Holding an Irish passport will make the process easier but the challenges are the same. Best areas will depend on your budget and personal expectations. For some it's the language barrier and for others it's because they just don't feel at home. Have South American friends with a young child who recently moved back to Ireland from Marbella as they just couldn't see themselves living there permanently. Although all fluent and one of them was born in Spain (left at a young age), they apparently experienced discrimination due to accent and felt there was a lot negativity. The next person doesn't speak a word of Spanish and feels it's paradise, so it's like everywhere. Surely you must have some areas in mind as that will narrow it down a bit.

 

Hi All

My wife and I are considering retiring to Spain. My wife holds an Irish passport, we are told that this should make the process easier.Would appreciate any advice or shared experience on the best areas to live and any pitfalls and also where the best place to start the process would be

Thanks in advance

All you need to know to register your presence in Spain as an EU citizen:

Residence - Acquiring residence - Residence - Citizens - Your rights and obligations in the EU - Tu espacio europeo - Punto de Acceso General

Right of residence of EU citizens and members of their families, and cases in which worker status is retained.

administracion.gob.es

An idea of which area you would like to live in Spain would help.....

Steve

 

Hi All

My wife and I are considering retiring to Spain. My wife holds an Irish passport, we are told that this should make the process easier.Would appreciate any advice or shared experience on the best areas to live and any pitfalls and also where the best place to start the process would be

Thanks in advance

Hi,
My wife and I are retiring to Spain and will be flying out in the next two or three weeks. The process to get visas was long and complicated, and has taken us months to complete. If your wife is an EU citizen that should make it easier but never underestimate Spanish bureaucracy.

You really need to do your homework and consider all the factors that are important to you.
We looked at a number of places, and settled on three potential towns, which we visited, then decided on the best for us.
We chose Cordoba because it's an hour by train to Malaga and the airport, it's a relatively flat and walkable city, property is much cheaper than on the Costas, and there aren't many tourists of the 'Benidorm' variety. It has a very relaxed, laid-back style too. The only problems are the heat in the summer and the small number of English speakers.

Hope you find a place that suits you. Good luck!

Ed