So we are often asked, “How can Americans live in Spain?”
Did we just randomly pull up a world map and throw a dart? How about going to the library and seeing which country had the most books on the shelf? Well, it wasn’t quite like that. I wish it were so easy.
Actually, this was probably one of the longer decisions to make in the process. Let’s just say that list-making was key and then more list-making and cross-referencing.
Goals
We first came up with our list of goals or what we were trying to gain from the experience of living abroad. This in itself was quite time-consuming. Trying to articulate what exactly we were trying to achieve, gain, “go for” wasn’t an easy process. We did however come up with the final list and have a post on the outcome.
Locations
The second was the list of countries we wanted to visit, live in, learn more about, or experience. They could be anywhere in the world. This was a breeze to come up with and we also listed several in which we had no interest in living, but wouldn’t mind a quick visit. We even have a more mobile option, where we would effectively not have a home base. We narrowed down our top few choices and decided to do a deeper dive into the possibilities for these locations.
The Important Stuff
Next was the list of criteria we would balance against our goals and the countries. Cost of living, Schools, Housing, Visa’s, Health Insurance, Dental, Location, Language, Crime, Safety, Proximity to other cultures, Transportation, Politics, and a few more.
This was extremely time-consuming and Google was one of our best friends for months. We did a deep dive in each area on our top choices.
Sprinkle a little pixy dust
Now is where the magic comes into the mix. After all of the research, we built a matrix with findings for each location. We then needed to map that info to our goals and find the winner. Of course, it was Spain and we have a few others as part of our “backup plan”, just in case. Basing ourselves in Spain will accomplish all of our goals and then some. Now we just needed to figure out how to make it happen.
Results – Americans Live in Spain!
Keep on reading in the blog and see how we have lived in Spain for over 8 years! We have built 2 businesses from our experience. One is this blog, Wagoners Abroad and the other is our website and business directory about our town in Spain, Almuñécar Info.
Update 2022
Over the years, we have turned our life story and expertise into a business. We have several ebooks about moving to Spain from the US. We also provide relocation packages and consulting to help you with your move to Spain.
Move to Spain Consulting
If you want a quick answer or someone to speak with, we also offer consulting. Check out our Spain nonlucrative visa consulting page now, for our latest offers!
Move to Spain Relocation Packages
From relocation planning and the Spanish non-lucrative visa application to residency and getting settled, we offer our expertise and knowledgeable advice. We can help you with your move to Spain with children or without. Most importantly, we offer custom packages for your move to Costa Tropical.
Click here to read more about our relocation to Spain services.