Annemarie(45)

For fifteen years I worked as a nurse at Amphia Hospital in Breda. The workload was crushing: too few staff, too many patients, endless overtime. After COVID I was empty. My GP diagnosed me with burnout and I was home for eight months. During that time I started researching whether I could practice my profession somewhere else.

Spain has a huge shortage of nurses, especially in the Balearic Islands where tourism drives healthcare demand. My Dutch BIG registration needed to be converted through homologación — the recognition of foreign diplomas by the Spanish Ministry of Education. That process took eight months and cost €150 in fees. Meanwhile I learned Spanish to B2 level, which is required for healthcare.

I was hired at a private clinic in Palma de Mallorca. The salary — €2,400 net per month including night shift bonuses — is lower than in the Netherlands, but the workload is completely different. I work four shifts per week instead of five. The patient-nurse ratio is 1:6 instead of 1:10. There's time for the patient, and that's why I became a nurse in the first place.

The Seguridad Social covers my health insurance fully as an employee. My employer pays the contributions. I have a tarjeta sanitaria and can go to any Centro de Salud or hospital. The quality of Spanish healthcare is excellent — the system is organized differently but medically of a high standard.

My apartment in the Eixample district of Palma — two bedrooms, roof terrace, ten minutes by bike from the clinic — costs €1,050 per month. Mallorca is more expensive than the mainland, but the quality of life is unmatched. After my shift I cycle to Playa de Palma, swim for half an hour and eat fresh fish at a chiringuito. In Breda I drove home in the rain and ate a sandwich on the couch.

My advice to healthcare professionals considering emigrating: start the homologación early, because it takes time. Invest in learning Spanish — B2 is the minimum and C1 is better. And look beyond the salary. What you lose in money, you gain in quality of life, job satisfaction and mental health. I no longer have burnout. I've rediscovered my passion for healthcare.