Living in Spain as an American: what daily life is like

Americans who move to Spain tend to stay for the same reasons: cities you can walk, good public healthcare and transport, safety, and a daily life that leaves room for long meals and time outdoors. The frustrations are also consistent. This page covers both, and how the everyday things work.

Pros and cons

What people like	What people find hard
Low violent crime and safe streets at night	Slow bureaucracy and scarce appointments
Good healthcare at far lower cost than the US	Spanish tax on worldwide income, and a wealth tax
Walkable cities, trains and cheap public transport	Tight rental markets in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Málaga
Lower day-to-day costs, especially food and eating out	Homes without central heating, and summer heat in the south
Mild winters on the coasts and islands	Late schedules that take getting used to
Easy travel around Europe	Low local salaries, and distance from family in the US

The daily schedule

Spain runs late. Lunch is the main meal, at about 2 pm, and dinner is at 9 pm or later. Many restaurants don’t open for dinner before 8.

• In smaller towns, shops often close for two or three hours in the afternoon. In big cities most stay open.
• Most shops close on Sundays, with exceptions in tourist areas and in Madrid.
• August is holiday month. Offices slow down, and some small businesses close for weeks.
• Spain is six hours ahead of US Eastern time, which matters if you work US hours.

Language

You can live in English in parts of the Costa del Sol, the Costa Blanca and the islands, and get by in central Madrid and Barcelona. You can’t deal with the police, town hall, tax office or most landlords in English.

Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, the Valencia region, the Basque Country and Galicia also use a second official language, mainly in schools and regional government. Learning Spanish is the single thing that most improves life in Spain. Start before you move.

Bureaucracy

Most dealings with the state need an appointment (cita previa), your NIE number and often a certificate issued within the last three months. Expect to make several visits.

• Get your town hall registration and TIE card first. See NIE, TIE and empadronamiento.
• A digital certificate or the Cl@ve system lets you do many things online and is worth setting up early.
• Many residents pay a gestor, an administrative agent, to handle routine filings. See immigration lawyers and gestores.

Money and banking

• Banks offer non-resident and resident accounts. A resident account needs your NIE and usually your TIE.
• US tax reporting rules mean Spanish banks ask American customers for extra forms, and a few are reluctant to open investment accounts for them.
• Cards and phone payments are accepted almost everywhere. Paying another person is usually done through a bank app.
• Keep a US bank account and address for US income. Use a transfer service or your bank to move money, and compare the exchange rate margin.

Housing

• Most people live in apartments. Houses with gardens are found in suburbs, on the coast and in villages.
• Many older buildings have no central heating, and winters indoors can feel colder than the temperature suggests. Clothes dryers are uncommon.
• Long-term leases give tenants strong protection, which makes landlords careful about whom they accept. Newcomers are often asked for proof of income and extra guarantees.
• Electricity is 230 volts with European plugs, so most US appliances need replacing.

See the cost of living in Spain for rents by city.

Getting around

Spain has one of Europe’s largest high-speed rail networks, and city transport is good and cheap. Many people in cities don’t own a car.

If you plan to drive, deal with the licence early. A US licence stops being valid about six months after you become resident, and there is no exchange agreement, so you take the Spanish theory and practical tests. The theory exam is available in English in many test centres.

Healthcare

Medicare doesn’t work in Spain. Depending on how you are resident, you will use private insurance, the public system, or both. Quality is high in both, and pharmacies handle a lot of minor care. See healthcare in Spain.

Safety

Violent crime is low by US standards. The everyday risk is pickpocketing and bag theft in tourist centres, on public transport and at beaches, above all in Barcelona and Madrid. Gun ownership is tightly controlled.

Schools

Families choose between free public schools, state-subsidised schools (concertados) and fee-paying private or international schools. Public schooling is in Spanish, and in the regional language where there is one. International schools teaching a US or British curriculum are concentrated in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and on the Costa del Sol, and popular ones have waiting lists.

Tax

Living in Spain for more than 183 days a year generally makes you a Spanish tax resident. For some Americans this is the deciding factor, in either direction. Read taxes in Spain before you choose a visa.

Where to go from here

• The steps for moving to Spain, in order.
• The best places to live in Spain.
• Spain residency: the visas compared.

Common questions

Is Spain a good place for Americans to live?

For many, yes. It is safe, has good healthcare and public transport, mild weather in much of the country and a lower cost of living than most US cities. The drawbacks are slow bureaucracy, high taxes for residents, a tight rental market in the popular cities and the need to learn Spanish to deal with officials.

How long can an American live in Spain without a visa?

Up to 90 days in any 180-day period, counted across the whole Schengen area. Staying longer requires a residence visa such as the non-lucrative visa or the digital nomad visa.

Can I use my US driver's license in Spain?

As a visitor, yes, ideally with an International Driving Permit. Once you are a resident, a US licence is valid for only about six months. Spain has no licence exchange agreement with the United States, so after that you need to pass the Spanish theory and practical tests.

What are the downsides of living in Spain?

The ones Americans mention most are paperwork and appointment systems, Spanish tax on worldwide income, finding a long-term rental, homes that are cold in winter, summer heat in the south, and lower local salaries for anyone who needs a Spanish job.