Cathy on Lifestyle

Americans in Spain

---

“I really enjoy the weather because it’s warm during the day but cools down at night, so it’s not as extreme as some other parts of the country, so that was the main attraction, the mild winter. It’s a lot more laid back, certainly than Ohio, so you can’t expect things to get done quickly, you just have to learn to go with the flow and be here and enjoy it. I think you have to leave certain standards at home, but I don’t mean that in a bad way, because I love it here!”

According to a report by the Bureau of Consular Affairs, it’s estimated that there are more than eighty thousand Americans officially living in Spain, though most are in Madrid or Barcelona.

Meanwhile, the Consular Section of the US Embassy in Madrid estimates that more than one million US citizens visit Spain as tourists every year. At the time of writing, American citizens are allowed to visit Spain without a visa for up to three months. However, Americans wanting to live here, have to apply for a visa from their nearest Spanish Embassy, and then further apply for a permit with the authorities in Spain.

More Americans are likely to be arriving in Spain, particularly Andalucia, as one of the major American airlines (Delta) have announced direct flights between the city of Malaga and New York. This will definitely increase the numbers of visitors and also probably the number of Americans looking to live and work in Spain.