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In our first edition of The Local’s Americans in Spain newsletter, we cover the new passport checks at Spanish airports, fertility tourism, the huge influx of anti-Trump Americans moving to Spain, as well as key changes to the Spanish non-lucrative visa.
Welcome to The Local’s “Americans in Spain” newsletter for members, featuring all the news and practical information you need as an American resident, visitor or second-home owner in Spain. You can sign up to receive it directly to your inbox before we publish it online via the link below.
Dear Americans in Spain, I’m Jenny, and I’ll be keeping you updated on our coverage for Americans in Spain — including some of my first-hand experiences as a US national living in España.
This November, we cover the rise in Americans coming to Spain, the ease of accessing assisted fertility here, how Americans abroad are standing up to Trump, and plenty more.
Spain leads as the top destination for Americans this year. Whether for vacation or forever, 70 percent of Americans polled by Spain’s Tourism Ministry in New York say they plan to visit Spain in the next three years.
Millennials (81 percent) and “travellers with high purchasing power” (76 percent) showed special interest.
READ MORE: Americans’ crush on Spain – 70% of US tourists plan to visit in next three years
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My chosen home of Barcelona polled second as the most favoured destination, just 1 percent behind Madrid.
It’s not just the mainland; the Spanish islands are also feeling love from the States.
The style of tourism is changing, with a greater focus on local experiences and holistic vacations. Spain is keeping up; this coming August 2026, Nobu, Ibiza Bay, is preparing for the first total solar eclipse visible from Ibiza in over 230 years with crafted celestial experiences.
Meanwhile, in Barcelona, locally led Walks Devour Barcelona works closely with family-run establishments to put community at the centre of tourism.
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And it’s not just leisure holidays attracting Americans; amidst restricted access to assisted reproduction and uncertainty at home, there’s a growing group of women crossing the Atlantic for unrestricted care.
This month, I embarked on my own fertility journey in Spain, choosing Institut Marquès to freeze my eggs.
“I used to be surprised to see an American patient, but you’re the third I’m speaking with this week,” Dr. Hans Arce told me during our consultation in a swanky fertility clinic in Barcelona.
Between January and June 2025, visits from American women quadrupled compared to the same period last year. And at Tambre Clinic in Madrid, American women seeking fertility treatments increased 6 percent this year.
Why Spain? Cutting-edge technology, inclusive regulations, affordability, and access that women can’t find in their home country. A cycle of IVF could cost me less than a year of Botox in New York.
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The medical team at Institut Marqués is top-notch, and the process is affordable. In all, I’ll spend less than €4,000 and gain priceless peace of mind.
It’s also just kinder. After some communication glitches (forgetting to say my doctor was away and scheduling me with a non-English speaking sub), the clinic’s manager gave me her personal number.
Some Spanish fertility clinics even have partnerships with hotels to reduce the cost of staying, and others will help you plan the entire visit.
A record number of Americans are taking their relationship with Spain from casual to committed.
My fellow expatriates are choosing Spain over any other European country; 15,638 Americans received their Spanish residency last year, up from 12,809 in 2023.
READ MORE: Record number of Americans move to Spain
According to data from Spain’s Immigration Observatory, as of June 30th 2025, there were 48,713 US nationals residing in Spain.
Some of the surge seems connected to politics at home. A new documentary, “Spain: The Americans fleeing Trump”, follows three Americans who moved to Spain.
While each has specific reasons, they’re all geopolitically-related. The organisation, Democrats Abroad, is helping them make their voices heard.
In parallel with protests in the US, they organised No Kings protests in major cities across Spain.
While more Americans want to call Spain home, the process may be more complex than in the past.
The non-lucrative visa (visado de residencia no lucrativa or NLV) has been a popular choice amongst Americans moving to Spain but attaining one may be getting more difficult.
While there’s been no official change to the law, some consulates are now asking for more documents.
EXCLUSIVE: Why getting Spain’s Non-Lucrative Visa is now more difficult
The Local Spain spoke with María De Castro, CEO of Spanish law firm CostaLuz Lawyers, who listed additional items you may be asked for.
These include proof you’ve already stopped working, a brief statement of your intentions, and more granular bank evidence.
Whether coming for vacation or forever, be prepared for new airport screenings.
In mid-October, Madrid-Barajas rolled out new long-awaited border procedures as part of the new European Entry and Exit System (EES) for registering non-EU foreigners entering the Schengen area.
Non-EU travellers will be photographed and fingerprinted upon arrival in a bid to better track when people enter and leave the Schengen area. Seville, Tenerife North, and Burgos have also rolled out EES, and you.
You can also now expect to pass through EES at Malaga-Costa del Sol, Barcelona-El Prat and Alicante Airport. The EU expects full implementation by April 2026.
READ MORE: All the latest news on EES passport checks in Spain
Finally, my monthly oops — hopefully you can learn from my mistakes as a foreigner making a home in Spain.
The country still has different regions with different languages; what we call Spanish, they call castellano.
So, if you want to make an extra good impression, learn a few key phrases in the region you’re visiting.
Fins a la pròxima edició, i salutacions des de Barcelona! (which in Catalan means “Until the next edition, and greetings from Barcelona!”).
