The following is from an email I received recently about one man's realized dream to work in Madrid for 8-months as an English teacher. As he says, it's virtually IMPOSSIBLE to obtain a work visa for this kind of job (or any job for that matter) and most everyone works illegally. Read it and tell us what you think:

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Hola MadridMan:

Remember me? This is Andy from DC. We spoke several times last summer about your videos and my hopes of going to live in Madrid. Well, I'm pleased to report that I did it and that it was one of the best experiences I've ever had in my life! Thought you might like to know. Plus, I wanted to say thanks for all your help and inspiration.

After earning my TEFL Certificate, I boarded a plane and left last October. Surprisingly enough, it only took me about one month of searching before I found a job. Actually, I had several offers much earlier than that, but decided to keep looking until I found a school that I was comfortable with. Then I found an affordable "casa de huespedes" (guest house) on Calle Preciados, just half a block from Plaza Callao. That's where I lived until just last month.

Anyway, I hope things are going well for you and would like to offer to help you out in anyway I can - assuming you might need some information from a guy who just got back from living in Madrid for eight months.

[follow up email....]

Really glad to see you remembered me! I actually intended to write you a couple of times from Madrid, but I'm sure you can understand that I was pretty busy most of the time and just never got around to it. Sorry.

Anyway, I wanted to respond to your reply to clarify a couple of things.

The most important clarification is that it is NOT possible for an American to obtain a work VISA for Spain (at least for teaching English). I suppose I should have explained that my job - and a fair amount of others - are all "under the table" kind of deals. As you can probably remember, I tried EVERYTHING I could think of to go about this legally, but there's simply no way. I even met a guy over there who was half American, half Spanish and even he couldn't obtain a VISA until he'd spent almost two years jumping over untold hurdles. He eventually was sucessful, but not everyone can claim to have one Spanish parent right? Plus, he wasn't applying to teach English.

In short, it would state that my advice to anyone who wants to work in Madrid is to simply go over there and beat the streets. Jobs are available, but you can forget the VISA thing - it just ain't gonna happen. My school employed something like 35 or 40 teachers and not one of them were there legally. And my school wasn't unique.

But the best news, at least in terms of my experience, is that the Spanish do absolutely nothing to enforce the VISA requirement for Americans. They are rather hard on people from Morocco and places like that (guess it's all based on stereotypes), but in all the time I was there I never heard a single horror story about an American being deported. Plus, all my Spanish friends literally laughed at me for wanting to obtain a VISA. They told me I was crazy and named a lot of their friends who had found work illegally in Spain (many of them are still there).

[end message....]

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Saludos, MadridMan

[This message has been edited by MadridMan (edited 06-26-2000).]

thanks for the info, i can really use it for the fact that i will be moving there in 7 months, thanks!!

missmadrid98, I thought you would find this message interesting. Keep in mind that if you're caught you'll be banned for 10 years. This isn't a chance *I'D* want to take, but it seems everyone does it illegally so maybe it's okay.

Saludos, MadridMan
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Like books about Spain's history? Visit MadridMan's ALL Spain Market @ http://www.madridman.com/allspainmarket.html

What about teaching without a TEFL? How much more limited would my options be? Thanks!

ya simborg, i woul dliek to knwo too cause i am getting certified before i move there, so i would like to know too, it's seems a bit confusing.

Hey! I'd like to know too! Although I'm no expert, (Where's Tracy Moral when you need her, eh? hehehe) I believe one could still teach as long as they have some verifiable teaching experience. It's just easier to do it if you have the TEFL certificate in hand. I've been told that it's nearly necessary to have been certified in SOMETHING to do almost anything in Spain.

TRACY!! WHERE ARE YOU???

Saludos, MadridMan

I must clarify something: getting a work visa is impossible if you attempt to apply from WITHIN Spain. I got a job through the internet with a TEFL school in Burgos and they sent me all the appropriate paperwork for the work visa, which I had to submit to the Spanish consulate in New York. I found it very easy and should be getting the visa any day now. I have heard that they are making it easier for non-EU citizens to get visas and coming down harder on illegals. I got my job through www.eslcafe.com and I highly recommend it- I was hired and I don't even have my TEFL certification, just a BA in Spanish.

[originally posted by kerry]

kerry
Junior Member posted 07-02-2000 05:28 PM
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About the visa:
I recently applied for the work/residence permit and I'll tell you everything I've learned about it:

I was hired at a school in Burgos (you may remember me- you replied to my Eurotrip post) and they said they'd help me get the visa. I looked at the very misleading Spanish Consulate homepage ( http://www.spainconsul-ny.org ) and told the school that they needed to write me a letter saying that they were offering me the job, assuming this would qualify as the "valid job offer" described on the visa requirements page. I trekked up to NYC with that and the other requirements (a medical certificate, background check, $45 money order, photos, and copies of passport), waited 3 hours to be seen, and was immediately turned away by the consulate because the "oferta" is an actual form that the school needs to send me after filing it with the Ministry of Labor. I e-mailed the school and they did what they had to do and sent me the "oferta." I went back to NY, this time with the right paperwork and the consulate was very encouraging and said that it would take 2 months to process. I haven't gotten it yet (just the receipt of application), but I applied in mid-May, so it hasn't been 2 months yet. And anyway, I have till September, which is when my contract begins. Anyway, point being that all the company has to do is file a form with the Ministry of Labor and send you photocopies with the "NEV" number on it and you get all the other paperwork. If they're serious about you they should be willing to sent you the paperwork for you to get your visa on time. Any other questions, please let me know!

[This message has been edited by MadridMan (edited 07-02-2000).]

MM, it is funny that you ask for help to Tracy Moral, I am her sister in law, Nuria Moral and I actually married her brother. Okay this might be a litle bit confusing, my brother is Tracy's Moral husband and Tracy's brother is my husband (I am not very sure I explaind myself very well)
The answer to your question you don't need a TEFL if you work in an "academia" or if you are a private teacher but they would require it if you intend to work for a school.
Another thing that many foreigners do in Spain is be "private teachers". This is you put an add in a newspaper saying that you teach English and many families will call you and pay you like 1000 pesetas per hour. You don't need a classroom because you go to their homes. If someone need more information about this just let me know.
Regards.

Hi MadridMan,
About the TEFL... you don't need it if you are going to work in a "academia" but they might require it if you are going to work in a school. Another way to make good money is being a "private teacher". You post an add in a newspaper saying that you are an English teacher and the will call you (for sure) they will pay you per hour and number of people that is attending, and you don't need a classroom because you would go to their houses. Usually the people who require this services are parents worried because their children are failing English at school. It is good money.
By the way, I am Tracy Moral's sister in Law and she was the one who told me about your page, isn't she great?