
RestaurantDoc
American citizen
Forum posts
44
About me
American
Lives in Canandaigua, New York
Registration: 18 April 2018
Parking tickets in Alicante City by RestaurantDoc
I was recently ticketed for parking in a blue zone downtown. New to Spain, I didn't realize what the blue lines meant. The fine on the ticket itself said 40 euros if paid within 15 days, 80 euros after that. That's a lot for a minor ...
Even if my old contact is no longer with them, the ticket should still be handled by the Alicante City Parking Office. If you can't make things work online, I suggest you find out where the office is and go there. You'll probably have a hard time ... Read More
Parking tickets in Alicante City by RestaurantDoc
I was recently ticketed for parking in a blue zone downtown. New to Spain, I didn't realize what the blue lines meant. The fine on the ticket itself said 40 euros if paid within 15 days, 80 euros after that. That's a lot for a minor ...
I think the ticket number is the one at the top and the reference number is the one at the bottom under the bar code. It's been almost 5 years since my incident and my memory of the event is far from fresh, but give it a try that way. If that ... Read More
Visa for Spain: how to pay fee 052? by Lorenzo Fabbri
I am applying for a Visa for Spain (for my PhD). One of the documents required is the form [url=https://sede.administracionespublicas.gob.es/pagina/index/directorio/tasa052/language/en]790-052[/url], which is available online and also as a PDF sent ...
@bnd4ever48 Glad I could help. Dealing with Spanish bureaucracy can be stressful ... and you're not done yet! As soon as you get to Spain and have an address, immediately make an appointment with the city hall (Ayuntamiento) to get your Certificado ... Read More
Visa for Spain: how to pay fee 052? by Lorenzo Fabbri
I am applying for a Visa for Spain (for my PhD). One of the documents required is the form [url=https://sede.administracionespublicas.gob.es/pagina/index/directorio/tasa052/language/en]790-052[/url], which is available online and also as a PDF sent ...
Don't sweat it. Your NIE will be on your visa when it is issued. You'll pay the fee at the consulate either when you submit the application or when you pick the visa up (It's been four years now and I can't remember which!) Anyway, the consulate ... Read More
pickle ball? by onadventure
Does anyone know if there are pickle ball courts in or around Alicante? For those of you who have never heard of it before, it's a net and racket game with a very weird name. Thanks! Jacala
If you're looking for an experience of living in Spain, Alicante is a good place to be. In my experience, over time most tourist areas morph to reflect the transients rather than be an expression of the locals. As a result, they lose that sense ... Read More
pickle ball? by onadventure
Does anyone know if there are pickle ball courts in or around Alicante? For those of you who have never heard of it before, it's a net and racket game with a very weird name. Thanks! Jacala
It depends on who you expect to meet. Most locals in Alicante speak no English, so unless you're fluent in Spanish, you're not likely to get into conversation with anyone but expats ... and you'll find most of them in Benidorm and ... Read More
pickle ball? by onadventure
Does anyone know if there are pickle ball courts in or around Alicante? For those of you who have never heard of it before, it's a net and racket game with a very weird name. Thanks! Jacala
Maybe less. What was once courts where you could play pickleball is now a new Mercadona supermarket. Read More
Visa for Spain: how to pay fee 052? by Lorenzo Fabbri
I am applying for a Visa for Spain (for my PhD). One of the documents required is the form [url=https://sede.administracionespublicas.gob.es/pagina/index/directorio/tasa052/language/en]790-052[/url], which is available online and also as a PDF sent ...
My visa appointment was merely a time to give them all the forms and pay the fee. There were no questions, no back and forth discussion, nothing even close to what I'd expected of an "interview." We even dressed up a bit; the consulate ... Read More
Visa for Spain: how to pay fee 052? by Lorenzo Fabbri
I am applying for a Visa for Spain (for my PhD). One of the documents required is the form [url=https://sede.administracionespublicas.gob.es/pagina/index/directorio/tasa052/language/en]790-052[/url], which is available online and also as a PDF sent ...
I looked at the form I submitted with my visa application and all I had filled in was my name, nationality (E.E.U.U. is the USA). I checked the box for Principal and at the bottom (Declarante) entered the city and state of the consulate and the ... Read More
Planning a move to the Alicante area in Spain by folkfagan
I am a British & Irish passport holder and I am seeking as much information and advice as possible, regarding ares to search for long term rented flats/apartments. I would ideally like a fully furnished outside flat with lift, 2 bedrooms, ...
I think I may be living in the apartment you're looking for: 4BR, 2BA, 180 degree view of the Med, underground parking, storage room, in the San Gabriel section of Alicante. Public transportation literally at the front door but most everything ... Read More
Parking tickets in Alicante City by RestaurantDoc
I was recently ticketed for parking in a blue zone downtown. New to Spain, I didn't realize what the blue lines meant. The fine on the ticket itself said 40 euros if paid within 15 days, 80 euros after that. That's a lot for a minor ...
You can park in a blue zone, but your time is limited to what you purchased from the parking machine {which can be a block away ... but trust me, it's there somewhere!) Read More
Parking tickets in Alicante City by RestaurantDoc
I was recently ticketed for parking in a blue zone downtown. New to Spain, I didn't realize what the blue lines meant. The fine on the ticket itself said 40 euros if paid within 15 days, 80 euros after that. That's a lot for a minor ...
... and now you know why! :-) Read More
Parking tickets in Alicante City by RestaurantDoc
I was recently ticketed for parking in a blue zone downtown. New to Spain, I didn't realize what the blue lines meant. The fine on the ticket itself said 40 euros if paid within 15 days, 80 euros after that. That's a lot for a minor ...
Glad to help ... and good to know somebody actually reads it! Read More
Visa for Spain: how to pay fee 052? by Lorenzo Fabbri
I am applying for a Visa for Spain (for my PhD). One of the documents required is the form [url=https://sede.administracionespublicas.gob.es/pagina/index/directorio/tasa052/language/en]790-052[/url], which is available online and also as a PDF sent ...
As I recall, I paid the initial fee at the consulate when I submitted my visa application. When in doubt, ask the consulate. Read More
Moving to Alicante In 2021 by Adlingtonfamily81
Hi People, Myself and my wife are planning to expatriate to Alicante in Spain in June/July 2021 when this silly Corona virus has gone away and we can live our lives again. As you can imagine we have a lot to organise and sort, especially as we ...
Gonzopr1 -- Assuming you're coming from the US, I can certainly tell you everything we ran into before and after we went expat in Alicante back in 2018. As a start, please tell me where are you in the visa process. What consulate are you using? ... Read More
Residency Application by Brynskill
When applying for residency, how much does each partner need in the bank, and how many months statements do you need to show ?? thanks
Velastin -- You'd need to check with your closest Spanish Consulate, but it sounds to me like you'd want to enter the country on a non-lucrative visa. That is basically a retirement visa and only means you can't do work that would ... Read More
Americans in Spain by DrDuane
Hello, With retirement just around the corner we have been looking at various locations and Spain continues to draw our attention. I would welcome information from US expats about the process of relocating and obtaining a residency visa. We will ...
The housing certification requirements may vary depending on the consulate. For my original visa application, the SF consulate accepted a letter (in Spanish, of course) verifying we had a confirmed AirBnB rental for our first 30 days [and therefore ... Read More
Americans in Spain by DrDuane
Hello, With retirement just around the corner we have been looking at various locations and Spain continues to draw our attention. I would welcome information from US expats about the process of relocating and obtaining a residency visa. We will ...
By way of introduction, I'm a retired American living in Alicante since the end of 2018. There seems to be misleading [and, in my experience, inaccurate] information in a few of the comments above, so I'll try to keep in simple and confine ... Read More
What US citizen needs to do to get Spanish residency ? by BShargor123
I am a US citizen and I don鈥檛 have EU residency. What steps do I need to take to move to Spain and obtain Spanish residency ? I see a lot of British citizens moving to Spain but they have EU residency which I don鈥檛. All help will be very ...
Of course the first question is when the US will have COVID controlled enough to get you permission to cross the big pond. The visa process itself took us about six months (three month of prep and planning plus another three months once we applied ... Read More
Moving to Alicante In 2021 by Adlingtonfamily81
Hi People, Myself and my wife are planning to expatriate to Alicante in Spain in June/July 2021 when this silly Corona virus has gone away and we can live our lives again. As you can imagine we have a lot to organise and sort, especially as we ...
We found our apartment online via idealista as well. Although there may be some estate agents with a list of available rentals, we ended up dealing with a different agent for every apartment we looked at. As I recall, all the agents had a working ... Read More
Alicante or Valencia? by GuestPoster11975
Hola, we are ex-pats currently living in Medellin, Colombia after having lived in Panama for over 3 years and are now in the exploratory stages for our next ex-pat chapter for Spain. We are going to visit both Alicante and Valencia as possible ...
We looked around Valencia but decided on the more laid back life in Alicante. It is smaller, more affordable and easier to get your head around. Valencia was just too confusing and had too much traffic for our taste. Depending on how you define both ... Read More
Best area to live by LindyLoo1001
Hi. We are looking to buy an apartment in Alicante and have been looking at a nice apartment in the Virgen del Remedio distict. Can anyone advise if this is a good/safe area to live in, or does the fairly reasonable price of the apartment ...
We [US expats] find Alicante to be a livably-sized Spanish city with a lot to offer. There is not the throng of English-speakers you'd find in Benidorm or Malaga ... and I think that's a big plus. If the purchase prices for real estate are ... Read More
Best area to live by LindyLoo1001
Hi. We are looking to buy an apartment in Alicante and have been looking at a nice apartment in the Virgen del Remedio distict. Can anyone advise if this is a good/safe area to live in, or does the fairly reasonable price of the apartment ...
I know the real estate situation in Spain is structured differently from what we are used to in the US (i.e. no MLS), but I'll ask the agent we contacted for this apartment if it is something he can help you with. To avoid commercializing this ... Read More
Best area to live by LindyLoo1001
Hi. We are looking to buy an apartment in Alicante and have been looking at a nice apartment in the Virgen del Remedio distict. Can anyone advise if this is a good/safe area to live in, or does the fairly reasonable price of the apartment ...
We are recently arrived retirees, so the cost of rent was always an issue. Still, we wanted a decent apartment with two baths, at least three bedrooms, a view of the water, indoor parking and a storage room. We found all of that within our budget in ... Read More
TIE CARDS - Known as : RESIDENCIA
I just found what looks like a good guide on this process at http://frugalvagabond.com/obtaining-your-spanish-residency-card-tarjeta-de-identidad-de-extranjero/. I still have questions, but I've got a local friend trying to help me sort it all ... Read More
TIE CARDS - Known as : RESIDENCIA
I have an appointment for my residencia (21 March in Benidorm), but for the life of me I can't find the web page with the details on what I need to bring, nor can I find the confirmation of the appointment. Can anyone point me in the right ... Read More
Cost of living 2019 in Spain by Priscilla
Hello everyone, As we usually do each year, we invite you to share your experiences and tell us more about the average prices of products and services in your town/city/area, so that we have updated information regarding cost of living and ...
For me there was no point to financing a used car. It sounds like Johncar found a way to make it work on a new car, but he's been here way longer than a newbie like me and certainly has contacts and experience that I don't. (I don't know ... Read More
Cost of living 2019 in Spain by Priscilla
Hello everyone, As we usually do each year, we invite you to share your experiences and tell us more about the average prices of products and services in your town/city/area, so that we have updated information regarding cost of living and ...
I just bought a used car and had the same questions about cash vs. financing. The salesman (an expat Brit) said it works like this: Say the cash price of the car is 8000 euros vs.7000 euros with financing. If you opt for financing, the bank pays ... Read More
pickle ball? by onadventure
Does anyone know if there are pickle ball courts in or around Alicante? For those of you who have never heard of it before, it's a net and racket game with a very weird name. Thanks! Jacala
On Calle Ramon Gonzalez Sempre, across from the BBVA branch in San Gabriel. Read More
Parking tickets in Alicante City
I was recently ticketed for parking in a blue zone downtown. New to Spain, I didn't realize what the blue lines meant. The fine on the ticket itself said 40 euros if paid within 15 days, 80 euros after that. That's a lot for a minor ... Read More
Living in Alicante City by keithywebb
Hi all, first time on here. We are looking at buying a place in the city of Alicante as our escape place,and are popping over to look around end of September 2018, looking for advice about Estate Agent, VR CASAS, they seem to concentrate on the ...
My wife and I are recently arrived retirees from the US. Given the relatively low rental prices in Alicante, we opted to rent until -- if ever -- buying made more sense. As renters, if we decide we'd rather relocate to another part of the ... Read More
Just Arrived and Overwhelmed by RestaurantDoc
My wife and I just retired to Spain, fresh new non-lucrative visas in hand. We've rented an apartment in Daimus for a month or so while we secure a long term lease elsewhere. We have our NIEs, but no Spanish language ability, we know no one in ...
I'd still like to know if I need a signed lease in order to get an empadronamiento certificate, and that I need the empadronamiento certificate before I can apply for the TIE. The Spanish Consulate in SF told us [in writing] that we had to ... Read More
Just Arrived and Overwhelmed by RestaurantDoc
My wife and I just retired to Spain, fresh new non-lucrative visas in hand. We've rented an apartment in Daimus for a month or so while we secure a long term lease elsewhere. We have our NIEs, but no Spanish language ability, we know no one in ...
I understand that. Some of these threads seem to deviate into discussions of applying for an NIE and I wanted to head off those detours. Read More
Just Arrived and Overwhelmed by RestaurantDoc
My wife and I just retired to Spain, fresh new non-lucrative visas in hand. We've rented an apartment in Daimus for a month or so while we secure a long term lease elsewhere. We have our NIEs, but no Spanish language ability, we know no one in ...
BTW, I received an NIE with my visa. Read More
Just Arrived and Overwhelmed by RestaurantDoc
My wife and I just retired to Spain, fresh new non-lucrative visas in hand. We've rented an apartment in Daimus for a month or so while we secure a long term lease elsewhere. We have our NIEs, but no Spanish language ability, we know no one in ...
Things are certainly more complicated when you don't speak the language! I am coming from the US on a non-lucrative visa. We arrived in the EU on October 28. My understanding is that I needed a signed lease in order to get the empadronamiento ... Read More
Just Arrived and Overwhelmed by RestaurantDoc
My wife and I just retired to Spain, fresh new non-lucrative visas in hand. We've rented an apartment in Daimus for a month or so while we secure a long term lease elsewhere. We have our NIEs, but no Spanish language ability, we know no one in ...
I thought the tip on a gestor was generic to my issue. I hadn't stumbled across that term in my digging to date but it seems like the perfect answer. I had hoped there would be more English-speakers about to point me in the right direction, but ... Read More
Just Arrived and Overwhelmed by RestaurantDoc
My wife and I just retired to Spain, fresh new non-lucrative visas in hand. We've rented an apartment in Daimus for a month or so while we secure a long term lease elsewhere. We have our NIEs, but no Spanish language ability, we know no one in ...
Thanks, that's a start. Ideally I'd like to find someone who knows the steps we need to take and can accompany us to the various offices to help each party (us and the government official) understand what the other needs. Read More
Just Arrived and Overwhelmed
My wife and I just retired to Spain, fresh new non-lucrative visas in hand. We've rented an apartment in Daimus for a month or so while we secure a long term lease elsewhere. We have our NIEs, but no Spanish language ability, we know no one in ... Read More