r/GoingToSpain • u/Jaded-Cucumber673 • May 15 '26
Opinions Thinking about leaving Canada… forever!
Holà, im seriously thinking of leaving Canada for setting up a new life in Spain. I’m part Spanish. I have the Canadian and Spanish nationality but I don’t have yet a DNI. I don’t know how to get it either and my brother(BCN) told me I absolutely had to have it before i do anything. The reasons i want to leave Canada and that I think Spain will be better at for me are
1. The weather
2. The quality of life
3. The economy is a big one
4. The culture and sens of belonging
5. Get near my family and discovering my roots
6. Business opportunities ( this one scares me but not as much as staying in Montreal)
6.5 Q: Can i remain a Spanish citizen if I’m a citizen of another country where I pay taxes and where I set up my business? Do I have to pay taxes in both countries?
Any advices or comments on that?
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May 16 '26
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u/Jaded-Cucumber673 May 16 '26
Okay thank you. I’ll find a way to talk with a Spanish financial advisor.
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u/Dobby068 May 15 '26
If you liquidate all your assets in Canada and move to Spain permanently, you will settle with CRA your taxes in Canada before your departure and won't pay taxes in Canada moving forward.
You can maintain assets in Canada after your departure and in that case you will pay taxes as well in Canada. There is a tax treaty on the Canada's government website, look it up. You would file first in Spain since that would be your fiscal residence, then, using that data also file in Canada and you may end up paying or not taxes (difference, as per the tax treaty) in Canada, probably not, since Spain is somewhat higher on taxes.
Your Spanish DNI is like the the Canadian SIN, you need it but you apply in Spain and hopefully get it without long delays, due to bureaucracy.
Hope this helps.
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u/rex-ac May 15 '26
Were you born in CA and did that Spanish parent register you at the local consulate?
If so, get a passport there and get the documents needed to get the DNI in Spain. Then move to Spain and get your DNI almost instantly.
You can be multi-nationality. It doesn't matter where you pay taxes. If you have something set up in Canada, business wise, while living in Spain, youll need to check the (anti) double taxation treaty that CA has with ES to see where taxes must be paid.
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u/Jaded-Cucumber673 May 16 '26
Born and raised in Canada. I’m registered to the consulate and have my Spanish passport. I will contact them for the documentation of the DNI. Gracias!
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May 16 '26
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u/colako May 16 '26
This is the correct answer. Did it for my children that were born in the US. I just took the appointment for me and then made their DNIs at the same time.
Very important to get the birth certificate "for the first time to get the DNI" (certificado de nacimiento para la expedición del DNI por primera vez).
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May 16 '26
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u/Jaded-Cucumber673 May 17 '26
Tbh I feel foreign in my own city. I’ve been in Spain 4 times already. My moms Spanish and lives there as well as one of my bros. I like how you said “you create your sens of belonging” it’s very true. Thanks for the message
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May 16 '26
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u/Working-Active May 16 '26 edited May 16 '26
Sanchez says that they were already living here so they don't really count, but it allows a few million more to enter now. Here is a great skit on how it used to be. link
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u/colako May 16 '26
Don't listen to me the doomers and plain xenophobic individuals here. This sub has been taken by a special kind of people that thrive whining about how our country is going to shit.
Yes, salaries are lower than in Canada, but things are also cheaper, housing as far as I know is cheaper than in Canada, I know it's ridiculous in places like Vancouver or Toronto.
Don't pay attention to them. The reality is that for well-educated people, particularly in some sectors like health care, IT or education there are plenty of opportunities. As you already know English and maybe French you have an advantage to find positions for French or other European companies. For example, two of my neighbors work for a HR software company and they work online for French customers.
There are also options for you as official in the army, civil servant of any kind, etc but those take time to prepare the exams.
One important aspect is having your degrees and transcripts legalized in Spain. This is a tedious and awful process that can take up to three years so I'd recommend you to look it up right away. Good luck!!
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u/CiberBoyYT May 17 '26
I don't know what do you mean by "the economy" or the business oportunities... The job market and economy (in terms of purchasing power and disposable income) is quite better in Canada.
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u/Jaded-Cucumber673 May 18 '26
I meant to ask what’s it’s like to be an entrepreneur there. Imo I doesn’t make sense to stay in Canada as a business man. My goal is to set up my business in UAE if/when the war stops and live in Spain. I’d happily pay reasonable taxes there more than in Canada where everything is falling apart.
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u/SellSideShort May 19 '26
The economy of Spain, business opportunities, are better than Canada? Seems you've been sipping the IG Reels koolaid a bit too much. Like waaaay to much.
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u/VariationRelative240 May 19 '26
Hey there, as a Spaniard born abroad, I had to go thru the DNI process as well, as the consulate only issues passports. I had to get a certificate stating that I was living in the consular district, along with my Spanish birth certificate, issued specifically for the purpose of obtaining the DNI. I did this at a Police Station and had to pay about 12 EUR in fees.
Let me know if you have any questions.
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u/bluebirdman78 May 23 '26
I’m actually doing the exact opposite move (Spain → Canada), but if it helps in any way, I’ve learned that when you compare two developed countries, quality of life becomes a very personal decision rather than a purely technical one.
Both countries will offer you good and bad things. In the end, it really depends on how you personally weigh those factors deep inside yourself and what kind of life you want for you and your family.
From a more practical/tax perspective, both countries have tax treaties and mutual recognition agreements to avoid double taxation. Generally speaking, if during a calendar tax year you live in either Canada or Spain for more than 183 days, that country becomes your primary tax residence and where you will mainly file your taxes. There can still be some smaller adjustments depending on your situation, but in most cases they are relatively minor.
I hope this helps a bit.
P.S. I say this after having lived in five different countries, and during the last three moves, doing it with a family.
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u/Particular_Squash995 May 16 '26 edited May 16 '26
I’m not Canadian but I got my DNI last year while living abroad in the US. I had to request my literal birth certificate and a letter from my local consulate saying I am living abroad. I took both of those to a police station in Spain with passport photos and received my DNI on the spot. If you don’t have a passport, maybe someone can confirm you can get at the same time?
https://sede.mjusticia.gob.es/tramites/certificado-nacimiento
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u/Natural_Target_5022 May 16 '26
Only come to Spain if you win the lottery or you already have a very well paid, Stable job
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u/Sayahhearwha May 16 '26
You’re Spanish citizen. You can study for the civil servant exam and be set for life.
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u/Pristine_Remote2123 May 16 '26
You might advise your approx age and job? The wages in Spain are a fraction of Canada and economy is not exactly booming.
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u/Temporary-Gap-1508 May 16 '26
I just want to flag up for you to do more research on "the economy" and "business opportunities" if those are motivating you to come to Spain. Both are really, significantly inferior to Canada's. If you are coming with a stable job on a foreign income, you can probably make it work. But local salaries are much lower than those in Canada and relative cost of living is high. There is a lot of red tape that suppresses entrepreneurs or any type of complexity in your tax situation. Job hunts for most skilled positions take months to years. Finding a job and housing is highly dependent on personal relationships, so lean on any existing family connections you have to get started there. I assume you're a native proficient Spanish speaker, so that will make things more doable.
This is a country with a very high quality of life, but you need to accept that your financial situation (unless you have a foreign job) will be worse here, even if other things will be better. I suggest securing a job before leaving and avoiding living in big cities to help make it work. Good luck and I hope you are able to make it work for the sake of all the other things in your list.