HI Lauren you sent me this email and i thought to get you started and possibly help others I would post it here on the forum....
My name is Lauren Lane. I live in Cape Town with my husband, and 4 year old son. My husband holds a British Passport, while I hold a South African passport. Richard currently runs his own construction company, and I run the office side of things (invoicing, wages etc). We are very keen to relocate to Spain. My husband spent 2 years living in Ibiza, and we have just come back from a Ibiza for a 10 day investigation to determine whether or not we could settle in Ibiza. Unfortunately the island is just too seasonal. We do however love the Spanish language, culture and of course the weather. There are 3 primary reasons for wanting to relocate 1) the crime in SA is just too much for me to live with on a day to day basis, 2) while my husband has been running his own very successful business for the past 13 years – he simply is not happy doing it any more, and he has discovered a passion for sailing and would like to find a way of building a career in sailing 3) I have a 13 year old son who recently moved to the UK to be with his dad and I would love to be closer to him.
I have a Business Management Diploma and have, until I started working with my husband, been a PA to a CEO, so my background is pretty much in Admin – I am very computer literate and I am considering doing a course in Web / Graphic Design in order to expand my marketability overseas.
While we would love to live near the ocean, I know the rentals would be pretty high, so are happy to move inland, although be about 20 minutes from the beaches.
My BIG question really is – which areas can you suggest we start investigating moving to. I know this is such a broad subject and depends on so many things. I am not sure if you have visited Cape Town, but our suburbs range from low low low class areas (where the crime and poverty is just horrendous) to the very affluent areas. We currently live in a middle to upper class suburb- certainly now one of the wealthiest, but it is a very good area with good schools etc.
If we look at the East Coast – Barcelona / Valencia, can you advise me of the names of some areas which I could start researching – off course we would need to do a trip out there before we made a final decision, but it would give us a starting point and I can start investigating via the internet, schools, property, jobs, salaries, transport etc.
I would like to be in a fairly traditional Spanish village, I imagine quaint villages, and roads, perhaps even more in the country side. We are not big party goers, although we do like to go out for a drink every now and then, or dinner in a restaurant, but would want a more family orientated area which would be safe for my son.
Many thanks, I appreciate any advise you may be able to give me.
Kind regards
Lauren
First of all Lauren with regards your getting permission to get into Spain which is probably the mosit sensible thing to research first...this information may help which was provided by Beverley Deller wife of Brian author of motoring in Spain see www.spainvia.com who worked in the British Consulate in SA for a couple, of years
Well it is some time since I worked there but I have kept up todate generally on things and we have had friends come to visit us in Spain so we have some insight into these matters but the first thing we always advise anyone to do is contact their local Spanish Consulate or Embassy and get it from the horses mouth so to speak. They are the experts in this. I have copied below the addresses and numbers of the Consulates in South Africa
Before we came to Spain we did exactly that and were given the green light to enter with no problems whatsover, as we are British passport holders as well as South African.
However for a non european holder it is no where as easy to enter EVEN if they are married to an EU passport holder. To enter the UK they need an entry visa and I am sure to enter Spain it is the same procedure.In the past there were so many" marriages of convenience" that countries had to get tough.
In the past we have had South African passport holders coming to visit us and we have had to vouch that we would look after them if they fell on bad times and ensure they would return and not extend the time allowed herehave copied before the addresses and numbers of the Consulates.
Perhaps this couple would like to get in touch with us direct and we can tell them of the South Africans we have met who have had to return because they did not have the necessary documentation even though they were married to an EU holder.
It is never worth taking a chance.
So maybe this is the first thing you need to find out if you can do...
SPANISH EMBASSY & CONSULATES
- Cape Town Consulate-General
Tel: +27 (0) 21 422 2415/6/7/8
Fax: +27 (0) 21 422 2328
conscabo@yebo.co.za
Street address: 37 Shortmarket Street | Map
Business hours for consular services vary; please call ahead.
- Spanish Embassy, Tshwane (Pretoria)
Tel: +27 (0) 12 344 3875/6/7
Fax: +27 (0) 12 343 4891
Street address: 169 Pine Street, Arcadia, Tshwane (Pretoria) | Map
Business hours for embassy and consular services vary; please call ahead.
- Johannesburg Honorary Consul
Tel: +27 (0) 11 783 2046
Fax: +27 (0) 11 488 1239
Street address: 7 Coronation Street, Sandhurst, Johannesburg | Map
- Durban Honorary Consul
Tel: +27 (0) 31 764 2574
Fax: +27 (0) 31 764 2550
Street address: 120 Abrey Road, Kloof, Durban | Map
Hope that helps for starters.