The following is as close as I can recall to the conversation I had at the Spanish Consulate in Manhattan the other day when I went to make sure that there was no paperwork I needed to complete.
“Hi. I’m an Irish citizen and I’ve been planning on moving to Spain. The Irish Consulate told me I should come here to see if there was any paperwork I need to complete.”
“Why do you want to come to Spain?”
“Why do I want to come to Spain?”
“Do you have a lot of money and want to just go and not work?”
“No, I was planning on working eventually.”
“You can’t work. You need a sponsor for that.”
“But I’m a EU citizen.”
“Huh?”
“I’m a European Union citizen.”
“Ooooooh. European… Here’s what you have to do. Go buy your tickets, get on the plane and go.”
“That’s all?”
“When you get there go to the Ayuntamiento – the City Hall – and register with them.”
“Ok, so I just go register?”
“Yeah. And when you go, you have to prove you’ve been living out of the European Union for at least year. Can you do that?”
“Yes.”
“Then you won’t have to pay any importation taxes. You can bring all of your stuff, your car, whatever and not pay anything.”
“Ok, great. Thank you.”