{"id":34427,"date":"2017-08-28T02:03:16","date_gmt":"2017-08-28T06:03:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/?p=34427"},"modified":"2020-09-19T01:53:08","modified_gmt":"2020-09-19T06:53:08","slug":"retiring-in-spain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/blog\/retiring-in-spain\/","title":{"rendered":"Retiring In Spain"},"content":{"rendered":"

Retiring In Spain<\/strong><\/h2>\n

In order to <\/span>legally retire abroad in Spain<\/b>, you\u2019ll need to choose a residency option that works best for your situation. Some people choose to live solely through their tourist (short-stay) visa, border hopping every 90 days, though this is tiresome, costly, and voids you of any benefits or rights within the country. The majority of expat retirees in Spain opt for a long-stay visa (<\/span>visado nacionale<\/span><\/i>) in order to live full time in the country.<\/span><\/p>\n

The long-stay visa grants temporary residency in the country and allows expats to work, study, retire, or live for an indefinite amount of time in Spain. Renewable annually, retirees will need to spend at least 6 months a year within Spain to maintain the visa (unless they\u2019ve opted for the <\/span>investment visa<\/span><\/a>, which removes this requirement). Contact your local Spanish embassy or consulate for the appropriate application forms and required documents. <\/span><\/p>\n

While there are a few types of residency options that might be attractive to expat retirees in Spain, the most common one is the standard Residence Visa (<\/span>visado residencia<\/span><\/i>). Under this visa, you are not able to work in the country. <\/span><\/p>\n

You will need to prove that you are able to support yourself and any dependents living with you without working in Spain. To do this, you\u2019ll have to show evidence of a monthly income (through pensions, investments, etc.) of <\/span>\u20ac<\/span>2,130 for the applying individual and <\/span>\u20ac532.51 for each dependent – or <\/span>show at least <\/span>\u20ac<\/span>27,600 in savings for each renewal period. These numbers are averages, as they do fluctuate depending on which city or region you choose to retire to in Spain.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Cost of Living<\/b><\/h2>\n

While the exchange rate for U.S. and Canadian retirees isn\u2019t as favorable as it is on other parts of the world (<\/span>\u20ac1 = $1.19 USD\/$1.48 CAD), Spain is still very affordable compared to other western European countries. <\/span><\/p>\n

In Madrid, Spain\u2019s capital and most expensive city, a single-person\u2019s monthly cost (without rent) is $773 USD. A meal at a casual restaurant will cost around $11 USD, while weekly groceries for two can cost under $30 USD. <\/span><\/p>\n

In the city center, a one-bedroom apartment will cost around $925 per month, while a three-bedroom in the city center will cost around $1,789 per month. Go just a mile or two outside of the city center, however, and this drops to $680 per month (one-bedroom) and $1,165 per month (three-bedroom). <\/span><\/p>\n

In comparison, if you want to retire abroad in Spain to a more coastal beach town, away from the major cities, you can get more bang for your buck. In Valencia, for example, a one-bedroom city center apartment will cost around $650 USD per month, while the same apartment outside of the city center will cost $450 USD per month.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Safety<\/b><\/h2>\n

In the 2017 Global Peace Index, Spain ranked 23rd out of 163 countries profiled. The country ranked very positively in homicide, intensity of internal conflict, violent demonstrations, political stability, political terror, terrorism impact, death from external\/internal conflict, and neighboring countries relations.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Healthcare<\/b><\/h2>\n

While private healthcare is popular among expat retirees in Spain, due to the often long waits and high demands of services, the country does have a comprehensive and well-developed national healthcare system. Unlike many other EU nations, Spain grants national public healthcare to expats who are:<\/span><\/p>\n