What You Need to Know When You’re Moving to Seville

Relocating to Seville

About the City

Seville is the capital and largest city within Andalusia; it has a population of just over seven hundred thousand and covers fifty square miles. It’s located on the plain of the river Guadalquivir. The locals in Seville are known as sevillanos – or sevillanas, the women.

Its “old town” is the fourth largest in the whole of Europe covering two square miles, and is home to three UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the Cathedral, the General Archive of the Indies and the Alcazar Palace Complex. Seville is also home to the only river port in Spain, Seville Harbor.

Seville’s history is a success story following the discovery of the Americas, as they became one of the biggest economic centers of the Spanish Empire because the port was able to monopolize the trans-oceanic trade.

If you’re moving to Seville in the hope of a warmer climate, you’re going to the right place. It’s a subtropical Mediterranean climate, which means hot summers and wet winters. However, during the winter you can still expect to see some sunshine, with just under two hundred sunshine hours in January. Temperatures are usually at their absolute hottest during July and August, averaging out at 36 and 35°C, with the highest temperature on record being 45°C.

Visas for Spain

EU/EEA and Swiss nationals don’t require a visa to move to Spain, they just need a valid passport or identity card and they must apply for an Identity Number for longer stays (more than 3 months). This procedure is applied to non-EU/EEA or Swiss nationals as well, and they would have to apply for the suitable long-term visa in order to be allowed to work and reside in Spain. Visa applications must be done in the country of origin by the Spanish Consulate or Embassy. In general, expats would have to apply for a combined work and residence visa, a student visa or a residence visa, depending on the situation.

After 5 years of residence in Spain, you will be eligible for applying for a permanent residence and after 10 years, if all the requirements are fulfilled, for the Spanish citizenship.

For more information on visas for Spain, you can also take a look at our dedicated article on Moving to Spain.

Finding Accommodation in Seville

Property websites such as Kyero, Spain Houses and Gabinohome are all useful when looking for a home to rent or buy in Seville. As a sample, an average 4 bedroom house in Marinaleda – a small village within Seville – will cost around 1,025 EUR, while an apartment in the city center would cost between 500 and 1,000 EUR, depending on its dimension. In general, accommodation is affordable and every neighborhood is well-connected to the city center.