The young couple left the UK just over a year ago to begin a new life in Madrid, say they have absolutely no regrets and described it as “the best decision we ever made.”
“We have no regrets and love living out here. Spain is now our home and this is where we want to settle down and eventually buy a home and have children.”
“My mum passed away when I was nine so we decided to travel and move to different places and see what life had to offer elsewhere,” she explains. “We lived in places such as Dubai, Chile and Hong Kong.
square NEWS 'We moved to Spain from UK - but now we're back. The dream became a nightmare'
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Phoebe’s dad now lives in Helsinki, while her sister lives in Australia and her brother is in Dubai. Having experienced life in other countries herself, Phoebe was keen to move back out of the UK and try something new.
But then they began chatting about the possibility of a new adventure and began looking at moving to Spain.
Leaving the UK to move to Madrid in Spain was the best decision they have made, say Phoebe and Matt
At the time, Phoebe was working in a remote job in human resources which she loved. She began looking into getting a digital nomad visa which meant she could live in Spain while carrying on working for her UK company.
They moved to Madrid in January last year and say it is the best thing they have ever done and say their quality of life has improved drastically.
“But in Spain, when Matt comes home, the rest of the day is ours and we can go to rooftop bars or beautiful parks. The sunshine and blue skies makes life so much better and we have found that energy to get out there and enjoy life again.”
Life is more beautiful in Spain says Phoebe Gilbert“Shopping, food and going out for dinner and drinks is cheaper out here than the UK,” she says. “A glass of Prosecco here is about two Euros and a pint can be two to three Euros.
“Travel is incredibly cheap and it is so nice to get on a train and it is actually there and then leaves on time. We can get a train from Madrid down to the south in Malaga for about 30 Euros.”
“In the UK, it feels like costs keep going up, but you don’t see the value,” she says. “The streets are mucky and the bins don’t get emptied. Here in Spain, the taxes are higher, but it is incredibly clean and there are lots of free things provided for people such as concerts, running events and parties in parks.”
Beer and Prosecco are cheaper in Spain says Phoebe Gilbert“Essentially, because of Brexit, we’re not allowed to come out here to live in the same way people used to,” she explains. “But if you can prove you work for a company outside of Spain or freelance for more than a year and earn over £23,000 a year, you can apply for a digital nomad visa to work remotely here.
“My company was brilliant and was open to me doing this. The double taxation agreement meant I paid some tax to Spain and some to the UK and they worked it out and balanced it out.”
She has now left her UK remote job and is working freelance and created a guide The Digital Nomads to simplify the British digital nomad process and help people move to Spain. She has also set up her own communications and consulting company.
Phoebe now wants to help other people move to Spain using the digital nomad visa scheme“I’ve created a step-by-step guide which I wish I could have had right at the beginning rather than battling with so much inconsistent information.
“But for us, it has been wonderful and we have no regrets as we are now living fully every day and having a great quality of life.
Phoebe says she suffered with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) in the UK, but in Spain, life no longer seems grey or gloomy. “Everyone is always determined to stay outside, as long as it’s not raining and we enjoy so much more of the outdoors.”
Young people in the UK feel let down by the Government and want a fresh start somewhere new, believes Phoebe Gilbert who has moved to Madrid from the UK
“There is a lot of doom and gloom and lack of trust in the UK,” she says. “Young people feel they have been let down by the Government and there’s a sense where people don’t see an end to it.
“When I first moved back to the UK, there was this sense that it was the best place to be. But I think people have now realised the UK has stopped moving with the times and it feels like we are going backwards in many ways.
“In contrast, Spain seems to be growing and learning. Don’t get me wrong, it has its issues. But there is a sense of openness and a willingness to grow with the times and we are definitely much happier here.”
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