Moving to Spain with three children: a personal story

Andrey, Elena and their three children have long dreamed of moving to Spain. Two years ago, their dream finally came true. Now happy family lives in Malaga, the city of the same name in the south of Spain in Andalusia. They did not immediately choose this amazing place, but later they quickly realized that it was there where their future home was. The official source Spain-Real.Estate found out what caused the family to move from Romania to Spain and whether it was difficult to buy property in Spain. In addition, we will tell you how the assimilation process went, whether it was difficult to arrange children in kindergarten and school, and about what life is like in another country in general.

CONTENT:

• What inspired a friendly family to move from Romania to Spain
• Location selection
• Accommodation hunting
• About moving abroad
• How to get a Spanish residence permit
• Settle children in school and kindergarten
• Overcome the language barrier
• Localization
• Tips for those planning to move to Spain with children
• We will help you buy property in Spain

WHAT INSPIRED A FRIENDLY FAMILY TO MOVE FROM ROMANIA TO SPAIN

According to the couple, the main reason for the move was the desire for fundamental changes. The thirst for diversity and new emotions, coupled with an old dream of a peaceful life in sunny Spain, did their job, the family began an active search for the region and a particular city. Despite the fact that moving, especially with a large family, is stressful, on the other hand, it is also a new experience that can open up better prospects and allow you to reach a new level.

LOCATION SELECTION

According to Elena, Spain is a significant place for their family, and it was here where she met Andrey. A beautiful novel marked the beginning of strong love. Later on, they often visited here together, and even after the birth of their first son. The couple had been planning the move for several years looking for pros and analyzing cons. Here are the main points that parents cited as arguments to move to Spain with their children:

• Low cost of living. Food, clothing, property and communal services tariffs are much more affordable here in comparison with the nearest, no less attractive countries: France, the USA and Great Britain;
• Comfortable climate with minimal rainfall and an abundance of sunny days a year;
• Proximity to the sea;
• Good ecological situation, rich nature, enriched air;
• Houses in Spain can be bought at an affordable price, even on the coast;li>
• Quite a tight-knit Romanian-speaking community;
• Quality healthcare;
• There are many schools and higher educational institutions where you can get a decent education of the international level.

All of these are significant arguments, especially when it comes to moving to a foreign country with children. In such conditions, it will be easier for all of you to adapt, and it will be easier for children to grow and develop in the future.

ACCOMODATION HUNTING

Initially, Vlad and Elena planned to stay in Madrid, since Elena's aged mother lives here, who moved here after retirement. However, the decision was soon revised in view of the high city population density and abundance of tourists - “the city is too hectic, there is a lot of noise. Still, we wanted something more secluded and closer to the sea,” says Elena. It took time to make a final decision. The family read reviews, watched videos on the Internet and read TOPs of the best cities to live in Spain. This is how two favorites were determined: Malaga and Valencia. Both cities are incredibly picturesque and culturally attractive, both are located on the coast and have excellent living conditions.

The family creatively approached the choice of a residence place: “… I remember how Andrey put their youngest daughter Snezhana in his lap and began to show her photos with the streets of Valencia and Malaga mixed. Snezha confidently poked the screen with her finger and said – “here!”, and they chose like this. Then they began to study all the subtleties and peculiarities: where to live, how and where it is more convenient to get to the center, how much time it is to get to the beach, where is the kindergarten and school, etc.

When asked “what did you like most about Malaga,” the couple replied:

• Compactness of districts;
• Neat, aesthetically pleasing architecture of buildings;
• Developed infrastructure - everything is close at hand;
• Comfortable public transport;
• Stunning seascapes;
• Close location of beaches;
• Many green locations;
• Diverse housing market.

The couple decided to entrust specialist with housing selection, - a real estate agent with extensive experience in the Spanish real estate market.

ABOUT MOVING ABROAD

Previously, the family lived in their own apartment in Moscow. Before leaving, it was decided to rent it out in order to secure an additional source of income in a foreign country. Housing was vacated in advance, prudently sending some of the things to relatives. Andrey, as the head of the family, with the most necessary things went to Malaga by car. The route took about 3 days. Elena, in turn, with her eldest son of 14 years old and daughters of 6 and 4 years went thereby plane. “The flight was not sugar, since the eldest son is an assistant, he entertained the youngest daughter while I helped the middle one to relieve nausea,” recalls Elena.

HOW TO GET A SPANISH RESIDENCE PERMIT

Andrey and Elena took up the issue of obtaining a Spanish residence permit even before moving to the country. Financial solvency confirmation helped them in this. With the help of professional lawyers in Moscow, it was not difficult to do this. On the other hand, as it turned out, this procedure could be carried out independently, but the couple decided to play it safe. The risk of incorrect paperwork could delay the process for many months, and this was not part of their plans.

Documents collection began in April, in June they were submitted for consideration. Process duration, including adoption of positive decision by the Spanish consulate, took no more than 2 weeks. Later, in Spain itself, they extended their residence permit for another 2 years. As Andrey notes: “Obtaining a residence permit, in particular collection of the necessary package of documents, is a feasible task, but sometimes it can drag on for months due to bureaucratic peculiarities.”

SETTLE CHILDREN IN SCHOOL AND KINDERGARTEN

A comfortable living environment and education are some of the main reasons to move to Malaga. Elena and her son had to personally meet director of an international school in order to arrange for the eldest child and middle daughter. The conversation was not long, but it was enough to make a final decision. “The school made the impression of a bright and prosperous place; on top of all this, the son took the initiative on his own and expressed a desire to study here”. As for the kindergarten: “We are very lucky with the kindergarten, it is practically in our yard. Such a state of kids. I immediately imagined our Snezha, playing with the rest of the children in the sandbox. The kindergarten is private, so there were no problems with arrangement. The child is always, one might say, within easy reach, it is not so heart-pounding. "

To the question “what did you like most about the Spanish school / kindergarten?” the family noted:

• Flexibility of the approach to foreign families – “first the person - then the papers” - this approach is described by the spouses. All necessary certificates can be brought in gradually;
• Comfortable atmosphere that attracts children;
• Newly renovated well-maintained buildings;
• A pleasant team that treats children with awe.

OVERCOME THE LANGUAGE BARRIER

During their two years in Spain, Andrey and Elena note that their level of Spanish language has improved significantly, thanks in large part to their newly acquired Romanian-speaking friends who also moved to Spain and assimilated. “Younger children find language easier, it can be said to be absorbed along with new emotions, but older children, like us, find it harder. Despite our joint successes in mastering Spanish, many things remain difficult for us, especially when we have to contact native speakers. But we study, go to courses and improve together,” the spouses share their opinion.

LOCALIZATION

“Localization was much easier than we expected. It seems to me that our previous experience played into the hands here. Spain is one of the most beloved countries for us, we have often been here both individually before marriage and together after marriage. In everyday life, my mother helped us a lot, all of our new friends shared their experience and gave useful pieces of advice. Of course, when it came to direct contacts with the Spaniards, things were not so rosy, but over time we got used to it. Now we are happy to live and enjoy life in the desired country,” says Elena.

TIPS FOR THOSE PLANNING TO MOVE TO SPAIN WITH CHILDREN

At the end of the interview, the family made a valuable conclusion and recommended making decisions with a cool head, especially if you are going to move to a foreign country with children. In addition, the following tips were voiced:

• Before deciding to move to Spain with children, assess your financial capabilities sensibly: staying in a foreign country without a livelihood with young children is the worst scenario. Build a good financial cushion that will allow all of you to exist abroad for at least six months;
• Find a reliable real estate agent with good reviews, who will be able to choose the best housing option, considering the needs and preferences of the family, as well as take care of the transaction security;
• Analyze the city and district, infrastructure nearby, make sure that there is a school and a kindergarten nearby;
• Learn the language - this will make the adaptation process more comfortable and painless;
• Get involved in obtaining a residence permit in advance, ideally while still in your country.

WE WILL HELP YOU BUY PROPERTY IN SPAIN

Spain-Real.Estate is your guide to the world of Spanish real estate. The site presents objects exclusively from trusted owners and reliable developers in Spain, there are a lot of housing options there: from modest studios to luxury villas and penthouses. You can always contact the managers of the company for help in buying or renting Spanish property.