We want to take our young family out of the US for 6 months within the next year to experience a different culture.
We originally were looking at Valencia/Sevilla due to the smaller sizes compared to Madrid/Barcelona while still being cities, nice weather, and proximity to beach, but have started researching Spain however the DN visa process looks very involved given we’d have to fly to the closest consulate to get the NIE as well as the visa itself (so 2 trips just to get the visa).
What Spanish-language cities/countries do you all recommend for a young family that has (relatively) easy visa processes, good infrastructure, family friendly, dog friendly?
Key facts about us:
- We speak spanish/english
- Both parents would be remote workers for US companies
- We have a large dog
- Our kid is ~2 years old and would need childcare
As an American who is currently living in Buenos Aires, Argentina, I highly recommend! I think it’s such a unique city because there’s a strong mix of European and Latin American (among other) cultures, and there is always things to do!
Immigration here is very relaxed; I find the immigration offices a bit disorganized, but getting a visa isn’t super hard and (although you may not want to) there’s usually little to no penalty for overstaying your visa. I know people who stayed for over 2 years with just a tourist visa and just had to pay a <100 USD fine
With a U.S. Salary, Buenos Aires is super affordable. There’s also cafes on every corner and there’s Wifi virtually everywhere.
There’s a lot of neighborhoods in Buenos Aires: I live in Belgrano, which is a bit more quiet and residential and there are lots of families living in my area. Recoleta is another upscale area that is residential and has a lot of cool history to explore. (In general though, Buenos Aires is a very busy city. Those neighborhoods are less busy than others, but won’t feel like the typical American suburbs, if that’s what your looking for)
BA is also the most pet-friendly city I’ve ever seen, like seriously, everyone has a dog lol. Lots of stores and restaurants are pet-friendly and there are plenty of plazas and parks around the city to take your dog or kids to get some fresh air!
Education is also free in Argentina. I’ve seen plenty of daycares and international schools for kids, so I’m sure you’ll find some place nice!
Argentine Spanish (specifically the rioplatense Spanish of BA) is definitely very distinct and took me awhile to adjust to, but since you guys already have a good base, i’m sure it will be fine! Best of luck!