Spain?

[bluetrain]

Okay, so, can anyone tell me what exactly and who in particular I need to contact to get a worker's permit and a visa to live in Spain? I'm semi-fluent and will take a refresher course before I go (hopefully, by September.) Is abortion legal there yet? Is there a craigslist kind of online thing for Barcelona? What do I need to know. I was an exchange student in Salamanca ten years ago. My friend and I are ready to jump ship. How difficult is it to obtain work teaching English and is the pay livable? etc. Thank you so much.

[MercutioATC]

1. www.lonelyplanet.com

For the forums, try http://thorntree.lonelyplanet.com/categories.cfm?catid=27

[bluetrain]

2. thank you

[MercutioATC]

3. de nada

:)

[enid602]

4. Spain

Spain (and really all of Europe) is pretty expensive; I'm tarting up the house in hopes of selling it and living in Argentina for 10 yrs off the proceeds. Pay is lousy down there, but a veritable paradise if you have some $$$.

[Hieronymus]

9. I do understand it's cheaper in Argentina than Europe.

Do you know if they have single payer healthcare as in Europe?

[vino]

5. From speaking

to friends who've taught in Spain, it's not too hard to find teaching jobs but the pay is not great and there is not much room for advancement. Also it takes a very long time to make friends as the social life is very much centered around family. But Barcelona is full of expats so you can expect a pretty lively social life but not necessarily a very 'Spanish' one.

[alvarezadams]

8. I disagree

about the friends. Outside Catalonia people are quite open, and in places like Madrid (where I live), finding friends is the last of one's difficulties.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

6. I've talked to some friends who live there.

Basically, they've gone through hell to get work permits. They said that most of the Americans they know there work illegally* - not because they can't get permits, but because the process is so idiotically confusing and drawn out. Southern European efficiency at its finest. :)

*Certainly not endorsing this idea or suggesting that you do it.

[alvarezadams]

7. I can!

To get a work permit you need to get a visa and a job offer, and not in that order. Someone has to offer you a job at which point you can go to the Spanish embassy/consulate and get a visa - which will guarantee you a work permit.

Otherwise you can go the "illegal route" - entering as a tourist and then requesting a residency (not work) visa. The immense majority of American English teacher do this - working "under the cuff" and not paying taxes. You'd still have access to public health though!

You can live on it, it isn't too hard to do - and if you specialize in "business English" you can probably make a pretty decent living, supplemented by translations and "practice sessions". You wont strike it rich but you can be comfortable.

If you take the plunge send me a message - my company has a department specializing in work/residency permits.

[Hieronymus]

10. How long must one be a resident to qualify for their public health?

In Canada and France it's 3 months .. I expect it's about the same.

[NV1962]

11. If and when you're a "legal" resident, immediately - BUT...

...the administration of public health care is not anymore centrally run, by government in Madrid, but instead by the decentralized and regional (the "autonomous communities") - and those may have differing criteria in practice, when issuing public health care access cards.

Please understand that there's a difference between a "provisional" and a (semi) "permanent" residence/work permit; depending on your country of origin, you might receive a longer or shorter "provisional" permit. If you go through the administrative works before you enter the country -- IOW, travel into Spain with a job, hence a residence and work permit -- that's of no concern; you should then "only" make sure you get the health care card, just in case you need it.

In other words: as long as you have a residence permit, you can apply immediately -- certainly when an urgent ("potentially life threatening") medical issue arises -- but from there to actually getting all paperwork squared away can be a hassle. The chance of ending up caught in red tape is much lessened when you also have a work permit (comparable to the US' "full" green card).

If and when you're in Spain, my advise is to check in with the local Seguridad Social branch, to go over (and understand) the steps that are locally necessary to be covered.

[shery]

12. How to be a resident in canada

How to be a resident in canada ?and do the canadian accept more people to imagrate to canade if they are muslims egyptian ? and how long i have to stay there to have a health insurance .

[NV1962]

13. Unless Canadians submit to H.M. King Juan Carlos, I have no idea...

More seriously: you're asking this in a topic with questions about SPAIN. I don't think Canadians (and experts on Canada) will read this question of yours.

So, I suggest you open another, about Canada specifically. :)