What's It Like to Move to another EU City for 6 Months?

Voltron

I'm in a 'not unusual but not common' situation where I'm a home worker who only needs their mobile phone, an internet connection and my works laptop and in theory I should be fine. My girlfriend is a US national who is headed home after 4 months in the UK with me. We're trying to work out our future, with me eventually moving to the US with her in a few years time, but in the meantime we're thinking of doing a 6 month stint somewhere we both like before we commit to that.

So, I was thinking of somewhere like Barcelona. It's a place that we both like, she has some Spanish under her belt and I can spend the next year getting some basics (how hard can "Dos cerveza, por favor?" be? ) . Looking at Numbeo.com, which I'm aware can be awfully vague at times, but my wage does better in Barcelona than it does here in Cardiff for almost all things so unless there's unforeseen expenses, I'd be no worse off and have a lovely long summer.

So, essentially... this fits between the two main topics of conversation which are short holidays of a week or two, and full migration. I'd presumably not have to declare work or anything because it's the EU and also the fact I'd still be paying tax on my wages as they came in to my UK bank account. I can use my Aqua card for all purchases and probably just pay a bit of a premium to withdraw on my RBS debit card every week or two. Given my girlfriend was able to stay in the UK for several months without issue, I'm guessing it'll be the same for most if not all other EU countries, but I'm sure there'll be a visa requirement if she picks up some work herself.

Has anyone been in a similar situation? Any tips or advice? I'm planning this for 2016 more than likely, so plenty of time to get my head around everything.

InsideInsurance

There can be significant advantages on the visa front if the two of you are looking to settle in Spain as you will be an EEA citizen exercising treaty rights and as such if she meets the requirement of being "family" then she pretty much has an automatic right to join you in that other EEA country, work and if she wanted to have a direct route to citizenship there.

Its been a while since I had to look into the law but a quick look at the UKBA website does list unmarried partners as being eligible for family permits and on the basis this is implementation of EEA law it should be almost the same in all countries. The UK requirements to go from family permit to EEA residency card are as below:

You need to provide us with proof that the family members included on your application are related to you as claimed. To demonstrate this, you will need to provide original marriage, civil partnership or birth certificates. If you are living with a partner who is not your spouse or civil partner, you will need to provide proof that you are in a durable relationship. You would generally need to show us
that you have been in a subsisting relationship for two years or more. This could be through joint bank or building society statements, joint tenancy agreements, council tax bills or evidence that you are both paying utility bills at the property at which you reside.

Unfortunately EEA law doesnt apply in your country of nationality, unless you are dual nationality with another EEA country, and so if you decided to leave spain and come here then as a partner of a british citizen she would have to comply with british and not EEA immigration rules.

Moving country is daunting, dont assume that everything operates the same as it does here, accept a few people will take advantage of you because you dont know how things work, dont think that just because people are friendly to you as a tourist that they will be as nice to you as an immigrant but do try and integrate, learn the language etc rather than sticking to "ex pat" community areas as you'll get a lot more out of the experience


PS. Barcelona being in Catalan they will probably prefer you say "dues cerveses, per favor" rather than you speaking Spanish to them

Voltron

Thanks for digging that up for me, much appreciated. By 2016 it will have been a relationship of more than 2 years, even if a lot of the time is spent far apart. God bless the internet for making communication so much easier these days! Interesting to know the difference between EEA and British law. She doesn't seem too keen on settling in the UK - and looking at the weather outside right now, I can hardly blame her!

Good point about the Catalan, always realised the websites language options read CAT rather than ESP but never really looked at the actual differences between the languages. As a Welsh person who's often referred to as English by people outside of the UK, it's something I can sympathise with at least!

benjus

Only a tourist asks for "cerveza" in a bar in Spain. If you want to sound like a local you have to specify which type of glass (or bottle) you want. The most common is probably "caña" (bit less than half a pint), or you could order a "doble", a "copa", a "jarra", a "pinta", a "tubo", a "tercio" or even a "zurito" (the latter being more of a Basque term, I think). Not sure how it works in Catalan though.

Voyager2002

A few points:

Firstly, the rules about unmarried partners mean that they only qualify as being family if you can provide evidence that you have lived together for the required period: things like shared utility bills, contract to rent a home, that kind of thing. From what you say, this would not be possible. So your GF would have to enter Spain (or anywhere else in the Schengen zone) as a tourist, and so would be limited to 90 days there, with no return until another 90 days had passed. Marriage, however, would give her an immediate right to live and work there without restriction, the same as you.

Barcelona is a fantastic city, but a good deal more expensive than virtually anywhere else in Spain. There are many other great places: Burgos, for instance.

Come to that, you might consider places in Latin America: living costs would be lower than Spain, and the journey for her to visit the USA would be fairly short.

InsideInsurance

Voyager2002 wrote: »

Firstly, the rules about unmarried partners mean that they only qualify as being family if you can provide evidence that you have lived together for the required period: things like shared utility bills, contract to rent a home, that kind of thing.

The rules are technically about a durable relationship, just the examples of what documents they suggest you take are those that a couple living together would have - that said it wouldnt be hard to get an extra name added to a utility bill even if they werent actually living there.

It'd probably be best to look on an immigration board rather than here but certainly historically things even like photos of the two of you together etc can be submitted. If you look up about agencies that arrange sham marriages to EEA nationals there are many occasions of them taking pictures to submit as evidence of the relationship but try and make it appear they were taken at different times of the year and over the years etc.

You need to remember that not everyone supports these sorts of ideas and so this may colour how "helpful" official government websites are/ how easy or difficult they make it appear.

If you look at UKBA for example it says an unmarried partner counts as family and gets a 6 month initial visa.

It says after 6 months X, Y and Z can apply for residency cards and others have to go home. The list doesnt actually include unmarried partners in the list but if you look at the forms and the guidance for completing the forms it does allow unmarried partners to apply

richardw

Voltron wrote: »

..... My girlfriend is a US national who is headed home after 4 months in the UK with me. We're trying to work out our future, with me eventually moving to the US with her in a few years time......

Are you sure that you will ultimately be able to move to the US?

peptoabysmal

I've done this before without issue, albeit not in Spain. As long as your salary is paid into your UK bank account, I don't think you'll have issues with double taxation. Can't comment on the US visa issue.

Voltron

Voyager2002 wrote: »

Barcelona is a fantastic city, but a good deal more expensive than virtually anywhere else in Spain. There are many other great places: Burgos, for instance.

Come to that, you might consider places in Latin America: living costs would be lower than Spain, and the journey for her to visit the USA would be fairly short.

Yeah, at the moment I'm just using Barce as an example as we've both been there, like it, can afford it etc. It's a long term decision so nothing set in stone, but I like to get planning underway as early as possible for these kind of things. Trying to stay in Europe as the key is to try and convince my parents that even though I'm not local anymore, I'm not a million miles away (my dads long term ill so I have to help out from time to time, but it's become less frequent for the last few years). Once they're used to that, then I can move further out afield.

InsideInsurance wrote: »

The rules are technically about a durable relationship, just the examples of what documents they suggest you take are those that a couple living together would have - that said it wouldnt be hard to get an extra name added to a utility bill even if they werent actually living there.

It'd probably be best to look on an immigration board rather than here but certainly historically things even like photos of the two of you together etc can be submitted. If you look up about agencies that arrange sham marriages to EEA nationals there are many occasions of them taking pictures to submit as evidence of the relationship but try and make it appear they were taken at different times of the year and over the years etc.

I like the idea about photos, as I can use it as an excuse to keep taking my camera everywhere we go. Every glare I get, I can just respond 'but I'm doing it for us!' haha

richardw wrote: »

Are you sure that you will ultimately be able to move to the US?

When I looked through the details, I was surprised how easy it (on the surface) appears if you're married. On my own I'd have zero chance, but they seem pretty good when it comes to families. We'll have been a couple for quite some time then, at the very least engaged but likely married, and her family is full of lawyers which can't hurt!

Thanks to everyone again, lots of things to use as starting points to keep me occupied while enjoying a caña, double or tubo. Much appreciated.

Voyager2002

Voltron wrote: »

Yeah, at the moment I'm just using Barce as an example as we've both been there, like it, can afford it etc. It's a long term decision so nothing set in stone, but I like to get planning underway as early as possible for these kind of things. Trying to stay in Europe as the key is to try and convince my parents that even though I'm not local anymore, I'm not a million miles away (my dads long term ill so I have to help out from time to time, but it's become less frequent for the last few years). Once they're used to that, then I can move further out afield.



I like the idea about photos, as I can use it as an excuse to keep taking my camera everywhere we go. Every glare I get, I can just respond 'but I'm doing it for us!' haha



When I looked through the details, I was surprised how easy it (on the surface) appears if you're married. On my own I'd have zero chance, but they seem pretty good when it comes to families. We'll have been a couple for quite some time then, at the very least engaged but likely married, and her family is full of lawyers which can't hurt!

Thanks to everyone again, lots of things to use as starting points to keep me occupied while enjoying a caña, double or tubo. Much appreciated.

Since you need to make regular visits home, and might need to travel at short notice, you might consider Girona. It is a Ryanair airport; is a pleasant place in its own right; a bearable bus-ride from Barcelona but a lot cheaper as a place to live.

Don't get carried away by the photos... different EU countries interpret the law in different ways, and guidance from the UK (on the UKBA website) will not necessarily apply to Spain. The fact remains, however, that a marriage certificate would give her an automatic right to live and work in any EU country other than your own, and getting married in Malta is very easy.

PeteDoff

What's It Like to Move to another EU City for 6 Months?

As long as it's not Manchester it's do'able. Where there is love or lust there is a way.

PS. Bit worried about the Spanish under her belt but what the heck you kids today,
you keep them wherever you want!