For many, moving abroad is a leap into the unknown. For Doug Underwood, arriving in Mallorca in 2019 turned into a journey of building community, adapting to island life, and finding a true sense of home. What started as a work opportunity grew into something much bigger, from professional projects to co-hosting Curiosity Night, a monthly gathering for expats and locals alike. In this interview, Doug shares the rewards and challenges of expat life in Mallorca, his advice for newcomers, and what makes the island such a unique place to live.
Tell us a little about your personal journey as an expat.
Honestly, I've found life as an expat to be incredibly rewarding from when I started to have a community around me and to engage with my hobbies. Moving here just before the pandemic, I was isolated with my work-from-home job and found that you really need to know how to put yourself out there, I think. Once you do, you'll find a hundred people in the exact same situation!聽
How did you arrive in Mallorca, and what made you stay there?
I moved here for work in 2019, and for an orphan from Newcastle, this place just felt so amazing to find a community and create a home.聽
What are the main challenges the island presents for expats?
The biggest challenge for expats is probably other expats! It can be so easy to fall in with the people from your country: English with English, Argentinian with Argentinian, and German with German. It's only by getting out of those cliques that the island really opens up, and you can see how much beauty is really here in Mallorca, especially if you want to learn the language and feel less like an outsider!
What are your favorite places on the island?
Being quite the introvert, I always reply that my favourite place is my home, but that isn't available for visits. I've found that the island has a thousand favourite places for me, all depending on what I'm doing at the time. I love the old town to catch up with friends over a drink, the beaches in the north of the island are amazing to spend a day catching some sun and swimming, and I love Parc del Mar and Paseo Maritimo for a walk (going in the summer, you find some amazing musicians playing). My suggestion is to explore as much as you can and find your own favourite places!聽
What do you do for a living? And what does your work involve?
I handle the business development for a tax company from here in Mallorca, and we support non-residents who own property in Spain to file their property tax. My job is to help companies with a similar client base to offer this as an extra service and to find extra benefits for our clients with discounts, bonuses, and freebies.聽
What are your recommendations to expats who own a home in Spain?聽What should they keep in mind?
Get your administration and bureaucracy sorted FIRST, then make an effort to visit at least one new thing in your area per week. There's a surprise around every corner, and there's nothing better than becoming a part of your community. Don't let the admin stuff stop you from enjoying it to the fullest.
You're going to feel like an outsider by not being an expert. People forget that spending your whole life in one country affords you a familiarity and a confidence you don't get in a new place. Be humble and remember to have fun, and don't be shy!
Regarding property, what should expats know before buying property in Spain? Is it still affordable?
Spain is the same as most any country at the moment; prices are shockingly high in some areas and a lot cheaper in others. One thing that's for sure is it's definitely getting harder here in Mallorca.
What are the first legal or administrative steps someone should take after buying?
The first things to do should involve making sure everything that should be in your name is, and everything that shouldn't be isn't鈥攗tilities, IBI payments, community fees, basura, padr贸n, IRNR, and insurance. Most lawyers and abogados will help with this. If you're a non-resident of Spain, then you should create an account on IberianTax.com.
What do you do聽besides your job?
I help host a monthly networking event for expats and nationals here in Mallorca with a friend of mine, called Curiosity Night. In which people from all over the world present 10-minute keynotes, with a 10-minute Q&A to our community. It's always so amazing to meet new people and hear their stories.聽
How did the idea start?
It was a friend of mine, Leif-Hendrick Schulz, who had realised there was space for people to meet up and share ideas, so we started with a small projector in his living room. We celebrated the 2-year anniversary last month, and we have some incredible people from all over the world sharing their stories and inspiring curiosity, with 40-50 people attending every event! It's such a pleasure to be hosting this and interviewing the amazing speakers, and we've started spinning it off into extra events for the community to help anyone who struggles with public speaking!聽
Have you made more international or local friends since moving?
I'm really happy to have a mix! Mallorca has a reputation for the people being a little hard to integrate with, but I think that's part and parcel of adult friendships in every country. However, I take a lot of pride in the small number of British people in my circle. Not to say British people are hard to be friends with, more that one should focus on meeting people from other cultures first, and expat life is an opportunity that most people don't get in their home countries. People will judge you if your entire friend group is made up of your exact nationality, so that's a great way to become surrounded by an incredibly diverse group!聽
In your opinion, what common mistakes do new expats in Spain make?
"Un poquito espa帽ol" is ABSOLUTELY fine if you're planning to learn "mucho espa帽ol", but find a way to learn "mucho" in a way you enjoy; otherwise, you'll be excusing yourself for the next 10 years. If it's singing in the shower or visiting Spanish-speaking bars for your after-work drinks, you try a little bit, and consistency is so much more important than huge jumps in effort once every couple of months.聽聽
What do you think makes Mallorca unique compared to other expat destinations in Spain?
Truly, it's the blend of the "expat & digital nomad" style modernity combined with the incredible history and culture of Mallorca. Whatever you're looking for, you'll find it here, and, unless you're a real party animal, it's nowhere near as seasonal as people would have you believe. Year-round, Mallorca is wonderful. Just get to know what to look for!聽
Looking back, what advice would you give to your 鈥渘ewly arrived鈥� self?
Be patient and don't be so precious in asking for help; everything is going to be just amazing.
