Spain is the number one tourism destination in Europe, therefore it is also one of the most popular places to move to, to live, study work and even retire for expatriates from all over the world. And if you're looking around for a sunny spot where the way of life is excellent, the standard of living is high and the climate, culture, history and lifestyle are so rich and varied that you're practically guaranteed to find a better quality of life, it's certainly a country to consider.
However, living in a foreign country is a very different experience to visiting it on holiday - and if you want to avoid the culture shock and homesickness sometimes associated with moving abroad, any top tips from expatriates who have already made the move overseas will likely stand you in good stead and be well worth reading and noting.
Therefore, if you're contemplating a relocation to this stunning and vibrant Mediterranean nation, here are the top 5 tips from expatriates for living in Spain and settling in so that you can get the very most from your new life abroad.
1) Learn the Local Language - if you want to truly settle in and get the most out of your move, even if you're living in an English speaking enclave and working in a position where you need know nothing of the local language, learn Spanish! You will be more accepted by your colleagues and the local community, you will get far more out of your new life, you will be able to communicate with everyone and understand everything - from signposts and menus, to popular culture and politics. This will allow you to get so much more out of your new life. If you have children you will be hugely embarrassed at your own lack of language after about a month when they come home and are fluent in Spanish - so make a real effort and learn, practice and adopt the local language if you want to settle in completely.
2) Adopt Spanish Timekeeping - the Spanish work to live, they do not believe in slogging their guts out in a pointless job for the love of the corporation that employs them! As a result they have a completely different - and very healthy - attitude to life. They enjoy 2 hour lunch breaks every day, they get up late, eat late, party and socialise late, they enjoy longer holidays than much of the rest of the world and generally don't give a hoot about keeping to anyone else's times or rules! Whilst you will be expected to turn up in good time for work, and the local transportation networks do follow a timetable, you need to become far less rigid and controlled when it comes to keeping time. And don't ever turn up to a restaurant for dinner before 8 or 9 in the evening, because it may not even be open to serve you!
3) Don't Fight the Bureaucracy - many people are employed by the government and in the public services sector, meaning that they all need to justify their employment! This results in reams of paperwork and bureaucracy whenever you want to register for anything or apply for any sort of permit or licence. Get used to it. Get used to queuing, visiting and revisiting public offices with random bits of paper, of having to submit your personal details time and again on various forms. You will never change the system so accept it and factor in a whole day to get anything changed, done, registered or applied for! That way you will reduce your expectations sufficiently and avoid stress.
4) Explore Your New Nation - Spain is a stunning and diverse, beautiful and blessed nation. And it's vast! Don't be content with landing up in Barcelona or Benidorm and thinking that's it. To get the most out of your new life you need to get to know the whole country and what it can offer you in terms of beautiful places to live, visit, eat or enjoy. The more you know Spain, the more you will love it. The more you love it, the more it will feel like home...and the more it feels like home the closer you will be to happiness!
5) Integrate Fully - The final top expatriate tip for living in Spain is to integrate as fully as you possibly can into the local way of life, and into your local community. Once you relocate overseas you leave behind your support network of friends and family - but the sooner and more comprehensively you can integrate into your new place in life, the more quickly you will rebuild the support network that's vital for you to lead a complete and satisfying life.
Rhiannon Davies writes about living and working abroad, to read more about living in Spain visit her site ShelterOffshore.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rhiannon_Davies
Saturday 30 April 2011
Friday 29 April 2011
Residency in Spain
A lot if foreign nationals moving to Spain to live and work are often confused as to what their residence status is especially regarding tax. This is even more the case when they are EU citizens that do not require a work and residence permit. It should be borne in mind however that your residence status is not based on whether or not you have gone through the formal motions for registering as such. Taxation treaties signed by countries will provide more specific criteria for establishing what an individual's residence status is but most of them will tend to follow the criteria outlined below. In general, a person is considered to be a resident in Spanish territory when any of the following circumstances occur:
1) When he/she stays longer than 183 days a year in Spanish territory. In the calculation of this 183 day period, temporary absences in other countries are not deducted unless they in turn imply effective residency in that country (i.e. a stay or series of stays of more than 183 days).
2) When the main base of his or her business or professional activities or, in general, his or her economic interests is in Spain. A person who is on a long-term contract in Spain would therefore be considered a Spanish resident.
3) When his/her spouse (from whom he/she is not legally separated) and children under the age of 18 are habitually resident in Spain. This last case allows the individual in question to present proof against this assumption if they are not in agreement.
Establishing residency is of the utmost importance when it comes to dealing with the issues of taxation and social security. There are many cases of individuals who, technically speaking, would be considered Spanish residents who still continue to make their tax and social security contributions in their home countries. This is an anomalous situation which should be rectified in order to avoid possible problems with the Spanish authorities.
The author provides services to both foreign companies and individuals in Spain helping them get the appropriate legal, business and accounting assistance they require. To find out more click on the link - Lawyers Spain; Accountants Spain; Immigration Spain.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Thomas_Leacy
1) When he/she stays longer than 183 days a year in Spanish territory. In the calculation of this 183 day period, temporary absences in other countries are not deducted unless they in turn imply effective residency in that country (i.e. a stay or series of stays of more than 183 days).
2) When the main base of his or her business or professional activities or, in general, his or her economic interests is in Spain. A person who is on a long-term contract in Spain would therefore be considered a Spanish resident.
3) When his/her spouse (from whom he/she is not legally separated) and children under the age of 18 are habitually resident in Spain. This last case allows the individual in question to present proof against this assumption if they are not in agreement.
Establishing residency is of the utmost importance when it comes to dealing with the issues of taxation and social security. There are many cases of individuals who, technically speaking, would be considered Spanish residents who still continue to make their tax and social security contributions in their home countries. This is an anomalous situation which should be rectified in order to avoid possible problems with the Spanish authorities.
The author provides services to both foreign companies and individuals in Spain helping them get the appropriate legal, business and accounting assistance they require. To find out more click on the link - Lawyers Spain; Accountants Spain; Immigration Spain.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Thomas_Leacy
The Law on Rental Deposits in Spain
Many people moving to Spain are sometimes quite confused regarding the need to pay an initial deposit to secure a rental or letting agreement. Over the years, the actual amount corresponding to a number of months rental has varied also depending on the type of rental agreement. The legislation that specifically governs rental or letting deposits can be found in the law for urban rentals ('LAU') 1994 under article 36. The following are some of the main points to be borne in mind.
When you are signing a rental or letting contract for a house, flat or office, it is important to remember that in Spain you are required to pay a deposit at the beginning of the term which acts as a guarantee of payment of any outstanding bills on finalising the contract as well as a safeguard that the property will be returned to the owner in the same state as before the effective occupation of the property. It is also a safeguard that the tenant will abide by the general conditions of the rental contract signed. The deposit then is a monetary payment which will be equivalent to one month's rent for housing and two months' for offices and business premises although the landlord can request a higher payment (i.e. these are minimum legal amounts).
This money must be lodged by the owner in a non-interest bearing account with the local authority, for the first 5 years will not require a revision to bring it in line with increases in the actual amount paid in rent. Thereafter, rental increases will require the necessary and corresponding increase in the deposit. At the end of the rental contract, and on ensuring that there are no outstanding debts and that the property is in a good state of repair, the deposit must be returned to the tenant, accruing interest after one month of the finalization of the contract.
You should also be aware that in Spain landlords are also permitted to request further guarantees if they see fit. These guarantees can be in the form of bank guarantees, personal guarantees by a property owner, personal references.
A last thing to note is that although landlords are required to return the deposit on finalization of the contract and on establishing that everything is in order, unfortunately in Spain some of them can be quite reticent to do so and indeed some of them can invent cost in order to have to pay the money back. For this reason, in practice though not strictly speaking legal, a lot of tenants who have paid the one month deposit on handing in notice simply do not pay the last month's rent.
The author provides services to both foreign companies and individuals in Spain helping them get the appropriate legal, business and accounting assistance they require. To find out more click on the link - Lawyers Spain; Accountants Spain.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Thomas_Leacy
When you are signing a rental or letting contract for a house, flat or office, it is important to remember that in Spain you are required to pay a deposit at the beginning of the term which acts as a guarantee of payment of any outstanding bills on finalising the contract as well as a safeguard that the property will be returned to the owner in the same state as before the effective occupation of the property. It is also a safeguard that the tenant will abide by the general conditions of the rental contract signed. The deposit then is a monetary payment which will be equivalent to one month's rent for housing and two months' for offices and business premises although the landlord can request a higher payment (i.e. these are minimum legal amounts).
This money must be lodged by the owner in a non-interest bearing account with the local authority, for the first 5 years will not require a revision to bring it in line with increases in the actual amount paid in rent. Thereafter, rental increases will require the necessary and corresponding increase in the deposit. At the end of the rental contract, and on ensuring that there are no outstanding debts and that the property is in a good state of repair, the deposit must be returned to the tenant, accruing interest after one month of the finalization of the contract.
You should also be aware that in Spain landlords are also permitted to request further guarantees if they see fit. These guarantees can be in the form of bank guarantees, personal guarantees by a property owner, personal references.
A last thing to note is that although landlords are required to return the deposit on finalization of the contract and on establishing that everything is in order, unfortunately in Spain some of them can be quite reticent to do so and indeed some of them can invent cost in order to have to pay the money back. For this reason, in practice though not strictly speaking legal, a lot of tenants who have paid the one month deposit on handing in notice simply do not pay the last month's rent.
The author provides services to both foreign companies and individuals in Spain helping them get the appropriate legal, business and accounting assistance they require. To find out more click on the link - Lawyers Spain; Accountants Spain.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Thomas_Leacy
Buying Property in Spain - Understanding the Legal Documents
Congratulations on your decision to buy property in Spain and we hope you love and enjoy every moment of your purchase and stay in the Spanish coast, however, we are here to help you with some information, which is legal.
Just because you now have the services of a reputed lawyer doesn't mean the task is done, it is important that you understand the laws and the legal documents to the core, since we are talking huge financial transactions here and you wouldn't want to juggle around with such a large investment.
Please read on and keep the following terms and clauses in mind when understanding the legal documents in Spain.
The plan parcial is what the Spaniards call as the piece of land and the location where you plan to buy your property. This needs to be registered by the TOWN HALL and this means that you would know if any future urbanization projects would or wouldn't affect your property at large.
Next you would hear of the Registro del La Propiedad, especially if you are buying real estate near Costa del Sol or anywhere else in Spain. This has to be registered with the registry that registers properties and is the last paper which needs this act. It would include property details, the title owners information, the notary responsible for the escritoire and mortgage details.
Even though the property you intend on buying may have been built to perfection, one needs to check small alterations if any, permissions by the authorities need to be taken for any small or big alteration and this would reflect in the solicitud de licencia de obras which comes at a small fee.
Check for reservation contracts as well, which would have the purchaser private information, the agents private information, property type and the plot of the property, the price of the property in question(Euros only), payment method and the formula that derives it and finally, the signature and date of the buyer and seller.
The nota simple would be another legal term which means simple note. The land registry office gives it out for a small fee and would entail the registration details of the property for you to check and keep an eye on.
The all important contract would be the most needed document when you buy a house in Spain. It entails the house plan, the simple note, the contract, the signatures and the mortgage and financial dealings details.
There would also be a term called community charges on the legal papers, which entails, common facility maintenances and usage charges by all who reside where you have bought the property.
The Certificado Final de La Direccion de Obra or the Certificate of the Termination of the Building is when the document comes from the architect who completes building the house. This would be important for The Licencia de Primera Ocupacion which is responsible for occupation and the tax payments of the house in future.
Finally we hear of insurance for the house which needs no explanation and we all know why it is so important and the ESCRITURA which is the house deed, that has the name of the owner on it.
Angela Rafferty is an employee of Owners Direct Spain - an online resource for buying and selling property in Spain.
Click the following link for articles, guides, resources and recommended reading Blog
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Angela_Rafferty
Just because you now have the services of a reputed lawyer doesn't mean the task is done, it is important that you understand the laws and the legal documents to the core, since we are talking huge financial transactions here and you wouldn't want to juggle around with such a large investment.
Please read on and keep the following terms and clauses in mind when understanding the legal documents in Spain.
The plan parcial is what the Spaniards call as the piece of land and the location where you plan to buy your property. This needs to be registered by the TOWN HALL and this means that you would know if any future urbanization projects would or wouldn't affect your property at large.
Next you would hear of the Registro del La Propiedad, especially if you are buying real estate near Costa del Sol or anywhere else in Spain. This has to be registered with the registry that registers properties and is the last paper which needs this act. It would include property details, the title owners information, the notary responsible for the escritoire and mortgage details.
Even though the property you intend on buying may have been built to perfection, one needs to check small alterations if any, permissions by the authorities need to be taken for any small or big alteration and this would reflect in the solicitud de licencia de obras which comes at a small fee.
Check for reservation contracts as well, which would have the purchaser private information, the agents private information, property type and the plot of the property, the price of the property in question(Euros only), payment method and the formula that derives it and finally, the signature and date of the buyer and seller.
The nota simple would be another legal term which means simple note. The land registry office gives it out for a small fee and would entail the registration details of the property for you to check and keep an eye on.
The all important contract would be the most needed document when you buy a house in Spain. It entails the house plan, the simple note, the contract, the signatures and the mortgage and financial dealings details.
There would also be a term called community charges on the legal papers, which entails, common facility maintenances and usage charges by all who reside where you have bought the property.
The Certificado Final de La Direccion de Obra or the Certificate of the Termination of the Building is when the document comes from the architect who completes building the house. This would be important for The Licencia de Primera Ocupacion which is responsible for occupation and the tax payments of the house in future.
Finally we hear of insurance for the house which needs no explanation and we all know why it is so important and the ESCRITURA which is the house deed, that has the name of the owner on it.
Angela Rafferty is an employee of Owners Direct Spain - an online resource for buying and selling property in Spain.
Click the following link for articles, guides, resources and recommended reading Blog
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Angela_Rafferty
Spain 2011, To Buy or Not to Buy? That Is the Question!
I am going to leave Statistics to the Statisticians and concentrate on what the statistics don´t tell you about the Spanish Property Market for 2011.
To be reading this you must have at least a passing interest in Spain and Spanish property. Why wouldn't you, it is a beautiful country steeped in history, art and culture. The food is great and the people are warm and hospitable. You can find it all. The country has everything from large cosmopolitan cities to sandy beaches and high mountain ski resorts. Yes, I am a Fan! I am going to look at whether to buy a property in Spain from the perspective of a British property buyer, basically because I am one myself.
Buying with a Mortgage
Well I think that this covers a large number of us when we look to buy a property.
In Spain right now you can obtain up to a 100% mortgage for the purchase of new build Spanish Property direct from major Spanish Banks and lending institutions. You won´t find that in the U.K., if you can let me know where! This might at first glance seem like Lunacy, on behalf of the Spanish Banks and on the part of you the potential buyer!! Surely careless lending and high loan to value mortgages were part of the cause and effect that led to the worldwide property and financial crisis!?
Yes all that is true but, and it is a big but, What needs to be observed is that:
* The Spanish Property Market has undergone a significant downward adjustment in prices and is in my opinion Property Prices are bottoming out, certainly for the better properties.
* Availability of Mortgage Finance up to 100% as the Spanish Banks look to sell their New Build Property Stocks. So what appears to be Lunacy and a lack of short term memory is in fact a pragmatic approach to the Spanish Banks problem of having to take possession from Spanish Property Developers of large numbers of developments and in turn sell them. So with UK mortgages requiring ever bigger deposits someone looking for a property investment you can enjoy for years to come Spain is a compelling proposition.
* The maxim of Location, Location, Location is to be paired with Timing, Timing, Timing! The best properties will sell first so waiting to the last minute will leave you with what is NOT WANTED
You need to consider that even if in the short term prices fell a few percentage points the opportunity that exists for you to secure that Spanish Home is at hand because as any British property buyer will tell you 100% mortgages do not exist and certainly not on new build properties. Combine this with record low interest rates and low prices a smart new Spanish home has become a realistic affordable option for you!
Buying with Cash
Cash as ever is King so no need to drum on about that, what is good to know is that if you are buying with cash you have a window of opportunity to extract a further price reduction, perhaps not the headline grabbing kind of 2010 but Banks are willing to enter sensible negotiations for serious cash buyers.
If "That" is the question What is the Answer
Spain is a definite buy for me with all it offers combined with up to 100% mortgage finance available and properties from city apartments, beach, mountain and country homes. I have been looking at coastal properties with pools and near beaches for as little as €65,000 I don´t think opportunities like these will be around forever and judging by the rate Spanish buyers are purchasing I sense the best buys will continue to sell well in 2011.
British buyers who like property as a medium to long term investment and are fed up with the British Banks and Mortgage Companies inflexibility regarding lending should take a serious look at Spain where there are many second home opportunities and rental investments. I also feel that savvy first time buyers who are saving for deposits could look to make an investment in Span taking advantage of the ability to borrow and use a Spanish property to form part of their plan to build a deposit over a 3 to 5 year period and have all the enjoyment of owning a home in Spain with easy access via low cost airlines. Renting the property out during the periods it is not in use should in my opinion contribute to the cost of the mortgage.
In conclusion 2011 is a year of opportunity for Spanish Property Buyers, I certainly will be looking to take advantage of these favourable conditions for buyers.
Written by Robert Evans, Manager Basico Homes UK a Division of Basico Homes Gestion SL Spain
Robert Evans
http://www.basicohomes.co.uk
robert.evans@basicohomes.com
http://blog.basicohomes.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robert_S_Evans
To be reading this you must have at least a passing interest in Spain and Spanish property. Why wouldn't you, it is a beautiful country steeped in history, art and culture. The food is great and the people are warm and hospitable. You can find it all. The country has everything from large cosmopolitan cities to sandy beaches and high mountain ski resorts. Yes, I am a Fan! I am going to look at whether to buy a property in Spain from the perspective of a British property buyer, basically because I am one myself.
Buying with a Mortgage
Well I think that this covers a large number of us when we look to buy a property.
In Spain right now you can obtain up to a 100% mortgage for the purchase of new build Spanish Property direct from major Spanish Banks and lending institutions. You won´t find that in the U.K., if you can let me know where! This might at first glance seem like Lunacy, on behalf of the Spanish Banks and on the part of you the potential buyer!! Surely careless lending and high loan to value mortgages were part of the cause and effect that led to the worldwide property and financial crisis!?
Yes all that is true but, and it is a big but, What needs to be observed is that:
* The Spanish Property Market has undergone a significant downward adjustment in prices and is in my opinion Property Prices are bottoming out, certainly for the better properties.
* Availability of Mortgage Finance up to 100% as the Spanish Banks look to sell their New Build Property Stocks. So what appears to be Lunacy and a lack of short term memory is in fact a pragmatic approach to the Spanish Banks problem of having to take possession from Spanish Property Developers of large numbers of developments and in turn sell them. So with UK mortgages requiring ever bigger deposits someone looking for a property investment you can enjoy for years to come Spain is a compelling proposition.
* The maxim of Location, Location, Location is to be paired with Timing, Timing, Timing! The best properties will sell first so waiting to the last minute will leave you with what is NOT WANTED
You need to consider that even if in the short term prices fell a few percentage points the opportunity that exists for you to secure that Spanish Home is at hand because as any British property buyer will tell you 100% mortgages do not exist and certainly not on new build properties. Combine this with record low interest rates and low prices a smart new Spanish home has become a realistic affordable option for you!
Buying with Cash
Cash as ever is King so no need to drum on about that, what is good to know is that if you are buying with cash you have a window of opportunity to extract a further price reduction, perhaps not the headline grabbing kind of 2010 but Banks are willing to enter sensible negotiations for serious cash buyers.
If "That" is the question What is the Answer
Spain is a definite buy for me with all it offers combined with up to 100% mortgage finance available and properties from city apartments, beach, mountain and country homes. I have been looking at coastal properties with pools and near beaches for as little as €65,000 I don´t think opportunities like these will be around forever and judging by the rate Spanish buyers are purchasing I sense the best buys will continue to sell well in 2011.
British buyers who like property as a medium to long term investment and are fed up with the British Banks and Mortgage Companies inflexibility regarding lending should take a serious look at Spain where there are many second home opportunities and rental investments. I also feel that savvy first time buyers who are saving for deposits could look to make an investment in Span taking advantage of the ability to borrow and use a Spanish property to form part of their plan to build a deposit over a 3 to 5 year period and have all the enjoyment of owning a home in Spain with easy access via low cost airlines. Renting the property out during the periods it is not in use should in my opinion contribute to the cost of the mortgage.
In conclusion 2011 is a year of opportunity for Spanish Property Buyers, I certainly will be looking to take advantage of these favourable conditions for buyers.
Written by Robert Evans, Manager Basico Homes UK a Division of Basico Homes Gestion SL Spain
Robert Evans
http://www.basicohomes.co.uk
robert.evans@basicohomes.com
http://blog.basicohomes.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robert_S_Evans
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