My Story

Spain welcomed me with open arms. No matter where I went, people made me feel at home. But like many expats, I quickly realized that navigating Spanish bureaucracy and the legal and administrative processes here was not easy at all. I had to learn many things the hard way and since then, I've made it my mission to help others avoid the same mistakes.

In this post, I want to share just one of the key reasons why I started LiveLoveSpain. I am also saving many more stories and lessons for future posts.

When I first moved to Spain, I came with a job offer. Although getting my initial residency was far from smooth, I decided to leave it all in the hands of professionals. After what felt like an endless maze of paperwork, embassies, ministries, translators, doctor certificates (and more documents I’ve likely blocked out of my memory by now), I finally received my visa. Madrid, here I come!

I didn’t speak a word of Spanish back then. Everything from applying for the TIE, social security, the Beckham Law, to registering for the empadronamiento (which I couldn't even pronounce) felt like a maze. At the time, it didn’t even cross my mind that it might be possible to move to Spain without a lawyer, it all felt too complicated.

As many do, I outsourced what I thought were the hard parts: residency renewals, tax filings, even simple administrative tasks. At the time, it felt like peace of mind.

Looking back, here's what it cost:

• Residency renewals: approx. €4,000 (including family regrouping when my partner joined me and our daughter was born)
• Tax filing: €60/year for a basic filing (more on this later)

I did what I could on my own (which wasn't much), but most of the time, I paid for support which was reliable but very expensive.

After a year of living in Spain, my daughter, being born here, became eligible for Spanish citizenship. As always, I reached out to my immigration lawyer. She was incredibly helpful and professional. But the quote stopped me in my tracks: €2,000, not including the tasa (application tax). With our upcoming residency renewals, that would bring us to nearly €3,200.

My first instinct was to wire the money and get it done. But then, thanks to my wife (who’s helped us save so much over the years), we paused. What if we tried doing it ourselves or at least researching how to apply for Spanish citizenship step by step?

I started researching. I started researching the Spanish residency process and what documents were actually required. I fully expected to hit a wall and return to my lawyer. But to my surprise, the more I read official documents, royal decrees, and step-by-step requirements... the more I realized I could actually do this.

I gathered every document, prepared the forms, and submitted the application myself.

And then I waited... And waited... And waited...

Every email, every status update, I braced for bad news. Had I missed something? Would it be denied? What if I got it all wrong?

After six long months… the "notificación electrónica" and approval had arrived.

With the same mindset, I handled the DNI, passport, and even the certificado de concordancia (a document if - like me - you have not heard of before, proves that the new Spanish DNI belongs to the same person as the previous foreign NIE, so that your older documents remain valid).

That experience changed everything. I realized how much I could handle myself and how to save money doing the expat legal and immigration processes in Spain by avoiding unnecessary consultant fees.

Since then, I’ve:

• Handled our residency renewals myself
• Applied for our long-term residency (yes, it’s complex but I did it and you can too!)
• Managed my youngest child’s initial long-term residency
• Filed our Spanish taxes, discovering benefits and deductions I never knew about

About those €60/year tax filings? I thought it was a bargain… until I realized how many reductions, deductions and credits I have never heads of and my gestor never even mentioned. By reading available online rules and documentation, I found optimizations that made a real difference for my family.

Let me be clear: Immigration lawyers and gestors play an important role and their expertise can be invaluable. They are incredibly helpful and in some complex cases, essential. But for 80% of us, the processes are standardized and completely doable on our own with the right support.

The real problem? Lack of clear, reliable information in one place.

What I realized next was even more eye-opening: I wasn’t alone. Everyone around me, friends, colleagues, even long-time residents shared the same experience. They felt overwhelmed by the number of steps required, unsure where to start, and frustrated by the lack of clear, centralized information.

So I decided to do something about it. As an engineer who loves research and problem-solving, I created LiveLoveSpain.com, a platform built for everyone who lives, or dreams of living in Spain. As the name suggests, it's for those who love this country and want to navigate its systems with confidence, ease, and the right guidance, all in one place. So I built LiveLoveSpain.com↗, filled with Spain immigration tools, guides and tips for people like us.

Here’s what I created:

• ✅ Personalized Task Manager: You answer a few questions, and it shows you exactly what to do next based on your situation—with clickable steps, links, images, and documents.
• 📘 Detailed Guides: Updated weekly, each one breaks down a specific process—complete with screenshots and checklists.
• 🤖 LISA: Your AI Assistant: Trained on Spanish immigration, tax, and legal info, LISA can answer your questions 24/7. Ask about residency options, taxes, or even benefits like familia numerosa in Madrid.

To make things easier, I put together the Task Manager, a tool that personalizes everything based on your situation. Once you're in, you'll see the exact steps you need to follow for your residency, paperwork, or whatever process you're dealing with. No fluff, just clear instructions, links, images, and everything laid out in one place, so you don't waste time figuring it out like I did.

Alongside that, I started writing guides and keep adding new ones every week. I make sure each one is detailed, clear, and packed with everything I wish someone had shown me earlier. Most even come with step-by-step screenshots, downloadable resources and even built-in tools and calculators, so you know exactly what to expect.

Then I thought: How can I make this even more helpful? So I created LISA, our AI assistant. I trained LISA on all the official information about immigration, taxes, benefits, you name it. You can ask her anything, anytime. Want to know how to apply for a specific visa? What is and how to fill form 720? What you’re entitled to as a familia numerosa in Madrid? Or what that even means? LISA is there for you, 24/7.

No more relying on expensive consultations, half-answers, or getting upsold for basic info. Just real help, exactly when you need it.

My hope is that LiveLoveSpain helps others like me save money, time and stress. I made the mistakes but you don’t have to.

If you are equally passionate about helping others, share your story. Tell us what worked, what didn’t or what new feature we should build↗. Your feedback can change someone else’s journey.

Together, let’s help others embrace the expat life in Spain, take control, get accurate answers, save thousands while they enjoy the Spanish sun with peace of mind.

Gerard