About Valencia

Moving to a new city can certainly feel like a daunting exercise – besides finding a coworking space, you will likely think about choosing a new neighbourhood, navigating the local processes, and securing a fair deal, there is plenty to consider. The good news? You’re not the first! And hopefully this article will help simplify things for you when relocating to Valencia. Decisions, decisions! 🙂

So first off, choosing a neighbourhood (aka ‘barrio’).

Architecture & Style

When it comes to architecture, Valencia is an old vibrant city with a mix of modern, less modern, and drop dead gorgeous classical buildings. If exciting glimpses of Roman, Art Deco, Modernist, Art Nouveau and Gothic on every turn is your thing, you’ve chosen the right city. We would suggest starting your familiarisation by foot in El Carmen and the old town, a leisurely walk south across the Gran Via (‘Big street’) into Ruzafa and Canovas, together named L’Eixample, before heading east to the Turia riverbed, which you can follow towards the beach (known here in Valencia simply as ‘el río’). On your way you’ll dip under bridges dating to the middle ages and eventually bump into Santiago Calatrava’s stunning ‘Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias’ (City of Arts and Sciences) in Camins el Grau, a new modern area popular amongst families. You’re now quite close to the gridded barrio of El Cabañal (or El Cabanyal written in Valenciano). This is one of the most fascinating neighbourhoods in Spain, and the buildings are a mix of single storey Baroque from the 1840’s in addition to multi-level art nouveau, art deco and modernist structures, along with several high rise buildings. A hidden gem of traditional Spanish tiled façade designs, Cabañal stretches from the Maritim subway stop towards La Marina de Valencia (Valencians’ harbour) and to the beach. Being the proximity to the sea the key reason why we chose this neighbourhood as our first Vortex Coworking location in Valencia; for those looking for a #workbythebeach lifestyle.

Culinary Culture

If specialty coffee culture is your thing, we recommend checking out Los Picos in Ruzafa, CafetéaTE al Cabanyal in the market of El Cabañal, and Federal Café in the old city centre. Some say that it’s hard to swing a cat in Ruzafa without interrupting a flat white loving hipster, and they might be right. In practice, the early signs of hipster communities are in many of Valencia’s barrios as the city continues to recover from recession and young Valencians seek out new eateries and coffee spots. In short I would say Ruzafa is a developed international hipster area, where El Cabañal is the rough diamond with loads of authentic Spanish places to discover, El Carmen the classic place with loads of atmosphere in the tiny streets and you can let the student in you get alive in Benimaclet where you find cool bars and hangouts. Unique and different is embraced in this historical city, and nowhere is this truer than in the city’s restaurant community which continue to evolve to Valencian, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Argentinian, Venezuelan, Chinese, Middle eastern recipes, tastes and fusions. We recommend exploring widely, as new places are popping up every week. Top tip, El Cabañal has some hidden gems – including one of Spain’s oldest taverns (Casa Montaña), possibly the best paella in town (Casa Carmela) and authentic Flamenco nights in Mar d’Amura.

Day to day convenience

There can be a decent diversion in convenience across Valencia’s neighbourhoods, and some areas tend to cater to the residential needs of singletons, families, or house-shares better than others. Whether it’s for schools, social bars, or supermarkets it’s worth checking your list of needs before inking a contract. In general we find that the mix of commercial to residential use is well balanced, and availability of fresh produce and convenience stores is pretty good.

(Mercado Central), Cabañal market (Mercado Cabanyal) and Ruzafa market (Mercado de Ruzafa) come highly recommended. Additionally the city is served by great public transport system (which has less greater connections in Ruzafa), including a metro that connects the beach to the city centre and airport, so proximity to this service might be a big consideration when searching out your new casa in Valencia.

Valencia on a budget

While Ruzafa, El Carmen and El Cabañal tend to be the primary hotspots for internationals, we would also recommend checking out barrios on the fringe of the more hip areas, including Camins al Grau for families – because of the schools and proximity to the river and shopping centres like Aqua to do some hassle free shopping with your little ones – Malvarossa because it’s right at the beach, and also Benimaclet just north of the university. Especially for the budget conscious, or the more intrepid travellers amongst us. In general the barrios around the popular threesome tend to be a good choice if you don’t want to end of spending hundreds of euros just for being on a prime spot, but would like to benefit of these areas close-by.

In summary, we recommend exploring this wonderful, walkable city of diverse barrios and styles. In the next series of blogs we’ll dig deeper into the barrios so that you can soon tick all the boxes; finding a coworking place to your liking and knowing where to live. Don’t worry too much as Valencia might seem big because of all the barrios, but this lovely city has a great overview with easy connections. In meantime, if there’s anything we can do to help, just let us know!

Written by Silke Bongers, owner of Open Door Valencia, a real estate agency specialized in making your housing search hassle free for the international market. She offers several services to help you finding your dream house in the city that you’ll surely fall in love with; Valencia! Get in touch with Silke here 

An NIE number. Since you have been living in Valencia or doing online research there is a big chance you have heard of an NIE number and many times with a tad of frustration. It’s indeed quite a hassle to obtain one. With this quick guide we explain to you why you should get one and how you apply for an NIE in Valencia so you can easily move through the process and wave proudly high this precious paper with a number soon.

What is an NIE number?

An NIE number is the short form of Número de Identidad de Extranjero, or in other words; an identification number for foreigners in Spain. All EU citizens can apply for this number, as for non-EU citizens the process is a little different as they need to apply for a TIE which is both an NIE and a form of identification.

Why should I get an NIE number?

Basically you will need an NIE for every professional or economic activity in Spain. For example, an NIE is required when you want to buy a house or rent an apartment, start a business, study, or just to work in Spain, open a bank account, open/close a phone or internet contract, register at social security, buy a vehicle, subscribe yourself to the government in Valencia and many more things… So as soon as you know you’ll be staying over a couple of months we recommend you arrange your NIE before you even take another step.

How to apply for an NIE?

It’s quite likely you tick at least one of the boxes above. No need to panic as the process is doable, as long as you know which steps to take and make sure you have a copy of a copy of a copy…

There are three ways to obtain an NIE:

• You apply for an NIE once in Valencia
• You apply for an NIE at the Spanish embassy in your country
• You contract a company, sit back and relax until you obtain your NIE

Applying for an NIE in your country of residence is an option if you buy a (second) house in Valencia where you won’t live year-round or won’t stay longer than 3 months in Valencia. Check the website of the embassy of your country for specific rules in your country.

In this blog we guide you through the total process of applying for an NIE yourself in Valencia. However, if you need an NIE more quickly or don’t want the hassle feel free to contact us as we can help you get in touch with NIE professionals who will do the job for you.

• STEP 1 – Make an appointment online

The only place where you can apply for a NIE number in Valencia is the ‘Comisaria de Policia’ (click here for Google Maps) and the only way to get in there, except committing a crime, is making an appointment ONLINE via this website.

The website is in Spanish, but we’ll show you how to make an appointment below:

• Select the province Valencia in the dropdown menu and click ‘Aceptar’.

• Select ‘POLICIA – Certificados / Comunitarios’ followed by ‘Aceptar’.
• On the next page there’s nothing to select. Click ‘Entrar’

• On this page you fill out your details; passport number, name and surname, year of birth, nationality and let them know you’re not a robot. When done, click ‘Aceptar’.
• Then you’ll get to the screen where you apply for an appointment. Do that by clicking on ‘Solicitar cita’.
• You’ll either see a screen with maximum three possibilities you can choose from, or get the message below which means there are no appointments available and you have to try again later.

Three frustrating things  to know from the start:

• In Valencia the average waiting time for an appointment is 4 to 6 weeks.
• There are not many appointments available per day, so you’ll need to check the website a few times a day to see if new slots show up.
• We have heard there is a quicker possibility outside of Valencia, in Paterna, to make an appointment via the phone (in Spanish). The waiting time might be half as short as in Valencia. Give it a try!

• STEP 2: Get the right documents for your appointment

If you managed to get your appointment, that’s great! Time to dive into the paperwork and find a copy machine. An overview of the documents you need:

• A filled out EX-15 form, which you can download here*.
• A copy of the EX-15 form which you filled out
• An online filled out Tasa (tax) form called Modelo 790-012, which you can find here*.
• A copy of the Modelo 790.
• Your passport
• A copy of your passport

* Only download the forms via the official websites to make sure you have the correct version.

• STEP 3: Fill out the EX-15 and Modelo 790-012 forms

How to fill out the EX-15 form and Tasa Modelo 790-012? We’ve made life easy for you. Follow the screenshots below.

EX-15 FORM

MODELO 790-012 FORM

To obtain the form you have to fill in the details on their website.

• Leave the ‘Autoliquidación’ on ‘principal’

• Then fill out the date and place of your appointment and make sure again you’re not a robot by entering the letters and numbers, followed by clicking ‘Descargar impreso rellenado’.

• STEP 4: The appointment

On the day of your appointment make sure you bring all the required documents and copies. You don’t want to wait another six weeks in line.

Show up on time at the Police office (click here for Google Maps location). Once there they’ll ask you to show the forms and will give you your temporary NIE number.

• STEP 5: Pay for your NIE at the closest bank

Go to the closest bank (for example the BBVA at Plaza de España) to pay the fee of € 9,64. You can easily pay at one of the machines where you’ll find an instruction form as well. Make sure you get a ticket/receipt of your payment.

• STEP 6: Go back to the police station to get the stamp

Back at the police station you wait your turn to be seen again. You don’t need an appointment this time. Give the officer your documentation including the receipt from the bank and they will give you one of the EX-15 forms with your NIE on it. Ask them when they want you to come back to pick up your official NIE.

• STEP 7: Pick up your NIE at the police station

Normally you can pick up your NIE a week after your appointment. Make sure you bring your passport and the EX-15 form they gave you and the officer will hand over your NIE. This is the right time to have a big smile on your face and wave your precious paper in the air!

Not sure if it’s worth the hassle? We are in touch with some companies who are happy to help you obtaining your NIE. It doesn’t have to cost you a fortune, as prices vary from € 70,- to € 500,- for two NIE numbers including the possibility to obtain your NIE in 1 or 2 weeks instead of the average 4 to 6 weeks.

Are you a Vortex member? Silke and Cristina will be glad to help you filling out the forms if you struggle!

Written by Silke Bongers, owner of Open Door Valencia, a real estate agency specialized in making your housing search hassle free for the international market. She offers several services to help you finding your dream house in the city that you’ll surely fall in love with; Valencia! Get in touch with Silke here 

Once you choose Valencia as your new home to make memories, many struggle in finding a property to rent long term. As the city is becoming more and more popular and the housing market is quick, prepare yourself. Especially if you’re a foreigner just moving to Valencia, you might be faced with some fear or simply not being replied. Finally we’re here to guide you through the process of finding you a place to feel at home under the Valencian sun! Read on for our 10 tips and tricks.

First things first. Decide how long you want to commit to a property before you start your search. Under 3 months is considered a short stay and best to book an Airbnb or similar. In this blog we zoom in on the long-term rentals, let’s say a year to start with.

1. Plan enough time for your search

Make sure you plan enough time to find an apartment. You start searching and plan when you’re in Valencia? Book an Airbnb for at least two weeks to a month to give you the rest and peace to do a good search. You don’t want to be in a rush or say yes to an apartment only because your check-out date is fast approaching you.

2. Check the area

Valencia has 19 districts and 88 neighbourhoods (called barrios). All have a different character so you will do well to read online about popular areas to live in. Make a shortlist of the districts that grabs your interest and check them out once in Valencia. Take into account that the most popular areas are also the ones that stretches your budget. So have a look around these areas to have the benefit of living close to them. In Valencia the areas Cabanyal, Ruzafa and El Carmen are most popular. Benimaclet is popular among students. Worth checking: Quatre Carreres (close to Ruzafa and the Turia park), and Camins al Grau, a kids friendly area with good public schools and located between the beach and the city.

3. Make your non-negotiable top three

You will probably have a lot of wishes or demands. Minimum amount of bedrooms, distance to the sea, public transport facilities, an elevator, budget, the style of the house, furnished or unfurnished, parking space… well we can continue for a while. Count on the fact that it will be unlikely all your wishes will be accomplished. Make a list of the top three things you really (and we mean really) don’t want to compromise on. Your non-negotiable items. Focus on those and see the rest as a plus.

4. Search on the right platforms

The online search can, and will probably, take you hours and hours. We share our favourites with you to see which suits you best. Are you looking for a furnished room for long term? Go to www.spotahome.com; a great and young platform specialized in finding furnished long term apartments and letting you reserve them right away without paying a visit. Once you’re looking for unfurnished homes the websites www.idealista.com and www.fotocasa.com are the most popular ones. www.kyero.com and www.pisos.com are good second choices. Also Facebook groups like ‘Expats in Valencia’ and ‘Valencia information exchange’ are places where apartments are advertised.

5. Create alerts on platforms

You don’t want to miss out on your dream apartment because you found out it’s there one day after the advertisement is online. Create alerts, so automatically an email pops up once a property matches your criteria. And then, follow the next step!

6. Pick up the phone

Our biggest tip: call the agency to see if the apartment is still available. Unfortunately a lot of what you see on the platforms (and by a lot, we mean a lot) have already some very happy tenants inside.

Many agents do not respond to emails. Even if you don’t speak Spanish, pick up the phone to find out and ask if they speak English (hablas Inglés?). Sending a Whatsapp message is a good alternative as well. If the agent doesn’t speak English, ask a friend, bartender or your Spanish teacher to make an appointment for you. Be flexible, try not to plan ahead, but visit the apartment the same day or next day maximum.

7. Decide quickly

So you’ve planned your visit. That’s a great step. As we told you already, the rental market in Valencia is quick, very quick! Be prepared to decide if you want to rent the apartment on the spot or a few hours after. If the interest is high because of the price, area and/or style and the lack of apartments available in Valencia, the ship might have already set sail if you take too long to think about it.

8. Reserve the apartment

Found your dream apartment? Ask how you can reserve it right away (make sure you sign a reservation contract) otherwise you might see the apartment being taken under your nose just a day before you’re supposed to sign the contract.

9. Check the extra fees and paperwork

The Spanish and/or Valencian renting market might work different than you’re used to. To be informed well rather than being surprised once you’re about to close a deal take the following things into account;
– The deposit (in Spanish ‘la fianza’) is normally 1 month for an unfurnished flat and 2 months for a furnished flat. Make sure the deposit is stated correctly in your contract. You can try to negotiate it to one month.
– Are you visiting with an agency? It’s rather common to ask 1 month rent as a fee for their service. Top that fee up with a 21% VAT (IVA) and you’re good to go.
– If you’re a foreigner and don’t have a fixed job or a contract in Spain you might have some renting fears. Unfortunately it happens that you have to pay 3 months or even half a year in advance to give the owner more certainty that you’re able to pay the rent.
– Make sure you transfer the monthly rent with a bank transfer. If they ask you to pay in cash; high chances that your landlord avoids paying tax for their income.

It might be a hassle to convince the landlord you’re a good tenant. They may ask for you NIE (social number in Spain), job contract, bank statements and much more. Stay realistic and be clear about your personal situation.

10. Count on disappointments

Sometimes a property looks awesome online and in reality, but you see it slipping through your fingers to another tenant or because the owners want you to pay several months in advance and you can’t afford that. Don’t bow out, keep on fighting, in the end it will make you enjoy the sun on your face on your lovely terrace even more!

Written by Silke Bongers, owner of Open Door Valencia, a real estate agency specialized in making your housing search hassle free for the international market. She offers several services to help you finding your dream house in the city that you’ll surely fall in love with; Valencia! Get in touch with Silke here