I live in Vancouver and this thread has made me hate my life. Now I just have to figure out how to move to Spain.
Any downsides to living in Spain?
- Thread starter Vadym
- Start date
Careful with Spain - taxation is ridiculous and "optimizing" it can be harder than you think (especially if you have substantial savings, investments that produce capital gains, property rental income and the like).
I suppose it's somewhat easier if you rent + get a regular income from abroad/freelance work. But even then you better consult a good accountant beforehand.
Look into Portugal as an alternative - their "non-habitual resident" regime can lead to 0% income tax + no taxation of capital gains, no wealth tax or any other nonsense for 10 years+. But only if you qualify - which used to be next to impossible some years ago, but is pretty straightforward right now.
P.S. you have to live in Portugal and have a rental agreement to prove it for the first 8-12 months. Once your status is sorted out there are no more minimum stay requirements (which is extremely rare).
I suppose it's somewhat easier if you rent + get a regular income from abroad/freelance work. But even then you better consult a good accountant beforehand.
Look into Portugal as an alternative - their "non-habitual resident" regime can lead to 0% income tax + no taxation of capital gains, no wealth tax or any other nonsense for 10 years+. But only if you qualify - which used to be next to impossible some years ago, but is pretty straightforward right now.
P.S. you have to live in Portugal and have a rental agreement to prove it for the first 8-12 months. Once your status is sorted out there are no more minimum stay requirements (which is extremely rare).
Appreciate it. Going to check out Portugal soon.
Keeping my CDN passport and traveling about for a few years 3-4 months a time, so gonna keep paying whatever minimal taxes for money that goes to banks in Canada - and the rest goes to my offshore setup, which is already 0% foreign income tax and I have a purdy Visa/Debit card for that I can take 2 grand a day out of from any ATM on zis planet with. I got a buddy coming to intern for me in Spain and he speaks Spanish - so he's going to take care of any rental/landlord/bullshit issues. And help me hit on Spanish girls. In Spanish. :bowdown:
Struggled with whether I should post new thread and clutter STH (lololol i made a funny) - or post on this one and make people scroll down. Now you can rest your index finger and read.
So went to Spain - it was awesome, had a snake come to my patio and eat one of the mice in the bushes on patio and slither around for like 3 hours because it was too fat in the middle to get out the way it came. Even snakes are slow in Spain.
Went to Romania - it's like Vancouver weather meets everything else Eastern Europe like proper daily produce bazaars w peasants that come from 8-3 and old dudes sitting around fishing at any possible body of water in the area.
Overstayed and went back to Spain - got detained in a Romanian airport toilet that they tried to convince me was an office. Putting a desk and 2 chairs in a room that has a toilet in the corner does not make it an office - it makes it super funny. Guess it looks weird that some Canadian went to small town in Romania, overstayed and came back to Spain - but after I couldn't stop laughing at their toilet bathroom, they must've been convinced I'm straight tourist and let me on the plane.
Now back in Spain - the nicest January weather I've seen anywhere. 10-18 degrees celcius and very bright/sunny daily.
Pic I took from my phone.
Way nicer than:
Next month - I'm going to London for a month before going back to Canada to get extended visa (and because London to East Coast = 10hours vs 15-17hours from Spain and long flights are no bueno).
Any London tips? How to not get killed by radical Pakis, a nice hotel near stuff (a mall or whatever their equivalent is, a gym, a place that washes clothes if UKers use washing machines) to hole up in for a month, whether its difficult to get some pot there (developed a bit of a taste after Spain), etc.
Plz any advice and thank you.
PS - Im talking like city of London, with that Isle of Dogs. Whatever that is.
So went to Spain - it was awesome, had a snake come to my patio and eat one of the mice in the bushes on patio and slither around for like 3 hours because it was too fat in the middle to get out the way it came. Even snakes are slow in Spain.
Went to Romania - it's like Vancouver weather meets everything else Eastern Europe like proper daily produce bazaars w peasants that come from 8-3 and old dudes sitting around fishing at any possible body of water in the area.
Overstayed and went back to Spain - got detained in a Romanian airport toilet that they tried to convince me was an office. Putting a desk and 2 chairs in a room that has a toilet in the corner does not make it an office - it makes it super funny. Guess it looks weird that some Canadian went to small town in Romania, overstayed and came back to Spain - but after I couldn't stop laughing at their toilet bathroom, they must've been convinced I'm straight tourist and let me on the plane.
Now back in Spain - the nicest January weather I've seen anywhere. 10-18 degrees celcius and very bright/sunny daily.
Pic I took from my phone.
Way nicer than:
Next month - I'm going to London for a month before going back to Canada to get extended visa (and because London to East Coast = 10hours vs 15-17hours from Spain and long flights are no bueno).
Any London tips? How to not get killed by radical Pakis, a nice hotel near stuff (a mall or whatever their equivalent is, a gym, a place that washes clothes if UKers use washing machines) to hole up in for a month, whether its difficult to get some pot there (developed a bit of a taste after Spain), etc.
Plz any advice and thank you.
PS - Im talking like city of London, with that Isle of Dogs. Whatever that is.
Haha. How'd you overstay btw?! I thought Romania was part of the Schengen area these days.
Well, the City of London there's not really much to see. The Tower of London is worth a look (crown jewels etc.) but that's about it. "London" (The Square Mile) is the city and arguably the financial centre of the world. Even the pubs close at weekends when there are no workers there.
Within walking distance of the City, city boys and tech people play by Old Street/Shoreditch (Islington) and Brick Lane (Tower Hamlets) which has really changed vibe in the last 10 years. I remember squat parties and people selling fake DVD's/tobacco and broken shit they found in dumpsters on Sundays, now you will just find expensive clothes and organic falafel etc. Still worth a look though.
Not sure why you've mentioned Isle of Dogs. Nothing there. In terms of avoiding Islamists and looters, Tower Hamlets (with the exception of Brick Lane/Commercial Street side) is ISIS headquarters. Generally speaking it differs from North American cities where you have defined 'ghetto' hoods in the fact that poor and rich all tend to live together, so even in Westminster there are the odd streets that you wouldn't want to walk down. But generally speaking London is a very safe city if you keep your wits about you, especially in the areas you're likely to end up in.
Hard to give specific recommendations without knowing what your scene is, and what type of activities you enjoy? I would say though: Get an Oyster card, fuck cabs (TFL website can help direct you from place to place, buses are good.) Also, it's very flat. So if the weather is nice you can get some great views from either Greenwich park in the South, and Primrose Hill or Hampstead Heath in the North.
Romania isn't Shengen yet. And seem to be a lot more suspicious of foreigners because of that. I assumed overstaying a month would be no big deal like Spain - was partially wrong. Not a huge hassle, but I'm sure the people that had to stand in line behind me for 10 mins weren't into it.
Thanks for details - I sent you a PM for more info.
Thanks for details - I sent you a PM for more info.