Today I'm interviewing Miguel over a video call, the distance between us is stretching from rainy London to sunlit Barcelona. He's just returned from the Pyrenees, where he's been refining his newly acquired snowboarding skills this weekend. The mountains are only about a three-hour drive from the city — although the trip back home took much longer due to heavy snowfall and the need to fit snow chains along the way.
Miguel lived in London for three years before deciding to return to Spain. In this conversation, we talk about what initially motivated him to move to the UK, how his career and personal life evolved, and how he eventually made the decision to move back.
Why Move to the UK? Motivation and the Job Search
What initially motivated you to move to the UK?
Me: Was it something you had been planning for a while, or did the opportunity come up unexpectedly?
Miguel: It was really a mix of several factors. Before Barcelona, I had lived in Ecuador and Argentina — all Spanish-speaking countries. At some point, I realised I wanted the challenge of living somewhere where I would have to use English every day.
At first, I wasn't sure I wanted to move. I decided to go through the interview process to see if the offer was good enough to justify the relocation.
Did you have that one offer you accepted, or did you have a few?
Miguel: No, that first offer wasn't good enough. I interviewed with several companies — some remote roles, and one in Amsterdam — but I couldn't imagine learning Dutch. Eventually, I got a London-based offer I liked: good company, competitive salary, meaningful role. London also felt like a city you should experience at least once in your life.
In the end, it wasn't something I had actively planned. The opportunity appeared, I followed it to see how far it would go — and before I knew it, I was moving to the UK.
Did you have to deal with much paperwork before moving to the UK? For example, IELTS language tests or visa requirements?
Miguel: Yes — and that part was frustrating. Once I accepted the offer, the company told me I needed to talk to lawyers. I remember thinking, Why lawyers? I just want to start working.
The requirements included an English language certificate, visa, various documents, and the IELTS exam — specifically for living and working in the UK. At first, I assumed it would be straightforward, but people warned me it had a specific structure and tricky parts.
I took about a month to prepare with videos, practice tests, and advice from people who'd taken it. The examiner asked me to imagine we were in a market and explain where to buy a sandwich. I said there's a food stall — but they said, "Can you elaborate?" That's when I realised you have to fully enter the scenario. In the listening part, distinguishing between Tuesday and Thursday was surprisingly difficult.
Like many international moves, the decision itself was often easier than navigating the paperwork that followed.
Were the costs of the IELTS exam and visa covered by you or by the company?
I paid for the IELTS myself. The visa was covered by the company, but I had to pay the upfront NHS Immigration Health Surcharge — about £624 per year for 3 years. The company reimbursed it later.
Me: Nice, so you hadn't even started working yet but were almost 2 grands down.
Miguel: Yeah I know!
Note: The IHS is an upfront fee paid as part of the visa application. It gives visa holders access to the NHS on the same terms as UK residents during the validity of their visa. In practical terms, this means - GP appointments are free, Hospital treatment is free, Emergency care is free. You pay the surcharge before you arrive, rather than per visit.
Finding a Flat in London as a New Expat
In London, how did you decide which area to live in?
Miguel: That part is quite funny, because for the first six months after joining the company, I wasn’t really living in the UK at all — I was still based in Barcelona and travelling back and forth. I would usually come to London for a few days at a time, roughly once a month. I remember buying a lot of Ryanair tickets well in advance, because if you booked early enough, they could be incredibly cheap — sometimes around £20.
One time, I found a ticket from London to “Barcelona” for just €18 and bought it immediately. Only later did I realise it was flying to Girona airport, not the main Barcelona airport — which is about two hours away from the city. That was a good lesson in reading the small print.
Me: How did it feel to live in between two countries? Did you feel tired of flying?
Miguel: Some days were tiring, especially with early flights to arrive at the office by 9 a.m. But as a new joiner in a lead role, my manager wanted me present for certain meetings, and I wanted to meet the team in person.
Me: But eventually you had to relocate fully, didn't you?
Miguel: Yeah, due to tax reasons. The lawyer gave me an Excel spreadsheet showing all the days I was allowed in the UK — I couldn't be outside the country for more than six months.
So coming back to your question about finding a property - it really wasn’t easy, you remember the intensity of the rental market back then (me nodding). You’d make a call, and they will tell you - “You have to see the place today — otherwise someone else will take it.” So I have to be in London to do those viewings.
I started asking everyone in the office for advice — Where do you live? Would you recommend your area?
At first, someone would say "Farringdon" or "Haggerston," and I'd think, where is that exactly? I didn't have any reference points. A couple of people mentioned Greenwich. I went there, liked the park, and thought it looked like a good option.
When did you finally feel settled in London?
Miguel: When my things arrived from Barcelona — guitars, TV, clothes, kitchen stuff. It wasn't just two suitcases; it was a proper move. At first, I rented a room in a shared flat for two months — easier and cheaper than hotels. Then I found a flat by the river in Greenwich. It was well connected — I could take the DLR, and the commute was less than half an hour door to door. I didn't want to live an hour from the office, knowing I wouldn't go in as often.
Me: Once you moved to that apartment in Greenwich, you started coming to the office less, didn't you?
Miguel: Yeah, about once a week.
Surprisingly, it was still cheaper to move all stuff from Barcelona, including a huge TV, than buying everything from scratch in London.
Is there a noticeable difference in the cost of living between Barcelona and London?
Miguel: The biggest difference for me was definitely rent. In London, I was paying three or four times more than what I paid in Barcelona — for a smaller flat, further from the city centre. It was comfortable, but it still felt like a downgrade compared to my place back home. Rent was the real shock. That was the moment when I thought, Wow, this is really expensive.
For day-to-day spending, though, there was not much difference. Going out to restaurants or bars didn’t feel dramatically more expensive, and food prices were only slightly higher than in Barcelona. In those areas, the cost of living felt relatively similar.
Me: How about transport costs?
Miguel: I only went to the office about once a week — around £5 each way was fine. In Barcelona, I used to bike 10 minutes to the office. But because I wasn't commuting daily, it didn't feel like a big burden.
Making Friends in London: Social Life and Cultural Integration
How easy was it to make new friends in the UK?
Miguel: In the office, it was actually quite easy. Many people were similar — just moving to a new country, discovering things. Some had been in London for years, others only a few months, but everyone was open, which made it easier to chat and connect. Outside work was harder. People seemed more settled in their own circles. In Barcelona, if you start an activity like skiing, you quickly end up in a group WhatsApp. London felt different — people stuck with the friends they already had.
What did you miss most from Barcelona?
Miguel: Not the weather — that hardly bothered me. I missed the people. I had a close group of friends in Barcelona: skiing trips, football games, just hanging out.
In London, I could meet new people, but it's not the same as friends you've known for years. That was the hardest part.
Did the UK change your routines or habits?
Me: Tell me the truth, did you start drinking tea at 5 o'clock?
Miguel: (laughs) Yeah, with some biscuits, of course.
I remember one time here in Barcelona, we went to a bar with friends, and I suggested we stay outside. Everyone looked at me like, Why? The bar was packed, and I said, "Come on, we can drink outside!". But nobody wanted to — they all insisted on going inside. It was a small moment, but it made me notice how it a thing in London and not here.
Working in a UK Scale-Up: Career Growth and Cultural Differences
How different was work culture in the UK compared to Spain?
Miguel: Surprisingly, in many ways, it wasn’t that different. Technologically, we were doing similar work, and the overall ways of working felt familiar. The main difference was communication.
British people are very polite and often use sarcasm as a conversational tool — to link ideas or keep discussion flowing.
In Spain, sarcasm is usually mockery or complaint. At first it was strange, but I started picking up on it.
Do you think that living in the UK helped your future career?
Miguel: It gave me experience with things I wasn't familiar with before — like Kafka. I had to be involved in many aspects of the system, which forced me to learn new skills quickly.
It also gave me the chance to work with people from different cultures — Asia, Europe, the UK — which taught me how to deal with a variety of personalities and approaches. Being in a smaller, structured startup meant I could even speak directly with the CTO, which is rare in bigger companies. Overall, it was a huge opportunity for professional growth that I wouldn’t have had otherwise.
When did you start thinking about moving back?
Miguel: I always knew I would eventually return. It was never a question of if, but when.
Deciding to Leave the UK: Taxes, Property & Moving Back to Spain
Were you certain that you would return to Barcelona, or did you consider other countries?
Miguel: Barcelona already felt like home — I knew the city, the language, and the culture. It was the natural choice.
I did consider splitting my time — six months in each place. But legally, it's very grey and complicated. Tax residency, visa status, and compliance make it far from straightforward. Even if you technically stay under six months, authorities can question your situation and impose fines.
I also explored working remotely for a UK company while living in Spain, but that came with its own challenges.
At one point, you considered buying a property in the UK as an investment. Why did you decide not to go ahead in the end?
Miguel: Around the middle of my three years, I'd saved some money and thought about investing it. Buying a property seemed logical: instead of paying rent, I could put money towards a mortgage. Even if I moved back to Spain, I could rent it out — London has constant demand.
I went quite far in the process — spoke to a mortgage broker and solicitor, found a property I liked. But just before signing, we received bank valuation surveys and environmental checks. The flat was very close to the river, so there was flood risk. There were also concerns about nearby land use: former industrial sites, an old gas station, possible soil contamination. Together, they introduced additional risk.
When we looked at the final mortgage offer, the interest rate was higher than expected — they add 0.5% when you rent it out. The rental income wouldn't fully cover the mortgage payments. If I'm buying as an investment, it needs to be financially sustainable. We decided not to proceed.
Me: Even though you didn't proceed with the property, how much did you end up paying in solicitor and survey fees?
Miguel: We still had to pay some cancellation fees — around £1,000 in total.
What advice would you give to someone from Spain who is thinking about moving to the UK?
I think it’s a very good opportunity — especially to practise English and experience a different culture. Living in the UK really pushes you to use the language every day, and that alone makes a big difference.
There's a lot to discover culturally. I enjoyed the museums, theatre, and concerts — there's always something happening. You pick up small cultural habits, like socialising in pubs outside.
Professionally, there are many good companies. If you find the right place, you'll work with talented people and learn a lot.
Rent is expensive — that's the biggest downside. But overall, you gain new skills, new perspectives, and a better understanding of how things work in another country. For me, that made it worth it.