Expat Story: A Frenchy in Spain

ABOUT

Stephanie is a French woman from Montpellier, a nice city in the South. At the university there, she studied Spanish, English and Italian and other subjects such as Management, Law, Marketing…

She currently works at a Worktech Company named Swile, which offers various services to companies : meal vouchers, gift cards, Green Mobility, HR surveys… She’s been working there since 2019 and has had different roles but now she is Account Manager and helps companies to adapt their HR tools to their goals.

She speaks French, English and Spanish. According to her, Italian is now just a souvenir 😂

She moved to Barcelona (Spain) for the last semester of her Masters in 2015 and left in 2018 after 3,5 years of living there.

Moving to Barcelona

How did you first become interested in Spain?

I think I have always been interested by Spain because a part of my family is from there. Plus, living in Montpellier, Spain was the nearest foreign option for holidays with my family. I went there for holidays, I also chose to learn Spanish at school. Yet for my end of my Masters, Spain was not my first choice. I really wanted to go to Nordic Countries : Sweden, Finland…

What surprised you about life in Spain when you first arrived?

-I was surprised by the « NIE » which is the Número de Identificación Extranjero. It is a kind of DNI for foreigners and it allows you to work, to do administrative things etc. There was « empradonamiento » also which is a paper in which you must declare where you live. It allows you to go to Catsalut, the Catalan medical centers.

-Spanish people eat really late : 3.30-4pm for lunch and 10pm for dinner. They also talk very loudly and move slowly in public transports, they are not stressed like in France 😂

-A lot of people share a flat due to the price of rentals.

What should people consider before deciding to move to Barcelona?

They are going to work more than in France to earn less and life in Barcelona is quite expensive. Moreover, there is no social help like in France if you have financial troubles. There is no job security : your company can fire you whenever they want and unemployment benefits in Spain are limited to a maximum of 1000€ per month even if your salary is initially 4000€.

I am writing dark things but real things, Spain is not just sun, mojito, beach and fiesta. Yes you can have all of this but you must remember that social benefits are not the same as in France.

How did you find an apartment? How much was the rent?

I used the website Milanuncios which is a Spanish “Leboncoin”. It was 390€ for a room in a shared flat. I had a private bathroom. It was located near Arc de Triomf. Then I had a studio for 560€ per month, it was small and far from the center. Rents are really expensive now!

How did you get set up? (phone plan, bank ..)

I registered on “Les Francais Et Francophones à Barcelone” on Facebook and I asked for advice. It was quite easy.

Was it difficult for you to get medical insurance before you went there or when you first arrived?

No it was simple and my company helped me.

What did you bring with you?

I was supposed to stay 6 months I brought 2 pieces of luggage with a lot of clothes, a Firefox stuffed toy. I also brought my ex boyfriend. I still have my Firefox, not my ex 😂

Do you need to learn Spanish to live in Spain?

In Barcelona no : if you speak a little bit of English and French, you can work and live. Yet the best thing to do is to learn the language for a better integration.

Living in Barcelona

What are the main differences between French and Spanish people?

Living in the south, I do not see a lot of differences : the lifestyle is a little different but it is not a big deal. Moreover, I lived in Catalunya more than in Spain : they have their own vision and culture.

But more generally I think Spanish people are less stressed and less grumpy.

Yet, I have the feeling that there is less racism in France than in Spain.

What are your favorite things to do in Spain, specifically?

In Barcelona : going to Arc de Triomf, having a walk in the Parc of Ciutadella, eating tapas in El Born (my favorite neighbourhood) at Alsur Cafe, having a walk along the beach and coming back home with Empanadas from La Fabrica for dinner before partying in La Ovella Negra and Razzmatazz.

Having very cheap plane tickets from the airport, discovering Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands was also a great thing 😍

How much money do you need to live comfortably in Spain?

I would say 1800-2000€ minimum per month but it depends if you want to share a flat or not.

Is Spain a rich or poor country?

The wages are lower than France but some daily expenses are also lower.

Did you feel safe as a woman?

Yes! Definitely ! I miss it a lot and each time I was back in France I felt stressed. I could dress differently in Spain because I felt safe.

What movies should people look at to learn more about Spain?

L’auberge espagnole, also known as Pot Luck (UK) and The Spanish Apartment (Australia)! Even if it can sound cliché, the experience I had was a little bit similar!

Describe your favorite recreational activities there or those that are available.

I was a party girl at this moment of my life, my best activity was live music in Razzmatazz 😍 I liked to go to Disseny Museum also!

What are the best things to do in the area; anything to recommend to future expats?

Walking! Walking a lot to discover street art, a new concept store, an art exhibition. You can also discover a lot of Cuisine from all countries 🙂

Can you tell me something about Spanish culture that people might not know?

-They like eating snails in Catalunya and drinking calimocho in the North. It is a mix with Coca Cola and red wine.

-It is not a big thing but they are a lot with a piecing in the nose! It is living there that I decided to do mine.

And for a more cultural point, in Barcelona the first foreign community is Italian and the second is French 🙂

What are some local artists that you recommend checking out?

Dali of course! He is a Spanish landmark in art.

And Gaudi : he is the architect of the Sagrada Familia, Casa Batllo and Pedrera. I love his work!

I also would like to highlight a gallery in Barcelona which is very cool! It is called Galeria Maxo and I like it a lot.

Final Thoughts

What are the biggest challenges that Spain faces today?

It is a complex question but from my point of view there are a lot of things to do socially. The economical and social context is unsteady.

In Barcelona there is a big accommodation crisis because of tourism : the flat owners prefer to rent their flat by Airbnb to earn more money and it creates a big problem for the inhabitant who cannot find a flat with a decent rent.

What does the future of Spain look like? What changes have you seen in the recent years?

The financial situation is better than before and I think that Spain has a great vision about feminism even if it is a Latin country. Spain is more and more present in cinema and TV show in the last few years and I think is a good thing because it shows a more modern side of Spain.

Are there any experiences there that surprised you ?

Not especially, the thing that surprised me is that people wanted to speak English with me even if I spoke to them in Spanish. They thought I was polish or Russian 🥲

What has been the hardest aspect of living in Spain?

It was difficult to create friendships with local people and friendship with expats was hard because there was a lot of turnover. The other problem for me was the lack of opportunities : I had the feeling that people I met there were in Barcelona just for the sun, the fun and parties. I wanted something more authentic.

WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE? ARE YOU WORKING ON ANYTHING PARTICULAR?

I came back to Montpellier in 2018 and I’ve been working at my company for 4 years. I met my boyfriend at this company and our son was born in September 2021. My plan is to be happy with my family and staying curious about the world.

Thank you so much Stephanie for sharing your thoughts with me. It’s interesting to see how different France and Spain are, even if they are neighboring countries!

EUROPE