Immigration Accommodation in Madrid Canada
As a new immigrant arriving in Madrid one of the first tasks is to find short term and long-term accommodation in Madrid for you and your family.
Your first accommodation on arriving in Madrid may be temporary. This is ok, and is the route that most new migration arrivals in Madrid take. Some individuals opt of a good hostel or Serviced Accommodation in Madrid, while some are lucky enough to be able to stay with family or friends in the area. Most new arrivals take a short-term rental while they look for something long term. As with any city, it’s always easier to find someplace new to live once you are already there and Madrid is no different.
Accommodation for newcomers in Madrid Canada guide
You’ve been through the stress and emotional roller coaster involved with securing a visa for Canada and you’ve chosen Madrid as your destination. It’s a charming place with plenty or heritage. Madrid is well known to be extremely welcoming to new migrants.
Here is some background on Madrid for new immigration arrivals.
Madrid (, Spanish: [maˈðɾið]) is the capital and most-populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), surpassed only by Berlin in its administrative limits, and its monocentric metropolitan area is the second-largest in the EU, surpassed only by Paris. The municipality covers 604.3 km2 (233.3 sq mi) geographical area.
Madrid lies on the River Manzanares in the center of both the country and the Community of Madrid region, of which it is also the capital. As the capital city of Spain, seat of government, residence of the Spanish monarch, Madrid is also the political, economic and cultural centre of the country. The mayor is José Luis Martínez-Almeida from the People’s Party.
The Madrid urban agglomeration has the third-largest GDP in the European Union and its influence in politics, education, entertainment, environment, media, fashion, science, culture, and the arts all contribute to its status as one of the world’s major global cities. Madrid is home to two world-famous football clubs, Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid. Due to its economic output, high standard of living, and market size, Madrid is considered the major financial centre and the leading economic hub of the Iberian Peninsula and of Southern Europe. It hosts the head offices of the vast majority of major Spanish companies, such as Telefónica, IAG and Repsol. Madrid is also the 8th most liveable city in the world according to Monocle magazine, in its 2019 index.
Madrid houses the headquarters of the UN’s World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the Ibero-American General Secretariat (SEGIB), the Organization of Ibero-American States (OEI), and the Public Interest Oversight Board (PIOB). It also hosts major international regulators and promoters of the Spanish language: the Standing Committee of the Association of Spanish Language Academies, headquarters of the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE), the Instituto Cervantes and the Foundation of Urgent Spanish (Fundéu BBVA). Madrid organises fairs such as FITUR, ARCO, SIMO TCI and the Madrid Fashion Week.
While Madrid possesses modern infrastructure, it has preserved the look and feel of many of its historic neighbourhoods and streets. Its landmarks include the Plaza Mayor, the Royal Palace of Madrid; the Royal Theatre with its restored 1850 Opera House; the Buen Retiro Park, founded in 1631; the 19th-century National Library building (founded in 1712) containing some of Spain’s historical archives; many national museums, and the Golden Triangle of Art, located along the Paseo del Prado and comprising three art museums: Prado Museum, the Reina Sofía Museum, a museum of modern art, and the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, which complements the holdings of the other two museums. Cibeles Palace and Fountain has become one of the monument symbols of the city.
Finding Immigration Accommodation for Newcomers in Madrid Canada
Most searches begin with a search engine. Local papers in Madrid may well be online and of course, listing sites such as Craigslist and Rentfaster Madrid can be of great help.
What is the cost of short term accommodation in Madrid
The cost of short-term newcomer accommodation in Madrid varies greatly depending on requirements and neighborhoods. Lots of new arrivals to Madrid use Airbnb to give them an indication of short term rental process in Madrid and also the option to book with confidence and security.
Another website that offers the same accommodation as Airbnb.
Rental accommodation in Madrid for newcomers
One you decide to rent an apartment or house there are certain things specific to Canada to keep in mind. For example, make sure to agree who pays for utilities, and who is responsible for removing snow!
Property owners and landlords will usually require payslips or proof of income, bank statements and occasionally they may require references from previous landlords although lots of new immigrants to Madrid were homeowners in their previous country. Sometimes it does help to already have secured employment in the greater Madrid area.
All renters in Madrid have rights, so you need to familiarize yourself with those rights before you sign any agreement. Thankfully there are a number of Organizations set up in Madrid to help. These are called Newcomer services and a list of these can be found here: newcomer service
Newcomer subletting in Madrid Canada
Sometimes when a renter leaves for a few months they will sublet their accommodation. Quite often they leave some furnishings behind and for some newcomers to Madrid this can be an ideal option, especially if you’ve yet to buy furniture or if your shipment is delayed.