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Moving to Spain - Employment and Living

Moving to Spain http://www.alicante-spain.com/spain.html is a big decision. Don't jump in too quickly. Visit the country several times before planning your move. Visit several areas such as the Costa Blanca, Costa del Sol and Barcelona when choosing your new home. Do your homework and research the new city you will call home. Learn about the culture and history of the area.

Make sure you have enough money to live on for a while. This will give you time to find a job and get situated in your new home. Sit down and figure out your budget. Exactly what do you need to live for several months? Be sure to have enough money to cover expenses. The better you prepare, the smoother the transition to your new home.

Requirements for Moving to Spain

The paperwork required for your move depends on your country of origin. The requirements are different for countries which are members of the European Union and non member countries. Contact the Spanish Consulate in your country of origin for the exact requirements. Do this early to allow plenty of time to meet the necessary requirements.

In most cases, you will need certain documentation. Among the common things needed are birth certificates for you and your children, wedding certificates, medical records, degrees earned through education, medical certificates, medical certificates for pets and a criminal background check. The consulate will help you with exactly what you need.

You will need to have health insurance. This may be provided through your employer, if you are moving for a job transfer. If you don't have it through employment, you will need to purchase it on your own. Contact your insurance company in advance to find a doctor. This is especially important if you have any ailments that require regular treatment.

When you contact the consulate, ask about the requirements for a driver's license. They will let you know the requirements in your case. Be sure to arrange for car insurance. You will need to find a local carrier where you will be moving.

Consider transportation once you move. Will you bring your car or sell it? Will you buy a new car in Spain or lease one? You may need to rent a car temporarily until you find a permanent vehicle. This can be expensive and isn't a good long term solution.

Take a look at your credit cards. Some can be used in Spain. Find out if you can transfer your account to your new home. If not, you will need to apply for new cards and get rid of the ones you have. Inquire about this ahead of time to avoid waiting a long period for a new card once you move.

You will need to spend some time learning the Spanish language. There are many options for learning Spanish. Internet courses allow you to study from the privacy of your home. Start now and learn the basics before you move. Once you have settled in your new home, you can take some advanced classes.

Moving to Spain: Employment and Living

Unless you are moving for a job relocation, you will need to find employment. If you are job hunting, start looking early. The internet can be a good source of information and job leads. Search job listings and send out resumes.

If you are moving for a job relocation, ask about help from the company. Some companies may offer financial help for the move. Others use relocation services. These are professional organizations that help you get situated and acclimated in your new country. They can help with everything from finding a place to live to registering your children in school.

You will need to find a place to live. Will you buy a home right away or do you plan to rent for a while? A real estate agent can help you find a place to buy or rent. If you plan to buy, plan to make several trips to look at properties. Will you be selling your current home? Start early to allow time to sell the property and find a new home in Spain.

With good planning, your move to Spain will be a lot easier. Paperwork can take more time than you think, so don't wait until the last minute. By planning carefully, you will soon feel right at home.

Jerry Blackburn
07 Dec 2006

Focusing recent findings in Spain, the author pens mostly for http://www.alicante-spain.com . Recording his experience in detailed publications like http://www.alicante-spain.com/spain-tips/moving.html ,the writer confirmed his capability on news similar to moving to Spain http://www.alicante-spain.com/spain-tips/moving.html and learning spanish.

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Spain's Other Language

Despite Castilian (or Espanol) being the main language of Spain there are also a number of other languages spoken throughout Spain. Many are now recognised officially by the government and regulated by governing bodies to ensure that they remain a part of Spain's history and diversity.

Euskara Batua (unified Basque)

Definitely the most interesting language in Spain, Euskara is widely spoken throughout the Basque region of Northern Spain. The majority of Basque speakers live in Spain with a smaller percentage living over the border in Pyrenean France. The Basques are a fiercely proud people and have an extremely developed sense of regional identity.

Despite having a large amount of political and cultural autonomy, there is still a strong movement for complete independence from Spain and the terrorist group ETA have been terrorising the nation for 30 years in the hunt for complete self rule for the Basque country. The language itself has 600,000 speakers on both sides of the Franco-Spanish border with about 75% of those hailing from the Spanish side. The language has always proved to be something of a mystery to linguists as it has not been proven to be related to any other language.

Euskara bears no relationship to the indo-European family of languages which includes all of the other languages of Europe. Some linguists have started to propagate the theory that the language bears a similarity to the Georgian language from the Caucasus region but conclusive proof has yet to be uncovered. The language itself has been standardised over the past couple of decades, being mainly a rural language, Euskara is subject to several regional variations, however a standardised version, Euskara Batua, has been established for use in the media and in schools.

Catalan

A romance language, Catalan is spoken not only in Spain but also in parts of Andorra (where it is the national language), and also in isolated areas of France and Sardinia. There are roughly 4 million speakers worldwide who use it as their first language and probably about the same amount who use it as a second language.

As a language it is often said to resemble a cross between French and Spanish, although linguists point out that the language bears more in common with Italian in terms of grammar and syntax. Obviously spoken throughout Catalonia there are also several other dialects of Catalan, most notably Valencian. Many in the "Pai Valencia" still claim it is a separate language and this has been the source of much political and linguistic debate over recent years. [Please note that Babylon Idiomas teaches Castilian ("Spanish") in Barcelona and that the vast majority of its inhabitants speak Spanish as their first language.]

Galician

Lying in the extreme north western tip of Spain, Galicia is one of Spain's more isolated regions. Yet to be penetrated by mass tourism, the region is subject to some of Spain's worst weather and is also home to its third largest language. Galician is spoken by 3 million Spaniards in Galicia itself and also in the neighbouring regions of Asturias and Castille-Leon.

The language bears strong similarities to Portuguese, a factor that is explained by the close proximity of the region to Portugal. The Portuguese language did in fact develop originally in Galicia and Northern Portugal, before a political split in the 14th century separated the two areas allowing the languages to develop and grow independently of each other.

The native Galician will be able to understand most Portuguese - similar vocabulary and word order can be seen across both languages and there is fierce debate once more as to whether they are languages in their own right, or dialects of the same language. Again much of it has to do with the perceived independence of the region that is, in many ways, symbolised by its language. Like Catalan and Euskara, Galician now has an official status and is taught in schools adding weight to the strong social movement to protect and preserve the language.


Steven Muller
19 Dec 2006

Steven Muller is director of Babylon Idiomas, a Spanish language institute with schools in Spain, Argentina and Costa Rica. Visit the website to learn more about Spanish courses

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