I'm Scared: A Ukrainian Woman Honestly Talks About Life in Spain and What to Know Before Moving

Ukrainian refugees often share their experiences living in other countries—both the pros and cons. A refugee from Ukraine, who lives in Spain, decided to share the downsides that no one talks about.

She shared everything on TikTok.

Non-obvious Downsides of Living in Spain

The girl mentioned that many people romanticize life in Spain and overlook the downsides. Among the negatives, she highlighted the difficulty of making friends, despite Spaniards being sociable.

"Everyone says that when you come to Spain, everyone is great, and you'll be friends with everyone, that there are many Ukrainians here. Well, look, I’ve been living in Spain for almost a year. I haven’t made any friends," she shares.

Most Ukrainian refugees already have their own friends, so no one invited her to their circle.

The second downside in Spain, according to the user, is the apartment renovations. It is very hard to find an apartment with decent renovations.

"Spaniards don’t like to fuss over renovations. They buy the cheapest windows, lay the cheapest tiles. They don’t care. For some reason, all the apartments here have almost the same renovations," the girl shares.

Another non-obvious downside, at first glance, is cleanliness. She thought Spain would be much cleaner. The streets in the country are cleaned at night, but people litter a lot.

Also, for Ukrainians, it can be uncomfortable that the windows provoke heat in the summer, and in winter, it’s impossible to warm up the apartment. All this is due to the quality of the windows.

Many are curious about job opportunities in Spain. The Ukrainian refugee shares that finding a job is also difficult. It’s easier to find unofficial work with a “black” salary. To find something official and decent, one has to spend a lot of time.

"No one will want to hire you officially because you are a foreigner. They don’t want problems. They have to pay taxes for you. In reality, it’s very hard to find legal work. Well, because Spaniards are like that," the girl adds.

Without knowledge of the Spanish language, finding a job is almost impossible. It’s better to have remote work if you plan to move to this country.

Another challenge is cockroaches, scorpions, and snakes. They are very numerous in Spain. They crawl on the streets and in houses, but only in the evening.

"Thank God they aren’t around during the day, but in the evening, for example, after 9:00 PM, I can’t walk on the street. I’m scared. I’m scared that a cockroach will jump on me. I’ve already seen them—they are so big. Very scary," the girl recalls.

Another downside mentioned by the Ukrainian is damaged cars. In Spain, cars quickly get damaged due to narrow streets and parking.

The last challenge that Ukrainians may face in Spain is a high level of crime and a large number of migrants.

"I think you’ve already heard about the okupas, that it’s scary to buy property here because it can be occupied if you go away for a week. Or, for example, there was a case recently where the mayor of a neighboring city was found in a dumpster. Not alive, of course," the girl concluded.

Ukrainians Abroad - Latest News:

Let’s remind you, failure to comply with the exit rules from Germany and closing the temporary protection status can lead to significant debts for Ukrainian refugees.

To avoid financial claims, it is necessary to submit an application to the local job center in advance, indicating the date and reason for returning to Ukraine, as well as officially deregistering from the place of residence.

The obtained statement must be submitted to the insurance company to close the medical insurance. In addition, all accounts in German banks must also be closed.

It is advisable to plan the trip for the first days of the month. If you leave at the end of the month, there is an obligation to return part of the funds accrued to the job center for unused days.

Ukrainian eating habits often differ from European ones, which is why the assortment of foreign supermarkets can be quite surprising. Ukrainian refugee Lyudmila Rusina shared on TikTok her observations about unusual drinks that are popular in Germany but seem strange to Ukrainians.

In particular, Germans eagerly buy cabbage juice, as well as beet juice, which is beneficial for immunity and the heart, consumed either pure or mixed with others. Additionally, stores sell rhubarb juice, and pharmacies even sell onion juice for medicinal purposes.

Among the popular cold drinks are "Spezi" (a mix of cola and orange lemonade) and "Apfelschorle" (apple lemonade, similar to the Ukrainian "Zhyvchik").