get an Apostlle of your marriage certificate just before you move to Spain. An “apostille” is a form of authentication issued to documents for use in countries that participate in the Hague Convention of 1961. or alternatively, register the marriage at a consulate in the US. It can be quicker and easier to handle it there before coming to Spain. The marriage certificate and apostille are only good for 90 days, so trying to bring documents and get them filed in Spain before they expire can be challenging. It may be easier to do it in the US.”
“About the Marriage Apostille. It takes weeks to get an apostille, typically. The underlying document must also be less than 90 days old. If they order the marriage certificate, wait four weeks or more to receive the apostille, then come to Spain, wait for the husband to get an appointment to register as a resident, then wait for another appointment for the wife to register as a resident, I think it would be very challenging to get all that done before the marriage certificate expires. That’s why I think it easier to do the marriage registration in the consulate in the US.”
“You get a better deal by sending trough Western Union into your bank account in Spain”
“Bring as little as possible. We brought musical instruments, clothes and a few sentimental items. We use Wise, transfer USD to USD from Schwab to Wise (free) then USD to Euro at Wise. You’ll probably eventually need a Spanish bank account.”
“You should definitely check this blog post: Alternatives to a traditional Spanish bank account and money transfer services“
