So, you’re a U.S. citizen and you want to move to Spain. I’ve got your back! After a bit of planning, I made the move in Sept. 2021. While it wasn’t necessarily easy, I couldn’t be happier. Here’s a look at how I moved to Spain in my late 30’s.
Move to Spain as a Language Assistant With NALCAP
The North American Language and Culture Assistants Program (NALCAP) is a fairly simple way to move to Spain with a job and health insurance (often two of the biggest move abroad concerns) lined up for you on arrival. Language assistants come from all over the world, but I will specifically be addressing the program for U.S. citizens since that is what I have personal experience with.
Requirements as of January 2022
- U.S. citizen with valid passport
- Have earned a bachelor’s degree or be currently enrolled as a sophomore, junior, or a senior in a bachelor’s program. Associate degree or community college student in last semester
- Possess native-like level of English
- In good physical and mental health
- Clean background check
- Aged 18 – 60. Must be 18 or over in January of year applying and 60 or less in January of year contract is ending
In addition, applicants are expected to be open-minded and flexible. Remember, you will be working with students and serving as an ambassador of the United States. Respect, kindness, and the ability to adapt will go a long way in determining your experience and impact!
Move to Spain With NALCAP: Work and Pay as a Language Assistant
As a language assistant, your contract will typically run from Oct. 1- May 31 or June 30. You earn between 700 and 1,000 euros per month depending on where you work and you will work 12-16 hours per week – also depending upon where you work. Solid budgeting skills will help greatly, but depending on your location, it can still be difficult to live on that amount. Don’t expect to be jet-setting around Europe on that kind of money. Consider picking up online or in-person private lessons upon arrival.
The school experience can vary greatly across Spain. Some have a more formal dress code, for example. Some schools will have you separate a small group of students to practice English conversation, while others may have you lead activities or teach vocabulary. Be prepared to get creative and think on your toes!
Move to Spain With NALCAP: Locations and Lifestyle
Your work and life experiences can also vary greatly depending on where you live. Your Spanish may improve more quickly in a pueblo, but you may find it boring or difficult to make friends. You may have to carpool if there aren’t many flats for rent near your school. Larger cities offer more to do, but you may miss out some the small town cultural experiences. You might find yourself playing the “housing hunger games” to find a flat, and you may have to pay for daily metro tickets to get to your school if you can’t walk. Just because you end up in Madrid doesn’t mean you’ll be working in the city center.
Speaking of locations, you have the opportunity to pick your top three autonomous communities when applying. You are not guaranteed your top choice, but the earlier you get in your application the better. The application will also ask if you prefer small, medium, or large cities, and what ages you prefer to work with. I highly recommend learning about the different communities and reading about the experiences of other participants online. While you get to rank the communities, you have no choice in the actual city or town you will work.
My Thoughts
This program isn’t for everyone. That said, I’m halfway through and have no regrets whatsoever. I can’t promise you will love your location or your school, or that all the paperwork won’t drive you insane. I learn something new every day and am grateful for the experience. I love the teachers I work with and I rarely have a bad day. The kids make me laugh AND make me think.
As someone in my late 30’s, I had the ability to save and prepare financially before moving to Spain as a language assistant. What I make here covers most of what I need day-to-day, including rent, food, a gym membership, and the occasional bus or train ride. I have auto-payments set for car insurance and a storage facility at home. Having that all sorted out in advance and only working 12 hours per week has really given me time to try new things. I’ve even had time to get a little bit bored and then see where my mind goes. Boredom is a powerful thing!
Tips for Potential Language Assistants
Before applying, I recommend you think about what you want to get out of the program. Why do you want to live in Spain specifically? Do you want to learn Spanish or improve on your current Spanish skills? Do you want a completely different living experience than you have at home? Do you have an idea of what you might want to do after being in Spain? There are a lot of ways you can use your work abroad to help your future job search if you think ahead! I think people tend to write off teaching English as something young and inexperienced people do, but if you’re open to it, there are a lot of transferrable skills to bring to – and gain – from the experience.
Move to Spain: Another Option
If the language assistant life just isn’t for you, no problem. A new digital nomad Visa is coming soon, so you can keep an eye out for that!
So there you have it – one practical way to make a legal move to Spain. What do you think? Are you ready to make the move? Applications for NALCAP open Feb. 1!
