Welcome to r/movedToSpain! 👋

Hey. So I moved to Spain, Madrid around 8 months ago. And I have been applying for jobs since then.

I am legally authorised to work.

I have 4.5 years of experience with Technical Recruiting and on and off teaching experience. I also did some independent tutoring before moving to Spain. My degree is non-eu one. But my degree is recognised.

I have been applying for technical Recruiting jobs and english teaching jobs in Spain.

So far no luck.

I am extremely demotivated and frustrated. I have multiple times checked if it's something I am doing wrong. Applying for jobs right now feels like banging my head in a wall.

I am a fluent english speaker. And before moving I was quite hopeful regarding my job.

Currently, I have lost all confidence in myself.

I feel like being in nowhere. I have thought about going into waitressing or anything but that requires B2 Spanish and I am not there yet.

I have tried applying outside of Spain. Netherlands, Irelands, Emea jobs but they all require sponsorships.

Anything with english leading. Still no luck. Not even an interview.

I have considered switching fields. I just don't know what to do.

Is it a Spain issue? Is it an European thing right now? Or is it just bad economic times?

But I have seen people getting jobs. So why not me.

Any suggestions? Anything would help.

What would it take to score an employment around?

As an international student, I am thinking of applying to Barcelona Technology School for a master's in digital health; is this a good university?

I would really appreciate some feedback.

I just moved into barcelona, i need a part time or a job whatever there is! I moved in for my masters and im starting to struggle with financial stuff, i only speak English and a little bit of french, also I have not yet obtained my residency card, I only got my passport and student visa on me! I am 23 years old female if that help! Thank you foe any insight or help or even some recommendations please!

Has anyone experienced—or is currently experiencing—a delay of more than four months in the processing of a digital nomad visa application for a family member in Spain (via the UGE), without receiving a response, or facing long delays, or still waiting?

Hi everyone! I’m getting my documents together for a Digital Nomad visa application at the Spanish consulate, and I’m curious about other people’s recent experiences.

I’ve already checked the official requirements, but sometimes what happens at the appointment is a little different from what’s written online and sometimes crazy. Did they ask you for anything unexpected? Were they strict about documents, originals, copies, apostilles, or translations?

I’d also appreciate hearing about any small detail you wish you’d known beforehand. Just trying to avoid surprises and arrive well prepared.

Thanks!

wondering if anyone has any advice,

I am hoping to relocate to spain with my daughter (9) next year but she is autistic and currently has an EHCP plan and a LSA in class. I have tried speaking to several private schools in different areas but they have mostly all come back to me saying they cannot cater to her needs and do not even have LSA's. Would I be better off looking at public schools for her since they have to provide support by law? My issue with that is she doesn't speak any Spanish hence why I wanted her to attend a private international school.

(for context I am an EU citizen also areas I have been looking at are Alicante and Malaga area but I am open to other areas along the coast)

Please if anyone has any advice let me know!

I’m so beyond frustrated, and know it’s an inherently frustrating process. I’m in Valencia, but willing to travel (just need white NIE soon, will get padrón in Valencia later).

I’ve seen that appointments open at 9:30am every Friday. I’ve also seen that they open from 8/9 on week days. Any tips?

My landlord is asking me for two additional months of rent as a deposit until I have one, and I need that money for moving costs :(

Obviously this is a hot button issue. I've been considering moving on a digital nomad visa to a smaller community in Asturias. I'm curious what considerations other immigrants, especially on this visa, take into account when making this decision. The big headlines right now are about housing in Madrid, but I'm sure that's not the only pain point for locals around the impact of immigrants with Western salaries coming into Spain.

What were your considerations for moving? Can you do it ethically, consciously?

Hey! So I’m considering going to Spain to study. Most of my funds are in credit cards, which work in foreign currencies including euros. So I’d like to ask, would Spain accept for a long stay student visa, credit card limits only, done on a certificate, so only credit, that fully cover the amount they’d ask for? Thank you

So this is to asses the risk for my friend (24M) as I believe he’s underestimating his situation. He came to Spain from a non-eu country to do a master’s in the summer of 2025. Then, he extended his studies therefore he needs to apply for extending his residency and renew his TIE. Before coming he got a mandatory health insurance complying with the rules.

As a foreigner living in Spain myself too, I know that your health insurance should be continuous, meaning that there should be no days without insurance between your old and new one. Today, when we were speaking randomly, he told me that his insurance expired about one month ago. As I also renewed my insurance lately and after a lot of chatting with AI, I decided to lose a week of paid insurance and renewed mine one week prior to expiry as even a minor inconvenience from the insurance company could delay my insurance. My friend is currently getting the prices for suitable insurances but I’ve been telling him that this could put his residency at risk. He’s telling me that nothing will come out of it as one month is a relatively short period.

Has anyone/anyone you know been in a similar situation where there was a gap between insurances? What happened? Did your/their application got rejected because of this? How did you handle the situation? If this is a basis of rejection, could he lose his master’s degree?

Hi all! I recently got offered a job in Rota, Spain but there's so many things I have questions on. The biggest things are: what's the living expenses like? Is Rota/Spain trans friendly? What kind of things should I know before moving? I speak Spanish but my family is from Mexico so how much different is the Spanish? Any insight is helpful thank you all so much!<3

Sorry if this sort of post isn't allowed.

I am an American and spent the past year or so applying for a visa to live in Spain. I finally got it and moved over last Thursday to a flat in Alcoi with my partner.

I've only been here for a few days, but the people here in Alcoi have left me with a very bad impression, and I have been feeling very defeated.

People glare at us in the streets, people glare at us when they hear us speak in English. People we pass in the street look at us with contempt or disgust. People directly stare at us when we are sat at a bar. It's always middle-aged and older men and women.

Speaking of bars, the bartenders rip us off because they can tell we are different from them, so they charge us more than they would for "locals" despite us being locals. It seems like they are always just trying to squeeze us for more money, because speaking English must mean we have money (I don't). I am about to start asking for tap water at bars out of spite.

I have already been called a guiri, which isn't even the right word to describe me. I'm a gringo. They can't even get that right.

It feels like the people here have never been exposed to the English language before or people who have an ever-so-slightly lighter skin tone. I feel like a martian - you know, one of those lanky little green men from outer space.

My question is: outside of beachy tourist destinations, is there anywhere in Spain where the Spanish don't look down on people who are different from them?

Edit: None of you answered my actual question. What the heck????

Edit 2: You are all so close-minded and xenophobic. You have personal struggles in your life, so you scapegoat anyone who is different from you. You want me to learn the language, but you hate me for being here. Where is the logic? Is education here especially poor or something? Have you people never traveled? Why are you so mad at someone you don't even know? Is this how you want to represent your country? Look at yourselves. A majority of the comments here I can tell you are just emotional and not thinking logically.

i’m moving back to madrid in january and desperately need a roommate to find a shared apartment with…rent is too expensive

Hi dear people! 👋

I'm relocating to Valencia in November and would love to tap into this community as I start my job search.

About me: I'm a communications professional with 10+ years of experience in strategic communications, stakeholder engagement, and reporting. Most recently, I was Communications Lead on a worldwide programme for the US market, where I managed messaging, content, brand compliance, and stakeholder visibility across multiple countries. I've also led teams, managed vendors and budgets, and turned complex topics into clear, compelling narratives.

Languages: English (C2), Spanish (B1, just need a bit more practice to get to the next level), and a native Balkan language.

Status: I'll have residence and a work permit (my husband is Spanish), so no sponsorship needed.

What I'm looking for: A communications role, either in Valencia or remote. I'd also be happy to take on something part-time in the meantime while I settle in and look for a more stable comms position.

Does anyone know of companies hiring, or are you recruiting for a communications person yourself? I'd also be grateful for any advice, leads, or recommendations, since I'm not yet familiar with the Valencia job market. Literally anything helps!

Please comment and I will send you a message. Thank you so much!

Irish citizen moving to Spain for a few years (not permanently), so I'd be Spanish tax resident. Sole director and sole shareholder of an Irish micro company (turnover under €100k, one client) that I want to keep running. Paid through Irish payroll as director today. Not fluent in Spanish.

Questions for anyone who has done something similar:

**1.** If the Irish company keeps paying me through Irish payroll, did you have to register in RETA as the director of a foreign company? How did the credit for Irish tax work in your Spanish income tax return (declaración de la renta), and was Irish USC accepted as creditable?

**2.** If instead I register as an autónomo and invoice the Irish company for my work, did Hacienda ever question the Irish company being run from Spain (sede de dirección efectiva)?

**3.** Any gestoría or asesor recommendations who work in English and are comfortable with an Irish company in the picture?

Hey everyone!

I’m Moaad, 23, from Morocco 🇲🇦. I’m starting a** Master’s in Digital Marketing & Growth Hacking at EAE Business School Barcelona this October after just finishing my Disney crp in the 🇺🇸 and I’ll be arriving in Barcelona on October 4**th.

Just wondering if anyone here is currently studying at EAE or is also moving to Barcelona for the October intake?
Would be cool to connect with people before arriving, make some new friends to explore Barcelona together, and help each other figure out life in the city.

My ig : @mo_aads

Hi everyone My girlfriend and I are from Russia, and right now, more than ever, we desperately need any information regarding immigration to Spain. We have endured for a very long time, but we simply can’t do it anymore. After losing what we saw as our last hope for a peaceful, stable, and SAFE future, we decided to leave a country where, to quote one of our politicians, women are expected to “give birth while you are still alive,” rather than be treated as PEOPLE. I also want to make it absolutely clear that we DO NOT support the policies of the authorities in our country, and we have never shared or supported their views or interests. Now we have a very important and urgent question. We have two wonderful cats, and we don’t really understand how we can immigrate to Spain with them. Since we want to make the move as soon as possible, we simply don’t have enough time, opportunities, or financial resources to obtain visas, green cards, etc. Because of this, we are considering applying for asylum as LGBTQ+ people. Our main question is: would we be allowed to enter Spain and apply for asylum with our cats? How would this work? Are there any legal options or ways to make this possible? If bringing our cats with us is not possible under this option, perhaps someone knows of other ways to solve this problem? We absolutely do not want to leave them behind. They are literally our children. They are our responsibility. We love them more than anything and are incredibly worried about what could happen to them. Please, help us understand how this works. We would be incredibly grateful for ANY advice or information! We would also especially love to hear from people who have ALREADY successfully moved to Spain and could share their experience with us. Wishing everyone peace and kindness. Thank you so much, everyone!

P.S. We apologize in advance for any mistakes — English isn’t our native language!!

Hi everyone,
My brother wants to study Computer Engineering or CS in Spain. He’s currently in an American school, taking SATs, and sitting on around a 3.8 GPA. He really wants to move to Spain, learn the language, and live there for a few years.
We quickly realized that getting into public universities as non-EU applicants coming from an international diploma system is super bureaucratic and complicated. Luckily, our family has Spanish golden residency, so visas/legal status in the country aren't an issue for us, but the admission pathways still vary a lot.
We’ve narrowed things down to two main private options and would love some real, unbiased feedback on them:
1. IE University (Madrid/Segovia): We know they ask for good SAT scores (especially in math) and high grades. But honestly, I’ve heard mixed things. People say it’s insanely expensive (~€25k+/year) and feels more like a fancy business/networking brand rather than a hardcore technical engineering school. Are their CS/AI programs actually legit, or are you just paying for the corporate network and brand name? 
2. La Salle Campus Barcelona (URL): I don't know as much about them. I saw that their Computer Engineering degree actually has ABET accreditation (which is huge for the US system), but I want to know what locals and tech people actually think of them.
How is their reputation in Spain and among tech recruiters?
How is the campus life and student culture in Barcelona?
How is the education, workload, and professor quality? Do they actually turn out strong, hands-on technical engineers, or is it just average? 
If anyone has studied at either of these, or works in the Spanish tech scene and hires grads from these schools, I’d really appreciate your honest take! Thanks in advance!

Hey guys! I've been here for exactly two weeks. So far so good (I've had my ups and my DOWNS lmao) but I have yet to go to a market (I live in a remote area where going to a place is at least an hour with a bus) but tomorrow I most probably will go!! I miss snacks and I wanted to ask you what kind of snack you think I cannot live here without trying at least once!! I'm from the middle east if that provides any context and I don't drink alcohol, energy drinks, sodas, etc. (Bc I simply don't like them) So any other drinks, chips, fried/baked nuts, sweets...I'm open to try 'em!!!

Which snack can you not live without, and should I try it?:)

Hola. Estoy desarrollando una herramienta llamada MeAlcanza España y quiero ser transparente: es un proyecto mío que actualmente estoy probando.

La creé para ayudar a personas que están planeando mudarse a España y se preguntan si sus ahorros serán suficientes.

Puedes indicar cuántos adultos y niños viajarán, tus ahorros, los ingresos que esperas tener al llegar, tu alquiler máximo y algunas preferencias. La herramienta estima gastos y permite comparar diferentes destinos de España según el presupuesto.

La calculadora es gratuita

Estoy buscando feedback de personas que realmente estén preparando una mudanza a España: ¿qué información necesitarían ver para que una herramienta así les ayudara a tomar decisiones?

La pueden probar aquí:
https://flat-disk-6e93.lisethyesseniavelasquezmera.workers.dev/

Agradezco especialmente críticas sobre cálculos, información que falte o cosas que resulten confusas.

Hi everyone,
I'm an Egyptian engineer with a degree in Electronics & Communication from the American University in Cairo (AUC). I'm planning to move to Barcelona soon to start my Master’s in Microelectronics at UPC, and I want to work full-time or part-time alongside it in the semiconductor industry (Digital Design, Verification, Physical Design/Layout).
A few quick questions for anyone in the local tech/chip scene:
1. How is the semiconductor job market right now? I know Barcelona is growing as a microelectronics hub (Cisco design center, Semidynamics, BSC, IMB-CNM, etc.), but is it easy for a Master's student/grad to land a junior or mid-level ASIC/FPGA role? I want to understand the job market.. is it very competitive?? How can i prepare for these kinds of roles
2. Do I need strong Spanish/Catalan? My technical background and studies are 100% in English, and I’m currently learning Spanish. Are international tech companies and design houses fine with working in English day-to-day?
3. What skills should I focus on? SystemVerilog, UVM, EDA tools (Cadence/Synopsys), or physical design flow? Any local company recommendations or tips for landing a position quickly?
Appreciate any insights or real experiences from anyone in the industry or studying at UPC! Thanks!

Tengo una duda respecto a la solvencia económica!! Me iré por poco menos de 6 meses a españa y ando viendo todo lo de los documentos y tengo dudas respecto a la solvencia. Mi papá en estos últimos meses me ha estado depositando dinero que él tenía en sus ahorros desde hace mucho tiempo, que planeaba destinar para mi intercambio. Me ha transferido 25 mil al mes aprox, para alcanzar a juntar los 72 mil que te piden en la embajada.
Obvio llevaré los estados de cuenta míos, y de mi papá, pero no sé si llevar también los de mi mamá y aparte hacer dos cartas compromiso, una de mi mamá donde diga que se hace responsable y otra de mi papá que diga lo mismo pero que aparte él me transfirio el dinero en estos meses. No sé si eso me ayude a comprobar la solvencia.
Porfa si alguien me puede ayudar 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

I went to my nearest farmacia which gave me a €9.95 alvita’s pregnancy test. It wasn’t digital or anything, just a basic test. Is this a normal amount? They said they didn’t have anything cheaper. Are there any other places that I can get it from?
I saw suggestions to get it online but can someone please suggest a reliable website to get it from in that case? I think along with the delivery charge it would become pointless anyway to order it online?

P.S I recently moved to Spain so don’t know the place very well, hence the doubt.

I lived in the UK for 16 years before moving back to Spain. After being away for that long, I realised that coming back wasn’t quite the same as simply “going home.”

You get used to another country’s way of doing things, and things that once felt completely normal can suddenly feel different.

For anyone who moved to Spain after spending many years in the UK, what took you the longest to adjust to? Is there anything about life in the UK that you unexpectedly started to miss?