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Why Málaga is a great idea – and why Google & co. still aren't enough
The turn of the year is a magical time. Fireworks explode, champagne corks pop, and somewhere between raclette, lead pouring and the desperate attempt to call everyone at midnight, they reappear: New Year's resolutions.
More exercise. Less stress. Healthier eating. More time for yourself.
And then, for the particularly brave:
‘This year, I'm emigrating.’
This thought usually occurs around 10:47 p.m., after the second glass of sparkling wine, when there is slush outside, the heating is gurgling, and one wonders why one voluntarily lives in January at minus three degrees.
At the latest when you look at Facebook, Instagram and TikTok – somewhere between palm trees, the sea and people who are obviously not freeze – then it falls:
The decision to go to Málaga.
The province of Málaga has everything a classic New Year's resolution needs:
• Sunshine instead of winter depression
Tapas instead of frozen pizza
Joie de vivre instead of to-do lists
And the reassuring feeling that you're finally doing everything right
‘Everything is more relaxed in Spain,’ they say.
‘You live healthier there,’ you read.
‘Life is cheaper there,’ claims a YouTube video from 2019.
So you google it. You google it a lot.
Emigrating to Málaga Tips
Living in Spain explained simply
Dealing with the authorities in Spain quickly
Spoiler: None of it is quick.
Online, emigrating often reads like an Ikea shelf:
In reality, it's more like an escape room with Spanish opening hours.
Because suddenly there are:
At this point, at the latest, New Year's resolutions part ways with New Year's dreams.
Yes, it did. And somewhere it also says that you can get rich with two clicks.
Online information is helpful – no question about it.
Aber sie sind:
• oft veraltet
• selten vollständig
• manchmal schlicht falsch
• und fast nie auf deine persönliche Situation zugeschnitten
Denn ob du:
• selbstständig bist oder angestellt
• Familie hast oder alleine kommst
• dauerhaft oder erstmal testweise auswandern willst
• in der Stadt oder auf dem Land leben möchtest
makes a huge difference in Spain.
Many people don't dream of the big city of Málaga or the Costa del Sol, but of the province:
white villages, olive groves, peace and quiet, sea views, a café where you are ‘the foreigner’ – but in a positive sense.
And yes, it is beautiful.
Until you:
need an internet connection
have to register a car
are looking for a tradesman
or find out that ‘just around the corner’ means a 35-minute drive
In the province of Málaga, many things are not digital, but rather:
personal
via contacts
via recommendations
via people who know someone who knows someone
And this is precisely where the crucial point comes in.
A local contact is not a luxury.
Er ist kein „Nice-to-have“.
It is not a ‘nice-to-have’.
It is the difference between: ‘We are living our dream’
and
‘Why are we shouting at each other over a form?’
A good contact person:
knows the local authorities
knows which information is correct – and which is outdated
speaks the language (and also understands what is left unsaid)
knows which shortcuts work – and which don't
and tells you honestly when something is not a good idea
Because not everything that ‘worked great’ on the internet will also work:
. in your case
- this year
- in your village
Many people try to do everything on their own.
On principle. Or to save money.
Ironically, this often costs:
more money
more time
more sleepless nights
Incorrectly submitted documents, wasted trips, unnecessary penalties, months of delays – all of this can be avoided if you have someone who knows the way.
And honestly:
if you're emigrating to have less stress, why would you voluntarily fight your way through a bureaucratic minefield?
The biggest misconception about emigrating is the assumption that you can ‘work through’ everything in advance.
In reality, emigrating is:
There are questions that only arise once you're there. vor Ort auf.
Problems you didn't know existed before.
And solutions you would never find online – but get immediately over a cup of coffee with the right person.
New Year's resolutions rarely fail due to a lack of willpower.
They fail due to a lack of structure.
This applies to:
Those who seek support have:
The province of Málaga is a wonderful place for a new start.
For sunshine
For quality of life
For a life that feels less like duty and more like living.
But:
Google is no substitute for people.
Forums are no substitute for experience.
And checklists are no substitute for local reality.
Having a personal contact on the ground is not a sign of uncertainty
but of intelligence.
Because emigrating is not a sprint.
It's a marathon.
And it's better not to run it alone – especially not in flip-flops on Spanish asphalt.
With this in mind:
Here's to a new year.
To courageous decisions.
And to New Year's resolutions that don't end in February – but begin in the sun of Málaga
