I just came back from a 4 week stay in Madrid and have decided it is where I want to grow older. Does anyone know of any way for me to get my possesions over there? I have heard horror stories of freight sent over by boat but have very little financial options. Any advice would help me lots-thanks!

Mari, I'm jealous. I have moved across the "pond" six times with the military. They ship everything with commercial movers. Try to find a moving/packing company that specializes, or at least has a lot of experience, in international shipments, then watch them pack everything to ensure they do a good job. Also, they should pack everything (i.e., furniture and boxes) in large (8'x10'x10'?) wooden crates. Don't let them tell you they will do it at their warehouse or you may not get your tv, stereo, computer, etc., back. Before they put the end on the crates, they should put a water-proof caulking on, to keep out moisture. After they pack the crates they should put some kind of a seal on them, sometimes just a paper strip, but something that you can use at the other end to see if the crates have been opened in your absence. Ask before you hire--do they use a seal on the crates? If not, find another company if possible. With all those moves, I had very few things broken, certainly no more than with any other move, and nothing stolen. If you pick a reputable moving company you should have very little troubles. But be prepared that it will take months, maybe three, for your property to catch up with you. Lastly, I'd take out personal property insurance for the move if you can afford it. It will help you buy a replacement if something does get stolen. And it's best if you have documentation of the item's condition (take a video of ALL your possessions, describing each then mail it to yourself in Madrid). Hope this helps. If I haven't been clear, please feel free to e-mail me.

&lt;&lt;I just came back from a 4 week stay in Madrid and have decided it is where I want to grow older&gt;&gt; <BR> <BR>Wonderful, but just to make sure, I understand you're concerned about getting your possessions and your dogs there safely, but I DO assume you've already addressed the residency requirements, visa issues, etc., and know that you can't just go off and move to Europe on a whim. <BR>Assuming so, people have told me that the following websites were invaluable to them in their legitimate moves to Europe: <BR> <BR>http://www.expatexchange.com/ <BR> <BR>http://www.expats.co.uk/ <BR>

Congratulations! Live the dream. <BR> <BR>Linda gave great advice. I've moved across the pond twice, both times as a civilian and I'd love to move back to Europe. Probably won't happen. I had very little problem with the move by ship, however, I sent some last minute items by mail and I lost about 50 percent of them. <BR> <BR>I disagree with StCirq, you can move off to Europe on a whim. I did it and lived there for 12 years. All of the regulations are doable after you arrive. <BR> <BR>One qualification, though, you have to have enough money to survive until you are settled or have lined up employment. If you don't speak Spanish, that could be a problem. <BR> <BR>BTW, I did not live in Spain, I lived in Germany. <BR> <BR>All the best to you and if you have a dream, you should try and live it. <BR>John

You can absolutely do it. It is important that you get all of the regulatory issues figured out before you leave, but it's completely possible. <BR> <BR>I have lived in Geneva and Paris, and have been living in Shanghai for the past 2+ years. There are tens of thousands of Americans living here as expats. <BR> <BR>Another website that can be of help is escapeartist.com - just be aware that 50 - 75% of what's on the site is of the "get rich quick" genre - there are some gems on the site, however. <BR> <BR>Good luck! <BR> <BR>P.S. When we moved, we sold all of our furniture (which could help on the finances issue) and just shipped 6 2'x4' trunks over with no problems (in addition to the maximum luggage we were able to take). This might be a workable solution for you.

&lt;&lt;I disagree with StCirq, you can move off to Europe on a whim. I did it and lived there for 12 years&gt;&gt; <BR> <BR>Maybe as a non-American you can, or maybe as an American willing to work in the black market, but most European nations have unemployment rates so high it is virtually impossible to get a residency card, which is what enables one to get legitimate employment as an American (which is what I'm assuming the poster is - forgive me if I'm not correct). <BR>I have a European passport, as do the rest of my family, and we would not presume to figure we could be as gainfully employed in Europe as we could in the USA precisely because of the unemployment situation. My lawyer husband might become a potato farmer, but I don't think so. <BR>At any rate, what I was trying to get across to the poster, and forgive me if I was wrong, was that one can't simply leave the USA and go to Europe and expect to work and live a normal life. She didn't say whether she had anything lined up in the way of work, but since her first post had to do with her dogs and her second had to do with her possessions, and neither had to do with practicalities, I thought it might be useful to mention that you can't (and you can't, really) just MOVE to Europe from the USA (IF that's where she was moving from).

&lt;&lt;I have a European passport, as do the rest of my family, and we would not presume to figure we could be as gainfully employed in Europe as we could in the USA precisely because of the unemployment situation. My lawyer husband might become a potato farmer, but I don't think so. &gt;&gt; <BR> <BR>Dropping the fact that you and your family qualify for Irish passports has nothing to do with the price of eggs, but it is bragging. I note that the original poster was asking for information about sending her belongings to Madrid and not your opinion on whether she should go at all. <BR> <BR>If the poster wants to spend some time in Madrid, he/she should go for it. You know, I assume the poster is young. Before car payments and mortgages set in is the time to have adventures, isn't it? And menial jobs do not look so bad if you are having an adventure. <BR> <BR>Once you are earning a six figure salary as a lawyer, you just can't pick up and leave except for all too brief vacations. <BR> <BR>What is wrong with being a potato farmer, by the way? Or is that just not a possibility for one who has a law degree? Anyone can chase his rainbow and plenty of lawyers earning six figures hate their jobs but are think they are locked into the money. They may have dreams, but with tuition bills for kids, car payments and mortages on several pieces of property, they just can't pick up and have an adventure anymore. It is so sad. <BR> <BR>Tontalba, go for it! <BR>

HUH? I thought maybe I'd save her a trip to the consulate to discover she hasn't the right to be staying in France past 90 days. I thought maybe she didn't know (because she's young, as you point out) that there are RULES governing under what conditions she can work in France.....nothing to do with being a potato farmer, be assured.

Dear Saint, <BR>I think you are a tad confused...the girl is talking about moving to Spain NOT France.......

Oh, you can't stay in France more than 90 days. So you go to Switzerland for the weekend and come back in for another 90 days. <BR> <BR>However, the poster is going to Spain. <BR> <BR>This is a thread about SPAIN. You should scroll back to the original post and read it. Spain is mentioned in the title of the thread too. <BR> <BR>S-P-A-I-N not F-R-A-N-C-E.

"Oh, you can't stay in France more than 90 days. So you go to Switzerland for the weekend and come back in for another 90 days" <BR> <BR>No. You can't anymore. Nor in France, nor in Spain, except if you spend a 90 days long weekend in Switzerland. <BR> <BR>At least you can't legally, but I heard it wasn't really a problem to stay longer, since it's unlikely that your passport/lenght of stay will be checked. <BR>

Freight shipments obviously have to clear customs in the port of entry. The nearest Spanish consulate office to your home (US) area should be contacted to get your household effects, etc. list certified. <BR>Sometimes the consulate can suggest specific freight forwarders who will be very familiar with all the necessary shipping details, paperwork, & costs for shipping to Spain. <BR>Nowadays the crates are placed into large steel containers which are moved quite safely from the US to Europe. <BR>You should also find out about visa requirements from the Spanish consulate.

St.Cirq and Clairobscur are both correct... <BR>you cannot stay in the European Union - as a whole, with the exclusion of the UK, which allows Americans 6 months (but not to work) - for longer than 90 days without the proper residency visas. So whether it be Spain, France, Belgium, Italy or any of the other EU countries, you should have your paperwork in order. <BR> <BR>If you do ship your possessions to Spain, in order to clear them from customs you would have to provide the correct residency papers to prove that you're there legally. <BR> <BR>I've lived in Europe for a long time (legally), and the authorities have tightened the regulations considerably over the past ten years. <BR>In most EU countries a person will not even be able to sign a lease for an apartment without proof of residency. <BR>PB

mari, <BR>I would suggest that you go to your local bookstore and look at(actually purchase) the tome "Living and Working in Spain: A Survival Handbook" by David Hampshire, Survival Books, besides checking those useful url's. It's written for holiday-home owners, retirees, students, business people, etc.-anyone planning to spend some time living in Spain. It's been a permanent fixture on our bookshelves for a while (for that dream of buying/building a home in Spain-we have land there but no permanent home, other than the shared use of my husband's family home). P. 116 gives advise (very similar to Linda's excellent advice) regarding the moving/shipping process. Although it's a British publication and now over 5 yrs. old, it should get you started in your planning process.

Thank you for all the advice and most of all your encouragement. I did not specify that I am a Spanish citizen by birth (lived in U.S. 30 years), speak Spanish, do not work (am disabled) and did all the research in Spain about moving back. Also this is not a whim-My entire family is in Spain and they will gladly house and feed me as I am their only relative under age 75! and they love me. I hesitated moving because of my elderly pets, my mom (before she left to Spain) and because I only had memories of Spain as a child and thought it was a backward country compared to NYC, London and Miamiwhere I've lived-but this 4 week trip opened my eyes to the wonders of Spain- the rich history, warm people and modern cities along with refreshingly quaint countrysides. I never meant for an argument to start! I have gotten some quotes in the $6,000 to $8,000 range by moving companies which is too steep for me (my family moved many suitcases over the years)but that won't work for me. Thank you for the ideas and links. Your kindness and willingness to help are appreciated.