How to Make Friends in Spain as an Expat
I know from experience that moving to a new country is challenging to say the least. So thinking about establishing a social life can be overwhelming! Buuuuut luckily for me—and for you—there are plenty of groups and resources for expats looking for new friends in Spain.
Making friends in Spain might be especially challenging if you don’t speak Spanish, so you might want to start learning the language if you haven’t already. That said, I have a lot of friends in Spain who speak English, and finding English-speaking friends in Spain is definitely possible if you live in a big city. You might even be able to break the ice with a new Spanish friend by offering to do some language exchange, where you take turns speaking each language when you spend time together so that both you and your new friend get a chance to practice having a conversation in the other language.
Below, I’ll share some suggestions I have for ways to make friends in Spain as an expat. If you’re an expat and you feel totally lost as to how to make friends in Spain, perhaps these ideas can offer a starting point for you.
Just a quick note, many of the suggestions below involve the internet, and you should always be skeptical and exercise caution when meeting up with people who you’ve connected with online. Always meet first in public places and never go alone.
1. Join local Facebook groups.
In my experience, one of the best ways to make friends in Spain is through Facebook groups.
Look for groups related to the town, municipality, and region you’ll be living in. For instance, I joined groups for Fuengirola (my town), Malaga (my municipality), and Andalucia (my region). You might find social groups or general groups for your area of Spain. Oftentimes, people post about group activities on these pages.
Also, you can look for groups related to your occupation or interests. As an auxiliar de conversación (assistant language teacher in Spain), I joined Facebook groups that connected me with other people with that position. When people posted about looking for friends in my local area, I sent them messages and connected with them.
2. Use Meetup.
Meetup is a website for organizing group activities, and I’ve found it’s quite popular in my region of Spain. On Meetup, I’ve seen activities ranging from beach volleyball to language exchanges to yoga.
3. Join local WhatsApp groups.
Similar to Facebook and Meetup, WhatsApp is a popular way for people to coordinate group activities in Spain. In general, I’ve found WhatsApp groups through Facebook and Meetup, but oftentimes WhatsApp is the primary means of communication for these groups.
4. Use Bumble BFF.
I’ve also had some luck making friends through Bumble BFF. It’s a great way to connect with other people who are looking for friends in your area of Spain. Create a profile that expresses a bit about your personality, interests, and hobbies and start swiping!
5. Enroll in a class.
Taking a class will allow you to connect with others living in your local area who share similar interests to you. Maybe you like yoga? If so, find a studio you like and start taking yoga classes! Maybe you’d like to learn how to dance salsa or flamenco? I bet there’s a class for that in your area, too! Or maybe you want to improve your Spanish? There’s definitely a class for that, or even someone you can hire as a conversation partner or do language exchange with! The possibilities are endless.
You might find classes through Meetup or EventBrite. I’ve also found some interesting classes through local Facebook groups. Social media in general will help you find classes you might like to take.
Again, I know that making friends in a new country is daunting. But so was moving to Spain, and you did that! You’ve got this!
