Living in Tenerife - moving to Tenerife
From the millions of people that take holidays in Tenerife there is a large percentage that wonders whether it would be possible for them to live in this idyllic climate. One of the most common phrases to be heard from holiday-makers to residents is ‘‘aren’t you lucky, living in Tenerife’’, in the majority of cases this simply is not true. The vast majority of foreign people that live here do so through their own hard work and determination; some have had to take two or even more attempts to successfully make the transition.
From dreaming of a life in the sunshine to actually making a commitment is a huge step particularly if one is a member of a family with children; every single member of the family has to be in complete agreement and to be aware of all the differences that will be made to their lifestyles, both good and bad. It’s so easy to be caught up in the euphoria of the dream of living in Tenerife in sunshine and warmth.
One of the biggest fears is losing touch with friends and family but that is usually dispelled very quickly, many new immigrants discover that although they now live thousands of kilometres away, they actually see more of friends and family while living in Tenerife than they did back in the UK. Once established in Tenerife it’s surprising how many of one’s friends and family that one normally sees only at ‘weddings and funerals’, which suddenly can’t bear not to see you, so come to stay with you in your very convenient home in Tenerife! Beware; you could become chef, chauffeur, housemaid, laundress and guide to a succession of visitors, apart from these ‘duties’ there is the not inconsiderable added expense of having a constant stream of visitors. This is a serious addition to the cost of living in Tenerife, not only for the hidden costs of electricity, food, water etc. but also guests want to go out to eat and drink and enjoy their holiday and naturally expect that you will go with them, hence more expense.
Working to earn one’s living in Tenerife is also a serious consideration; for the majority of prospective immigrants without fluent Spanish the opportunities for well paid employment without a specialised skill are extremely limited. Those with the experience and available capital to become self employed obviously have an advantage but the overheads, in terms of the beaurocracy and the time that’s wasted visiting various government offices and completing the necessary paperwork is enormous. The Spanish government does not like to use the postal service for some reason, so that many things which we in the UK are used to doing by post; entail going to, sometimes several, offices in order to complete the seemingly endless streams of paperwork, all part of the joys of living in Tenerife.
Often the first thought of people looking for a means of earning their living when contemplating living in Tenerife is to have a bar, usually they will have spent some time in one while on holiday, enjoyed chatting to the owners and come away with the impression that ‘this is the best way for me to enjoy living in Tenerife’. If the reason for coming was to enjoy the sunshine and outdoor style of living in Tenerife then is spending up to sixteen hours a day, seven days a week behind a bar the best way to enjoy the outdoor life? Running a small bar and perhaps providing snacks or meals from a tiny HOT kitchen is exhausting work and with the amount of competition very long hours are necessary in order to keep one’s head above water.
Families moving here will need to consider very seriously the question of schooling, children going to the various English schools cost a large proportion of the family budget, (at least 3000 Euros per child) while those fortunate enough to find places in the local Spanish schools will be faced with teachers that speak only Spanish. Imagine suddenly being taught and told what to do and where to go in a foreign language with no translation available! This is an important part of the planning when considering living in Tenerife; it’s a wonderful carefree life for children growing up here providing the parents have enough time and money to support them.
Generally salaries are much lower here than in the UK but the cost of some items is much less, the most noticeable being, eating out, drinks and tobacco related products. However housing rental is expensive in relation to earnings particularly if one lives in or near the tourist areas.
This is only a brief article on living in Tenerife and will be supplemented by in depth studies on many of the factors affecting immigration as our site increases.
