Things to Know Before Moving to Spain

If you're thinking about moving to Spain, now might be a good time to brush up on your knowledge of the country. It's never a good idea to depend on pop culture and media to get an idea of what a country is really like, and the same stands for Spain. A few things about the country—like the afternoon breaks, the mealtimes, and the public holidays—might take some getting used to. And, in order to move there successfully, you need to know what to expect and prepare accordingly. So consider utilizing a moving cost calculator along with this useful information about the country.

Spanish Isn't the Only Language

In fact, what you might know as Spanish might in fact be Castilian. There are several other languages also spoken in the region, and you might need to be careful about the kind of Spanish you learn depending on the area you have your eyes on. The best idea would be to talk to a local, an immigration specialist, or other expert who can help you figure it all out.

Great Healthcare Is Available

One of the most noticeable things about Spain is that it has one of the best healthcare systems in the world. The SNS was founded in 1986 and has since been ranked 19th out of 185 countries in terms of healthcare on The Lancet's worldwide healthcare ranking system. EU citizens and Spanish nationals have access to this system—paid for through taxes—but that's not the case for non-EU citizens. If you're working or studying in Spain, you'll need to get your healthcare covered through private insurance and learn about health insurance in Spain.

Meals Are Important

Mealtimes in Spain are a big deal—they're super late, and they're a proper sit-down with your friends and family. If you're used to sitting by yourself at lunch to eat a sandwich, this might be a big culture shock. You'll also need to get used to the slow afternoons and breaks the Spanish enjoy, but overall it's not a bad way to live.

Time Zone Can Be Confusing

Spain converted to the GMT+1 timezone a while ago because the Spanish dictator Francisco Franco wanted to be in the same time zone as Germany. This was supposed to be a temporary thing, but people really haven't felt the need to go back to the right timezone (GMT) since then.

Know the Public Holidays

Spain has a lot of public holidays which are important for you to know about if you don't want to accidentally show up to work one day—or to get important paperwork done for an office just to find it closed. Some of the holidays include Epiphany on January 6th, Assumption Day on August 15th, and All Saints' Day on November 1st. These are all holidays the country doesn't share with the UK as well as a handful of others including regional holidays, so keep an eye on the calendar while in Spain!