A calmer way to navigate life in Spain.
If you are planning a move, newly arrived, or already living in Spain and feeling unsure where to start, you’re in the right place. This space exists to help you understand how things work — clearly, honestly, and without overwhelm.
Why This Space Exists
Moving to Spain often looks simple from the outside. In reality, it comes with paperwork, unfamiliar systems, cultural differences, and a lot of unanswered questions. Information is available, but rarely explained in a clear, human way.
Living La Vida Malagueña was created to bridge that gap. It’s a place for practical guidance, lived experience, and quiet reassurance when things feel confusing or overwhelming.
WHAT YOU MAY BE HERE FOR
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WHAT YOU MIGHT BE FEELING
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WHAT YOU MAY BE HERE FOR * WHAT YOU MIGHT BE FEELING *
• You’re excited about Spain, but unsure how everything actually works;
• You’ve arrived and feel behind or unprepared;
• You’re overwhelmed by bureaucracy, work, or daily admin;
• You’re tired of conflicting advice and vague information;
• You want clarity without pressure.
If any of that sounds familiar, you’re not alone, and you don’t need to figure it out all at once.
A NOTE FROM ME
Hola! My name is Sanne, and in March of 2025, we moved to Málaga, and started figuring things out one tapa at a time. We had been living in Utrecht, the Netherlands for almost five years, but it was time for us to think bigger and leave my home country.
I created Living La Vida Malagueña after navigating my own move to Spain and realizing how isolating the process can feel when you don’t know where to turn. I share what I’ve learned because I know how much easier things become once you understand the system and stop second-guessing every step. This space isn’t about doing everything perfectly — it’s about feeling informed, supported, and confident enough to keep going.
After graduating Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, and minoring in migration, cultures and integration, I have put all my knowledge into practice to also truly live the experience. Life is full of hidden turns and improvements.
Thinking about moving to Spain, maybe you are already planning, or just curious what life’s really like here? You
are in the right place.
Guides • Lifestyle • Stories
How This Site Helps You
Living La Vida Malagueña is designed to support you through the parts of moving to Spain that rarely get explained properly — the in-between moments, the unclear steps, and the things you’re expected to “just figure out.”
Instead of overwhelming you with information, this site helps you by creating structure where there is usually confusion and calm where there is usually pressure.
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Rather than throwing you into endless details, you’ll find guidance that helps you understand the bigger picture first; what needs to be done, what can wait, and how different parts of life in Spain fit together.
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Everything shared here comes from real experience navigating Spanish systems, daily life, and the adjustment process. The focus is always on what actually matters in practice. Not theory, no shortcuts, however definitely expect advice that works on paper and in the real world.
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From checklists to planners and step-by-step guides, the resources on this site are designed to help you think clearly and move forward with intention. They give you a way to organize your decisions without rushing or second-guessing yourself.
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Moving countries isn’t just administrative — it’s emotional. This space acknowledges the uncertainty, self-doubt, and adjustment that come with starting over, and offers reassurance alongside practical direction.
The goal isn’t to push you toward a perfect timeline or a fixed outcome. It’s to help you feel informed, grounded, and confident enough to take your next step, whatever that looks like for you. This site exists to help you replace uncertainty with understanding, and to remind you that learning how things work is part of settling in, not a sign that you’re behind.
On This Site, You Will Find
✔ Thoughtful blog posts about moving to + living in Spain
✔ Practical digital guides and planners
✔ Clear explanations of Spanish systems
✔ Support for finding work and settling in
✔ A calm, honest approach to starting over
Everything is created to save you time, stress, and unnecessary confusion.