Great question! Galicia is so beautiful and there's so much to see. Santiago de Compostela, Vigo and A Coruna are the largest cities in the region. Ourense, and Lugo are smaller cities. And for towns/villages it depends if you're looking for the coast or inland but a few popular ones are: Pontevedra, Fisterra, Baiona. I hope that helps! If you have any questions just let me know. Cepee Tabibian, IL Correspondent - Spain

Hi! Great question. Generally, yes, retirement income is taxable in Spain if you are a tax resident of Spain. If you live in Spain for more than 183 days out of the year you are considered a tax resident. It's best to speak with Spanish tax expert to discuss your specific situation as they can beset inform you of what to expect. ProSpain Consulting can answer questions about taxes: https://shehitrefresh.com/prospainconsulting I hope this helps! Best, Cepee, IL Correspondent - Spain

Hi! That's great. As you probably know no visa is required to stay in Spain for 1-3 months, however if you wish to stay longer you will need a visa. Be sure to verify that there is a visa you qualify for. As for taxes you are generally considered a tax resident of Spain if you reside in the country for 183 days or more. If you are planning to be in Spain for less than 183 you are will likely not be considered a tax resident. Given that, I'm not a tax expert so it's best to speak to a Spanish tax advisor for personal assitance. ProSpain Consulting can answer questoins about taxes: https://shehitrefresh.com/prospainconsulting I hope this helps! Best, Cepee, IL Correspondent - Spain

Does your advice only apply to US citizens? I subscribe to IL but am a UK resident.

Hi there! That's wonderful! What did your son study in the Netherlands? The job market in Spain is tough as the country suffers from high unemployment and low wages. Getting a visa sponsorship is difficult, however, some roles that are in demand may qualify for the highly qualifeid visa (tech, finance, senior management). An easier route to Spain is through the digital nomad visa (DNV). If Chris can get a qualifying remote job that is based outside of Spain, he could apply for the DNV and take his remote job to Spain. In this case he would not require a visa sponsorship. This is the most popular route right now for remote workers who want to move to Spain. After 2 years on the digital nomad visa in Spain, since he is a Colombian citizen, he could apply for Spanish citizenship. After applying for citizenship the waittime to a response/approval is generally 6 months to 2 years. I hope this helps! Please le us know if you have any quesitons. Cepee, IL Correspondent - Spain

Hi there, That's really exciting! I'm not familiar with Oviedo enough to know which areas to focus on, however, I would suggest reaching out to a local real estate agent to get insights from someone on the ground. Here is one suggestion - Agencia Alvarez: https://www.agenciaalvarez.com/ Since Oviedo isn't a popular city for expats it may be challenging to find a real estate agent who speaks English. Do you speak Spanish by chance? Idealista.com is a popular website to check real estate go get an idea of what's on the market, you can also see listings by individuals and agents. That may be a good place to find other agents to speak to. https://www.idealista.com/ Best, Cepee, IL Correspondent - Spain

Hi Ken, Costa del Sol is a great choice! I'm sorry to hear you're not eligible for EHIC coverage, which means you’ll need to take out private health insurance plan. And, it’s true that many private insurers in Spain have age caps, often around 74. That said, you should still be able to find a plan. There are brokers who specialize in finding coverage for expats in exactly your situation. I recommend checking out Gidea–Insbrok. They’re an expat insurance broker in Spain and can often help find plans even for those over 75 or with pre-existing conditions. You can get a free quote through my link: https://insbrok.com/shehitrefresh/ Also, once you’ve been living in Spain for over a year and have been registered with your local town hall (‘empadronado’), you may be eligible to apply for the public health insurance scheme called the Convenio Especial. This is a monthly paid plan through the Spanish public system that gives you access to healthcare regardless of age. Details and applications are handled by your regional health authority, so be sure to check their website. I hope this helps! Best, Cepee, IL Correspondent - Spain

Hi Ilkka, For private health insurance, the most popular private health insurance providers are: Sanitas Adeslas Asisa DKV Assa You can often request a quote on their respective websites or speak to someone on the phone to discuss the right plan for you. Coverage will depend on the plan you select. I am from the US and reside in Spain and I have a private plan with Sanitas. If you have any questions just let me know. Cepee Tabibian, IL Correspondent - Spain

From your IL team: Please note International Living has not vetted this rental. Always do your own due diligence. As IL cannot vet or endorse member-owned properties in any way we encourage you to connect on Zoom (or FaceTime, Whatsapp, or similar) before entering into any type of rental, exchange, or sales agreement (rentals, home swapping, home/petsitting, etc). Glad to see you using the forum to connect!

Hi there! How exciting that you'll be in Malaga and at the conference in Portugal! I'll be there too. Thank you for letting us know about the email issue. We're looking into it. Here are a few recommended realtors for Malaga: Remax Top Málaga (Hamilton Beau Bone), Av. Del Obispo Angel Herrera Oria 2, 29007 Málaga +34 952310562 https://www.remax.es/buscador-de-agentes/malaga/malaga/cruz-de-humilladero-arroyo-del-cuarto/hamilton-bone-26986/ Inmobiliaria Krauel, Calle Sancha de Lara, 13 bajo, Málaga 29015; tel. +34 (952) 210-457 and +34 (952) 210-947; email: krauel@innmokrauel.com; website: www.inmokrauel.com Málaga Estates, Calle Hinestrosa, 25, Málaga 29012; tel. +34 (952) 223-288 and +34 (600) 783-711 mobile; email: info@malagaestates.com; website: www.malagaestates.com Marisa Kagan, is a “global ambassador” for the National Association of Realtors, for Italy, Portugal, and Spain. She’s based in US, but has reliable contacts in Spain, and can provide some recommendations too. mkagan@globalrealtysolutions.com I hope this helps! Cepee Tabibian, IL Spain Correspondent

And be aware that you will run into resistance or ghosting from landlords in some parts of Spain if you don't have a regular, Spain-based, income. So be prepared to kiss a lot of frogs.

I have used YourBestAddress for several years now. They are in South Dakota. They will hold your mail till you tell them to ship it; or you can upgrade (not expensive) to a scan / shred service. www.yourbestaddress.com. Their customer service is outstanding. If you need to retain US citizenship in a non-income-tax US state, they can help with that for SD. Usually, my mailbox is a sufficient address for businesses i deal with , but some banks don't like it--they flag it as a mailbox--so when i opened a new credit card, YourBestAddress offered the use of a residential address for me to use for that single purpose.

Great question! I'm not familiar with any sites or organizations in Spain that highlight accessible housing or communities. I would say that major cities would be the most accessible - Madrid and Barcelona. Smaller towns may be accessible in some areas but overall I find much of Spain was not built with accessibility in mind (except for the visually impaired). Most new buildings will have elevators but the units themselves may not be wheelchair accessible. Buses are wheelchair friendly but not all sidewalks are. I hope this helps!

Hi Don, Thanks for your question! We've checked in with Margaret Summerfield, Real Estate Trend Alert, to get an answer to your question. Here is her response, The cost would depend on a number of factors – where the property is located, if the seller is tax resident in Spain, etc. The typical costs are: 1, real estate agent fees (vary from 3% to 10%) 2, capital gains tax – which can be up to 24% of the gain for a non-resident, non EU/EEA seller. Deductions are allowed, and the tax can be lower if the seller is tax resident/selling a primary residence/using the proceeds to buy a primary residence 3, plusvalia (like a municipal land tax) – this is based on the rise in value of the land the property sits on from the time of purchase to the time of sale - and is on a sliding scale based on how long the seller has owned the property. If say you have held it for up to 5 years, it’s around 3.7% 4, legal costs (around 1%) 5, You also need to pay for certificates (including an energy performance certificate), cancelling a mortgage if there is one, etc.

You may want to reach out to Ronan McMahon's team of experts at Pangea as they have done a lot of scouting in Spain (albeit much of it on the coast... still, they may have a broker to recommend who does long-term rentals in the San Sebastian/Donostia area and if so, that'll be info worth having): Email: info@pangearesearchgroup.com Website: https://pangearesearchgroup.com Best, IL Overseas Editor Jess Ramesch

Hi Don and Yvonne, To aswer you question I would need a lot more information. Are you asking about income tax, property tax, corporate tax, etc.? Are you looking for a tax expert in Spain? I would like to answer better, but I need a more specific question with details. Regards, Sally

Hi Joe, Marijuana laws in Spain are complicated. Basically, private use is legal in your own home or on private property. Buying or selling marijuana is illegal and could land you in jail. Medical marijuana falls under the same laws as recreational marijuana. Cultivation in your home is legal, but you can only have two plants that are not in public view. It is legal to buy and sell paraphernalia, seeds, and hemp products. CBD oil is legal (for topical use, not consumption) and widely available. Although you may see people smoking openly on the streets, in the parks and on the beaches, don’t do it! You could be fined and/or sent to jail. The legal way to use cannabis in Spain is to join a private, members-only cannabis club. These clubs are considered private spaces, so you can only enjoy your marijuana socially within the walls of the club. No weed can leave the premises and you cannot bring your own onto the premises. Clubs are not allowed to advertise, so you will have to ask around. Some only allow Spanish citizens. Some require a referral from a current member. You pay a membership fee in cash and select from the products they have available. Some clubs have become sources of medical marijuana. In Cataluña, marijuana use is legal but only within the context of the clubs. Beware of sellers telling you marijuana is legal on the streets of Barcelona. For all the rules, visit this website.

Hi Joanne, Although citizens of EU countries have the right of residence throughout the Union, rules for spousal visas depend on the country you want to live in. As an Irish national, you have the right to live in Spain. You must establish residency there before you can apply for a spousal visa for your husband. That means finding a place to live, opening a bank account, getting a cell phone contract, and other things that tie you to Spain. Once you’ve done that, your husband can come to Spain, and on arrival you would declare that he is a family member of an EU citizen resident in Spain. That will give him a one-year renewable residency permit. Once he’s got that, you can apply for a permanent family reunification visa. This would be quite a bit simpler and less confusing than having him apply for a visa on his own account. If he did that, he would have to make the application from outside Spain, and await the outcome before going there. It’s likely that Spanish authorities would even notice that he has an EU spouse already living in Spain and tell him simply to join you there and apply for a spousal visa as above. For more details on how to establish residency in Spain, consider our Escape to Spain guidebook.