What To Do First When Moving To Spain

Ok so you are moving to Spain soon or you are thinking of moving to Spain in the near future, so just what are the important things that you need to do first.

In this post i will tell you what you need to do once you first move here and these are the things that most Brits go through in the first few weeks they are here.

Open A Bank Account

If you already use a bank in The UK with an international presence like (Santander, HSBC, Lloyds, Barclays, NatWest) you will find it much easier to set up an account you can access and use when you’re here in Spain.

Ask your own bank in the UK before you travel whether your current bank has an offshore division you can sign up with, which will mean that your banking activities transfer seamlessly abroad. This also means that you arrive in Spain with a credit rating, which will help enormously if you want to take out a mobile phone contract or get references for renting a place or mortgage.

Most People will have set up an account in Spain before they Move To Spain. You can find a bank here in most towns with someone who speaks English that can help you set it all up but if your Spanish is poor then best to take a friend or pay for an interpreter to get it done right as there will be a lot of papers to fill in.

*Read about The main types of Banks in Spain*

Domestic Bills

whether you are renting or have bought a place in Spain you will need to set up all your bill payments like water, gas, light and electric and these can be a head ache to do and will mean standing in several queues at different places as they are always busy places.

Remember to always take all your personal details and passport along with several copies as they will ask for copies everywhere.

Getting help here…

A Gestor

A Gestor is an official agent licensed by the Spanish government as a middleman between you and the bureaucracy.

A gestor’s services aren’t generally expensive and most people find it worthwhile employing one. They usually work in a gestoría, where a number of experts may be employed dealing with different matters, including employment and residence permits; establishing and registering a business; obtaining a driving licence, tourist plates or registering a car; social security and property contracts. They are not all the same here so get a recommended one from someone you know if possible.

or Spanish lawyer ( abogado). but they will be more expensive.

Davids top tip….

Get loads of copies .

Make about 3 or 4 copies of your passport driving licence and just about all your most important papers that you may need when moving to Spain as you will need them. its crazy just how much paperwork there is in Spain for just about everything you do here the Spanish love their paperwork.

Telephone and TV in Spain

Missing our family and friends or even your favourite TV shows then you need to set up tv and phone here. In this digital age a good broadband connection can bring your family and friends right to your terrace in the sun.

Who's the best supplier of internet and telephone in Spain

Personally after 16 years here i have tried most of the companies but am now with Movistar as they give the best packages at the moment here. I have 2 mobiles a TV package and fibre optic internet all for 68 euros a month. there are loads of packages to suit all so go into one of their shops here and ask. They do a great service here and just this week we moved house and they set it all up in just a few days. For best deals you really need to go into a local shop and ask as they have different deals online but in shop i have found deals cheaper.

Go for fibre internet as even though its a bit more money it has the best internet speed that so important for things like watching online tv from your phone. i have a cable i connect my iphone to my tv and can watch most tv programes and films online through my tv. also video calls through whatsapp are best with fibre optic internet.

Buying a car

Having a car here is a must for most and can be difficult buying one here if you dont want to get ripped off.

There are loads of great second hand deals here but like anywhere you need to be careful. A great tip i learned from a Spanish friend here is to go to a main car dealer like Seat, Ford any of the other big ones and ask if they have any EX demo cars for sale. many do and these cars have low mileage and all the guarantees but are normally a lot cheaper.

An other great way to find a good car here is this site https://www.milanuncios.com/coches-de-segunda-mano/

And finally but really my biggest tip is this….

Learn Spanish...if you have moved to Spain and your Spanish is not good then start learning asap, take some lessons or at least do some home studying and make the effort as it will help you way more than you think once you start living in Spain.

The main reason i see many Brits fail here in Spain is the language barrier that they dont bother to get over. If you want to really enjoy your new life in Spain and make it a stress free and permanent stay here then you need to learn Spanish.