Henk & Wilma(63)

Wilma and I had been dreaming of Spain since our fifties. Every winter in Leiden felt longer — the rain, the cold, the lack of outdoor life. When I retired from the university and Wilma had her last day at the municipality, we knew: now or never.

It started with the NIE number, the Número de Identidad de Extranjero. Without an NIE you literally cannot do anything in Spain: no opening a bank account, no buying property, no registering a car. We applied at the Oficina de Extranjeros in Alicante. Expect a two to three week wait and bring a Spanish speaker, because they barely speak English there.

Buying a house was exciting. We found an apartment with sea view in Jávea for €185,000 — in Leiden you wouldn't even get a garage for that. Do watch out: notary fees, transfer tax (ITP, 10% in Valencia region) and gestoría costs quickly add up to about 12-13% on top of the purchase price. Our gestoría in Dénia handled everything, from the land registry to municipal taxes.

Healthcare was our biggest concern, but it turned out to be unfounded. Through the S1 form from the SVB we retained our right to care under the Spanish system. We registered at the Centro de Salud in Jávea and both have a tarjeta sanitaria. The GP is free, medications cost a fraction of the Netherlands, and the Hospital de Dénia is modern and well-equipped. Wilma needed a knee operation — arranged within six weeks, and the quality was excellent.

Our pension — ABP for me, AOW for both of us — is simply deposited into our Spanish bank account. Important to know: you need to understand the convenio de doble imposición, the tax treaty between the Netherlands and Spain. ABP pension is taxed in the Netherlands, AOW in Spain. We pay less tax here than in the Netherlands, especially with the deductions for over-65s in Spain.

We've been living here for two years now and haven't regretted a single day. We walk along the coast every morning, eat out three times a week for €12 per person including wine, and have a group of friends from the Netherlands, Belgium and Spain. The Dutch church in Alfaz del Pi organizes monthly gatherings. Life here is simple, warm and affordable. Our children love visiting — and honestly, they're thinking about moving themselves.