Home

Overview

So, you are moving with your pets to Spain!  Congratulations.  We’ve only lived here about twelve weeks but we can already tell it was the right choice for our family.

And our family includes two small furry creatures who love to bask in the Spanish sun. Moving them was a source of great anxiety for me, so I want to share our experience. While the paperwork and deadlines feel daunting, it really all works out fine in the end. 

So, what is needed to move your pet to Spain?  Let me first of all share that we moved two adult Siamese cats to Spain. If you are moving a dog there may be differences, although I think this will still be useful to you. 

Your first task is figuring out air travel. We were not willing to fly any airline or cabin that does not allow pets in the cabin. This cuts out most European airlines and most business class. For instance, United allows 2 pets total in Coach and Economy Plus but none in most Business or Premium Economy (purple seats) cabins. So, to find flights efficiently we paid the surcharge for making reservations with a United agent rather than using the app as we normally would.

We also ended up not being able to fly direct, as the direct flights from DC to Madrid only run through around October 15th and we were leaving on the 22nd. We would recommend flying direct if you can, as the added time is not fun for the cats (and wasn’t fun for us, but more on that later). 

You also want to check with your chosen air carrier about their requirements for pet travel. United seemed pretty chill about the ones we chose (which were recommended by Wirecutter). However, on Facebook some US immigrants who have moved to Spain with their pets have advised taking the carrier and the critter out to the airport to have the airline approve both the carrier and the amount of room the pet has within it. United does have a size limit for carriers, because the carrier has to fit under the seat in front of you. They have a helpful page of information called “Traveling with Pets”and I imagine other airlines have this information as well.

Find a Vet Who Does International Certificates

Your second and equally important task is finding a vet who works with the US Department of Agriculture on international travel certificates. We lived in Washington, DC, home to tons of folks in the military, the foreign service, and international organizations and we found only TWO vets in the city that actually handled international travel. We were pretty surprised!

Our own vets—a wonderful cats-only practice in Virginia—stopped doing them because of how complicated the rules are for different countries. Basically you need a full-time staffer who keeps up on all of the different and changing requirements, and they just didn’t feel it was worth it. 

MicroChip and Vaccinate Your Pet

Once you find a vet, Spain’s rules are relatively straight forward but the number of deadlines can make your head spin.  The first thing you need to do is chip your pet and then they get a rabies shot after they are chipped. The chip must be 15 digits and also be ISO 11784 or 11785 compliant.  The chip compliance did not seem to be a big deal when we brought it up with vets, but it is an important detail to note, especially if you have a pet who was chipped somewhere using different standards. The chip and rabies needs to happen a minimum of 21 days before you land. So, I would advise doing this sooner rather than later. If your pet has already been chipped, and has a rabies vaccination that will be valid for at least a year from your arrival date, you can skip this step. 

Book an Exam to Obtain the Certificate

Now you need to focus on their actual travel paperwork. There are two ways that this can work, depending on your vet and his or her preferences.

For some vets, within 30 days of when you land in Spain, you will need an appointment with the international certs vet. They will be able to issue you the pet’s certificate and this is valid for 30 days. Then, exactly 10 days before you land in Spain, the certificate will need to be endorsed by the US Department of Agriculture. Many vets can do this online; others will have you take the paperwork and submit it yourself via Fedex.

In our case, the vet preferred to do everything at once, so we had to do an appointment for an exam very early in the morning 10 days before our arrival date. That afternoon, he submitted the paperwork for the endorsement electronically.

A couple of things to note here.  One is that your appointment needs to be timed based on when you land. Since this is often one day later than you leave, it’s important to make sure you are timing things around your landing date. It would really be awful to have moved with your pet to Spain and discover your paperwork was one day out of date! Second, if you are using a new vet to issue the certificate, find out whether or not they require a separate, earlier, “joining the practice” visit and also what documentation or additional things they need from your old vet in order to have what they need to issue the certificate. We had to bring in a stool sample for a parasite check, for instance, in addition to vaccination records and the records of their last exams. 

The other important detail was that the if the vet is doing this electronically, you will need a paid, self-addressed FedEx priority label printed out. So, after our 7:30 am certs appointment we took the cats back to our apartment and went to the nearest FedEx store to pay for a shipping label. This was then scanned and uploaded with the documentation.  Then, when the US Department of Agriculture had our certs ready, they printed out this label and used to overnight the certs back to us. 

All of this made us feel a little breathless, especially since the certs appointment was early  on a Thursday and the first of our two movers (the ones hauling away furniture donations) came on Thursday afternoon. We were also living in a hotel for a week before our flight, so we had the certs sent to our hotel. But in the end it all worked out, despite my being convinced that it wouldn’t. 

On the Day of Travel

So, in order to travel with them, we had to show some documents to United. They were most interested in rabies vaccines, so we had brought copies of the chip-and-vaccine docs, although they also glanced at the USDA documents. They then tied yellow paper tags onto each carrier that authorized the cats as fully paid, authorized, carryon passengers. 

So, how was it to fly with our cats?  Although we didn’t have any issues with our flights or our arrival to Spain, it still wasn’t fun. We gave both cats the anti-anxiety medicine recommended by the vet but it did zero good. Basically they meowed and screamed bloody murder for 60% of the time (Capri) and 80-85% of the time (Bali). Bali especially constantly tried to break free of his cage, etc. to the point where we need to get the carrier repaired before he can travel in it again. At the lounge in Newark we tried to interest them in food or water in a quiet room, but they were so mad they wouldn’t have anything to do with it. And all of this drama lasted from the minute they were put into their carriers at the hotel at 11:30 am until we got into our hotel room at around 6 am DC time (noon Madrid time). So that is around 18 hours of meowing!

Despite our vet assuring us the cats would be fine for that period of time, it was really hard to ignore them. Also note that our cats are healthy and only two years old. So, figure out how long your travel time will be (with generous padding on both ends) and ask your vet if this time in a carrier with potentially no food or water is okay. I did try to calm them by talking to them and petting them through the carrier but they would not have it. Finally I just put on my headphones and hoped the people around us didn’t hate us by the time the flight was over. 

Arriving at the Airport with Your Pet

And what was arrival to Madrid-Barajas like?  Spain had dropped its COVID requirements, so that was one less hurdle. Basically, we got our baggage as usual and then on the way out stopped at a special pets area. The employee  checked to make sure the pets were microchipped and then she looked over all their documents. She was mainly just making sure that the chip numbers on the documents matched the numbers that came up on her chip reader. She then recorded their entry and stamped the forms. I think we gave her the chip and vaccine documents, but I do not recall if she looked at them. 

The good news is the hotel room was sunny and they ate food (we brought several weeks of food from home) and drank water and took a nap within an hour of arrival. And they’ve been fine since. But if you are moving with cats, especially, be prepared for them to be unhappy. Despite what they may be telling you, however, they will be fine. 

Download our Handy Checklist

The most up to date source of current travel requirements for pets to Spain is the US Department of Agriculture:
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/pet-travel/by-country/eu/pettravel-spain

Ready for a change

In our last post, I detailed the reasons Chuck and I have for our move to Spain. In this post, I will discuss why we decided on moving to Madrid first, before settling permanently in another city. 

We are interested in settling in a smaller, coastal city, because one of our intentions in leaving Washington is to transition into a different style of living. We’ve both lived in multi-family housing (dorms or condos) our entire lives since graduating from high school. At this point at least, we think we’d like to live in a more residential area in a single-family house. So, choosing a home to buy will require many trips to these cities, during different seasons, until we find a place that feels right. 

Why not move directly to the sea?

Since one of our requirements for our next home is to live near the Mediterranean, we strongly considered moving directly to a seaside city first. This has some obvious advantages. Our current plan means we are shipping our furniture and kitchen goods to Madrid first. Then, after we settle on a city and purchase a place, we have to find movers to move  again. If we moved directly to a location on the water, we would save money and spare ourselves the hassle of moving twice.

The other advantage of moving directly is that we would be building relationships with people in a place we plan on staying for a while. At one level, this means finding the best fishmonger and produce stall at the market where we will plan to buy for years. It also means learning which is the best dry cleaners, etc., only once. But at a deeper level, moving directly to our long-term city means starting on the task of finding a circle of friends with a view to the fact that we will be there for the long term. Moving to a city and then moving in a year or two means starting relationships and then changing those relationships into long-distance ones.

However, as we considered the places we thought about living, we just weren’t sure we could commit (as I describe below).  I also joined several FaceBook groups for American and European immigrants to Spain, and new places that seemed really attractive kept popping up. This made us realize that while we had traveled to a fair number of places in Spain, it’s a big country with lots of options. We needed to learn more and feel like we had really done our due diligence before committing. 

Where we’ve thought about living in Spain: Valencia

So, what are some of the coastal places we are looking into? First among them is the city of Valencia in the Valencian Community, which is probably still the likely choice. We visited Valencia for the first time 12 years ago for my birthday and loved it. We returned there on a combo 30th anniversary and scouting trip in May and still really loved it. We met a wonderful lesbian couple (from Belgium and Canada) with twin children, who graciously showed us around their beautiful suburban home and answered our endless questions. The seafood in Valencia is amazing, the beaches gorgeous and wide, and as the third-largest city in Spain, Valencia is a great place to live.

---

Where we’ve thought about living in Spain: Malaga and Torremolinos

We also took a trip to Andalucía, Spain’s large southern autonomous community. We visited the city of Malaga during Spring Break in 2022. Our reasons for visiting Malaga were simple: it’s warmer year-round in Coastal Andalucía than in other regions, and Malaga has a small gay town nearby called Torremolinos. 

Malaga itself was gorgeous. The downtown is spotlessly clean, there is a working port which is cool, and the food and seafood are spectacular. We had amazing tapas and seafood rice (arroz de mariscos) and the market was great. However, because of Torremolinos, gay life isn’t really focused in the city. It also felt a little too small for our taste. 

Our visit to Torremolinos was underwhelming. The beach there is really beautiful, and there’s a super nice gay beach club and restaurant. However, the little town of Torremolinos is bland, with nondescript blocks of apartments. The gay bars, restaurants, and clubs are mainly in a pedestrian mall in the center of town. So, Torremolinos felt more like a place we might come for a long weekend to enjoy the beach, but not someplace we wanted to live. If we were to move to this area we would choose Malaga city over the surrounding area. However, it’s not at the top of our list because we like Valencia better. 

So, why Madrid?

On our Valencia scouting trip in May, we were convinced we wanted to move there directly. However, spending the afternoon and evening before our flight in Madrid reminded us that:

• Madrid’s gay community is large, diverse, and tons of fun.
• We weren’t quite ready to leave big-city life behind.
• We’ve not lived in a city of Madrid’s caliber (equal to a London, New York, or Paris) and so we wanted that kind of experience, at least for a while. 

In addition, as I mentioned, Spain is a big country with tons of options that we’ve not explored. We are both intrigued by island living and so we want to explore Palma de Mallorca. A lot of people swear by Alicante as the best place in Spain. We’ve also never been to Green Spain, in the North, which—uneasy Global Warming future aside—has a climate more akin to Ireland or Normandy than dry, sunny Spain. Basically, we don’t want to make a large investment in property until we feel like we’ve explored all of these possibilities. 

It’s Madrid

So, why are we moving to Madrid? At least partially because it’s Madrid. While saying that as one reason we are moving to Madrid seems uninformative, it’s a pretty common reason how people who choose it as a permanent home describe their decision: “I live in Madrid because it’s Madrid.” What they mean by that comprises a constellation of reasons which I will deal with below, but basically what they are saying is, Madrid is a unique and special place with a distinctive feel and culture. This is also true of many other parts of Spain. For example, any visitor to Barcelona can likewise feel the special magic brought about by the intersection of Catalan and Spanish culture in a city over 2,000 years old. So, what then is Madrid’s magic for us?

Center of Gay Life and Culture

First and foremost, Madrid is a center of gay life and culture in Spain. By some estimates, the city’s LGBTQIA+ community population is 500,000 people. We love that gay life in Madrid centers on Chueca Plaza and it always feels fun and manageable. While there are gay enclaves in other neighborhoods, the concentration of LGBTQIA+ people in Chueca is very refreshing. 

Largest City and Cultural Center

Secondly, Madrid is the country’s largest city, and therefore a center of culture, politics, food, and the arts. Because the Spanish crown was based there, Madrid’s Prado and Reina Sofia museums are world-class institutions. In many ways, Madrid combines the functions of New York, Los Angeles, and Washington within Spain, serving as a center of finance, culture, and government. 

No Car Needed

One of our goals in moving to Spain, at least initially, is to not have a car. Moving to Madrid makes that easy. Unlike much of Barcelona, which can feel expansive outside of the Gothic Quarter, more of  Madrid feels walkable. Madrid’s metro system is extensive. The city invests heavily in the metro and is constantly expanding it. The city is also well-served by an extensive network of buses, as well as taxis and car-sharing apps. 

No Wealth Tax

Spain’s wealth tax is a cause for concern for many retirees, who depend on their investments to fund their lives. While the tax is complicated (and varies between each of the autonomous communities), it is clear that it’s better to own property when you pay it, as you are given an exemption for your home. So, as a couple who will be selling a high-value condo in Washington without buying property right away in Spain, the fact that Madrid offers its residents a 100% exemption from the tax is very attractive. 

Great “Ethnic” Food and Great Retail

Madrid has all manner of “ethnic” or international food and a wide range of retail, including Costco, Sephora, Diesel, etc. Smaller cities have much, much slimmer international food options and retail is often within their local El Corte Ingles department store branch. While El Corte Ingles is really wonderful, as we transition to life in Spain, moving to Madrid—where there are some familiar food and shopping experiences— feels like a good way to transition towards life in one of the smaller cities. 

Center of Rail and Air Transport

Moving to Madrid puts us in the center of Spain’s transportation network. Spain’s wonderful high-speed rail system is centered in Madrid and connects to all of the major areas of the country. In addition, the Madrid airport offers direct flights all over Spain, making visits to potential permanent homes easy. It’s also a gateway to the rest of Europe.

Other Reasons and Conclusion

Many of our other reasons for moving to Madrid are the same as our overall reasons for moving to Spain.  But I would like to mention safety: Madrid is a big city and is much safer and free of violent crime than a similar city in the United States. In fact, some of the prominent YouTube couples in Spain report that people feel secure walking home at night alone in most parts of Madrid. So, despite an issue with petty theft and pickpocketing, it’s a safe place to live. 

Although our eventual plan is to purchase a single-family home near the Mediterranean Sea, we feel like there are many places to explore and so we are not yet ready to commit. These, then, are our reasons for moving to Madrid before we move to our permanent home:

• It’s Madrid
• Center of gay life and culture
• Largest city and cultural center
• No car needed
• No wealth tax
• Great international food and great retail
• Center of rail and air transport
• All of our other reasons for wanting to move to Spain, including safety