Moving abroad is now a fairly common trend among workers in the UK, especially to booming locations that offer newcomers the opportunity to live in the lap of luxury, with destinations such as the UAE proving popular in this respect, as anyone who has ever stayed in one of the many ridiculously luxurious Dubai hotels will know all too well, but taking notice of local customs and traditions is something that many people fail to do. A good example of this is the manner in which many expats making the move from the UK to Spain remain clueless about the role of a Gestor and how it can help their smooth transition to their new home, mainly because their isn’t really a UK equivalent.
But a Gestor can greatly ease the bureaucratic burden placed on those immigrating to Spain. Local government and other official matters are notorious for being long, drawn out and complicated, even for locals. So for those moving from another country things are doubly difficult. Gestors are common throughout Spain but are more prevalent and more likely to speak English in the popular expat areas along the coast.
When you first travel to Spain to look for places to move, ask locals to recommend a Gestor too, the earlier you get one on board the better. Spanish hotels may not, as a generalisation, offer the same sort of knowledgeable concierge services offered in many London hotels, but they should still be able to provide you with a phone number or two for local Gestors.
Once you have found a Gestor though he or she can help you through the various legal and official processes. This can start by making sure everything is in place before you arrive with regards to your property or ensuring bills are paid if you are away for any length of time. In terms of settling in to Spain the can help you with obtaining your national foreigner identification number (NIE), insurance, vehicle registration and property purchasing.
If you decide to set up a business, then a Gestor will offer essential advice on preparing employment contracts, paying social security contributions and keep other tax payments up-to-date.
Just be aware though that Gestors are not lawyers so in certain cases you are advised to seek advice from professionals, in most cases Gestors would advice you when expert help is required but they are not obliged too, it always pay to double check yourself before signing any important documents.
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