Top Expat Forums in Spain

It isn’t hard to see why Spain is such a popular destination. With a rich culture and heritage, high living standards and a fantastic Mediterranean climate, it is the country of choice for many expats seeking a relaxed outdoor lifestyle within a vibrant multinational community.

Joining an expat forum and connecting with local people, including other expats who have made the same transition, has many benefits. Local recommendations, tips, and advice can be a great way to source suppliers and services, understand the culture, and discover all the hidden gems reserved for local residents in the know.

Forming friendships and asking questions through expat forums provides access to a wealth of information. However, it’s also worth being cautious about relying entirely on unverified suggestions about renting or buying a property, managing your financial affairs, and the legal processes of registering for residency.

We’ve highlighted some of the most used Spanish expat forums, but we always recommend that you seek support from an accredited professional, such as a financial adviser, solicitor, or agent, with the formal and financial aspects of your move.

The Benefits of Joining Expat Forums in Spain

There are varied forums designed for expats living in Spain. Some focus on groups, social events and shared interests, while others have more niche topics, such as property renovation groups and those intended for retirees, parents or professionals.

Depending on the reasons for your move, you may find forums beneficial in the following areas:

• Accessing information about the best local amenities, restaurants, shops or service providers.
• Forming friendships and joining nearby clubs and groups.
• Seeking help navigating the local rules or knowing where and how to lodge a request or application.
• Asking for help with the ‘life admin’ associated with an international move, especially for expats who need assistance with language barriers.
• Searching for the best schools, playgroups, nurseries or childcare providers.
• Finding great tradespeople to help with renovations, landscaping or other projects.

To help you explore the best online communities, we’ve summarised several popular forums with a quick guide to the topics and subjects they cover.

Expat Exchange

This forum has existed since 1997 and hosts a huge database of information, articles, and advice. It focuses mainly on the exchange of information and has plenty of members who are on hand to offer support, having themselves benefitted from the forum during their relocation.

Members can request help from other expats, who are often delighted to help new users find the information they need, and international relocation professionals, who can assist with technical queries.

Forum topics covered include real estate, healthcare, visas, banking, international shipping, relocating to Spain with your pets, and starting up a business abroad, to name but a few.

Expat Exchange is free to join, and you have the option of signing up for The Foreign Exchange weekly newsletter, The Daily Update – both the global or local edition – and the Let the Adventure Begin newsletter, which guides new expats through the relocation process.

Expat Forum

As well as a space where registered users can ask questions and seek advice, Expat Forum acts as a social hub to help expats join clubs, find new friends, and integrate into their new community.

Members can share photos, maintain contact lists, and use the Social Groups pages to connect with people in the area who share their interests in particular sports, crafts, and hobbies..

The newsletter is delivered via email and includes updates about visa and immigration advice, opportunities for meetups, and social events. It also highlights the most popular forum discussions of the week.

BritishExpats.com

As the name suggests, this forum is aimed at British expats. It hosts a national thread and area-specific discussions to help people moving to certain regions of Spain.

Users can correspond on a variety of topics, such as how to fix your TV, where to find gluten-free flour, advice on internet connections and utilities, and warnings about scams to be aware of.

The Welcome Inn is designed for new members to introduce themselves and start making contacts in the forum. It is a friendly space that covers a broad range of information about moving, living, and working in Spain.

Resources include the Living and Moving Abroad pages, with advice about managing your relocation, Working Abroad for job opportunities and business support, and more casual social pages divided into The Lounge, The Lab and The Locker Room.

Expat.com

This website is for expats worldwide and has a section dedicated to Spain. It has an easy-to-use layout and a modern interface that is regularly updated. The website includes options for chatting, asking for help, and finding general information, but it also offers access to services for members such as health insurance, flight tickets, travel insurance, and learning a new language.

With a large membership, most new posts attract a high number of views, and forum members tend to respond quickly. There is also an Events page, which offers ways for new expats to get involved. These include nights out, dining experiences, seminars and business events.

The Discover section has an equally large amount of information – there is a general guide and a regular e-magazine that can help with finding jobs, hiring staff and searching for housing.

InterNations

With an emphasis on networking connections, InterNations offers members ways to meet new people and make direct contact to expand their social circle, gain business contacts and seek advice from established expats.

The network hosts over 390 country-specific forums, with advice guides, social events, and open discussion threads to help new expats access information. Topics covered include schooling, property, finding places to shop and understanding where the best places are to live, work, and socialise.

Users can sign up for a diverse array of events online, including sporting activities, beauty nights, and dinner clubs. InterNations also links to other resources and groups to join, whether you are looking for business support, getting involved in the local dining culture, or brushing up on your language skills to make communicating a little easier.

Further Support With Your Relocation to Spain

Forums can be a great way to find hints, advice, and suggestions from other expatriates who have made the same relocation or live in the same city or region of Spain. However, we advise caution since even the most well-intentioned users may not be qualified to provide advice about complex topics.

Banking, insurance, visa processing, pensions, and taxation are hugely popular subjects and areas many expats require support with, but that assistance should be professional and accurate.

Equally, the technical aspects of your move, tax profile, and future finances are always best discussed with an accredited, knowledgeable professional with sufficient expertise in supporting expatriate clients.

As a highly regulated wealth management company specialising in providing international finance solutions for those with a global lifestyle, the Chase Buchanan teams in Javea, Marbella and Tenerife are on hand to help, with the option of booking an adviser call directly through our contact pages.

*  Updated August 2024