Tips On How To Live In Spain
Bull fighting. Flamenco. Sherry. Beaches. Bilbao. Spain is an exotic and exciting destination for any traveler.  Spain also happens to be an amazing place to distance yourself from your usual surroundings, and experience a different way of living for a while. Taking your time to live and travel in Spain encourages a different kind of perspective on life. From afternoon siestas to long dinners late into the evening, since the Spanish enjoy strong relationships with family and friends – it’s a top priority. Getting to know Spain and it’s people may be just the thing to change your outlook if you are a little on the shy side! And gregarious people live longer – it’s true! Before uprooting yourself and pursuing this new life experience, there are a number of things to consider:
 Your Passport and Visa
Your passport must be valid until at least six months after you intend to return home. If not, you’ll need to apply for a renewal by mail, or a whole new one. The fee is $110 for 6-8 week turnaround, or $170 to get it in 2-4 weeks. Go to travel.state.gov for forms and instructions.
You will also need to navigate your way thorough Spain’s challenging immigration laws, which do vary depending on which country you arrive from. Even though travel to Europe is easy, and does not require U.S. citizens hold visas, to stay there longer than 90 days takes some preparation. Don’t leave your visa application until the last minute– how you apply can affect the nature of your trip.
Spain isn’t known for making the temporary residency application very easy, particularly if you aren’t in possession of a sizable bank account. Also, Spain has a number of medical requirements, including proof that you don’t have yellow fever, cholera, or the plague! You’ll need to show that you have medical coverage for the duration of your stay, and have a doctor’s confirmation that you don’t abuse drugs, nor do you have a serious mental condition.
There are a number of ways you can legally settle in for an extended stay, including being issued residency by another EU country, enrolling in a university, visiting relatives who live there, and possibly even writing as a travel blogger! Unless you have an offer from an employer in Spain, you won’t get a standard work visa.
Travel Insurance
Spain requires you to have medical insurance, of course, but travel insurance is another good idea. Travel insurance is there to provide assistance in emergencies, and sometimes even additional in-country support for non-emergency issues. Like car insurance, travel insurance is there to keep you from financial catastrophe, not pick up some easy cash! More often than not, the least expensive policies are the best, and can provide a lifeline to getting home, or replacing stolen items, so you don’t find yourself stuck without any access to funds.
Do you know Spanish Spanish?
You already know that international travel is a lot easier when you know some of the language, and can use it to take care of your basic needs. Getting started on your full immersion in the local culture will also come quicker and easier, especially if you study the differences between Spanish as spoken in Spain and most of Latin America. It isn’t wildly different, but the more you know, the more confident you’ll be. The Pimsleur Method is a powerful way to gain lot of confidence and understanding in a relatively short amount of time, broken into 30-minute lessons, just once a day. There are many methods, but this one’s surprisingly fast and easy.
Your Finances
Temporary residents in Spain are permitted to open bank accounts either in euros, or in their own currency, such as US dollars, making it fairly easy to bank locally. You will need to provide passport and residency information, and possibly reconfirm your legal status more than once during your tenure in Spain. It’s also possible to use your debit card and keep your finances in the United States.
If you have any outstanding debts, like credit cards, or other recurring bills, you’ll want to reduce or eliminate those as much as possible. It’s rather difficult to establish a year-long budget that’s being drained by finance charges. While you are in Spain, keeping expenses low is part of the game, too. Renting a room through a site like AirBnB, or sharing with other travelers can keep your housing costs quite low. You won’t want to bother with a car, and even the train can get pricey, but buses in Spain make for a good way to get around on the cheap. And did you know that big lunches can often be a third to half the cost of a meal in the evening. Did you know that restaurants in Spain are legally required to offer a three-course menu of the day? Load up on good food, then go take your siesta. Brilliant!
Handling the Home Front
Managing all that stuff of yours back at home is another expense, and hassle, so streamline it as much as possible. Paying rent for an apartment you don’t live in, just so your things have a home, for example, doesn’t make a lot of sense. Consider getting on craigslist and/or staging a garage sale to lighten your load, while raising some travel cash.
After culling your stuff down to the most valuable, essential items, choose a reputable self-storage company in which to stash them. Be careful not to choose solely on price, but if you are able to pay ahead, you may get a discount even greater than the typical “first month free. Even if you’re a home owner, and would like to have a renter help cover your mortgage, and keep your home safe, it’s still a good idea to move your more valuable or personal items into a secure facility.
Final Thoughts
It is vital to have a person who you can depend upon for forwarding mail, being authorized to deal with your bank, or for any other possible situations that arise in your absence. You are unlikely to need cell phone in Spain, but paying for an international calling card, or ensuring your most important contacts are on Skype for free internet calls is a great idea. Also, get yourself a free web-based email account, and even consider setting up a blog to record your adventures, not just for family and friends, but for you to read, years after you return.
Spain is a romantic, enchanting, exciting and relaxing place, all at the same time. With proper planning, you can enjoy all of it, from coast to coast and border to border, at a long slow pace that ensures you have the time to savor every last minute.
Kenneth McCall is director of IT for storage.com.  Through Kenneth’s and his team’s work, customers can find self storage in Washington DC and other cities. In his spare time, Kenneth likes to bike and participate in outdoor activities.