Expatriation to Madrid: Challenges and Opportunities
Madrid is one of the cities with the highest quality of life for international expats. A job move to the Spanish capital is great news for workers of any nationality or profession.
More and more companies are focusing their workforces on the Spanish capital. Students and workers from all over the world are immediately drawn to Madrid’s urban environment of endless opportunities.
It’s not difficult to talk about the excellent quality of life the city offers, its abundant green spaces, its excellent cuisine, its varied multicultural activities, and its impressive public transportation service. But it’s a bit more complicated to talk about the difficulties that settling in Madrid can currently present, both in terms of immigration and in terms of finding a home.
Corporate Immigration:
As can be seen in the Administration’s migration management trends for 2019, the national migration balance (i.e., the difference between arrivals and departures from Spain) has completely reversed compared to previous years, and has contributed to the slight growth of the foreign population in the country.
This is a situation that may particularly affect non-EU citizens (i.e., citizens who are not from the European Union), whose procedures are more rigorous. This has caused an overflow of cases in the various national administrative bodies, resulting from the large number of applications submitted. This flood of files, coupled with the limited number of officials authorized to review these applications, has caused an obstruction in the administration. The evident overload of the administration’s workload has been reflected in the usual delays in resolutions.
Settling in:
The biggest complication that can arise during settling in, without a doubt, is housing. Long- or short-stay expatriates may face increased housing prices. Currently, a 50m2, two-bedroom temporary rental in Madrid can cost between €1,800 and €2,500 per month, while a long-term rental with the same characteristics can cost between €1,100 and €1,600.
Something that also often catches the attention of expats when looking for housing in Madrid are the conditions demanded by many landlords. In addition to exhaustively analyzing the applicants’ paychecks, they may require a bank guarantee of six months or even three months’ deposit. Added to this is the fee charged by the vast majority of real estate agencies, which charge the new tenant a full monthly rent for their services.
Having a parking space or moving with a pet can also be a major ordeal. Having a parking space, especially in some neighborhoods, can be truly difficult. Furthermore, many landlords strictly prohibit pets from being kept in the property.
Another difficulty an expat may encounter when renting a home is that many landlords choose to take out default insurance for the home. The difficulty lies in the fact that insurance companies conduct a credit check, but when opening a new bank account, the insurers determine that the newly arrived citizen lacks the necessary guarantees to obtain such insurance.
It’s also important to keep in mind that for many basic registrations, such as Social Security or the children’s school registration, they must be registered at the residence.
to the sircoo. From the Ullamco meadow, what do you say? Things are very bad.
However, you don’t have to worry; the expat experience in Madrid will undoubtedly be one of the best of your life. It’s worth noting that, despite the difficulties, this city offers wonderful opportunities:
A wide variety of schools to choose from: public, state-funded, and private, all of high-quality international schools. (You just need to be very aware of the registration and enrollment deadlines.)
Public transportation and many transportation options; An efficient metro, a well-connected bus service, and a long-distance train that connects to all areas of the capital. This is in addition to new mobility trends such as electric cars and motorcycles.
A large community of international expats from around the world to build a broad network of contacts.
Countless leisure and cultural offerings.
If you or your company need assistance with the Relocation or Corporate Immigration process, we will be happy to help.