What are the different options? Do you need to own a car? If you only stay in Alicante you can walk or use buses. Since I did my internship in a village close to Alicante called San-Vicente I had to walk 30 minutes in an industrial area every morning and having a car would have saved much time.
A good option could be an apartment close to Luceros or Plaza de Torres. What is cheap or expensive in particular? Food is also cheaper; the only expensive thing is electricity and water as I mentioned. A: I mainly spent my time with locals and we became true friends. What impressed me a lot is that Spanish people are always willing to help. For example, if you ask on the street to show a road, people often walk with you to make sure you will not be lost.
With the basic knowledge you are fine because Spanish always seek to understand foreigners. There are many expats from Russia and Eastern Europe and from Germany to mix with. A good way to meet internationals is to check events at the University of Alicante. There are many courses and trips organised for Erasmus students. Even though I heard about it, first I was surpriswed and a bit irritated, but later the philosophy to live the day and enjoy it made me feel good.
Since I did the visa application not in my home country but in the country of residence Italy the instructions were not always clear. A: The economic situation is even worse than newspapers tell. There are plenty of announcements from Spanish people who are looking for any jobs cleaning, taking care of elderly people etc. There is a strong tendency among young people to go abroad to look for a job.
It was really hard for me to get used to so calm tempo of life. A: Not really, they only sent me a "survival guide" with basic information about the city, living costs, transport etc. If you like dancing, going to salsa classes is a good idea not only to have fun but also to meet local friends.
We'd love to hear your story. Aetna offers award-winning international health insurance plans to more than 55 million members worldwide. Their plans are tailored to meet the individual needs of you and your family while you are away from your home country, living and working abroad. Get peace of mind knowing you and your family will be protected and have access to quality health care wherever you are, where you need it.
This offer is valid until 19 June See website for details. Get a quote from Aetna International. Spanish retirement visa requirements state that if you are an EU citizen you will need to possess an S1 form before travelling. This means you will have access to healthcare in Spain.
You will not need a Spanish visa for a medical reason but if you have no insurance, you will most likely need to pay for being treated as a private patient. There is a youth mobility agreement between Spain and Canada for young people aged 18 to 35 to visit Spain to travel and work for up to a year.
For details, see one of the Spanish consulates in Canada. You can apply for a long-term visa from the Spanish consulate or embassy in your home country, or sometimes online on their websites before you come to Spain. Allow plenty of time for the consulate to process your application. Non-EU national investors, entrepreneurs, highly qualified professionals and researchers can apply for fast-track visas and permits, which offer preferential treatment, such as automatic residence for the whole family with no minimum stay, and free travel throughout the Schengen visa region.
For more information on requirements for each category of applicant, contact the Spanish embassy or consulate in your home country. After five uninterrupted years of residence, you can apply for a long-term or permanent residence. If you hold a Blue Card from another EU-member state, and have lived elsewhere in the EU for the same period, this also entitles you to long-term residence in Spain. A long-term residence permit allows you to stay in Spain indefinitely, working or otherwise, under the same conditions as Spanish citizens.
You can apply for Spanish nationality after 10 years of residence in Spain. You can also acquire Spanish nationality through marriage or through having Spanish parents even if they were born outside Spain. This temporary residence permit allows you to stay in Spain for between 90 days and five years, and can be renewed. This is essential for any financial transaction in Spain, including opening a bank account, being paid for employment, paying taxes, registering with social services, as well as getting a driving license.
You need to be over 18 or over 16 if self-employed to come to Spain to work legally. For more information, see our guide to Spanish work visas and permits. For foreign documents to be valid in Spain, they must be translated into Spanish and legalized certified as authentic or have an Apostille seal.
Contact the Spanish embassy or consulate in your home country for more information. There are several online Spanish visa tracking systems allowing you to monitor the progress of your application. You may change your settings at any time. Your choices will not impact your visit. NOTE: These settings will only apply to the browser and device you are currently using.
Search for:. Guide to visas and permits for Spain. Last update on May 22, Who needs a visa or permit for Spain? Entry and short-term visas Long-term visas Long-term Spanish residence and work visas New fast-track visa Permanent residency After arriving in Spain Who needs a visa or permit for Spain?
There are three types of visa allowing entry to Spain: Airport transit visa. Short-stay Schengen visa. Long-term visa. Airport transit visa for Spain An airport transit visado de transito aeroportuario allows you into the international transit zone in a Spanish airport.
Short-stay visa for Spain A short-stay Schengen visa visado de corta duracion allows you to stay in Spain — but not work — for up to 90 days in a day period. Long-term Spanish residence and work visas There are different residence and work permit types, depending on the purpose of your stay, including: a combined residence and work visa visado de trabajo y residencia allowing you to live and work in Spain; a student visa visado de estudios for the duration of a educational or training course; a residence visa visado de residencia for family reunification or retirement.
Spain work visa There are several different types of Spanish work visas, as well as exemptions, depending on your employment situation in Spain. Spain student visa Spain is very popular with students from overseas. Spanish tourist Schengen visa Spanish tourist visa requirements include completing an application form , which requests a photograph and information about your residency, purpose of journey to Spain, and the number of Spanish tourist Schengen visa entries you require.
Spanish residence visa Both Spanish citizenship and a Spanish residence visa permanent allow you to stay living in Spain, but some differences exist between the two. Spanish business visa Spanish business visa requirements state that a short-stay visa for Spain will enable you to visit the country, but does not permit you to work there. Spain spouse visa and family reunification Once you have been living legally in Spain for a year and have received official confirmation that you will be staying for a further year, you can apply for family members for example, spouse, common-law partner, and dependants, including children under 18 and parents over 65 to join you in Spain.
Spain retirement visa The current pension age in Spain is 65 years for both men and women, though it will rise to 67 by New fast-track visa Non-EU national investors, entrepreneurs, highly qualified professionals and researchers can apply for fast-track visas and permits, which offer preferential treatment, such as automatic residence for the whole family with no minimum stay, and free travel throughout the Schengen visa region.
Permanent residency in Spain After five uninterrupted years of residence, you can apply for a long-term or permanent residence. Legalization and translation of documents For foreign documents to be valid in Spain, they must be translated into Spanish and legalized certified as authentic or have an Apostille seal.
Spain visa tracking There are several online Spanish visa tracking systems allowing you to monitor the progress of your application. Related articles.