How to meet other expats in Madrid

When moving to a new city, you will need some time to settle down. However, in some cities, it is easier to feel at home than in others. In Madrid, this happens pretty quickly. It is a capital city, which means that it is an incredibly international city with a lot of diversity and a lot of expats in Madrid. This ensures that international people are quickly taken care of and can find their way around.

Read also: Flex Living in Madrid

More and more expats every year choose to live in Madrid for a few months. In our previous blog post, we already discussed different neighborhoods. There you could also read about the large international community that exists here. Indeed, there are thousands of expats in Madrid, looking forward to meeting you. There are a few standard activities that we advise you to do when you move. Below we list them for you, including the links for all further info.

Facebook groups

An old friend, those Facebook groups. There are endless expat groups on Facebook that you can join such as Expats living and working in Madrid. These groups are ideal if you have questions, or want to meet other expats in Madrid,… It is a community where all expats ask questions and help each other.

Intercambio

Also a classic. Still, want to master the new language? This is the perfect opportunity to meet new people as well as learn. You can ask in the Facebook groups if there are any Intercambio and choose the best ones that suit you. Try them out and get to know a lot of new people. Usually, this is a mix of locals and internationals.

Engage in sports

Join a sports club. Do you have a particular interest or sport that you play? Find the local club and join it. This is the ideal opportunity to meet people with similar interests.  The same goes for certain hobbies such as pottery, painting… With such a large and international city as Madrid, you will find a representation of everything. There is something for everyone.

Go to bars

Who doesn't love a drink? Find a cozy bar in town, one where you see a lot of people. Have a drink and see what the night brings. Spaniards are generally very open to a chat, especially if beer or wine is involved! Start talking to people and you will see that you will automatically get to know many new people.

MeetUp

Use the app MeetUp. This app is known worldwide for bringing people together. Once you get to know people here, you might get to know their friends again,…. and so it goes on and on.

Coworking

If you work remotely from Madrid then you can pick a nice coworking. This is usually where other remote workers are. This way you get to know new people and get your work done! The perfect combination.

Go on a date!

Are you single and want to get to know locals? Download one of the many dating apps of today and go on a date. That way you'll get to know the culture, the language and maybe even some nice hidden addresses!

Find a roomie

Rental prices in Madrid can scare you quite a bit, especially if you want to live centrally. Co-housing can be the solution to this. Find someone with whom you can split the costs. This is also a good opportunity to get to know someone new. Both of you will probably have people over and thus increase your social circle!

Madrid is international and very large. With a population of 3,223 million, it makes it not too difficult to quickly meet people with the same interests. These are only a few examples of how you can meet many interesting people abroad. Many of them apply to any destination. You will build a social network rather quickly as it is one of the most popular destinations for remote workers, students, and traveling professionals.

Luckily, expat communities are close communities that are always in to help one another as they know how difficult it can be in the beginning.

Rentals in Madrid

Globexs offers a fine selection of furnished rentals for expats in Madrid. The rental process is specifically designed for digital nomads: Fully furnished apartments, fast wifi, flexible contracts and no hassles.