Life As An Expat Spain
I’m truly livin la vida loca! Spain is such as beautiful country that I could never get enough. I travel a lot often to better understand the people and the culture and I have been living a life of bliss since I moved here 5 years ago.
España, as it is locally known, or the Kingdom of Spain, as it is officially known, is located in the southwestern part of Europe. It is a member of the European Union, therefore it uses the common Euro currency. Spain’s parliamentary government is democratic and is under a constitutional monarchy. It is one of the developed country in the world and is the 9th (or 10th) in the largest economies of the world based on nominal GDP and according to the World Bank. Spain’s people are so diverse and unique that they have distinct cultural groups. Among the different nationalities include the Basques, Castilians, Catalans, Galicians and more.
Spain’s languages are as distinct as its people although the main official language is Spanish (Castillian). Spain’s culture is multi-diverse which arose from it varied influences over the years. The Spanish culture thus has originated from Iberian, Latin, Celtiberian, Roman Catholic, Visigothic and Islamic cultures.
As expat Spain has taught me many things when I travel. When you are planning to travel to Spain, whether it’s temporary visit or permanent transfer, you have to first see to it that you have the necessary travel documents with you. Your VISA is most important so that you can enter the country without any problem. If you have a work permit, bring it with you as well. These are the most important documents that you cannot do without. Another important point, especially for those who are moving to Spain for a longer and more permanent stay, determine also if the current house you are living in your home-country will be rented out or sold. Furthermore, check if your insurance company will continue its coverage for your life insurance if something happens to you in Spain.
Other things to consider are the following:
• If you have a child with you in your permanent move, education in Spain is compulsory from 6 to 16 years old. You may want to enroll your child in a nearby school. It is offered as free education, so you never get to worry about tuition fees anymore.
• If you are touring all over the country, Spain boasts 40 UNESCO World Heritage sites that you might want to explore. Spend more than just a week to cover all these so that you could maximize learning about the country’s culture and people.
• A majority of Spaniards is Roman Catholic Christians and churches are found everywhere where you may be able to join church services on Sundays. The second religion that is growing in numbers in Spain is Islam.
• Spanish architecture and arts are truly beautiful to behold. Spanish artists were highly influenced during the European artistic movements over the years. Cinematic art has also gained worldwide recognition especially the movie, Pan’s Labyrinth, which was recognized in Hollywood’s OSCARS awards ceremonies.
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