American citizens run in Madrid Wurzeln because the most Vogui capital in Europe becomes a port for “Trump -Regime -Refuchtlings” in order to escape the US President.
An influx has already been heated by a US Spain assets and remote work since the Covid 19 pandemic, but it was charged by Americans who wanted a life outside of turbulence from far Donald Trump‘S second term.
“The interest was amazing” Spain. “I can hardly keep up.”
The wave of the arrivals is the latest sign that Madrid, long undervalued abroad, enjoys what its leaders call “a moment” – as outsiders are lured by his art. Fine foodConviviality and penetrating sunlight.
The cost of living is also a fraction of other large cities, including London and Paris. Americans with US salaries or savings strive to find 55 cents croissants in supermarket Mercadona and good wine glasses for just € 3.
For González, the US customer inquiries rose to increase in 2023. When Trump won the republican president’s nomination in March, the increase became an increase. “People were very concerned. And now there are many of them here in Spain. They started to come, ”he said.
By mid-2024, the number of Americans living in the Madrid region already had almost 10,000 achievements-an increase of 35 percent compared to mid-2018 despite a pandemic waste, according to the Migration Ministry. Since then, the residency applications have continued to accumulate, especially for so -called “digital nomads” visa.
Facebook forums with self-proclaimed “Trump-Regime refugees” include moving tips. The American School of Madrid reports great interest from California, Colorado and Florida. And in a city that is crazy on Padel, the Americans meet to play pickleball, one for most Spaniards unknown racket.
Sunny Lee, a Korean-American, moved to Madrid with her husband and two children to Madrid in 2023, a resettlement that was released against Trump after Trump’s election victory. “It was just a mood, and based on the current political climate, it was a very good mood,” she said. “At this point I have no wish to return to the United States. What is going on over there gives me so much fear, especially as a family of color. Especially as a woman. “
Selena Templeton, a Canadian-American writer and editor, arrived from Los Angeles last summer and has become a model for needy friends at home. “You say: Trump was chosen. It is a shit in this country. I want to go. How did you do that? “
However, the knowledge of Spain remains stained. Trump himself proposed last month that it was a member of the Brics group of the emerging countries.
Jeremy Scheck, 24, a cookbook author who moved from New York to Madrid last year, said: “Outside of this wide -cleared coastal bubble, there are still many tropics from Mexican culture that are projected into Spanish culture. I always get questions like: Is Spanish food spicy? “
When Spain brought a city to mind for many years, it was Barcelona. But there were many bucket lists there last year last year. For those who want to learn or polish their Spanish, the prevalence of the Catalan in Catalonia also counts against it.
The new magnet is Madrid, whose metropolitan region houses almost 7 million. Last year, thanks to more flight connections and marketing by the regional government, more than 1 million American visitors came to the city – twice as many British arrivals.
New residents say that they appreciate how Madrid combines the sum of a big city with a feeling of cosiness. They enjoy their walkability, architecture and the lack of active protecting drills in their children’s schools. They love Spaniards that they are warm and talkative, but not, as one said, “in their business”.
There is even a Hollywood quota: Richard Gere and Amber Heard both made the city their home.
For potential immigrants, a new path opens up with the digital nomad visa, the non-EU citizens who work for a non-Spanish unit from home gives residence. You also need an annual income of at least € 33,000.
In 2023, the first year of the visa, Spain spent more than 9,500 people from a number of countries. Many were for software engineers on the west coast, but they also went to US governmental companies, accountants and people like Scheck, who is also a food impact catcher on social media.
When he thought about events at home, he said: “It definitely feels like a relief to be a little further away from the daily heights and depths.”
Kai Bryant, head of Blueprint Spain, a moving agency, said that towards the end of her working life, he had carried out inquiries from Americans who were worried about Medicare and their pensions. “You say: I don’t feel comfortable when I retire in the USA. What are my options? “He said.” Some are a little misleading and ask if you can apply for asylum. But it only shows the despair. “
The Spanish Golden Visa program that is available to everyone who is investing € 500,000 in real estate was popular with Americans who are retiring, said Alena Lesina, US manager of Astons, an immigration consultant. But in April it was near new applicants.
The US arrivals do not have the wealth of wealth Latin American elite that moved to Madrid. In parts of the United States, however, there is everyday prosperity that is at eye level when relocating in Spain.
The average annual content in the Madrid region is around € 32,000. González, the lawyer, said his clients usually earn between 120,000 and 200,000 US dollars. The assets bought 10 or 20 years ago, be it California villas or Amazon or Nvidia shares, are in the bank with millions.
But every new country brings its challenges. The Americans are amazed at Madrid’s late meal times and the strict opinions about what should be consumed when. “I love wormwood here, but if I order it, if it is not just before dinner, I get these looks,” said Templeton.
Some also miss the comfort and modernity of the house. “When we came here, I had the feeling that I was coming out of the future,” said Lee. “In the future we have pads to unlock our door instead of these keys that look as if they were for a lock.”
Data visualization by Keith Fray
