Living in Spain
Moving Visas
Spain is a full member of the European Union. With the situation having recently changed for the UK we recommend taking a look at the up to date information on the UK government website - please click for more information.
Pensions
UK Government pensions are payable directly into your Spanish bank account by the relevant agency.
Health Care
Once registered as a resident in your chosen location, you can also enjoy the full benefits of the Spanish health care service, assuming you are of pensionable age or are working. There are also numerous private health care companies in Spain and normally these are cheaper than the English equivalent.
Schools
There are many international schools in Spain. These are private day schools, where the teaching is predominantly in English.
The majority of these schools follow either the International baccalaureate or the IGCSE exams.Spanish state schools are very good and follow the Baccalaureate system. The teaching (as you would expect) is in Spanish.
Young children tend to pick up Spanish very quickly and are therefore ideal for the Spanish education system. Older children tend to take a little longer and are normally put in a school year below their UK equivalent, as it often takes 6-12 months to master the language.
Leisure Activities/Sports
As you would imagine the climate in Spain is ideal for outdoor pursuits. All sports are available with golf, tennis, football, sailing and swimming being the prime examples.
Spain also has excellent (and cheap) skiing in the Sierra Nevada mountains (Granada).
The Mediterranean offers a wealth of options to the scuba diver, with Mazarron having two very good diving schools.
Gastronomy
Due to the close proximity to the sea, seafood is always a favourite option. One of Spain's traditional dishes is of course Paella and this comes in many guises depending on the region.
In the winter months Andalucia produces wonderful game, such as wild boar, venison and partridge.
Olives and olive oil are a must as are the abundant and very cheap oranges and other citrus fruit.
Both Murcia and Andalucia are well known for their "peasant food". This normally comes in the form of hearty stew, with Gabanzas (chickpeas) or rice as a base. Served with fresh crusty bread, drizzled with local olive oil and washed down with a robust red wine.