Thirteen mistakes foreigners make when moving to Spain

Underestimating how long admin processes will take

The first thing you’ll need to get to grips with in Spain is it’s bureaucracy and administrative processes when applying for your visa, getting your residency card, registering on the padrón etc. It’s important to keep in mind, that these processes will take a lot longer than you think and can often be very frustrating. Remember though, this is typical in Spain, and you won’t only experience this when you arrive. The whole time you live in Spain, you’ll have to deal with frustrating admin, so get used to it. Remember to be patient enough, always arrive prepared with more documents and photocopies than you need and expect to have to return to complete the process. You’ll rarely have success on the first visit.

Not researching different areas enough

Each region of Spain is so completely different, it has its own cuisine, festivals, culture, and even the way the people act is different. Just because you’ve been many times to Andalusia, doesn’t mean you truly know what Spain is like and you may not like living in Madrid for example. This means you’ll need to do a lot of research - and possibly a lot of travelling - to decide which area of the country is best for you. Check out our guides to living in Galicia, the Basque Country, Madrid and Extremadura.

Thinking that everywhere speaks Spanish

Many people arrive in Spain not realising that the country actually has five official languages, including Spanish. Of course, it’s essential that you get a good grasp of the basics of the Spanish (castellano) language before you arrive, but you may need skills in other languages too. For example, if you move to Catalonia, you’ll most certainly need to learn a bit of Catalan to read menus, signs, public notices etc. This is especially if you have kids and they will be attending a public school, as most of their education will be in Catalan. If you move to Galicia many of the signs and also some of the schooling will be in Galician.

READ ALSO: What are the big regional stereotypes across Spain?

Not understand the local culture

Ok, we’re not just talking about learning about flamenco, Spanish guitar and regional cuisine – although that’s great too. We’re talking about not understanding cultural differences – knowing how to greet someone, what not to do in certain situations and how to act. For example, you’ll rarely see a Spaniard eating food on the street while walking along, or even on a park bench. Eating is done at a table in a proper café or restaurant. Also, if you’re from a country where there is a big emphasis on customer service, you might get quite frustrated here. Expect to wait a long time for admin processes, ordering in restaurants, to pay the bill etc. Often you won’t get an apology either, it’s just the way things are done here. There’s no point getting angry or complaining most of the time because this won’t help your case, just go with flow.

READ ALSO: Nine unwritten rules that explain how Spain works

Underestimating Spain's complicated tax system

OK, so it’s impossible to understand the Spanish tax system completely – it’s deliberately designed that way and even many locals don’t truly understand it all. Having said that, you should be aware of the of the general rules and implications. You need to understand if and when you become a tax resident, when you need to file your taxes, roughly how many you’ll have to pay on your earnings and know that you’ll pay tax on your worldwide income if you’re a resident. Many of our articles can help you understand the basics, but you should also hire a tax professional or a gestor to help you figure out your specific situation.

Not integrating into local culture

It’s natural when you first move somewhere to gravitate towards other foreigners in the same situation as you. There are many different clubs, groups and events aimed at foreigners in Spain and it can be a great way to make friends. The mistake, however, is to isolate yourself and stay within your foreign bubble, even when you master the language. It’s important to broaden your horizons and go to events and meetups with locals too so you can integrate better.

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Thinking that Spain is still a cheap country

Spain has a reputation for having a very affordable cost of living, but things are changing and in the last few years, prices have skyrocketed. Food, rent, housing prices and bills have all risen dramatically, so you may be surprised when you discover that you’re paying out a lot more than you originally budgeted for. This is especially true if you’re considering moving to a big city like Madrid, Barcelona, Málaga or San Sebastián. Look up current prices and expect to pay a lot more for accommodation than you initially thought.

Cost of living: What will be more expensive in Spain in 2025?

Overpaying for accommodation

On the other hand, many of you may be moving to Spain with a salary from the U.S. or the UK, which much higher than the average Spaniard’s. Just because you can afford to pay more for accommodation though, doesn’t mean you should. Spain is going through a historic housing crisis with many people unable to afford a place to live. By paying over the odds for property, you’re only making the situation worse and driving the market up. This also won’t get you any local friends.

Underestimating how hot some parts of Spain can be

If you’ve not been somewhere in the height of summer, you probably don’t realise exactly how hot some parts of the country can get. Sure, Córdoba and Seville are beautiful cities, but can you really deal 30C plus weather for three months or even longer? Equally though, have you considered how rainy or how cold some parts of the country might be? Galicia and Asturias may have been lovely when you visited in summer, but for the rest of the year, they can be pretty wet. Central Spain can also experience very harsh cold winters and often the houses are not well insulated or built for the cold, so this time of year can be difficult.

Buying a home before renting

Your dream might be to own your own Spanish property and that’s great, but you need to make sure you really know where you want to buy. Perhaps you fell in love with a certain when visiting, but realise that it’s not the same living there or maybe you just went to touristy areas and didn’t properly explore every neighbourhood. The best option would be to rent for around a year and during that time do your research and find out where you really want to purchase your home.

Not being prepared for a different schedule

You’ve probably heard that the Spanish do everything later than much of the rest of the world, but may have not really realised what that actually means for your day-to-day life here. For example, forget going out for dinner before 8pm as hardly anywhere will be open, equally, no one eats lunch at midday. You’ll have to wait until at least 1pm if you want kitchens to be serving. Your whole day shifts here, you’ll even find many shops not open until 10am.

Thinking you’ll be able to get a job in a field just because you’re qualified to do it back home

Many people move to Spain who have qualifications in professions such as nursing, physiotherapy, engineering etc and believe that they’ll be able to get jobs in those fields. Several of these professions have many job openings in Spain and desperately need people who have those skills, but you won’t be able get a job in these areas without a homologation of your certificates and qualifications. This is very difficult to obtain and could take years and years without success. Therefore, you will have to adapt your skills if you want a job here and know it won’t always be possible to do the same job you did back home. Many people also make the mistake of believing that just because you speak English, you’ll get a job easily. This isn’t the case an more, you’ll have to prove you have a lot more skills and experience, especially in a country with so much competition and such as high level of unemployment.

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Thinking that life will be like when you went on holiday

Just because you've been on holiday many times to Spain and really enjoy it, doesn't always mean it will be the same living here. Life is not spending all your time at the beach - it's dealing with lots of administrative processes, trying to fit in and make friends and realising that not everyone speaks English like they do at the resorts. You'll need to deal with schools, doctors, secretaries and office staff - all in a language that's not your own.