Never before have so many foreigners bought a Spanish home as in recent years. The Dutch, Belgians and French continue to eye the Spanish real estate market. Do you also have plans to stay in Spain temporarily or for a long period of time? Spain has become extremely popular with emigrants and tourists. Many of us are the first to invest in a 'second' home or holiday home, partly for our own use in combination with renting out, so that we have plenty of time to test it out and see this as a possible stepping stone to a permanent residence in Spain.
Living in Spain
Here are the most important advantages of living permanently in Spain!
- climate
- Health
- Financial
To start with the latter, the financial side , people in Spain do more with their money than in the Netherlands or Belgium! Daily subsistence, eating out and having a drink on the terrace is easier to achieve in Spain than in the Netherlands and Belgium. Likewise with house prices, in Spain people buy a detached villa with its own swimming pool on a plot of 500 m2 for € 250,000, in Belgium or the Netherlands they buy an apartment for that.
The climate is the basis of health in Spain because sunlight makes people much happier and more positive. Living outdoors all the time is something that once you get used to it, you can't live without it. The Mediterranean food is also known as the healthiest diet. Of course, we should not forget the relaxed Spanish life. Don't worry if you arrive late or have to queue at the bank, it's all part of Spanish culture. There is still time and attention for social contact! It is not without reason that Spain is known as the healthiest country in the world. Partly due to the corona virus, the number of people looking for space and health has increased.
Before you permanently go abroad, there are a number of things you should consider that need to be arranged. It's not just about packing your suitcase and leaving. You should definitely take the following matters into account:
- Arrange work and residence permits
- Arrange everything regarding your diplomas
- Arranging papers
- Check and/or take out insurance
- Health
- Finances
- The tax
You can choose to go out with all those different brokers, but this probably costs more energy, time and questions about reliability? Nothing is better than working with your own Dutch-speaking real estate agent. CasaLasDunas is happy to help you from A to Z. So from the start, answering your questions, viewing properties together, purchasing and arranging the necessary paperwork that comes with it. We are still there for you even after the transfer of the house.
Emigrating to Spain, who wouldn't want that? But is that possible without work or benefits? We provide you with the necessary information to make an informed choice!
You can certainly emigrate to Spain without work or benefits. This is called retirement. The only thing you need to take into account is that you will be deducted 2% from your AOW for each year you live abroad.
Regarding social insurance:
As soon as you deregister in the Netherlands, you can no longer insure yourself with a Dutch health insurer. In addition, there is an obligation to pay the Spanish social insurance premium. In addition to this social insurance, you can choose to take out additional private health insurance in Spain. For this you can contact a social security department (tesorería de la seguridad social).
You must then take the following steps:
1. Apply for an insurance number from the social security agency in your area (tesorería de la seguridad social). To obtain this number you will need your NIE number and your passport.
2. With this number you can go to a GP post (Centro de salud) to register. You will then receive a pass. The centro de salud is a kind of doctor's office, where you go first if you have health problems. From here you can be referred to specialists. You will initially be assigned a GP, but you can always choose another one if you are not satisfied with this GP.
The monthly costs of the social security premium depend on, among other things, your income, age and family situation. You can choose the amount you pay to social security, with a minimum of approximately 260 euros.
You can also choose to take out private health insurance to be assured of good health care.
This provides complete coverage of a visit to a general practitioner, a specialist, hospital admission, first aid and emergency care abroad. In addition, you have the freedom to choose your own doctor.
Private health centers in Spain are investing in new prestigious clinics with modern technology. In addition to investments in medical equipment, you can also count on comfortable rooms and good meals. No long queues or waiting times, you will be referred directly to a specialist and English is spoken in the clinics. In some cases you can even contact Dutch/German speaking doctors or specialists.
If you have any questions about health insurance when staying abroad, you can also contact a number of agencies that can help you and provide advice. This is certainly recommended because it is also possible to take out a type of bridging insurance that the CAK can tell you everything about.
Treaty forms and general questions about living, working or retiring abroad:
Help and advice in determining the insurance obligation in the Netherlands:
To start with, you have to pay your local taxes through SUMA: municipal property tax, or IBI, garbage and sewerage tax. These municipal taxes must be paid by all owners of Spanish property, both residents and non-residents, but are cheaper than in the Netherlands.
Just like the Netherlands, Spain has a property tax (OZB). In Spain this is called the IBI. Depending on the municipality, this municipal tax amounts to between 0.3% and 0.7% per year.
The WOZ value in the Netherlands is called El valor catastral in Spain.
We are of course happy to help you with the NIE number. This is a service for our customers who buy a home with us or if we assist the customers as a purchasing agent. As soon as you are in Spain, we can make an appointment with our lawyer. Don't forget to bring passport photos.
It is good to know that a number of brochures with more information are available on this page .
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