Question
What proved to be your most difficult part of trying to move to Spain?
Answers
These are the answers from Spainguru’s Facebook group members:
“This will only affect a small group the nuances of navigating both US and Spanish tax codes as a business owner gave me gray hair owning a business in Spain is far far more complex than it is in the US and adding US controlled foreign corporation rules makes it atrocious”
“Language after living in Spain for over 3 years I still struggle with dealing with many technical things dealing with visas kids and everything else is difficult without sufficient Spanish”
“If you have money and you have time it is no issue money allows you to hire people to assist you time allows you to plan and prepare for Spain’s notoriously slow bureaucracy”
“Realizing even the right people aka tax and lawyers don’t operate from as much as a consultative framework as I was accustomed to in the US so it’s all about asking a lot of questions the stress of visa appointments made it worse but I have zero regrets”
“Dealing with utilities and setting up a bank account the wait for an appointment in English was longer than the wait for a visa getting a physical ID card takes months”
“Appointments and bureaucracy hiring local gestors was key for appointments and assistance it was like having a Spanish version of myself to deal with offices”
“Living without a clothes dryer”
“Getting over the one more year in the US mindset there is never a perfect time and life is short”
“Leaving an elderly parent behind you may not be able to fly back easily during your first year it’s emotionally very difficult”
“Getting a visa still in the process”
“Finding an apartment”
“Navigating Spanish bureaucracy to obtain NIE, CUE, and TIE language barriers and slow processes add to the stress”
“Patience”
“Spanish bureaucracy and feeling like things are intentionally hard the exchange rate and lack of customer service”
“The times I thought I was being scammed I wasn’t it was cultural differences and not knowing the ropes having a local lawyer solved everything quickly”
“Spanish bureaucracy even as citizens there is still lots of bureaucracy it just never ends”
“Understanding inheritance tax laws what applies depends on the region it can be a surprise if you don’t plan ahead”
“Selling our US home we are ready to go the day it sells”
“Waiting for the visa”
“Getting deliveries on time correos won’t deliver to my road”
“Visa appointment issues through LA finding someone willing to rent to a family”
“Making the jump itself questioning life choices every step of the way in the end you deal with things as they come”
“Getting an appointment with BLS International we have been trying since July 2025”
“Deciding where to live I’m so tired of moving”
“Doing a trial stay after 10 weeks I realized it was not for me I strongly suggest a 90 day stint”
Conclusion
The most difficult part of Moving to Spain is rarely one single issue but a mix of bureaucracy, visa delays, language barriers, and everyday logistics.
Many community members highlighted the importance of time, patience, and realistic expectations when dealing with Spanish systems, especially during the first year.
A clear takeaway is that Moving to Spain becomes more manageable when you plan ahead, accept the learning curve, and get help where needed.
This article is based on personal opinions from the Spainguru community and is not legal advice.
