Need help living in Spain!
 

I know this is not a travel post, but I have received so much great informationon this site, I thought I's try here first. My 27 yr old son has decided to quit his job & go live in Spain for about a year mainly to learn Spanish fluently. He is thinking of going with some foreign language school, but has no idea which one to choose or which city to live in. He is thinking of Madrid. He also is not sure whether he could get a job teaching English. Can anyone give many info for him? Thanks a bunch!

I can't give him any advise (other than I think it's great he's doing this--I did a lot of travelling at his age and am still glad I did!), but he might check out a website--spainexpat.com.

Also, IMO, Madrid would not be my first choice--Serville or Barcelona might be, but not Madrid (though I like it a lot).

There is ceratinly nothing lost in your son going over to see if he can find a job. He can stay for 90 days without a visa as a tourist, so that will give him time to look. If he finds a job, he will either have to be sponsored by his employer for a work permit, which may be difficutl to get, or work illegaly.

There is a website called Overseas Digest (overseasdigest.com) which has a section on teaching overseas. www.overseasdigest.com/odsamples/ambrose.html The site appears to have lots on information, links and contacts about teaching and living overseas.

Another useful source for information and advice would be the US embassy in Madrid at www.embusa.es or the Spanish embassy in the US at www.spainemb.org

There are many websites that are helpful for tips on expat life. Try the following titles for searches:

American International Schools - Spain
www.expatexchange.com
www.expat-essentials.com
www.expatforum.com
www.expatnetwork.com
www.escapeartist.com/expatriate1/expatriate1.htm
www.outpostexpat.nl
ebusinessnomads

If your family is of Irish or Italian descent, your son might be eligible for an Irish or Italian passport. This is an advantage because as an EU citizen, he will have the right to work in Spain without the difficulties of obtaining a work permit. I believe he can also stay for an extended period in Spain without a residence permit, work visa or tourist visa.

Finally, if your son is a US citizen, there are tax issues he needs to consider. I mention this because many US citizens are surprised to learn that they have to continue to pay US federal income taxes while overseas. The US is one of about three other countries in the world that requires its citizens to pay income tax no matter where they live. To state it very briefly, your son will have to pay US and Spanish taxes on his income. Roughly the first US$80,000 of any income is exempt from US taxes, although Congress is talking seriously about getting rid of this exemption in the future. He will get some credit for Spanish taxes paid. Your tax advisor can explain this to you. If his income is under US$80,000 a year, he will still have to file a US income tax return, but may not have to pay US income tax. He will always be subject to Spanish tax.

Try http://www.madridman.com for some ideas.

Cicerone gave you much good info.

If your son can tutor students he may be able to work 'off the books' and make up some of his expenses. A TEFL certification would serve him best in that case.

sparks
cicerone explained very well the difficulties your son may have to get a "legal job". And it is easier to solve them from the spanish consulate at the country of origin.
Another idea is to teach conversation in English specialized in whatever your son's actual job or knowhow is.
He will have more chances in Madrid and Barcelona than elsewhere.

If he's thinking about Seville, here's a site from a guy who picked up and moved there. He's got some great tips and observations.

www.exploreseville.com

My husband's side of the family is originally from Ireland, but I have no idea what we would need to obtain an Irish passport. Right now my son works as a broker so I don't think finding a job in that area would work out. Thanks for all the info.

Thanks for all the help. In one week my son made a decision on a city & language school. The site Madridman.com had tons of info & we e-mailed him for his opinion on schools. He was great. E-mailed us right back with his take on other cities & language schools that he know were good. So in January, off he goes to Seville. I wish I was going!

I need to correct my last e-mail. The site exploreseville.com was where we got so much info which helped us make a decision. Thanks to all.