U.S. couple with 6-year old daughter - feasible to move to Spain?

[Onestone]

My wife and I currently live in the U.S. with our daughter who will be five next month.

I am a U.S. citizen. My wife is a Russian citizen, although she will be eligible to apply for U.S. citizenship in a little over a year, which she intends to do. Our daughter has both U.S. and Russian citizenship.

Anyway, we're contemplating a move to Spain in the next couple of years. My question is how feasible relocating would be for us given the following:

1) I am self-employed currently, and it does not matter where I live. I have my own LLC registered in the U.S. Could I pay myself a salary from that company and live in Spain, or would I need to form a Spanish company? In the near to mid-term future, I would not seek actual business with Spanish clients. Perhaps down the road at some point.

2) My wife will likely be looking for work in skincare. She's a licensed esthetician in the U.S. and will research getting licensed in Spain. Can she move without a work offer, or should she secure employment before we attempt to move?

I guess what it comes down to is, once we know we're ready to move on a personal level and know where we want to move, is it possible to get the paperwork done on the basis of my self-employment alone? Can we just come, settle in, and have my wife look for work when we get there? How much legwork needs to be done in advance?

As for the reasons for moving, we're rather bored with life in the states and find the expense and hassle kind of a drag - especially when it comes to healthcare. We're also sick of having to rely on a car for everything. We've been to Spain (Barcelona) before and loved it, climate and everything. My wife also likes the idea of living in Europe, as it would allow her to be closer to her family in Russia and give her the chance to travel more often. We think that we'll be able to live more simply, and more comfortably, in Spain than in the states.

Neither of us knows Spanish, but we're both fluent in Russian and English and know German moderately well. We're both willing to learn Spanish and in fact intend to do so. But it won't come right away, obviously.

So, after all this rambling, is moving a good idea for us? How feasible is it? How much legwork do we need to do ahead of time?

[Bevdeforges]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

Someone with a bit more experience in Spain will be along shortly, but on an EU level, I can tell you that getting a visa based on your self-employment is going to be pretty tough. You should be checking with the Spanish Consulate in the US to see their specific requirements for a long-term visa.

Not knowing Spanish will be a problem. Also you will probably have to set up a Spanish company. Once you become "resident" in Spain, you are subject to Spanish taxes, no matter where in the world your pay comes from - both for your personal taxes and for social insurances. Also, as US citizens, you will be required to file US tax returns no matter where in the world you live. (And your wife should probably pursue her US citizenship, as otherwise you'll have to file as "married, filing separately" from abroad, which has distinct disadvantages.)
Cheers,
Bev

[ibz1492]

Get a GOOD lawyer who knows Spanish law and find out about working here. BUT, most important is to come here with money to live indefinitely or have it sent from USA...
Getting a job here for wife will depend a lot on the economy and where you live. BCN is a great place but surely not a relaxed European life if thats what you want.
Learn Spanish NOW!!!!!!! If you can, get a Spanish nanny or maid and you parents go to intensive classes for a couple months and you ALL speak 'pidgin' Spanish with NO exceptions, at home as you learn... You will have so many things on ur mind when u get here, especially getting your daughter settled and happy, so don't make language a further issue.
Good luck, nuttin like America but it is a lovely life here too. Luckily I can live wherever I please.



I am a U.S. citizen. My wife is a Russian citizen, although she will be eligible to apply for U.S. citizenship in a little over a year, which she intends to do. Our daughter has both U.S. and Russian citizenship.

Anyway, we're contemplating a move to Spain in the next couple of years. My question is how feasible relocating would be for us given the following:

1) I am self-employed currently, and it does not matter where I live. I have my own LLC registered in the U.S. Could I pay myself a salary from that company and live in Spain, or would I need to form a Spanish company? In the near to mid-term future, I would not seek actual business with Spanish clients. Perhaps down the road at some point.

2) My wife will likely be looking for work in skincare. She's a licensed esthetician in the U.S. and will research getting licensed in Spain. Can she move without a work offer, or should she secure employment before we attempt to move?

I guess what it comes down to is, once we know we're ready to move on a personal level and know where we want to move, is it possible to get the paperwork done on the basis of my self-employment alone? Can we just come, settle in, and have my wife look for work when we get there? How much legwork needs to be done in advance?

As for the reasons for moving, we're rather bored with life in the states and find the expense and hassle kind of a drag - especially when it comes to healthcare. We're also sick of having to rely on a car for everything. We've been to Spain (Barcelona) before and loved it, climate and everything. My wife also likes the idea of living in Europe, as it would allow her to be closer to her family in Russia and give her the chance to travel more often. We think that we'll be able to live more simply, and more comfortably, in Spain than in the states.

Neither of us knows Spanish, but we're both fluent in Russian and English and know German moderately well. We're both willing to learn Spanish and in fact intend to do so. But it won't come right away, obviously.

So, after all this rambling, is moving a good idea for us? How feasible is it? How much legwork do we need to do ahead of time?[/QUOTE]

[asimegusta]

If you're thinking of moving to Barcelona, it's a must to speak Catalan.

Remember vacationing somewhere is nothing like making your life there. Life gets taken up here with the same routine as anywhere else, "metro, boulot, dodo" as we say in Paris, that is, "commute, work, sleep" and, I might add, trips to and from school 4 times a day for elementary schoolchildren.

[ibz1492]

I live in a Catalan speaking province and go to Cataluna (Barcelona) often . I don't mean to disagree with another expat here but Catalan is absolutely not necessary. However, in all public schools, the kids learn in Catalan, by law. So your kids will get another language under their belts which will not be particularly useful at all, but....Castellano (what is often called Spanish) is spoken also in all of Cataluna and in the Balearics, so just think Castellano. I have lived here 39 years and have yet to find the need to know Catalan except for the pure interest in a fun language. I don't know about the schools in Barcelona, but in the Balearics, kids go to school from about 9 30 to 2 15.... one trip a day in each direction.



If you're thinking of moving to Barcelona, it's a must to speak Catalan.

Remember vacationing somewhere is nothing like making your life there. Life gets taken up here with the same routine as anywhere else, "metro, boulot, dodo" as we say in Paris, that is, "commute, work, sleep" and, I might add, trips to and from school 4 times a day for elementary schoolchildren.[/QUOTE]