HEALTHPLAN MAGAZINE

Spain is the second most popular country for Americans to move to according to a recent study.

The research was conducted by the American Home Shield insurance company and based on the number of Google searches by those looking to move to Spain from the United States. The data showed that Spain came second to only Canada as the most desirable country for U.S. nationals to move to.

Naturally, Canada came out on top thanks to its close proximity to the U.S, its similar culture, and the fact that the two countries speak the same language.

In a 2021 Immigration Observation, the Spanish government website La Moncloa reported that foreign residents in Spain had surpassed the 5.8 million mark for the first time ever.

Although American nationals are not currently at the top of the list in terms of sheer numbers, it is evident that Spain remains a popular choice for those looking to up sticks and move overseas from the United States.

How many U.S. nationals are currently living in Spain?

According to Statista, in 2021, there were 29,762 U.S. nationals living in Spain. The latest data from the country’s national statistics institute (INE), however, suggests that this figure could be a lot higher with recent figures showing that there were 39,812 U.S. residing in Spain in 2022.

With around 320 days of sunshine, mild winters, rich culture, and a better quality of life, it’s not hard to see why Spain has become such a magnet for Americans.

Which Americans are keen to move to Spain?

According to American Home Shield, there are two states in which searches on moving to Spain are more predominant. These are Texas and California.

It’s probably no real surprise that Texas and California are home to the majority who wish to move to Spain given the large number of Spanish speakers living in these states.

The data suggests that many Americans residing in Tulsa, Tampa, Stockton, Santa Ana, San Jose, San Francisco, San Antonio, Riverside, Plano, Phoenix, Orlando, Oakland, New York, Miami, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Laredo, Long Beach, Houston, Glendale, Fresno, Fort Worth, El Paso, Dallas, Corpus Christi, Chula Vista, Bakersfield, Austin, Arlington and Anaheim have been doing more than their fair share of searches on Google, especially when searching using the terms “moving to Spain”.

A weak Euro against the U.S Dollar is another possible factor that is influencing so many Americans to come here.

In June this year, there was an 86.9 percent uptick in the number of Americans visiting Spain with more than 377,000 coming here compared to the same month in 2019.

Which regions of Spain do Americans move to the most?

All of Spain is beautiful, however, there are certain regions that seem to attract the lion’s share of American nationals.

Although Brits and other Europeans favour the coastal regions, the majority of Americans seem to favour the inland capital area of Madrid with 11,717 in 2021 calling the region home. This was closely followed by Catalonia with 8,802 and Andalusia with 6,658 citizens.

How easy is it for U.S. nationals to move to Spain?

There are a number of ways for Americans to get a residency visa to live in Spain.

The most popular options are to apply for a non-lucrative visa or a golden visa.

For the non-lucrative visa, American nationals need to demonstrate that they have sufficient income. As of 2022, this is €27,792/$28,800 per annum for the main applicant. This figure then rises as more family members are added.

The other possibility is to apply for the Golden Visa. Although this gives you residency rights, you will need to invest €500,000/$518,000 into a property or other investment.

Finally, there is the highly-anticipated Digital Nomad visa which was recently approved by the Spanish parliament.

The Digital Nomad visa will be especially appealing to non-EU citizens from the U.S., UK, and Australia who may otherwise find it difficult to obtain a residency visa.

The visa which will be valid for one year with the option of extending up to five years will also entitle family members to join the main applicant. Applicants will also benefit from paying non-resident taxes which are lower than the usual IRPF income tax.

The visa can be extended for up to five years at which time the applicant and their family members are then eligible to apply for permanent residency in Spain.

Sources

https://www.thelocal.es/20221128/spain-is-the-second-favourite-country-for-americans-to-move-to/
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1187394/registered-north-america-foreigners-living-in-spain-by-country/