working and schools in spain

[chris]

Hello
we plan to move to spain next may, we have three children my 15 year old will go to lady elizabeth in javea, my 5 and 6 year old willl go to a state school. can any one recomend any schools in the general triangle of javea, calpe, and denia also thinking about orba. My youngest children and i have started spanish lessons to try and make it easier for them. My 6 year old screams and cries that he does not want to go to spain because of school, have others had problems in this and how did they cope?. We are visiting this area in 3 weeks so would like to know what schools to check out, do you think they would let us visit?. When can i put their names down to enrol?.

Also my husband is a lorry driver and an electrician, have read some threads saying that construction employment is down, what are the chances of employment as an electrician?, also what are the chances of employment as a spanish lorry driver?. Our back up plan is for him to work as a uk lorry driver driving to spain, would prefer not to do this as we want our new life together, but if thats what it takes so be it. any help will be greatly appreciated.

Sorry just one more question allthough we plan to rent for awhile, we wanted to know if it would be better to take our uk mortgaed with us rather than trying to get a new one spanish or otherwise as the banks don't seam to want to lend at the moment. Is that the same in spain?

Thank you for all your help

[eveningstar]

Originally Posted by chris

Hello
we plan to move to spain next may, we have three children my 15 year old will go to lady elizabeth in javea, my 5 and 6 year old willl go to a state school. can any one recomend any schools in the general triangle of javea, calpe, and denia also thinking about orba. My youngest children and i have started spanish lessons to try and make it easier for them. My 6 year old screams and cries that he does not want to go to spain because of school, have others had problems in this and how did they cope?. We are visiting this area in 3 weeks so would like to know what schools to check out, do you think they would let us visit?. When can i put their names down to enrol?.

Also my husband is a lorry driver and an electrician, have read some threads saying that construction employment is down, what are the chances of employment as an electrician?, also what are the chances of employment as a spanish lorry driver?. Our back up plan is for him to work as a uk lorry driver driving to spain, would prefer not to do this as we want our new life together, but if thats what it takes so be it. any help will be greatly appreciated.

Sorry just one more question allthough we plan to rent for awhile, we wanted to know if it would be better to take our uk mortgaed with us rather than trying to get a new one spanish or otherwise as the banks don't seam to want to lend at the moment. Is that the same in spain?

Thank you for all your help

Hi there

I am actually looking for work as a teacher in Spain. I am renting and working in the UK for the moment, hoping to get work in the same area you want your children to go to. The Lady Elizabeth School has its senior school in Liber north of Benisa. There is also the Xabia International College in Javea too. I am going there on Monday to meet with the director. Both schools get a fantastic name, but you should know that they are fee-paying schools.

National Association of British Schools in Spain - Nabss gives a list of all the british schools in spain. They will certainly let you visit. I just emailed them for advice and if there were any positions available. You just need to do the same to visit them. Spanish lessons is a good idea too. I think the children will be ok. Once they settle in they will be fine. It's just a lot of big changes for them. I reckon you would be able to enroll the children no problem.

I want to start mine once I get permanent work in Spain.

I think there is work for electricians. My neighbour across the road from where I live in Spain is a plumber and he seems to get sufficient work. Being self employed though is a bit complex and to be honest i am not 100% sure how that works. Hopefully someone will be able to answer that more thoroughly than I can.

Renting is an excellent idea. What I did was, my partner and I sold our house in the Uk to finance the spanish villa we bought. I am staying here renting until I get a job offer in spain then I can return to spain and live a decent life!

Bringing the mortgage I am not sure about. However what I will say is be careful of the banks you choose. Once associated with fast cars... charged a fortune for transferring money. The bank up the street from it don't. Needless to say all our accounts have been moved to it.

All I can say is ask ask ask and if you are not sure ask again about everything about moving to spain. A lot of pitfalls which could be avoided by someone taking the time to give you a little advice. My mum says I have a book in me lol

[Stravinsky]

Originally Posted by chris

Hello
we plan to move to spain next may, we have three children my 15 year old will go to lady elizabeth in javea, my 5 and 6 year old willl go to a state school. can any one recomend any schools in the general triangle of javea, calpe, and denia also thinking about orba. My youngest children and i have started spanish lessons to try and make it easier for them. My 6 year old screams and cries that he does not want to go to spain because of school, have others had problems in this and how did they cope?. We are visiting this area in 3 weeks so would like to know what schools to check out, do you think they would let us visit?. When can i put their names down to enrol?.

Also my husband is a lorry driver and an electrician, have read some threads saying that construction employment is down, what are the chances of employment as an electrician?, also what are the chances of employment as a spanish lorry driver?. Our back up plan is for him to work as a uk lorry driver driving to spain, would prefer not to do this as we want our new life together, but if thats what it takes so be it. any help will be greatly appreciated.

Sorry just one more question allthough we plan to rent for awhile, we wanted to know if it would be better to take our uk mortgaed with us rather than trying to get a new one spanish or otherwise as the banks don't seam to want to lend at the moment. Is that the same in spain?

Thank you for all your help

Hi there, cant help so much with the schools, other than to tell you that you have to register them at school next month for next years school year. You will also probably need NIE numbers to register them.

As regards an electrician, electrical work is different here to the UK although I guess its the same theory. Also, unless you have the right Spanish diploma you cannot sign off electrical work. You would have to pay a correctly qualified Spanish electrician to do this for you.

The property market is in trouble here, and there are a lot of construction workers now fighting for the jobs that there are. Too much property being built and not enough people to buy it .... so yes, unless you have contacts it may be a struggle.

What do you mean by bringing your UK mortgage with you? Will your UK bank allow you to transfer your mortgage to a foreign property? Mortgage rates are lower here, and afaik there is no problem with getting a mortgage here as of course they will just take a charge on your property. Personally, renting is the way to go at the moment and then you can sit back and make silly offers on properties over here to get the best deal.

Just got back from having coffee with friends in Denia, weather is beautiful at the moment.

[eveningstar]

Just got back from having coffee with friends in Denia, weather is beautiful at the moment.

Now I really am as sick as a pig! The other half was describing his trip in a friends yacht around the Penon de Ifach yesterday evening.

Jealousy is such a base emotion! I want to get back ASAP

[Stravinsky]

Originally Posted by eveningstar

Just got back from having coffee with friends in Denia, weather is beautiful at the moment.

Now I really am as sick as a pig! The other half was describing his trip in a friends yacht around the Penon de Ifach yesterday evening.

Jealousy is such a base emotion! I want to get back ASAP

Never mind ..... your time will come soon

[chris]

thankyou stavinsky and eving star for your very quick reply both coments are useful, have to say its led to more questions.
We will not have an nei no until next year when we move, so does that present problems for enrolling the children at school. Will we have to wait to enrol, them the following year, in which case they will miss out a year of education?.

I think you are right about the renting, taking the mortgage with us which we are able to do and paying it while we rent gets round a few problems of work history as we are not yet sure what my husband will do regards work. It may be a few months in spain and a few in the uk which will mean obtaining a mortgage anywhere will be difficult. From your advice about electrician work it looks like it would have to be driving.

As for being sick as a pig over the yacht trip, just think of us poor folks with our brollys, shaking off the winters S.A.D will be happy with the coffee and some sunshine. still only 15 more days then i get a brief spell of it for a week, not going to want to come home though!!!

[Stravinsky]

Originally Posted by chris

We will not have an nei no until next year when we move,

Well I guess it would cause a problem, yes ..... but why do you need to wait until you move? I had my NIE for 2 years before we moved here. You can even get it done at the Spanish Embassy in the UK.

[chris]

Really, tell me more????

[eveningstar]

Yes that's correct you can apply at your local embassy for you NIE number. Or you can get it in Spain. I can remember very clearly spending a lovely morning in Denia, frustrated to the hilt waiting in a long long queue in order to get to the front for some official to start shouting in Spanish to get into single line or else he was just going to close the police station down!

[Stravinsky]

Originally Posted by chris

Really, tell me more????

The form for NIE is EX14, which you can download from the sticky above. I assume its the same for UK applications. Contact the Spanish consul and ask them for the procedure. Then you have your NIE before you come here, and you dont have to stand in huge queues to get the forum

The bad news is that you'll probably still have to stand in a queue to get your residence certificate!!!