[Cepee Tabibian]

Hi Peer!

That’s great that you and your wife are considering southern Spain as a retirement destination. From the sounds of it, I think you may already be here! Welcome!

Unfortunately I’m not available to meet up but there are some great resources to meet expats in Malaga.

Americans in Malaga Faceook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/927059902402887
Expats in Malaga: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2043859442539223/

And two great relocation experts who can help with property or areas to look at are:
Irina from Malaga Expat: https://www.malagaexpat.com/about
Jessica from Decipher Spain: https://decipherspain.com/

Estepona is a lovely area! Fuengirola, Nerja, and Rincon de la Victoria are a few other coastial towns to look at too.

If you have any questions let me know. I hope you are enjoying your time here!

Best,

Cepee

[Cepee Tabibian]

Hi Gregory,

Happy to answer your question. That is unfortunatley not correct. Here’s how it works:

1) Spain has a fast-track to citizenship for Latin Americans. Citizen of one of the qualifying Latin American countries may be eligible to apply for Spanish citizenship after living in Spain for two years.

Nationalities that qualify for the fast-track include Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, Chile, Brazil and many others, including Puerto Rico. Even though Puerto Rico is not a country.

2) To be eligible for Spanish citizenship as a Puerto Rican you have to either been born on the island or have a parent who was born on the island. And then you will need to live in Spain for 2 years before you can apply for Spanish citizenship. You will need to show proof of being from Puerto Rico with a certificate of citizenship from PR.

US mainland citizens who move to Puerto Rico and establish residency do not qualify for the fast-track to Spansh citizenship. Spain will not recognize you as a “citizen” of Puerto Rico.

I hope this helps! If you have any questions just let me know.

Best,

Cepee

[Cepee Tabibian]

If you’re interested in Spain, Alicante is still a relatively affordable coastal city. Here’s an International Living piece about it: https://internationalliving.com/countries/spain/alicante-spain/

[Cepee Tabibian]

Spain offers the digital nomad visa and non-lucrative visa (retirement visa) with both you are eligible to apply for permenant residency in 5 years and citizenship at 10 years.

Northern Spain is where you’ll find cool weather. The Basque region is popular with cities like San Sebasitan and Bilbao but also one of the more expensive regions. Galicia is a very affordable region in northwestern Spain. Vigo is the largest city with a population of 300,000. And smaller cities and towns like Santiago de Compostel A Coruña, Lugo, Ourense, and Pontevedra.

– Cepee, IL Spain Correspondent

[Cepee Tabibian]

Hi Gary,

That’s great! Global Citizen Solutions can help with citizenship by ancestry. Please find their website here: https://www.globalcitizensolutions.com/

If you have any questions just let us know.

Best,

Cepee – IL, Spain Correspondent

[Cepee Tabibian]

Hi Neal,

Thanks so much for reaching out and sharing your plans. And apologies for the delayed response.

It sounds like you have an exciting journey ahead of you. And you’re taking an important first step – a scouting trip!

One tip I always suggest: if possible, try to visit during your least favorite season. For Portugal, that’s typically January–February or November–December when it’s coldest and wettest. This will give you a more realistic picture of what life could be like year-round, especially if you’re considering the north (on average about 12 days of rain per month up there), which tend to be cooler and damper than the Algarve.

That’s great already that you already have an itinerary and know which platform you’ll use for accommodation. To best assist you, could you let me know what kind of guidance you’re looking for? Are you hoping for help narrowing down your top 3 countries, getting more detail on specific places in Portugal, connect with expats, understanding visa options, or something else?

Once I know more, I’ll be happy to point you in the right direction!

Best

Cepee Tabibian, IL Spain Correspondent

[Author]

Posts