Our story step-by-step

Why Spain?

For us, the decision was simple:

• Mild, moderate climate

• Lower cost of living

• Healthier Mediterranean diet

• Peace and tranquility

• Rich culture

• Emphasis on family values

Step 1 Where did we start? 

We found a real estate agency, reviewed property listings, and scheduled viewings. Our first move was to opt for a short-term rental known as “Winter Rental,” typically lasting from early September until late June.

Why this decision?

Because it didn’t lock us into a long-term commitment in case we weren’t satisfied with the area. 

Would we do it again? Absolutely.

Within about six months, we knew we wanted to stay. The town met all our expectations—our son loves his school, and we’ve met wonderful people! However, if things hadn’t worked out, we would have avoided being stuck in a long-term lease or an unsellable property.

FIRST THINGS FIRST: ALWAYS DO YOUR RESEARCH! 😊

Step 2: Choosing an Apartment and go through the Rental Process

We spent a week exploring every corner of the town, viewed four apartments, and decided to rent one starting September 1st. We used Villa Mia agency https://www.villamia.net/winter-lets/—a fantastic choice. Jenny, our agent, was extremely helpful.

What did we need for the process?

1. Passports

2. Proof of income

3. Two months’ deposit

4. One month’s rent upfront

5. Agency fee equal to one month’s rent

(Keep in mind that requirements may vary by agency and landlord.)

P.S. For transferring money, we used Wise, which makes currency conversion and transfers easy and fast. Other alternatives include Revolut and N26, all of which can be easily set up in about 10 minutes through their apps by providing required information.

Once the contract was signed and the money was transferred, we eagerly awaited moving day.

Step 3: Our First Week in Spain

Once we arrived in town and settled at our apartment, we began the process of enrolling our son in school. Georgina Duncan https://www.scorchio.es/ assisted with this and all other formalities, from municipal registration to opening a bank account, getting private insurance, and obtaining an NIE number. Thanks to her, the entire process was remarkably smooth.

Why Javea and Where It’s Located?

Javea is a municipality in the Valencian Community, located in the northern part of Alicante province on the northern coast of the Costa Blanca. After exploring almost the entirety of Spain, we chose Javea for its stunning architecture, vibrant year-round atmosphere—not just during the tourist season—and proximity to airports with direct flights to Wroclaw and London. This ensured easy connections with our family in Poland and the UK. Our thorough research truly paid off because Javea turned out to be everything we were looking for.

Step 4: School Enrolment

What did we need and what steps did we take?

• Padron (address registration) – a simple process. Registration takes about 10 minutes ( location Public Attention office Portal del Clot, Avda. Amancer 2, office hours: 9am – 2pm). What we needed? Passport OR Residencia + your last Rates receipt (I.B.I) or Water/Electric bill in your name OR your escritura OR rental contract.

• Passport

• Spanish phone number – we recommend Lobster.

• Filling out a form and visiting the Casa de Cultura (appointment required).

• Health check-up for our child. Appointments are needed at the Centre de Salut de Xàbia for SIP card issuance.

• After registration, we were informed about school options.

• Upon selecting a school, a yearly fee was issued of about €70 – this needed to be transferred to the school’s account.

• Then, visited the school, and received a book voucher, which we used to order books at a local bookstore.

The entire process from registration to starting school took less than a week.

Some School year Info:

The school year starts in the second week of September and ends in the third week of June.

Class hours:

• September: 9am – 1pm

• October – May: 9am – 2pm

• June: 9am – 1pm

Georgina Duncan supervised the entire process.

Step 5: Obtaining residency and other documents

Our document process was a bit different since my husband is British and only holds a UK passport, complicating the situation. He was only allowed to stay in the EU for 90 days per year.

To live in Spain legally, I, as an EU citizen, had to sponsor him. This made for a longer and more complex process, taking seven months from our arrival.

As with everything else, Georgina Duncan expertly guided us.

What Was Needed to Obtain the NIE:

• Padron

• Rental contract

• Passports

• Photos

• Bank account – we chosen Sabadell Bank, an international bank where English communication is easy (today, an N26 account may suffice).

• Private health insurance – since neither of us works in Spain, we’re not entitled to state healthcare. One option is paying a monthly fee to qualify, but we chose private insurance, costing about €150 per month for the three of us. We have a private hospital 15 minutes away in Denia (San Carlos Hospital) and a private clinic 5 minutes from home. In emergencies, the care we received was excellent. Our insurance provider is Salus.

Our About page shares our personal journey and experiences, offering an informative perspective on relocating to Spain. Please note that Spanish laws and document requirements frequently change. As such, we encourage you to treat our story as just that—a story. Before you proceed with any official applications, we strongly recommend conducting up-to-date research online or reaching out to our trusted professional, Georgina Duncan and others on Services page, for expert guidance.