My wife and I had everything the American Dream promised.

Two high-earning careers. A comfortable suburban home. The ability to provide for our two daughters (ages 3 and 5). On paper, we’d made it.

But somewhere between the 45+ hour work weeks, the two-week vacation guilt, and watching our kids grow up through daycare pickup snapshots, we realized something: we were winning a game we no longer wanted to play.

So we did something that made our parents think we’d lost our minds—we decided we were going to move out of the country and raise our children abroad.

Here’s what we didn’t expect: We’d fall in love with European work-life balance… and then discover the UK doesn’t actually want American families like us.

The visa requirements? Nearly impossible without a UK employer sponsor or a British spouse. The bureaucracy? Soul-crushing. The timeline? Years of uncertainty.

But our three months in the UK taught us something invaluable: this lifestyle exists, it’s real, and there are countries that actually WANT remote-working American families.

Enter: Spain and Greece’s Digital Nomad Visas.

This is the honest story of how we went from “maybe we could move to the UK” to “we’re actually planning our move to Spain”—and why the path we found is probably easier than you think.

Let me paint you a picture of our life before we left:

We were exhausted. Not the good kind of tired from a fulfilling day—the bone-deep burnout that comes from running a marathon with no finish line.

The breaking point? One morning I turned on the news and it read some absurd headline and I thought to myself: “This can’t actually be real?” I was living life in a way I did not like, in a place I was no longer enjoyed being. The news headlines kept getting more and more absurd, so between that and an active shooter lockdown at my daughters’ preschool, we decided it was time for a change.

We knew for quite sometime that we wanted to live abroad, but it wasn’t until things started to feel like they were shifting off the rails a bit in the US for us to strongly consider our next moves. A lot of careful planning and envisioning had to go into our plan, so we did just that. My wife’s favorite city in the world is London, so we decided we would start there, and see where it took us.

According to a 2025 Pew Research study, 6,600 Americans applied for UK citizenship in the year ending March 2025—a record number. We wanted to understand why people were leaving.

We’re not impulsive people, but we did methodically sell everything and buy one-way tickets.

We knew the life we wanted for ourselves wasn’t in the States any more, so we decided to go after it full force. Through loads of research and preparation, we were able to put our best feet forward and jump into the next chapter with a strong plan.

Our goals were simple:

The cities we explored deeply:

Here’s what we discovered—and why it changed everything.

In the US, when someone says “I’m taking a week off,” there’s an unspoken footnote: “But I’ll still check email.”

In the UK, when someone says “I’m on holiday,” they mean it. Slack goes silent. Emails auto-respond. Nobody apologizes for being unreachable.

We met families who casually mentioned:

One British follower laughed when we mentioned our “unlimited PTO” policy in the US. “Unlimited PTO means no PTO,” he said. “Because you’re too guilty to take it.”

She wasn’t wrong.

In London, we befriended a couple with kids the same ages as ours. Both parents worked full-time. We kept waiting for the other shoe to drop—the late-night emails, the weekend “quick calls.”

It never happened.

When we asked about their work schedules, they looked confused. “I work 9 to 5. Sometimes 9 to 5:30 if there’s something urgent. Why?”

Because in America, 9-to-5 means 8 AM to 6 PM (minimum). Because Slack notifications don’t stop at 5 PM. Because “urgent” has lost all meaning.

The cultural difference isn’t just policy—it’s expectation. Europeans don’t wear burnout as a badge of honor.

This revelation lit a fire in us: This is how we want to live. How do we make this happen?

Riding high on our UK experience, we started researching how to actually move there.

That’s when reality hit.

Option 1: Skilled Worker Visa

Option 2: Family Visa

Option 3: Student Visa

Option 4: Investor/Innovator Visa

Option 5: Ancestry Visa

After weeks of research, consultations with immigration lawyers, and forum deep-dives, we realized: The UK doesn’t have a pathway for remote-working, financially stable American families who just want to live there.

Unless you’re:

You’re out of luck.

We were devastated. We’d fallen in love with the lifestyle, our kids had thrived, and the door was basically closed.

That’s when we discovered what we should have researched from the start: Digital Nomad Visas.

While the UK makes immigration nearly impossible, countries like Spain, Portugal, Greece, Italy, and Croatia have created specific visa programs designed for exactly people like us: remote workers with stable income who want to live in Europe.

A Digital Nomad Visa allows you to live in a country for 1-2+ years while working remotely for non-local employers (or running your own business).

Key requirements (varies by country):

What it’s NOT:

Why countries offer them: Post-COVID, European nations realized remote workers boost their economies without taking local jobs. It’s a win-win.

After extensive research, we’ve narrowed our focus to Spain (primary choice) and Greece (backup option).

Here’s the breakdown:

Why Spain Won Us Over:

We’re eyeing the Costa del Sol region (Málaga, Marbella, Nerja) for several reasons:

Estimated monthly expenses for family of 4 in Costa del Sol:

Compare that to our current $7,500+/month in living expenses in a mid-sized US city.

Spain recently updated its digital nomad visa program (2023) specifically to attract remote workers. They’re actively recruiting families like ours.

Why Greece Is Also on Our Radar:

Why Spain Still Wins:

Let’s be brutally honest about money.

If we moved to Spain and worked remotely, our household income would likely drop by 10-20% due to:

But here’s what we’d GAIN in actual spending power:

Translation: We could take a $50,000 household income cut and still come out ahead financially, while gaining:

That’s not a sacrifice. That’s a trade-up.

This was our biggest concern.

What we learned:

Start with international school for transition, consider public school once they’re comfortable with Spanish.

Our kids’ take? When we told them we might move to Spain, our 5-year-old asked, “Will there be beaches?” We said yes. She said, “Okay!”

Kids are adaptable. It’s the parents who overthink.

As a multiracial American family, we’d be lying if we said this wasn’t top of mind.

What we experienced in the UK (and what we’ve researched about Spain):

In three months in England, we experienced:

My wife said it best: “I didn’t realize how much energy I spend being ‘on’ in public spaces until I could be ‘off’ here.”

Spain is one of the most diverse and accepting countries in Europe:

Is racism present? Of course. It exists everywhere.

Is it the ambient, exhausting, constant tension we navigate in the US? Based on extensive research and conversations with multiracial expat families in Spain—no.

We’re not dreamers. We’re doers. Here’s our roadmap:

Financial Prep:

Legal Prep:

Practical Prep:

Let’s see if this works!

The Plan:

Success metrics:

If the trial works:

If it doesn’t work:

Either way, we win.

If Spain becomes home:

If you’re reading this thinking, “Wait, I could do this?”—yes, you probably can.

Here’s the step-by-step:

Spain’s requirement: €2,400/month (~$2,600)

If you’re employed:

If you’re freelance/self-employed:

If you’re not there yet:

Top Digital Nomad Visa Countries (as of 2026):

Our recommendation: Start with Spain or Portugal for ease of integration and family infrastructure.

Standard requirements:

Processing time: 1-3 months
Cost: €500-1,500 in fees + lawyer (optional but recommended)

Pro tip: Hire an immigration lawyer for €500-1,000. They’ll handle paperwork, reduce errors, and speed up the process.

Once approved:

Within 90 days, you’re officially settled.

Q: Do I need to speak Spanish?
A: No, but it helps. Costa del Sol, Barcelona, and Madrid have massive English-speaking communities. You can get by with English, but learning Spanish opens doors (and endears you to locals).

Q: What about US taxes?
A: You still file US taxes as a citizen, but the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion (FEIE) lets you exclude ~$120,000 of foreign-earned income. Consult a tax professional specializing in expats.

Q: Can I travel around Europe freely?
A: Not immediately. Spain’s digital nomad visa doesn’t grant Schengen access (yet). BUT you can travel to other Schengen countries for up to 90 days per 180-day period as a tourist. After 5 years and permanent residency, you get full Schengen access.

Q: What about healthcare?
A: You need private international health insurance (~€200-400/month for a family). After 1 year of residency, you can access Spain’s public healthcare system.

Q: Can I bring my pets?
A: Yes! Pets need an EU health certificate, rabies vaccination, and microchip. Process takes 30-60 days.

Q: What if we hate it?
A: You go home. The visa is temporary. You’re not burning bridges—you’re exploring options.

Here’s what Americans don’t talk about enough:

The American Dream is expensive in ways that don’t show up in salary comparisons.

We calculated what we spend annually in the US on things that are “included” or significantly cheaper in Spain:

Translation: We could take a $50,000 household pay cut to move to Spain and maintain the same standard of living—but with:

That’s not a downgrade. That’s a life upgrade.

Our three months in the UK weren’t wasted.

What we learned:

The UK showed us what was possible.

Spain is showing us how to make it accessible.

Q1 2026 (Now):

Q2 2026 (April-June):

Q3 2026 (July-September):

Q4 2026 (October-December):

2027 and Beyond:

At the end of our UK trip, we asked ourselves:

“Would we rather have more money or more time?”

For us, with young kids who won’t be young forever, with parents who aren’t getting younger, with a growing sense that life is short and Slack notifications are infinite—we’re choosing time.

The UK showed us the dream.
The visa requirements closed that door.
Spain opened a better one.

We’re not leaving because we hate America. We’re leaving because we love our family more than we love the grind.

And maybe, just maybe, there’s a version of success that doesn’t involve sacrificing our kids’ childhoods for stock options and healthcare premiums.

The UK taught us what’s possible.
Spain is making it real.

Spain Digital Nomad Visa:

Greece Digital Nomad Visa:

General Resources:

We’re documenting this journey in real-time:

📸 Instagram: @ZachMovesAbroad
📧 Newsletter: OurFamilyAbroad.com

We’re not experts. We’re just a family figuring this out, one visa application and Spanish lesson at a time.

If this resonates, if you’re considering something similar, or if you have advice for Spain expat life—reach out. We’d love to hear from you.

Because maybe the American Dream doesn’t have to be American.
And maybe the best life is the one we choose—not the one we inherit.