Tales from the Front: A British Expat Living Abroad in Spain

It has been nearly twenty years since I decided to try living in Spain. At the time it was increasingly fashionable: people in Britain were tired of working lives which seemed to promise nothing but continual toil in a country with a high cost of living. Many retired people wanted their place in the sun, away from Britain's rainy shores, and, for young people, Spain seemed to hold the promise of excitement. How have these impressions stood the test of time, and does Spain still hold the same attraction it did twenty years ago?

Undoubtedly much has changed in twenty years. The cost of living has risen since Spain joined the European Union, the economy has hit the rocks, and other countries - Turkey, Cyprus, and Morocco to name three examples - now compete with Spain as short-haul sunny destinations. More than that though, Spain's image has been affected by the unfortunate experiences many overseas immigrants have endured; from being a "grass is always greener" destination, the problems affecting Spain in regard to its society, its legal system, and its economy have now been revealed.

Yet it is still a society which shows considerable tolerance. Retirees from northern Europe, many of whom never get to learn Spanish, can live in coastal areas where English is the second language. They are familiar with the health system and generally praise the standard of care and medical attention they receive. The banks have reciprocal arrangements with their home countries to receive their pensions, and generally retired people live off their pensions with the minimum of taxation, enjoying as residents many of the same benefits afforded to Spanish "jubilados" (retired).

Working in Spain

Working people have less of an easy time. The system of National Insurance in Spain is costly, with benefits difficult to appreciate in the short-term. Self-employed people are supposed to fill out quarterly tax returns for both income tax and VAT, as well as the annual tax return. Foreigners feel obliged to pay "gestores" to act on their behalf for each of these tax returns because they don't understand the system. If immigrants learn to speak Spanish well enough to compete in the labour market, they are shocked to find how much competition there is for jobs, how low the pay is, and how much the culture of "amiguismo" determines whether their application will even be looked at.

For younger people who come here as students or to teach English, living in a Spanish city can be a heady experience. In Madrid and Barcelona there are bars, music, fiestas, and concerts in the summer around the clock. It is also easy to make friends with Spanish people their own age. Finding accommodation can be a problem, but less so if you are prepared to flatshare. Getting out of the cities and enjoying the beach and the countryside is always an option: Spain is a country with the Great Outdoors, and the climate to match.

Conclusion

Expat life in Spain

So my impressions of the Spanish after all this time? They are still a mystery to me because my Spanish is not perfect and I am not part of that great Spanish institution; the Family. Most foreigners I know who have married Spaniards tell me I am lucky, but whether you like being part of a possessive family or not, it is undoubtedly true that you will not gain much insight into how the Spanish think or behave unless you are part of one, or have a daily interaction at work with Spanish people.

If I were to have any advice for an immigrant it is to experience Spain when you are young, study here, learn the language and travel around, even work for a few years teaching English if you can. Appreciate the good things Spain has to offer when you are young, appreciate the different things Spain can offer when you are near retirement, but do not launch yourself into business in Spain in order to make your fortune, because you are likely to be beaten down by bureaucracy, taxes, employment law and the lack of purchasing power in the economy; best to wait until you are wealthy enough to live here without working.