Marija M. Says:
Hi I’m a long time International Living member and I want to retire in Spain in Torrevieja. My question is how to start?
Author of Escape to Spain Marsha Scarborough Says:
Hola Marija! Good choice! You have taken the first step by deciding on Torrevieja. It seems like you’ve already done a scouting trip and found your new home. If you have a passport from a country in the European Union, you can just move and register with the immigration authorities when you arrive. If not, go to the website of the Spanish Embassy in Washington DC (if you are American; if you are Canadian, go to the website of the Spanish Embassy in Canada). In the drop-down menu under Embassy, go to Consulates.
From there, determine which Spanish Consulate serves the location of your permanent residence, then go to the website of that Consulate. Look at the different types of residency visas and find the one that works for you. Since you plan to retire, it will probably be either the Non-Lucrative Visa or the Golden Visa. Print out the requirements for the visa you choose. Different Consulates have different requirements, and sometimes they change those requirements so check back often.
Start gathering your paperwork. Check your passport. Your visa will go in your passport, so if you have six months or less before it expires, or you are running out of pages, renew it as soon as possible. You are going to need an FBI Criminal Background Check, and it will have to be apostilled. That will take the most time to get, so apply for that first. When you submit your visa application, none of the documents can be more than three months old. The FBI Report may take two months. All your documents will have to be translated into Spanish by a certified translator, so allow time for that too (although they are pretty quick).
You will have to include proof that you have purchased private Spanish health insurance with your application, and you may have to pay for a whole year in advance (depends on the Consulate and the insurance company). If you are younger than 74 and have no pre-existing conditions, Sanitas may be a good choice. Go to www.sanitasexpat.com for a quote. If you are over 74 and/or have pre-existing conditions, Spanish health insurance brokers can help you out.
Just use google and shop around.
You can do this! However, if you want a detailed guide to refer to, you can pick up the one I wrote, Escape to Spain, on the IL Bookstore here.
Chapter 5 is all about visas and residency, but there is plenty more there including advice on everything from healthcare and taxes to moving your personal belonging and pets.
Good luck!
Got a Question?
Send your thoughts to mailbag@internationalliving.com. We’ll post and respond to as many of your emails as we can right here in the e-letter.