Spain is a haven for expats looking for year-round sun, boundless beaches, delicious food and wine, not to mention a slow pace of life and low cost of living.
Alastair Johnson moved to Spain some nine years ago with his wife and son, totally falling in love with what the country has to offer. While he initially intended on staying for just one year, he hasn’t looked back since.
An expat in Spain admitted that not everything about the move has been perfect
Alastair Johnson / GETTY IMAGES
But moving to a new country comes with its difficulties, no matter how wonderful the place is.
Speaking candidly to GB News, Alastair divulged some of the drawbacks of living in Spain, touching on what he “misses about the UK”.
According to the expat, completing important life admin in Spain is not as straightforward and seamless as Britons might be used to.
He said: “There’s friction to living here – some things don’t work. Bureaucracy is hard and sometimes you just get stuck.
“You want to go and exchange your [UK] driver’s license for your [Spanish] license? You will get stuck in a red tape knot and it’s infuriating.”
Not being able to speak the language fluently can also trip you up. Alastair said: “You can learn to speak functional Spanish really easily – it’s quite a simple language.
“But to have nuance and tell jokes and get humour it’s hard. And if your car breaks down at the side of the road and the mechanic who turns up speaks no English, you’ve got to be able to have a conversation.”
While some Spaniards do speak English – particularly the younger generation and those who live in touristy areas – the level of proficiency is lower than in other European countries such as the Netherlands, Germany, Poland and Portugal.
This means that assimilating into your new community and forming close friendships with locals could be tougher.
Alastair said: “When Spanish people ask me how my Spanish is, I tell them ‘I can speak up to but not including jokes’.
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“I think there is that barrier. While it is quite exciting to live somewhere foreign, there is that cost to it in that you aren’t from there, they’ve watched different TV programmes and they’ve grown up listening to different music. When you travel, that’s exciting, but when it’s your home, there is that cost.”
Alastair was born in South Africa but spent time living in both Australia and the UK before moving to Spain. Because of their “shared culture”, he felt more “at home” in these countries.
The expat admitted that when he leaves Spain and visits other English-speaking nations, a part of his brain can “relax” again.
Alastair and his wife Alison set up a business to help people looking to move to Spain from the UK. Moving to Spain offers expert advice, resources, insider knowledge and a handpicked network of service providers.
