Turning ideas into reality... 👀

Issue 2: 8 min read

🚚 Dani’s Doings: Visa progress! Also, I’ll tell you exactly what was included in our applications (in case you also want to move to Spain? 👀) + the costs!

💸 Money Matters: The cost of living crisis continues to ruin everything, unemployment rates are holding steady, and Beyoncé (and Taylor Swift) are helping to boost the economy.

✈️ Travel Tings: Paris is infested with bedbugs 🤢, there’s a new app to find your travel bae, how to get free accommodations for 30 days in Indonesia, and more!

🫶🏽 Community Corner: My Amazon Prime Day picks, and my recommendation for an affordable phone plan for your travels.

The visa application has been submitted! And now, we wait… ⏰

Visa updates: In the last issue (which you can read here), I told you that my boyfriend and I have decided to move to Malaga, Spain 🇪🇸 for one year on the Youth Mobility Visa (aka the Working Holiday Visa).

After about a month of getting all of our paperwork together, we finally put everything in the mail (including our passports 😱) on October 2nd. It can take up to 2 months to get the visa, and we’re hoping to get it and move by early December if all goes to plan 🤞🏽.

How does one move to Spain, anyway? And is it expensive to apply for the visa?

These have been the most frequently asked questions over the past month, and I got you!

1) What is the Youth Mobility Visa/Working Holiday Visa? Who is eligible? 

If you’re a Canadian citizen 35 and under, the Youth Mobility Visa gives you the opportunity to live and work in 30 countries around the world typically for a period of one year. Read more about it here.

I’m drawn to this visa because usually to work in another country, you need a company to sponsor that visa and that’s not an easy process. With all the layoffs happening lately, that’d be risky because if you were to be let go (like I was) while on a visa sponsored by a company, you’d have to leave the country pretty quickly unless you find a new sponsor. This Youth Mobility Visa provides waaaaay more flexibility.

Not a Canadian subscriber but interested in a Working Holiday Visa? Here’s a resource for United States citizens, and here’s one for U.K. citizens.

2) What countries can Canadian citizens choose from?

Check out the full list here for all of the country options.

3) How did you apply for the Spain visa and how much did it cost?

Part One: You’ll need to apply for your NIE, which is your Foreigner Identity Number that’s required for you to do things like open a bank account, rent an apartment, and apply for the visa itself. To get it, you need 2 copies of:

• The completed EX-15 application form 

• The completed 790 form for payment

• Photocopies of your passport

• A notarized copy of your passport (if you’re mailing it). We got an in-person appointment, so we just showed our passports to our interviewer.

•  $14.20 CAD in cash in exact change or a certified cheque

Check out this website to determine whether you need to mail in your application or if/where you need to book an in-person appointment based on where you live.

Part Two: Apply for the visa with the following documents:

• Visa application form

• Passport photos attached to the forms ($28)

• Certified criminal record check w/ fingerprinting ($95)

• Certified cheque for $150 made out to the consulate

• Travel insurance for 12 months (we paid $705 each from Seven Corners)

• Copy of your Canadian ID showing your address (like a Driver’s License)

• Your one original passport! This was so scary for me to put in the mail lol + copies of it

• A one page “motivation letter” (similar to a cover letter) highlighting why you’re pursuing the visa and what you plan to do with your time abroad

• Proof of accommodation in a hotel or hostel (not an Airbnb) for at least 1 week (this can vary, but mine was $1923)

• A bank statement showing at least $3600 in your personal bank account (to live off for a bit and to be able to buy a flight ticket home)

• A medical certificate from your doctor saying you don’t suffer from any diseases that would have major consequences on public health (my doctor didn’t charge but my boyfriend’s charged $40).

• 2 Prepaid Canada Post mailing envelopes. 1 to mail everything in, and one so they can send you back your passport with the visa inside. ($49)

• Extras: Making colour copies of everything cost about $25/pp at a local print shop.

= Approx. total fee to apply for the visa: $3029 CAD per person

It is A LOT of work to get everything together, but it’ll all be worth it when it works out 🙏🏽. Note: Check out the website from the consulate for more specific details on everything required.

• A whopping 38% of homebuyers under 30 receive cash gifts or an inheritance from family members in order to afford their downpayment. Source. I can’t even hate. I’d welcome that help 😅

• The cost of living crisis is getting worse. Of those “finally stressed” people surveyed, 63% of them said they’re spending all of their net pay just to stay afloat, and 30% are taking on debt or dipping into savings just to cover their costs. Source.

• In September, the U.S. added 336,000 jobs. Their unemployment rate is sitting at 3.8%. Source. In Canada, 64,000 jobs were added which means unemployment here is holding steady at 5.5% for the third month in a row. Source.

• AMC Theatres ($AMC) announced they’ll be doing deals with both Beyoncé and Taylor Swift off the back of their tours, and their stock surged 11.5%. Source.

• Speaking of Beyoncé, her tour grossed $579 MILLION and it is estimated that she boosted the U.S. economy by ~$4.5 BILLION. I get it. That concert was the best I’ve ever been to.

This month’s sponsor: Mydoh

Mydoh is a money management app that allows parents to support their teens’ journeys towards financial independence. Mydoh makes it easy for teens to create savings goals they can actually achieve, and helps parents guide their teens towards responsible spending.

The app comes loaded with features like a Smart Cash Card, the ability to assign tasks (like chores), and the option to send allowance money instantly. I wish I had access to quick money transfers in exchange for doing my chores when I was a teen 😅!

Download the Mydoh app and use the code DANICA15 for a $15 credit!

• Paris is infested with bedbugs. It’s gross. I hope they mandate a travel advisory ASAP before it spreads internationally.

• Applications to the pilot program for Indonesia’s first digital nomad city, Bitung City, are still open! You get 30 days accommodation for freeeee. Worth checking out if your schedule is flexible!

• The health ministry in Jamaica has declared a Dengue fever outbreak and are asking people to do their part to stop mosquitoes from breeding.

• There’s a new dating app called “Fairytrail” for travellers looking to find someone to travel the world with.

• Venice, Italy will soon start charging 5 euros to people visiting the city for the day.

🛍️ Amazon Prime Day is coming up on October 10 and 11 and I’ve curated lists of my fave products such as my go-to travel products and my favourite bras for girlies with big boobs (TMI?? Idc!! 😆).

🤙🏽 My calendar is open for ask-me-anything and Personal Branding sessions. Book your spot here. Heads up: rates will increase in the new year!

📱Many folks have asked what SIM card they should get for travel. I always recommend the “e-SIM” from Airalo if you only need data (you can still make calls on FaceTime, Whatsapp, etc.). It’s almost always cheaper than a traditional phone plan, and super convenient because you can buy it on your phone and install it before you leave. Download the app here and use the referral code DANICA4990.

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