All Nippon Airlines - Moving to Spain?

Living in Spain is not a holiday in any way and you should think really carefully about it. The lifestyle in Spain is a lot slower to this country and things tend to take a little longer to get done. You may end up wishing to see a cloud which never comes. Sunshine is nice for a few days or weeks but imagine it for most of the year. Remember that once the attraction wares off will you really be happy living in a hot climate? Most people when thinking of moving to Spain think of the hot weather and how nice it would be to wake up every morning to glorious sun. Determination and patience as it's not as simple as it seems, you need to have drive. If you are thinking of moving to Spain either long term or short term you need to be 100% sure it's the right move.

Assuming you have cleared up any mess and tied up loose ends in your own country you are almost ready to move. If you are still convinced that you want to move to Spain then read on.

Here is a helpful checklist for you to follow before you leave:

O Check you have got travel insurance. Travel tickets and car documents, o Check passports. O Make arrangements for your pets travel and arrival. Building societies etc of your new contact details, banks, o Notify authorities. O Make sure you have some cash (euros) for your journey and arrival in Spain. Confirm mortgage and lawyers. O Check all the details of your Spanish purchase. O Arrange moving date and confirm at least twice with the removal company. Return them, library books and if so, o Ensure you have nothing on loan such as videos. List the contents on a label (this will save a lot of time when unpacking), when you pack boxes. Labels and bubble wrap, o Buy boxes. O Obtain three estimates for the move from at least three different removal companies. O Decide which possessions you will take to Spain - which you will leave in the UK - which items you can sell before you leave.

Investments and healthcare, life assurance, tax, there are also a few personal details to take care of like your pensions.

A Swede or Norwegian has the right to live in Spain by virtue of their countries' membership of the European Economic Area, a Dane, remember that members of EU countries such as a UK national.

Contact the Social Security Office to complete the correct forms. You should get yearly increases in your pension, if you are moving permanently to Spain. You can continue to receive your UK State pension, if you are retiring abroad.

Please remember that if you are proposing to rent out your UK property this will attract a UK income tax charge. As Spain and UK have a double taxation treaty you should be given relief for double taxation, however. Please note that Spain imposes a wealth tax on your world-wide assets. If you do change you residency cash held offshore may still be liable to tax in Spain depending on local tax rules. Obtain more information on tax and your domicile status from the Inland Revenue's document called IR20. However you will technically be a UK resident if you spend a requisite number of days in the UK and will consequently suffer UK tax on your income. Personal circumstances can vary greatly but you may cease to be liable to UK tax if you cut all ties with the UK and become domiciled abroad.

Driving through France can be a long nightmare and very expensive on tolls. Consider carefully the cost of a crossing to Calais and the additional cost of petrol and tolls as opposed to a crossing to Santander or Bilbao. Most ferries will not sell you a one way ticket so you must use the channel tunnel, it might be important to note that if you bring a caravan over with you. You can catch a car ferry at many English ports and buy a one way or return ticket. Make sure you read the section on driving in Spain, if you decide to drive. If you are having your furniture shipped over then you will just need to worry about yourself and a few personal objects. This will depend on what you are taking with you. Once you have all the above sorted out you need to decide on how to get there.

Driving licences/Car insurance papers Birth/Marriage certificates Passports Bank books/cheque and credit cards Enough money to get home Important medication Form E111 and remember to make several photocopies of all your documents! There are several things you must bring with you, whichever way you get here. Even if you just hire a car to collect from the airport, spain is a big country and a car is a must. Consider how you are to get about once you get here, but. 50 each; cheap flights can be booked over the internet at as little as £! Flying to Spain is a cheap alternative if all you have are a couple of cases.

Make sure you have several photocopies of each which you should keep separate from the originals, make sure you have all your birth/marriage certificates with you and again. These are forms you can't get in Spain. It's also a good idea to go the post office in England and collect a form for renewal of a passport and a form for replacement of a lost/stolen passport. Ensure your children have their own passports. It would be worth taking out travel insurance for your journey and it will be money well spent if your luggage vanishes or your car is stolen with all your belongings inside. Losing your original passport in Spain would be a bad move. Make several photocopies of it and make sure you keep at least one copy in a safe place. It's important to make sure you have a full ten year British Passport well before you leave. You have almost equal rights in Spain as you do in your own country. You do not require a visa to enter the country, if you live in an EU country, because Spain is part of the EU.

Or even a NIE to get a social security number, it is not necessary to have a job. They send on the plastic card at their leisure. They issue the number there and then and give you a temporary card. Which is in Spanish so you might need to take someone who's speaks Spanish with you or even better learn the language before you leave, you will have to fill in a form. With your original passport and copy of the passport, to obtain a social security number all you need to do is go to any social security office. If you are entitled to social security benefits or if you are entitled to medical care, you will need this if you are intending on working in Spain. You will also need a social security number. Go to the National Police station, to do it yourself. You can get a Gestor to apply for you but it will cost you about 100EUR. This is a very important but a very simple process providing you follow the guidelines. Once in Spain the first thing you must do as a foreigner living and/or working in Spain is obtain an NIE number.