Living in Spain > Madrid > 5 Tips For Living in Madrid
Expats in Madrid live in a city with a broad appeal to people throughout the world, rich cultural traditions and some of the most delicious food in the world!
Expats in Madrid enjoy one of the biggest and most interesting cities in Europe. A diverse population and a great sense of pride for it's cultural heritage make it a fun - and delicious - place to live!
Expats in Madrid live in the capital city, which is considered to be the economic, cultural and political centers of Spain. Also located in the geographic center of Spain, Madrid is the largest city in the country and 3rd in all of Europe. The city of Madrid is in the Community of Madrid, one of the 17 communities that comprise the country.
One expat in a moving to Madrid report that "you can get much cheaper and larger apartments outside of the center of the city (duh). I do like where I live simply because I don't have to go anywhere to have fun. I'm 10 minutes away from the central tourist/party area of Sol. I live 2 minutes away from a metro stop and have literary hundreds of club and bars outside my doorstep. With all of this I hear no sounds at night since my apartment window faces inwards."
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Expats that will use private health insurance, such as what is offered by Cigna Global, one of our sponsors, should take care to make sure that it is in place prior to your arrival.
Expats in Madrid agree that it's generally important to have a basic understanding of Spanish in order to receive high quality health care. That being said, the Spanish health care system is highly regarded when compared to others systems throughout the world.
Hospital Universitario La Paz is the largest and one of the best hospitals not just in Madrid, but all of Spain. Official website of Hospital Universitario La Paz
There are many other highly rated hospitals in Spain.
Here is a link to an FAQ on Spain's social security health site
Telegraph.co.uk: What Brits Retiring to Spain Should Know About Health Care
Expats in Madrid experience culture shock for a variety of reasons. One expat wrote that "I was kind of frustrated with how slow everything seemed to me. Groceries stores opened at 10:00 am. If I needed something in the afternoon, I'd had to wait until they open after the nap... Around 5:00 pm... Long waiting lines in any government office... Only one person giving forms and answering questions of any type... You won't hear thanks from waiters, most of the time.... Should I continue?
Another expat living in Madrid reported that "this is a Catholic country. Most individuals seem accepting of differences unless you are from a Latin country. As an American with very little Spanish language capability, they are very helpful and go out of their way to help me. Typically Latins are thought of and treated as the hired help. It does not matter how they are dressed or how much jewelry they have on... still just hired help. Fortunately, if problems arise in stores or restaurants, each establishment has a complaint book. If you ask to make a complaint, they must give it to you. Normally, the attitude changes when you ask for this book. They police can shut the place down if they do not have the book to give you.
The Cuisine of Madrid is a blend of all the different cuisine traditions of the various regions of Spain. There are many traditional Spanish dishes, but the crown gem of Spanish cuisine are tapas, and Madrid has amazing tapas bars.
There are an unbelievable number of other excellent Restaurants in Madrid.
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Get a quote for expat health insurance in Spain from our partner, Cigna Global Health.
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Expats in Spain share their experiences with healthcare and overseas medical insurance in Spain.
Joshua Wood, LPC joined Expat Exchange in 2000. Joshua has a BA from Syracuse and a Master's in Clinical and Counseling Psychology from Fairleigh Dickinson University. Some of Joshua's more popular articles include Pros and Cons of Living in Portugal, 10 Best Places to Live in Ireland and 5 Best Places to Live in Spain. Connect with Joshua on LinkedIn.
If you're a family moving to Spain (or anywhere in the world), David John's article offers great advice for helping your children through the relocation process. From keeping your children involved in the move to considering their education.
The quality of healthcare in Spain is exceptional, but their healthcare system is different from what expats are used to at home. CIGNA shares tips about the Spanish health service, obtaining your atarjeta sanitaria, state health care and more.
There are three new legal changes on the horizon in Spain, which will positively impact expats and family inheriting from relatives who were expats in Spain. Melissa Sullivan outlines them.
Tenerife is the largest island in the Canary Islands. Santa Cruz in the north is where more jobs can be found. The south is home to resorts, beaches and tourism industry jobs. There are international schools in both areas. Do your homework and be sure to spend time exploring and visiting Tenerife before you make the move.
Apr 07, 2016
Get a quote for expat health insurance in Spain from our partner, Cigna Global Health.
Get a Quote
Expats in Madrid live in a city with a broad appeal to people throughout the world, rich cultural traditions and some of the most delicious food in the world!
Expats in Spain share their experiences with healthcare and overseas medical insurance in Spain.
Support your favorite restaurants in Madrid as they recover from the pandemic. Submit a free listing for them on Expat Exchange to help spread the word about them to the expat community.
An expat in Madrid recommends HM hospitals, says that prescriptions are a fraction of the prices that they are in the US and has a warning about US health insurance policies for expats.
If you're a family moving to Spain (or anywhere in the world), David John's article offers great advice for helping your children through the relocation process. From keeping your children involved in the move to considering their education.
The quality of healthcare in Spain is exceptional, but their healthcare system is different from what expats are used to at home. CIGNA shares tips about the Spanish health service, obtaining your atarjeta sanitaria, state health care and more.
There are three new legal changes on the horizon in Spain, which will positively impact expats and family inheriting from relatives who were expats in Spain. Melissa Sullivan outlines them.
Tenerife is the largest island in the Canary Islands. Santa Cruz in the north is where more jobs can be found. The south is home to resorts, beaches and tourism industry jobs. There are international schools in both areas. Do your homework and be sure to spend time exploring and visiting Tenerife before you make the move.
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