Moving to a new country is such an exciting adventure, but it can be tricky sometimes. Get ready for your expat life in Valencia with our tips!

For many of you this may be the first time you move out of your comfort zone, away from your motherland, family and friends. But this new chapter will also turn you into the best experience you could have in your life, we promise! 

You’ll have the chance to broaden your horizons, get to know yourself as you never did before, meet new people and their cultures, learn new languages and improve your skills. 

But a great adventure starts with good planning, so that you’ll be able to enjoy the rest of the experience. Therefore, we are here to help you start thinking about the most important things to sort out to start your expat life in Valencia.

Moving to Valencia in Spain

What you need to know before the beginning of your expat life in Valencia is about local culture, cost of living, the city life and these little things that make a big difference!

Valencia is quite famous all over the world for being one of the most friendly, welcoming and hospitable cities (not only in Spain). According to a survey for expats, based on Quality of Urban Living and the Local Cost of Living indices, Valencia is ranked as the first city!

Its look is quite enchanting and it holds different styles and designs: the historical centre of Valencia is medieval and it boasts warm colors and lovely green spaces. But it is surrounded by an amazing modernist architecture (the City of Arts and Sciences). The city also offers plenty of services such as metro, big avenues, shopping centres, bike lanes, many university campuses and much more. The climate is excellent: you’ll be able to enjoy the Mediterranean weather all year round, relaxing by the great beach of Valencia. 

What about the local culture? Well, Spanish people in Valencia are into gatherings and society events; the city has one of the best nightlife spots ever, great cultural events and a heavenly delicious gastronomy...to die for! 

And the best part is that the cost of living here is quite cheap if we compare it to Madrid, Barcelona or other important European cities (just think that Madrid and Barcelona rental prices are double the ones in Valencia). Also the cost of leisure activities is very good: you can have easy access to transport services, food and dining, cultural and sport events for a very cheap price and sometimes many of these are for free!

Learn Spanish being a Non-Native Speaker

Wherever you go, you’ll find people to communicate with in English, but do not expect a fluent level, especially from older people.
If you want to truly integrate in the country and find a job in Spain, you’ll be asked to learn Spanish. If you have never studied this language before, we strongly suggest that you start a course in your home country or as soon as you arrive; this is essential for those non-latin speakers (German, English, Swedish, Dutch, Russian, Arabic, etc…) because the grammar and vocabulary are extremely different from yours.

How do you keep practicing once you arrive in Spain? Beside the course, you must dive into the local culture: we suggest joining language exchange groups on Facebook and start hanging out with Spanish or Latino people that want to practice another language. 

Get settled into your expat life in Valencia

Accommodation in Valencia

Where to live during your expat life in Valencia?

Whether you come for a student exchange program, to start a university career or to work, our tip is to begin your adventure by renting a room in Valencia (or a studio).
This way you’ll discover the neighborhoods, live your daily routine and experience which area suits you better.
Moreover, sharing an apartment in Valencia means that you’ll meet other international students and young professionals to live this experience with. What to expect from the rental prices in the city? You’re lucky because, as we mentioned above, Valencia is one of the cheapest big cities in Spain and Europe. Here you’ll be able to rent a nice room in the centre for less than 300 euros.

As you know, the moments before your arrival can be confusing and we recognize that moving abroad can be a bit difficult, especially in the early days. Fortunately we thought about this too; in fact, thanks to the exclusive collaboration we have reserved for you with Anyvan, we offer our tenants the best parcel shipping service on the market. This way you can send or receive parcels of any size and weight, quickly
and safely, as well as personalized service and low costs.

Getting legal in Valencia

*The information below has been collected by helpHousing team. Please, keep in mind that we are not directly related to any legal or government office and the information may change.

If you're planning on staying in Valencia for a medium-long period, you need to learn everything about immigration and legal paperwork you have to complete. First, you have to apply for NIE (Número de Identidad Extranjeros) or TIE (equivalent to NIE for Non-Europeans). After the online request for an appointment (here), the main documents you need to take with you that day are:

• Proof of appointment & application form
• Receipt of the tax you have to pay at the bank - 012 tax fee (model 790) 
• Passport (original and copy)
• 2 pictures of you (the size of the passport)
• (Empadronamiento) Certificate of residency . 
• Your private health insurance (original and copy)
• Document to certify the reason for your stay in Spain: University letter of acceptance,  job contract (internship), etc.

Read this article by our friends at Citylife Madrid, explaining everything about Spanish immigration laws; it will be super helpful to deal better with the hassle of these procedures!

Get your Spanish insurance 

The most important topic for your stay in Spain probably is about healthcare in Spain.
First of all, you need to know that it is free for citizens and residents and the public healthcare here is one of the best in the world, according to the World Health Organization. Therefore, if you get your Empadronamiento in Valencia (residency card) you’ll be able to use free healthcare services. But Non-EU citizens coming here as students, interns or that have no intention to stay for a very long time, need to purchase a private health insurance plan. 

Open your Spanish bank account

Before opening a bank account in Spain, there are few considerations you need to make.
How long are you going to stay here? If it's more than 6 months, then, you should think about it.
Are you going to study or work? If you’re going to work you definitely need one in order to receive your salary. Last consideration, if you’re a Non-EU citizen, you should open a Spain bank account to save costs and commissions.

How to open your bank account? In most of the cases you need to be in Spain to open it, not before your arrival. Then, if you don’t have the foreigners identification card (NIE or TIE), you have to choose a bank account as a non-resident in Spain. The documentation you’ll be asked to take with you is pretty simple:

• A valid passport or ID card of your country.
• Your reason to open the bank account  (it could be the university letter of acceptance or the Spanish job contract)
• Your address in Spain. 
• NIE/TIE number if you want to open the bank account as a resident.

Well, this could be a good start to plan your expat life in Valencia! Are you ready for this lifetime adventure?