My husband and I spoke about moving to Spain before he suddenly died. We had just returned from a momth long trip to Spain. He had a EU passport (Irish) and our children are thus eligible for Irish citizenship. I have a US Passport. I am fluent in Spanish, have a Masters in interpreting and have taught at a Spanish university as a visiting professor. I won't need to necessarily work--I'm a stay-at-home-mom (the kids are still in diapers), but eventually they'll go to school. Technically, I could be considering "retired" since financially I won't have to work. My question is: does anyone know if my kids can attend Spanish schools? Also---what type of residency would I be eligible for, if any?

I have lived in Madrid on and off for several years and though it's changed quite a bit since I lived there, I believe it would be a great place to raise our children--also it was my husband's dream that our children be raised speaking both Spanish and English.

One other question---any suggestions on what barrio might be best for a young (early 40's) stay-at-home-mom?

Thanks for any help or advice--it is greatly appreciated. This is a totally new life for me and I know I'm up for a challenge, but I'd like to live our dreams for our kids....

If you have enough money in the bank a visa should be the easiest thing in the world to get, I'm just not sure how much money you would need. I would suggest getting in touch with a Spanish immigration attorney. They would be able to provide you with the most accurate advice regarding visa's and residency.

For certain your children will not have a problem attending school if your legally here. I'm pretty sure they can still attend if your not, but I'm not 100% sure about that. For certain one of the moms or dads on the board will know though.

Good luck with your decision and I'm sorry to hear about your husband.

Cheers,
Bonnie

It's a great dream. I think it would be wonderful for you and your kids.

My son is five and has gone to school here for the past three years. Here are the logistics that I have figured out:

Public school here starts the calendar year your child turns three (even though it's not obligatory until age 6 almost all kids start at 3). So, for example, if you child turns three before the end of the year, they start school in mid-September, even if they are still 2. Colegio is divided into educación infantil (years 3, 4 and 5) and primaria (6-11).

To get your kid into school, he/she has to be empadronado, which means having your place of residence registered officially at the city hall (ayuntamiento). As soon as you have a permanent place to live, you can do this whether you are legal or not. Under normal circumstances, parents request a slot in April (to start in September) the first year that the child is starting school. I can't remember when they post who got slots where... I think it is in June. If you aren't here and settled in April, you can get a slot in September through a different process. (This is what we had to do and there's a thread here somewhere where I detailed this not-so-fun process.) Where you live or work can determine which schools you can request, because slots are designated according to points, which are given out according to proximity (to your work or residence) and other factors, such as whether you have other children going to the same school. You get to select a couple of different schools and rank them.

The school year goes from mid-September to the third week of June. At my son's school, the school day is from 9:30-4:30 with a two hour break for lunch from 1:00-3:00. Kids can stay for lunch or go home. In September and June, because of the heat, the school day is shorter going from 9:30-1:30 (or 3:30 if they stay for lunch). From October through May, there are optional afterschool activities that meet from 4:30-5:30. In September and June, there is an optional afternoon camp that goes from 3:30-5:30. And there are also day camps the month of July. All of these afterschool activities cost extra--but not much at all--and are run by the parent's association (AMPA).

There are three different kinds of schools here. Público: totally free with no compulsory religion; Concertado: mostly public with an additional, but relatively low fee; I think (but am not sure) that religion is usually a compulsory part of the program; and Privado. Public and concertado slots are allotted according to the system that I mentioned above.

I can attest that Madrid is just a great place to live and to raise kids. Kids are so well-integrated into the fabric of life here. There are parks and playgrounds and plazas all over. And an amazing array of art, theater, music and other cultural activities geared toward kids. And, best of all, the culture has a really sane and protective attitude about children. It really is very different.

We have been really, really pleased with the quality of my son's education so far. The teachers are very well prepared and creative in their approach. We live in the center in La Latina. His school is public (Nuestra Señora de la Paloma) and just a few blocks from our house. I think the best neighborhood to live in depends a bit on your preferences... Living in the center is certainly easier if you want to be able to walk places and have everything at-hand. There are amazingly peaceful spots right in the middle of the city. No matter where you live, this city is, in general, much more kid-friendly than any big US city and babies are just little gods here.

Maybe you could get a non-lucrative visa... You have to show that you have a significant amount of savings ($75,000, I think) when you apply for the visa in the US. Once you get here and apply for residency, you need to show much, much less in a Spanish bank. I can't remember the exact amount--something like 15,000 euros, I think.

Good luck and let us know how your plans evolve. There are other mom's an dads on the board with littler ones. One board member (Chica) even organizes play dates in English.

You are so kind to write such a detailed and informative reply!! Right now, I have some loose ends to tie up here in the USA, but hopefully that won't take more than a year and I can then work toward making a move.

Initially our dream was Barcelona (my husband just LOVED it, but then again, he never got a chance to see Madrid). I have friends in Madrid (not many, but a couple) and I have several friends in Castilla y Leon, so they wouldn't be so far away.

I have had a long romance with Spain and I just can't help but agree with you that it would be a wonderful and wonder-filled place to raise my kids, especially since I know will be doing it on my own. Never mind it would be my way of fulfilling my beloved husband's and my dream for our family.

Thanks again. I guess my next step will be trying to contact the Consulate here in NYC and seeing if I can find a lawyer to help me with the paperwork. I'd rather be legal if I can work it out.

Thanks again.

quote:

Concertado:

ANOTHER QUESTION: Just from the little research I've done, it seems more reasonable to rent right now (especially w/ the dollar to Euro exchange rate) than to own. Do you guys find this to be true? The prices just seem pretty steep (or well, pretty much like Manhattan prices!).

No problem--I've been meaning to do a little write-up on schools for a while. As far as I can tell, this stuff isn't written down anywhere (in Spanish or English).

I agree that right now it is more reasonable to rent. I think it wouldn't be a good idea to buy until you are sure that you want to stay somewhere for the long haul. Rents are still a bit less expensive (even considering the exchange) than you would find in the big US cities.

Good luck getting it all together!