While there are so many great places to live in Spain, the Costa Blanca, “The White Coast” in English, boasts some stunning advantages. It has over 130 miles of beautiful coastline on the Mediterranean Sea and is home to some of the most popular holiday hotspots in the entire country. As relocation agents on the Costa Blanca we can help you find the perfect spot to start your Spanish adventure. Click here to get in touch with a relocation expert today.

There are so many things that you could say when talking about the Costa Blanca, like it’s traditional celebrations, fresh seafood from local fishermen, climbing of the limestone crags or the amazing resorts, golf courses and hotels along its coast. But really the thing that makes the Costa Blanca special is its beaches and quaint seaside villages. With 200 km or 120 miles of Spanish coastline there is so many hidden gems to discover along its coast.

Unfortunately, ever since the BREXIT withdrawal agreement UK citizens are now considered non-EU citizens and need a visa to live on the Costa Blanca. There are many different types of visas and you need to look carefully at which one best suits you. Have a look at our page on the topic of Spanish Visas & Residency for more information.

It used to be that with your British passport and an NIE number you could work anywhere you wanted on the Costa Blanca but now things have changed and in order to work you need to be a resident. For our American clients it has always been this way and now Brexit has made it the same for the British. To become a resident you first need a visa and then a TIE card. Have a look at our page on the topic of Spanish Visa Applications & Residency for more information.

Although it is not as easy to find employment on the Costa Blanca as it is in your home country, it is still very possible. Depending on what kind of work you are looking for, being able to speak Spanish, may not even be necessary. Keep in mind that the more Spanish you speak the better off you will be. A lot of the work that is readily available is in the tourism industry, with this comes the pain of the work being seasonal as things really slow down in the winter months.

For Non-EU nationals like Brits or Americans it is possible to move to the Costa Blanca without a job but you will first need a visa allowing you to do so. There are various visas and procedures you can obtain and it is best to hire a relocation expert to help you through the maze of administration and confusion. Get expert advice now

Although there are some jobs where speaking English is favourable or even required in some cases, if you don’t speak any Spanish at all you may struggle, basic Spanish is usually a requirement. Remember in some towns and cities the English speaking population can get to as much or over 50% so this means there is plenty of need for English speakers. Get yourself into that Spanish course at home you’ve been procrastinating doing!

The unemployment rate in the province of Alicante is 14.13 the lowest it has been since before the crash in 2008. This is a good sign. When the unemployment rate is going down job opportunities start opening up. The progression of this rate has been going down over the past year so we are coming into a prospective employee’s job market. Brush up those CVs and start your job search.

Like anywhere that is predominantly a tourist destination the jobs that are always available for English speaking expats are bar jobs, hotel jobs, estate agent jobs, tour guide jobs and many more all revolving around the tourism and relocation industries. Just remember these jobs are usually seasonal so it is a good idea to find out before you accept the job, if it’s a full time permanent contract or a seasonal one.

We can’t say enough positive things about the Expat life on the Costa Blanca.
The weather is amazing with our 300 days of sun a year. The beaches stretch for what seems to be forever. There are 3 major international airports on the Costa Blanca; Valencia, Murcia and Alicante. There are regular cheap flights from most European destinations. The healthcare in Spain really is amazing as well, constantly being ranked in the top ten in the world. What are you waiting for? Get yourself down here and live the dream!

The main language of Spain, The Costa Blanca included, is Castellano Spanish and that is what most people speak. Depending on where you go on The Costa Blanca there could be Spanish people that speak some or very good English. The expat British population all over The Costa Blanca is quite large in numbers so you will likely run into someone that speaks English quite often. In some places like to ever popular Benidorm for instance there will be a lot of English speaking people as the expat population is very high. Keep in mind that there are provincial and municipal dialects spoken in different regions.

Although there isn’t an exact statistic to be found for the Costa Blanca, the expat population is one of the highest in Spain. Some cities even have over a 50% expat population which is a staggering number. If you have plans of moving to The Costa Blanca do not worry, you will find plenty of foreigners there to socialise with.

Although there are so many upsides to living on The Costa Blanca, there are also some downsides. The main one is the language barrier. It will prove difficult to get things done sometimes if you can’t speak any Spanish. The Costa Blanca does have a lot of Expats but getting things done especially with government offices and banks etc can be very frustrating. Some other downsides could be the laid back culture and lifestyle as well as homesickness. All of these can be overcome with a little warmth, sunshine and beach time.

The Costa Blanca has always had a large English population and today is no different. The permanent residents and the massive amount of holiday makers every year tell the tale. The Spanish people get on very well with the English and all foreigners for that matter. You will often see the English and Spanish socialising together. Like anywhere, as long as you respect their rules and culture they are an incredibly warm and welcoming people.

Moving to The Costa Blanca can be so amazing and fulfilling if done right. Try and avoid these common mistakes when making your journey to The Costa Blanca. The mistake that stands out the most is not doing your homework on the sheer amount paperwork required to become a resident. For more information on this check out our blog Getting Spanish Residency for British Expats on The Costa Blanca Post Brexit. Some other mistakes we have seen before are making no effort to learn the language, not making Spanish friends and thinking all of Spain is the same and never exploring outside the city you live in.

Owning or buying a property doesn’t automatically give you residency, it only gives you property ownership. Your entry times will be restricted as any other tourist. There is a golden visa that you can apply for but it requires you making a minimum house purchase of €500,000. There is more information about visas on our services page for Visa Application on The Costa Blanca.

The entirety of The Costa Blanca is great for kids but as you can imagine each and every place has its own benefits and disadvantages depending on the age of your children and your family’s lifestyle.

The Costa Blanca is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Spain so you can imagine that in the summer months there are tourists everywhere but they are usually concentrated around the hotel/resort and beach areas. You can certainly find nice areas to live that are less touristy than others but it is good to remember that tourists bring money to the area and help to create jobs.

If you move to The Costa Blanca and get yourself residency and contribute to the social security system than yes, healthcare is free. If you don’t qualify for state healthcare then there are various private health insurance companies that you can use for private medical insurance. This is a popular option for some Expats as most of the private health institutions have English speaking staff.

In short yes, foreigners can get healthcare on the state system on The Costa Blanca. You must first get your residency and be a contributor to the social security system.

A lot of people that relocate to the Costa Blanca opt for private medical insurance and care over the state system. The biggest factor in their decision is usually the language barrier. This will really be a very personal choice and one you must be really careful making.

The Costa Blanca is full of International schools that teach in the English language with both British and American curriculums. These schools are all private and vary in price. All of the state schools in Spain teach predominantly in Spanish with some teaching basic English to the students.

The fees for the international schools vary significantly depending on the school and the age of the child. The best thing to do is to visit a few schools, gather information and then make a decision based on needs and budget. If you would like to speak with a relocation expert click here and we will be happy to assist you in whatever way you require.

There is no easy or short answer to this question unfortunately. How much money you need to get residency depends completely on your individual situation. You must first figure out which visa you can apply for and go from there. Go to our services page on Visa Application for the Costa Blanca where you can get some more information and get in touch with a relocation expert.