Losing a loved one is a terrible blow now matter where you happen to live, but if you are living in a foreign country, such an event can be devastating in more ways than one. Laws concerning Spanish death duties and inheritance tax (IHT) are very different from, say, the UK, and many British property buyers have been caught out by the pitfalls of Spanish wills and probate regulations.
Despite uncertainties over Brexit, increased numbers of British citizens opted to buy a Spanish property at the end of 2017 and relocated to places like the Costa del Sol to start their own business. At the time of writing it is not clear what the outcome of current negotiations between the EU and the UK government will be, so it is anyone's guess what impact this will have on British expats setting up in business in Spain.
If you and your family are thinking of relocating to the Costa del Sol or other parts of Spain, your children's education will be a major consideration. Here is an overview of the education system in Spain:
The Spanish Education System
From ages 6 to 16, education is compulsory in Spain. Schools in the country are actually believed to be of a better educational standard than those found in many other European countries, including Britain, with far fewer discipline problems and better attendance statistics.
According to the latest figures available from the Spanish Land Registrar's Association for the final quarter of last year, foreign demand for Spanish residential real estate grew sharply, as British buyers returned in considerable numbers. Spain's overall housing market expanded by 19.8% in the last quarter of 2014, with 111,921 home sales, which was the highest fourth quarter level since the recovery of the housing market began in 2015.
Finding the right property at the Costa del Sol is just half the battle - before you can move into your dream retirement home, you'll need to find a law firm that can deal with the purchase of your Marbella property in not just one, but two languages. If you've selected a well-established estate agency, they should be able to put you in touch with a multi-lingual law firm, or at least one where it is easy to arrange for all important documents to be translated so you know what you're signing!
