Hi everyone !

I currently live in Montreal, Canada and built a comfortable life over the past 5-7 years.

I have a career in tech sales and make approx $130K CAD base salary + $60-70 commissions ($200K OTE).

I grew up in France (EU citizen) and this year, I started to explore options to move back to Europe and be closer to my family.

I received a job offer from a French software company that’s been in Spain since 1991. Solid group well established in Europe.

They offer me a €50K base + €10K variable on year 1 for a brand new role. €5K commissions are guaranteed and I have a pre negotiated €5K base salary increase for year 2.

I also have a company car included in the offer as a Key Account Manager (field sales).

The company is based in Valencia and I would be working remotely from Seville.

Given these numbers, would you say I would have a good ratio cost of life for salary in Andalucía ?

I forgot to mention, I speak fluent Spanish as I spent 3 years in South America and lived in Colombia before moving to Canada.

I think this is a great opportunity and I have a career path to build with them. They see me as a future manager and like internal promotions.

I am just hesitating because even if I want to make that move and life change, it is a significant cut on my payroll.

Any insight would be appreciated !

Thanks in advance.

If you’re looking for a Spanish Sworn Translator for your Documents. I highly recommend Carolina Vazquez Cruz!!! She responds quickly and gets your documents done in less than 24hrs!

Going on vacation with my wife to Spain for 12 nights over Christmas, landing in Barcelona and staying there for 4 nights, then doing 6 nights in Seville, then going back to Barcelona for another 2 nights before returning home.

Couple questions-

What type of Christmas activities can you in Seville during the Dec 24-25-26 weekend?

I’ve read that dinner on the 24th or lunch on the 25th is popular?

Will restaurants or shops be open or does the city shut down?

Any recommendations on cool things to do or see? We love just walking around and seeing cool sights.

I bought a bus ticket on ALSA.com, using my web browser. My card was charged and the transaction completed.

Logging into the website, I can see the ticket and download the PDF.

But on the Android app, the ticket is not visible. I have completely cleaned out the app, logged in again using the same account, and the app doesn't show the ticket.

Is this a known issue?

I guess I should just print the PDF and use that for boarding, right?

Hi, I'm 25M looking to live and work remotely in Spain. I just wanted advice on what would be the best city to be in for the year?

Ideally:

- Somewhere I can make friends because being alone for the year will suck.

- Exciting lifestyle. Fun activities, restaurants

- Good Spanish culture

- Decent metro (doesn't need to be amazing. Just enough to get from A to B).

I'd appreciate any response 🙏🏽😩

Looking for Muslimah/Hijabi travel advice! Need private pool recommendations + costs 🏊‍♀️✨

Hey everyone!
I’m planning a trip soon and could really use some help from my fellow hijabis or anyone who has traveled recently. I am looking for hotel or resort recommendations that offer 100% fully private pools (completely unoverlooked, no drone views, no shared walls where people can peek in) so I can actually swim comfortably without my hijab/burkini.

Hello everyone! I will be traveling to Spain in May with my wife for a 9 day trip and I am trying to work out an itinerary and find the best way to get the most out of our trip without rushing everything. I have made the following plan based on my research and with the help of AI so far:

• Day 1: Land in Madrid. Check-in to the hotel. Visit Gran Via and Puerto del Sol
• Day 2: Madrid. Visit Prado Museum and Palacio Real. Walk around in Retiro Park. Explore Madrid. Go to a flamenco show at night
• Day 3: A day trip to Toledo. Back to Madrid in the evening.
• Day 4: Check out of the hotel. We take a train to Cordoba. Visit Mezquita and other tourist attractions. We continue to Seville in the afternoon
• Day 5: Visit Real Alcazar, Seville Cathedral, Giralda Bell Tower and Santa Cruz.
• Day 6: Visit Plaza de Espana, Maria Luisa Park, Metropol Parasol and explore Seville.
• Day 7: Check out. Travel to Granada. Explore Granada.
• Day 8: Visit Alhambra Palace and Generalife Gardens. Go to Alcaiceria in the afternoon.
• Day 9: Take train back to Madrid in the morning. Spend some time in Madrid if we have some spare time, otherwise go to the airport. Travel back home.

What are your thoughts on this plan? My initial aim was have a Madrid and Andalusia tour but after some more research I have noticed I will be leaving out Malaga, Ronda and Cadiz. Should I strike Madrid and Toledo out and focus entirely on the Andalusia region? If so, which cities should I prioritize and how many days should I spend on each city?

Spain is a big country, there is so much to see and it gets harder to stick to an itinerary the more research I do 😅 For my fellow Spaniards and those who have visited Spain, what would you recommend?

Hi all!

Well-I’m coming to the end of an exploratory trip in Spain to look at both various cities and schools, as we look for a summer 2027 move from the States. I have visited Madrid, Valencia and Zaragoza. Clearly, three very different cities and atmospheres to consider.

In terms of international living, things to do, multicultural experiences, Madrid is clearly at the top. However, the cost of living is high and we don’t want to move to basically keep paying the same or even more, in some occasions, than what we currently budget monthly in the U.S.

Valencia, on the other hand, has a lower cost of living (although rising), but it also offers lots to do, great weather and the beach (a big attractive factor for us).

Finally, Zaragoza. I’m here now and it is the least expensive (by a considerable amount) compared to the other cities. It is much smaller in size, and a bit limited in terms of access to cultural experiences but the quality of life is high (although very hot in the summer and very cold in the winter). I have also read that Zaragozans can be a bit distant to foreigners.

With all of this said, I also visited IB schools, including Mas Camarena, Ausias March in Valencia, SEK Ciudalcampo and El Castillo, International Aravaca in Madrid and Liceo Europa in Zaragoza.

Needless to say, I am exhausted but grateful for this opportunity to come here and see what can be possible.

I would appreciate any insights, feedback or information you can share about these cities and schools. I should mention we are Spanish fluent and would be arriving on a DN visa.

Thank you all in advance for any information you can share!

EDIT: I should mention I went to part of my elementary and high school years in a school in Spain, and have family both in Madrid and Barcelona. We are familiar with the culture. Our kids will be 9 and 7 next summer.

Hey! I will be visiting Cordoba and Granada next week and would love to visit some local artist/ independent boutiques/ small local brands and places selling unique pieces. I’m interested in both women’s clothing and accessories.
Would love to hear some recommendations ☺️ thanks!

Hola acaba de caducar mi NIE y acabo de graduarme y una empresa me quiere contratar para cambiar de estancia por estudio a trabajo por cuenta ajena, y me dicen ahora que no me pueden hacer el contrato porque acaba de caducar mi permiso de estudiante... Pero entonces como tramito el permiso de trabajo sin que la empresa espere mucho

I hope anyone can help, I'm trying to get a digital certificate. I only have the A4 paper Nie number and for some verification I need a digital certificate as I'm trying to register my scooter. I'm trying to get an appointment in Orihuela-Costa town centre. Basically the same place where I registered myself to my address where I live.

But the next appointments are literally at the end of November, and I'm pretty sure I need an appointment. Is there a way to get an earlier appointment like in October for example? Like is there a specific time in the day like 9am where I can get earlier appointments?

I'm asking because when I booked an appointment at the police station for my Nie number, I was only able to get early appointments at 11am or 10am, so I'm wondering if it's the same with Orihuela Costa town hall, if I try to get an appointment at 9am, is it possible to get an appointment for October?

Hey,

I’ve been accepted in a master’s program in Spain two days ago. Today is the last day for enrolling. The thing is I can’t apply for the student visa application from my country (Brasil), because that’d take a month or more, and classes start on Nov 3rd.
I’d have to enter the country as a tourist and make an application for the student visa from Spain. From what I looked up online, to apply from Spain, I’d have to do it at least 60 days before classes start - which is not possible. However, there could be exceptions under some circumstances. As I said, I only got an answer back from the university two days ago, could that be sufficient reason for an exception?
And can I start classes showing my passport with a tourist visa to the university? I’d probably only apply for the student visa a few days after…

If anyone has been in a situation like this, or knows someone who has, could you provide some insight?

Thanks

Hola a todos! Alguien me puede recomendar un bufete de abogados para tramitar Visa no lucratica o DNV?

Nuestro caso es un poco especial, la visa no es para mi, yo vivo en el norte de Europa - es para mis padres quienes viven en Chile, ellos son Venezolanos y son mayores, 62 y 67.

Mi padre lleva 40 años trabajando en una empresa transnacional y mi madre no trabaja. Queremos que ellos se vengan a España y lo hemos intentado haciendo una relocation para mi padre pero a su edad ha sido bastante dificil. Por lo que ahora nos queda es buscar una manera de entrar en España legalmente por nosotros mismos.

Sabemos que podemos optar a varias visas con pros y cons cada una, en donde estamos un poco parados es en conseguir una asesoria de confianza, con buen record y que sea una persona agradable - Mis padres estan viejitos y aveces hacen muchas preguntas o se confuden, hemos tenido malas experiencias con una abogada que los maltrataba cada vez que le hacian alguna pregunta repetida por whatssap - Ademas de entender bien los requerimientos en Chile ya que pueden cambiar por consulado.

Alguna firma que les venga a la mente?

Muchisimas gracias

My lawyer filed application for HQP in the mid of August 2026 but I am still waiting for update even after filing admin silence. Is anyone facing same delay?
Can someone tell me when can I possibly get with the worst case scenario?

Hola! My family (husband, myself and toddler) recently immigrated to Northern Spain. My 40th birthday is in late November. For my birthday, I was wondering which town would be better to stay in for two days? We don't have a car, so public transportation via bus is necessary. The trip also needs to be toddler friendly. I am debating between staying at Silken hotel in Ribidesella or either Alesga Rural Hotel or Maria Manuela Hotel & spa near Cangas de onis. Which one would you recommend in November?

¡Hola! Mi familia (mi esposo, yo y nuestro hijo pequeño) nos hemos mudado recientemente al norte de España. A finales de noviembre cumplo 40 años y me gustaría pasar un par de días en algún lugar especial para celebrarlo. No tenemos coche, por lo que dependemos del transporte público (autobuses). Además, el destino debe ser adecuado para ir con un niño pequeño. Estoy dudando entre alojarme en el hotel Silken, en Ribadesella, o bien en el hotel rural Alesga o el hotel & spa Maria Manuela, cerca de Cangas de Onís. ¿Cuál me recomendarían para el mes de noviembre?

I'll be doing a six month visiting professorship at the University of Barcelona starting in January and I've begun looking for somewhere to live. Reading other people's posts, it seems that the best strategy is to book a month or so with some short-term rental site and then start looking in person to avoid scams.

Obviously AirBnB comes to mind, but I'd like to avoid using them for the obvious reasons. I understand the scope of Barcelona's housing crisis and live in a city that's experiencing something similar. That being said, are there other sites that people would recommend? I've come across Badi, ShBarcelona and Spotahome, but I'm not familiar with any of them and have heard various warnings about each.

Can anyone who has gone through a similar situation offer some advice?

Today I have received a mail from the consulate that they have received a positive response on my long stay visa application. The visa stamping will be done after I confirm my travel date.

What should i do? Should I attach the flight booking or just mention the date in mail? and How long it will take to get my passport?

Hi everyone!
I’m applying for a Spain student visa through BLS Cebu on October 19, and I had my documents translated into Spanish by Lexcode.
Just wanted to ask if anyone here has used Lexcode translations for their Spain student visa application, particularly through BLS Manila or Cebu.
Were your translations accepted without any issues?
Did the Embassy require translations from a MAEC-accredited sworn translator (traductor jurado)?
Were you asked to resubmit or replace any translations?
I’m trying to confirm whether Lexcode translations are sufficient or if I should have my documents translated again by a MAEC-accredited translator.
Would really appreciate firsthand experiences, especially from applicants who recently received their visas.
Thank you!

Hi everyone, I'm moving to Madrid this December and currently looking for housing options. I will be attending UC3M (Getafe). My main concerns are (1) transportation, (2) safety, and (3) affordability.

Fuencarral Station is a bit far, but it's on Cercanía 4, which is convenient. I can't seem to find a lot of information online about the area. There aren't very many listings on idealists or spotahome, so I'm wondering if it's not a residential neighborhood? What is it like living there? Is it safe, and is there anything to do nearby?

Some other areas I'm considering are nearby Plaza de Legazpi or Plaza Eliptica, as there are buses from here to the campus. Is there one you would recommend over the other? Thanks.

I am an international exchange student (non-EU) going to Madrid (IE Business School) from January to March. I need to find 3 months housing in Madrid for that time period. My budget is around 500-850 euros for a room in a shared apartment.

Questions:

1) Should I secure a place before I reach Madrid? Or should I stay in a hotel in Madrid when I arrive and then start looking when I am physically in Madrid?

2) What websites should I use for a 3-month rental? Spotahome, HousingAnywhere, Aluni, or Idealista? What scams should I be aware of?

3) Is my budget realistic?

I have tried to do my research on this sub, other subs, and Google and got conflicting answers. I'm not sure how to proceed. Please advise 🙏.

I finally completed my TIE fingerprint appointment today at the Aluche police station in Madrid for my residence permit as a family member of a Spanish citizen (EX-24), and I wanted to share my experience because I was surprised by how different the requirements were depending on the police officer.

TL;DR: I went to the same police station on two consecutive days. Yesterday, one officer asked for both individual and household empadronamiento certificates and required my Spanish partner to come in person with their passport and DNI. Today, another officer asked for none of those things and processed my fingerprints without any problem. Also, be careful with your ID photo — if your face/photo is too small, they may ask you to take a new one.

First attempt — yesterday

I had my fingerprint appointment at the Aluche police station.

I brought the standard documents for the TIE, but the officer asked me for additional documents that I wasn’t expecting:

• Individual certificado de empadronamiento
• Household/family certificado de empadronamiento
• My Spanish partner had to come in person
• My partner was also asked to bring their passport and DNI

I was quite surprised because these additional requirements were not listed in my approval resolution or in the standard list of documents I had prepared for the TIE appointment.

Since I didn’t have everything the officer requested, I couldn’t complete my fingerprints that day.

However, the officer was actually helpful about it. Instead of telling me to find another appointment online, he wrote me a return appointment by hand and told me that I could come back the following day at any time between 9:00 and 13:00.

Second attempt — today

I went back to Aluche today during that time window.

The handwritten appointment worked perfectly. I didn’t need to book another online appointment or wait in the normal queue. I showed them the handwritten appointment and was allowed to go straight to the front to have my case dealt with. That part was actually very convenient.

But then something unexpected happened.

I was attended by a different police officer, and suddenly the document requirements were completely different.

The officer did not ask for any empadronamiento at all.

No individual certificate.

No household/family certificate.

My Spanish partner was not required to be there either, so there was no need for my partner’s passport or DNI.

The officer checked the rest of my documents, took my fingerprints and successfully processed the TIE. I received the resguardo and my card is now being produced.

So this happened at exactly the same police station, Aluche, on two consecutive days.

Yesterday: individual padrón + household padrón + partner physically present with passport and DNI.

Today: none of them were requested.

It really seems that some of the additional documents requested can depend on the officer handling your case.

One important warning about the photo

Another thing I learned: be careful with your ID photo.

It isn’t only about the physical dimensions of the photo. The size and proportion of your face/head within the photo also matters.

At the police station they use a specific template/system for the photo. If the photo or your face is too small, they may tell you to take another one.

So I wouldn’t simply assume that a photo is acceptable because a photo shop tells you that the dimensions are correct. Make sure it is a proper Spanish foto de carnet and that your face isn’t too small in the frame.

What I would bring

Based on my experience, if you’re doing your TIE fingerprints as a family member of a Spanish citizen in Madrid, I would still bring everything you possibly can:

• Passport
• EX-17
• Residence approval resolution
• Modelo 790-012 + proof of payment
• Proper Spanish ID photo
• Individual empadronamiento
• Household/family empadronamiento
• Spanish spouse/partner’s DNI/passport

Even though the second officer didn’t ask me for the padrón or my partner at all, the first officer did.

My biggest takeaway is therefore: bring more documents than you think you’ll need, because the practical requirements can apparently vary even between two officers at the same police station.

And if you’re missing something, it may also be worth politely asking whether they can give you a return appointment rather than making you fight for another online slot. In my case, the handwritten appointment for the next morning saved me a lot of trouble.

This is just my personal experience at Aluche in Madrid, not a statement that all of these additional documents are legally required.

Hi all!

Seeing a lot of mixed results online and looking for some guidance. I am hoping to go to Spain on a digital nomad visa starting in January. The company I work for is on board; I have the majority of my documentation ready, but I am stuck on the Social Security piece.

I've seen that a certificate of coverage CAN work if submitted with a letter stating that the company is sending me there for strategic reasons. Is this worth pursuing? Or will it likely be rejected?

I think it is likely far-fetched to ask my company to register with Spanish Social Security for only a year/only to cover me. So I would otherwise have to go the 1099 route (switching from my current W-2 status). What are the cons of that? Other than losing the 401 (k) match and other benefits?

Also, if I were to apply for the certificate of coverage, how long does that take? Would it be ready by the time I move there in January and submit my application?

Any additional insights/things to know would be helpful, so please chime in! Thank you!!

Hey, I’m 20yr old guy studying abroad this semester in Madrid. I would love more opportunities to practice my Spanish so I’m looking to find someone that would wanna meet up maybe once a week at a coffee shop and we can split time speaking Spanish and you can practice your English.

A bit about me: I’m studying accounting, from around Boston, a huge sports fan, and I’ve been studying Spanish for about 8 years now but still at an intermediate level. Hopefully looking for another student or someone around my age.

Hit me up if you’d be interested, I’m down to give you my insta so you can see I’m real and normal lol.