Finally, Plan your Dream Life Abroad with
Guidance from the Clever Expat!

Could this be you? A true story:

I was recently in a Spanish consulate office in the United States to pick up my visa. I wasn’t alone. There was another couple there and a single lady, all of retirement age when I arrived. They were having a conversation about their experiences and plans after getting their visas.

The couple said that they had spent $15,000 to have their goods shipped to their Spanish destination. They planned to buy a home when they arrived. The other lady said that she had moved to Miami to be closer to the consulate. She said she planned to perhaps buy a home, but she was going to hire a full-time driver in Spain. She wasn’t sure what her final shipping costs would be, but she also expected between $15,000 and $20,000 to transport her items to her new home. 

None of them spoke Spanish. All of them had made significant life changes to become expat retirees.

When the visa official arrived to complete the visa process, the couple received their visas and passports and left. Then the remaining lady started a conversation with the visa official. “I brought my paperwork that the consulate requested.” (She had a large bundle of papers, along with a box of additional documents.) The official stated bluntly, “You need to mail those documents in. That’s what the directions said in our communication. I can’t take your documents.”

The woman was shocked. “But I have the documents right here. I can’t give them to you?” “No, you have to mail them in,” stated the official. “But I moved to Miami specifically to take care of tasks like this in person!” She was clearly surprised that the official was not going to budge. “The directions in the letter we sent to you were clear,” said the official. “Mail the documents in.”

The woman, defeated and clearly unhappy, left the office.

A little about my story

When I first moved to Spain from 2013-2015, I was in a completely different place in my life. (Here’s a link to my story.) When I returned to Spain in 2021, the world had changed, and so had Spain. The experience took me by surprise. I thought I knew what to expect, but I was wrong. 

Navigating healthcare, paperwork, and financial matters was almost impossible without help.

I mean, I had already done this once. I foolishly thought that my previous experience was sufficient. I knew people already, I had experienced many of the processes before, spoke some Spanish, and I knew the area pretty well. Over and over again, I learned that I was less prepared than I thought. I needed a lot of help to complete all of the steps to set up a life in Spain, from telephones to internet to healthcare.

However, with perseverance, patience, and a whole lot of language learning, I have been able to overcome many of the challenges and learned what other expats have faced. There are some common factors in every expat’s story as they look for retirement abroad.

• Finances. Crafting a new spending and financial plan for another country takes time and experience.
• Healthcare. Staying healthy in body and mind is important as you get older. Navigating a new health system requires different expectations and some new skills.
• Paperwork. From passports to bank statements to healthcare letters, the paperwork requirements seem endless!
• Arriving smarter. Building a new community and connecting with locals is a difficult challenge, but not impossible.

Looking back on my first year living in Spain, I learned so much. Not every “lesson” was pleasant, and there were many hard decisions as I became more successful as an expat. I’ve also been able to help others learn about being an expat through personal conversations, my travel blog, and connections through friends.

The CleverExpat.com website began with a meetup group in mind, but has grown to so much more. If you’re looking for reliable sources of information to make the transition to living as an expat, you’ve come to the right place!

Discover the Clever Expat’s Course Selection

The Clever Expat offers comprehensive courses that will pave the way for your successful expat journey.

Our engaging and interactive online courses cater to individuals interested in living abroad, whether it be on a full-time or part-time basis. With a focus on key areas such as finances, healthcare, and expat paperwork, we address the essential components of international living.

Each 90-minute session serves as a guided exploration of essential topics and tools. The goal is to empower you to plan and make informed decisions about your future.

Embark on this transformative experience with us and unlock the secrets to becoming a clever expat!

So, which type of class is right for you? It depends on your individual learning style and preferences. If you like to learn in a group setting and you want the opportunity to interact with a teacher and other students, then an online in-person class may be a good choice for you. If you prefer to learn at your own pace and you don’t mind working independently, then an email course may be a better option.

How do EMAIL courses work?

EMAIL course materials are delivered over a five-day period, beginning on the day of enrollment. In addition to video links, each email will include a variety of resources to complete at your own pace.

• Topic explanations reflecting the essential concepts and insights from current expat experiences.
• Downloadable worksheets and resource pages, delivered right to your email.
• Emails can be read and activities can be completed whenever it’s convenient, as many times as needed

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