SPAIN EXPAT SURVIVAL GUIDEWWW.EXPATICA.COM 1
Welcome!
If you’ve just moved to Spain, you
might be feeling a bit overwhelmed.
Besides coping with a new culture and
language, you have to sort out lots of
practical things — a place to live,
finances, permits and papers are just
the beginning.
Let the Expat Survival Guide be your
starting point: it’s got the basic infor-
mation you need, plus loads of helpful
phone numbers.
This guide is published by Expatica —
news and information for expatriates
and the leading voice of expatriate
Europe. Our website
(www.expatica.com) has a world of
information and services to make life
in Spain easier and more fun.
We hope you find this guide and our
other products useful — and we wish
you a fantastic stay in Spain!
Research: Zoe Dare Hall
Additional research: Graham Keeley
Editor: Ciaran Murphy
Sales: David Concheso, David McGowan,
Mike de Haan, David Davis, Mike Mazurkiewicz.
To advertise in next year's Expat Survival
Guide, email [email protected] or call
+31 (0)20 888 4263.
Published December 2004
©Expatica Communications BV
Kruislaan 400, 1098 SM Amsterdam, Netherlands
[email protected] www.expatica.com
Cover pictures: Stephen Bond/Alamy, Ken
Welsh/Alamy and Expatica
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be
reproduced, or transmitted, in any form by any means,
electronically or mechanically, including photocopying,
recording or any information storage or retrieval sys-
tem without prior written permission from the publish-
er. Requests for permission should be addressed to
Expatica Communications, Kruislaan 400, 1098 SM,
Amsterdam, Netherlands. Expatica makes great effort
to ensure the accuracy of information contained in this
guide. However, we will not be responsible for errors
or omissions or any damages, howsoever caused,
which result from its use, and make no warranty of
claims as to the quality or competence of businesses or
professionals mentioned. Company names highlighted
in red have paid for advertising in the guide.
Users are advised to take care when selecting profes-
sional services, and to use common sense in adjusting
to life in a new country.
INTRODUCTION PAGE 2
What makes Spain tick and where is it heading?
RELOCATION PAGE 5
Your first few days; Residence Permits; Relocation
Services; Social Security
HOUSING PAGE 11
Renting a Home; Buying a Home, City Essentials -
Madrid and Barcelona
MONEY PAGE 19
Banking; Taxation; Insurance
EDUCATION PAGE 27
Education System; How to Choose a School;
International Schools; Language Schools
JOBS PAGE 38
Work Permits; Job Searching
HEALTH PAGE 40
The Healthcare System
TRANSPORT PAGE 44
Planes, Trains and Automobiles
SETTLING IN PAGE 50
Utilities; Telephone, Internet; Television, Video, DVD;
English-language Bookstores; Food from Home
LISTINGS AND INDEX PAGE 59
Embassies; Groups and Clubs; Phone Book Decoder;
Weights and Measures; Emergency Numbers
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SPAIN EXPAT SURVIVAL GUIDE WWW.EXPATICA.COM2
Introduction
What makes Spain tick? What are the concerns of its people? Where is it
heading and why? Here is a brief introduction to the country as it enters 2005.
Anyone coming to live in Spain now will
find themselves in one of the most dynam-
ic and fast-moving societies in Europe.
Much of what you might call the 'Old
Spain' is being swept aside and a New
Spain is rapidly emerging.
Indeed, this is a country which, far from
lagging behind many of its north
European neighbours, appears to be show-
ing them the lead. A broad range of social
reforms mean that what Spain is doing
today, the rest of Europe may do tomor-
row.
IMMIGRATION
But perhaps immigration offers the clear-
est indicator of where Spain is going now -
Spain has the fastest rising rate of immi-
gration in Europe.
The relentless stream of new arrivals is led
by people from South America; then
Africa; followed by northern and eastern
European countries, like Britain, Germany
and the former Soviet bloc states.
A key question for Spaniards, and for
those who have chosen to make Spain
their new home, is how is Spanish society
adapting to this change? There is no
phrase in Spanish for 'bloody foreigner' -
simply guiri, a gentler and more welcom-
ing tone.
Beyond linguistics, how these new expats
are received is important as many are
drawn to Spain by the traditionally wel-
coming Spanish people. But, some are ask-
ing, as Spain begins to adapt to all the
social problems associated with mass
immigration, will this still be the case?
Recently, racist chanting at football match-
es has been taken by some to indicate that
Spanish society is not used to the presence
of black or Asian people en masse.In fact,
tit is rather a somewhat predictable back-
lash against rising immigration which
happened in other countries, like Britain,
in the 1960s and 1970s.
TERRORISM
Another major question facing Spanish
society now is how it comes to terms with
the terrorist bombings in Madrid in March
of last year. On 11 March 2004, 191 people
were killed and more than 1,500 injured
when four commuter trains were blown-
up by Islamic extremists linked to Al-
Qaeda. For Spain it was a rude-awakening
to a new age.
It had been used to its own domestic ter-
Spain has all the
bustle you could want
in cities like Madrid
and Barcelona, but it
also has the perfect
escape in Mallorca
and its other islands.
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Introduction
rorist problem, after more than 30 years
and 830 deaths at the hands of the Basque
separatist movement ETA, but the bomb
attacks in the capital were on an altogether
different scale. And Spanish society is still
trying to come to terms with the trauma.
One obvious effect of the bombings was
the way they influenced the general elec-
tion result three days later, when the
Socialists won a shock victory.
YOUNG DEMOCRACY
But why did this happen and what does it
say about Spain? There have been various
interpretations of why the former conser-
vative government of Jose Maria Aznar
lost. Within Spain, it appeared Aznar had
lost the confidence of the people by
repeatedly claiming ETA carried out the
attacks despite mounting evidence to the
contrary; it seemed like he was lying to his
own people in order not to take the blame
for making Spain a terrorist target because
of its involvement in the Iraq invasion.
Many in the outside world, however, saw
things rather differently, viewing the
Socialist election victory as a capitulation
to the terrorists. Whatever the view, this
was an important test of a relatively young
democracy and the government which
those attacks ushered in has had a dramat-
ic effect on Spain in less than a year.
Led by Prime Minister Jose Luis
Rodriguez Zapatero, the new government
has introduced a number of measures
which have gone some way to banishing
an older era in Spain.
TRADITION CHALLENGED
Many may think of Spain as a conserva-
tive, Catholic country, still recovering from
the hangover of the Franco era. That is
how the cliché goes. Now, 30 years after
the death of the dictator Francisco Franco
in 1975, Spain finally seems to be shrug-
ging off some of the trappings of that time.
New laws will make gay marriage legal,
make divorce both much easier and faster,
separate the Roman Catholic Church from
involvement in state education, and crack
down on domestic violence in what has
traditionally been thought of as a macho
culture.
Barcelona has banned bullfighting, Spain's
most controversial 'sport', starting a trend
which could follow throughout the coun-
try. Also, for the first time since Franco's
death a commission will try to establish
what happened to those who were mur-
dered or jailed illegally under his regime.
Though Spain is littered with reminders of
the Civil War, be they exhibitions, street
names or simply memories, not much has
actually been done in concrete terms to
put right some of the still raw wounds.
The commission is a start.
ECONOMY
Beyond politics, for anyone coming to
make a new life in Spain, its growing
economy is, perhaps, a cause for celebra-
tion. Two factors are key to this continued
growth; the seemingly relentless housing
boom and a still-healthy tourist sector,
which was unaffected by last year's terror-
ist attacks. The property explosion in
Spain provides knock-on effects for the
rest of the economy. And tourism is anoth-
er vital motor for the Spanish economy -
Spain is now only second to France in
terms of its popularity as a world tourist
destination.
But the structure of the Spanish economy
continued on page 4
To keep up to date with the latest news and current
affairs - in English - visit www.expatica.com/spain
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SPAIN EXPAT SURVIVAL GUIDE WWW.EXPATICA.COM4
is changing; no longer is it so attractive to
multinationals because of the low cost of
its labour. Indeed many multi-nationals
have left Spain, to take advantage of lower
labour costs in eastern Europe or Asia.
Spain knows it must change or be left
behind; it cannot provide the cheap labour
of less-developed countries, but it does not
have the same advanced economy of
France, Germany or Britain. Investing in
research and development, something it
has lacked in any real measure, seems to
be the way to a future where Spain is able
to compete with the other major European
economic players.
Though expats have traditionally found
work in Spain as managers for multina-
tionals, language teachers or selling prop-
erty, there is a new breed of foreign entre-
preneur in Spain which is starting up com-
panies, mostly through the internet.
Indeed a recent report by the Spanish
daily El Pais said Britons, Germans and
Chinese expats were starting up compa-
nies at a faster rate than the Spanish them-
selves. But these people do not just come
to Spain to work themselves into an early
grave; they want to enjoy what Spanish
society has to offer.
LIFESTYLE
Apart from the traditional attractions of
the climate, the Mediterranean diet and
embracing the Spanish way of life, most
want to enjoy the trappings of a more
civilised quality of life. Most expats define
this as a less-hassled life, perhaps more
centred around the family and with most
of the amenities they might have enjoyed
in their own countries in a more accessible
and affordable form.
But beyond the glitter, what are the real
Spaniards like? According to social sur-
veys, this is increasingly a country of non-
practising Catholics, who live together
without marrying and have their children
later in life. The majority don't want the
Church to be involved in education or to
take their taxes.
SPONTANEOUS
Women have been working more and
more, though still getting paid 37 percent
less than men. The higher rate of female
employment has pushed the birth-rate
down, so some leave it too late to have
their own children and adopt from other
countries, principally Russia and China.
Most don't leave home until they are in
their late-twenties or even thirties, because
they cannot afford the soaring house
prices and don't want to rent; a Spaniard's
home is his castilla.
Socially, they appear more spontaneous
and seem to loath being locked into plans.
The cliché comes alive here.They smoke
more than in most countries; indeed, if
northern Europe has a drinking culture,
Spain has the smoking equivalent.
There is no culture of complaining if you
are wronged by bureaucracy. There is a
widespread belief that if you do com-
plain, nothing will change very much any-
way. This may be a hangover from the
Franco dictatorship or just that metaphori-
cal Latin shrug of the shoulders: 'What can
you do?'
One thing remains central to life in Spain,
however; there is a genuine energy here, a
sense of a society on the move.
continued from page 3
Introduction
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Your First Few DaysWhen you first arrive, it’s tempting to just go out and explore. Do that, but
don’t forget there’s a whole pile of paperwork to do too. Here’s a guide.
DECIDE WHERE TO LIVE
Deciding where to live is one of the most
important decisions you will make, so
check out our detailed city guides.
See Page 11
REGISTER WITH THE AUTHORITIES
One of your first tasks will be to register
yourself. Although engaging with Spanish
bureaucracy isn’t the most enticing of
prospects, the law requires that you go
through the process if you are staying in
the country.
See Page 6
CONTACT THE UTILITIES
When you are ready to move into your
permanent home, you will need to contact
the relevant utility companies to either
connect you or to change the billing to
your name.
See Page 50
OPEN A BANK ACCOUNT
One of the first things you will need to
organise when you arrive in Spain is a
bank account. This is a fairly straightfor-
ward procedure which requires your reg-
istration card and passport.
See Page 19
FIND OUT ABOUT MEDICAL CARE
Spain’s healthcare system has undergone a
radical shake-up recently and has shed its
dodgy image. It’s a good idea to look into
what the changes will mean for you and
your family.
See Page 40
FIND A SCHOOL
It is likely you will have thought about
schools long before arriving. If not, you
will need to make appointments to visit
schools to decide which is the best option.
The same applies for nurseries and child-
care facilities.
See Page 27
FIND A JOB
If you are not here on an expat assign-
ment, it’s likely you are going to need to
find yourself a job. And if you are from
outside the EU it is possible you will need
a work permit.
See Page 38
LEARN THE LANGUAGE
Buy yourself a good phrase book if you're
not too confident with the language or
enrol on one of the many courses avail-
able.
See Page 27
GET MOVING
Probably sooner rather and later you will
encounter the public transport system or
venture onto the roads. But before you do,
find out the rules and regulations.
See Page 44
MEET PEOPLE
Discover the shops, bars and restaurants
in your neighbourhood or join one of the
hundreds of expatriate groups and clubs
in all major centres. Then you can start to
enjoy your new life in Spain.
See Page 61
Confused? For the latest news on your permit and
visa requirements, visit www.expatica.com/spain
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Residence Cards
WHAT IS A RESIDENCE CARD?
(tarjeta de residencia)
It is a credit card-sized ID card showing
your photo, personal details and a finger-
print. In Spain it is mandatory to carry it (or
another form of photo ID) with you at all
times.
EU NATIONALS
Since 14 February 2003, EU or Swiss citi-
zens, whether employed, self-employed or
student, do not need a residence card to
live or work in Spain.
However, it can be very useful. It means
you do not have to carry your passport
around with you all the time. When you
buy things with a credit card, you must
show a form of photo ID such as your resi-
dence card.
If you are retiring to Spain you do need to
apply for a residence card. You will need
proof of a private health insurance scheme
that is valid in Spain or of the right to
Spanish public medical treatment.
You will also need a residence card if you
are of independent means or if you are a
non-EU national dependent of an EU
(including Spanish) national. Although EU
nationals (of non-retirement age) do not
need a residence card, they do need a NIE -
a tax ID number - if they intend to register
for work, or buy a property or a car in
Spain. See below for details.
NON EU NATIONALS
Non-EU nationals need a residence card to
live in Spain for more than 90 days,
depending on their visa. The visa can be
renewed for a further 90 days, allowing the
person to stay in Spain for six months in
any year.
US employees who pay tax and social secu-
rity at home can work for a limited period
(ie. the length of their visa) in Spain with-
out a residence card. Before you come to
Spain, contact your local Spanish consulate
or embassy to check what visas or docu-
ments are required. US nationals should
bring their Green Card.
GETTING A NIE
You can live in Spain without a residence
card but you won't get far without a NIE. It
should be the first thing you apply for
when you arrive in Spain. First, get the rele-
vant form from your local Comisaria or
Oficina de Extranjeros (see list below) or
from a gestor.
Fill out the form, then take the original and
a photocopy, with two passport photos and
a letter proving why you need residency
(eg. a letter from an employer, a copy of
your rental contract or mortgage agree-
ment) to the Oficina de Extranjeros. They
will give you a return date to pick up your
NIE.
Making sure you have the paperwork to stay in Spain will likely result in
your first contact with the nation’s bureaucracy. Here’s how to be legal.
FOREIGNERS’ OFFICES:
(Oficinas de Extranjeros)
•Madrid: C/ General Pardiñas, 90, tel. 91
322 6839/40/41 •Barcelona: C/ Marqués de
la Argentera 4, tel. 93 482 0544 •Malaga: Pl.
de Manuel Azaña, 3, tel. 95 204 6200
•Estepona: C/ Veracruz, 2, tel. 95 280 3600
•Fuengirola: Av. Conde San Isidro, s/n. tel.
95 219 8368 •Marbella: Av. Arias de
Velasco, s/n. tel. 95 276 2647 •Torremolinos:
C/ Skal, s/n. tel. 95 237 8437 •Alicante: C/
San Fernando, 18, tel. 96 514 2613
•Benidorm: C/ Apolo XI, 36, tel. 96 585
5308 •Denia: C/ Castell d'Olimbroi, 5, tel.
96 642 0555
•Murcia: Avda. Ciudad de Almería, 33, tel.
96 822 3166
Open 9am-2pm unless otherwise stated
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SPAIN EXPAT SURVIVAL GUIDEWWW.EXPATICA.COM 7
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Residence Cards
GETTING A RESIDENCE CARD
If you apply yourself, rather than employ
the services of a gestor who will charge
!150-250 to deal with all the residence card
bureaucracy for you, make sure you know
exactly what documentation is required at
every stage.
Otherwise, you could find yourself queuing
for hours when you simply needed to make
an appointment for a later date or realise
too late that you do not have the relevant
documents on you.
First of all, go along to the Oficina de
Extranjero to make an appointment. This
will be set for about 2-3 months later.
When you return for your appointment,
take with you:
•three passport size photographs
•original and photocopy of passport
•NIE document
At this point, they will start processing
your application and give you various
forms (including one with which to pay
your !6.31 fee at any bank - keep the
receipt). They will also give you a date to
return to have your thumbprint taken and
hand in completed forms.
Also take the remainder of your three pass-
port photos. You will also need a certificado
de empadronamiento, obtained from your
local town hall.
For that, you will need to show your rental
contract and passport.
You will be asked to return about five
weeks later to collect your residence card.
The rules regarding residence cards are con-
stantly changing. Currently the Spanish
authorities are legalising as many people as pos-
sible before clamping down some time in 2005.
For the latest information contact the Ministry
of the Interior (Secretaria de Estado de
Inmigracion y Emigracion), tel: 900 150 000,
www.dgei.mir.es.
NON-EU NATIONALS DOCUMENTATION:
•a passport valid for at least six months,
relevant visas and photocopies of each.
•official papers showing your marital sta-
tus with a Spanish translation.
•form 120 for employed persons and form
140 for non-employed persons.
•passport-size photographs (one for each
application form);
•proof of residence (e.g. your property
contract, rental contract or receipts for
rent).
•fees, which must be paid via a bank (you
will be given a paying-in slip).
•medical certificate obtainable from any
Spanish doctor.
•official certificate of criminal record
declaring that you don't have a criminal
record in your home country, requested
through your local police authorities.
•certificate of registration confirming that
you are resident in Spain, available from
your country's local consulate in Spain.
•Job contract, offer of employment or evi-
dence that you meet the requirements to
perform a particular profession in Spain, if
self-employed
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Social SecuritySpain's comprehensive social security benefits cover health, sickness,
maternity, work injuries, housing, unemployment, retirement and death.
Most of Spain's social security spending
goes on benefits for the elderly, disabled,
widowed and for housing, all dealt with by
the Instituto Nacional de Seguridad Social
(INSS).
Unemployment benefit is distributed by the
Instituto Nacional de Empleo (INEM) and
the remaining 30 percent or so of revenue is
spent by the Instituto Nacional de Salud
(INSALUD) on health services and by the
Instituto de Servicios Sociales (INSERSO)
on social services.
For more information, contact your local
social security office (see under Seguridad
Social in the Yellow Pages) or the Instituto
Nacional de la Seguridad Social, www.seg-
social.es, tel. 900 616 200 (free information
line).
WHO CONTRIBUTES?
Any foreign employee (cuenta ajena) work-
ing for a Spanish company or anyone who
is self-employed (cuenta propia) should con-
tribute to Spanish social security.
You do not need to pay social security con-
tributions in your home country if you are
an employee in Spain, though agreements
between Spain and 40 countries including
Australia, Canada and the US mean that
expats can remain members of their coun-
try's social security system for a certain
period.
EU nationals who are either self-employed
or posted to Spain by their company can
continue to pay social security in their
home country for one year. After working
in Spain for two years, EU nationals must
pay contributions to the Spanish social
security system.
You must have lived in Spain for a limited
period and contributed a minimum amount
before you are entitled to benefits.
Pensioners in Spain who receive a state
pension from another EU country are auto-
matically entitled to health benefits in
Spain, providing your have an E121 form
with you from your country's social securi-
ty system.
British expats can receive further informa-
tion from the Department of Social Security,
www.dwp.gov.uk, tel. 0044 191 218 7777.
HOW DO YOU CONTRIBUTE?
Your employer will usually deal with the
paperwork. If not, or if you are self-
employed or retired with an EU state pen-
sion, you need to register at your local
social security office.
Pensioners should take copies of their E121
form, passport, birth certificate, marriage
certificate if applicable and proof of resi-
dence (rental contract or deed of sale -
escritura).
Once you receive your registration card
(tarjeta sanitaria) a few weeks' later, your
spouse and dependants are also covered.
HOW MUCH ARE CONTRIBUTIONS? (cuotas)
Contributions are calculated according to
your taxable income. You start paying as
you as you start working in Spain, whether
resident yet or not.
The minimum monthly salary on which
you must pay contributions is around !450,
depending on the type of contract and
work sector: 37.2 per cent of that wage is
paid in social security, only about 6.4 per-
cent of that by the employee and the rest by
the employer.
The self-employed - even part-time workers
- pay a minimum of !220 a month in social
security contributions, which can be a size-
able chunk of a monthly wage in Spain.
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SPAIN EXPAT SURVIVAL GUIDE WWW.EXPATICA.COM10
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RELOCATIONS ESPAÑA
Relocations España is an organisation
committed to providing a high-quali-
ty, personalised, yet completely pro-
fessional relocation and cross-cultural
services for international expatriates
moving to Spain.
http://www.relocationspain.com
Madrid Office
Arturo Soria, 263 B
28033 Madrid (Spain)
tel. +34 913843 900
Barcelona Office
Duran i Bas, 1
Alella Park
08328 Alella
Barcelona (Spain)
tel. +34 902 190 317
Barcelona Relocation
Services
C/. Ganduxer No. 14
Entrl. 4 & 5Calle Ganduxer
No. 14 Entl. 4 & 5
08021 Barcelona
tel. + 34 93 203 4935
www.barcelona-
relocation.com
Crossing Cultures S.L.
Josep Carner 5
08193 Bellaterra (Barcelona)
tel. + 34 935 808 729
www.crossing-cultures.com
Crown Relocations
Ctra. de Mejorada 1,
Planta 1, of. 1
San Fernando de Henares
Madrid 28830.
tel. + 34 91 485 0600
www.crownrelo.com
Etudios y Logistica ELFOS,
S.L.
C/Manel Farres 89 Local 2a
08190 Sant Cugat de Vallés
Barcelona
tel. + 34 93 589 1344
www.elfosbarcelona.com
Executive Relocations
España
Avenida Mistral 10, entio, 9
Despacho 9, 08015
Barcelona
tel. + 34 93 426 3288
www.exerelospn.com
Gil Stauffer Relocation
Services
C/Mar Mediterraneo 20
Poligono Industrial
28830 San Fernando
De Henares (Madrid)
tel. + 34 91 678 49 98
international@gil-
stauffer.com
Olympic Advisors S.L
Calle Platon 6, Atico 1
08021 Barcelona
tel. + 34 93 414 4000
[email protected]/www.oasl.net
Relocation Agencies
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Where To Live: Madrid
Finding that little piece of heaven is never easy. Here’s a neighbourhood guide
to the suburbs of Madrid, from the Real and posh to the real and authentic.
LAVAPIES
The former Jewish quarter south of the
central Sol square is the most ethnically
mixed of the city's neighbourhoods with
local European, North African, Chinese,
Pakistani and Turkish communities pro-
viding a bohemian ambience. Properties
tend to be small studios and one bedroom
flat conversions - and secured for relative-
ly cheap rents - favoured by single expats
in low-paid jobs.
Within walking distance of the centre,
Lavapies also has good metro and bus
services to every corner of the city. Similar
in mood and facilities are Malasaña and
Chueca on the northern side of the Gran
Vía, though both tend to be noisier at
night. Chueca is the heart of Madrid's gay
culture.
CHAMARTÍN
Located around one of Madrid's two main
stations - this one dispatching trains to
northern Europe - Chamartin is a spacious
and residential area with a well-estab-
lished expat community, favoured by cou-
ples or families who want comfortable
accommodation within easy reach of the
centre.
Bus and metro communications are excel-
lent and the latter's 1 and 9 lines are the
most modern and comfortable in Madrid,
taking you to the Castellana Avenue and
AZCA financial business zones of the city
in 15 minutes.
Behind the wide avenues are pricey apart-
ment complexes and sought-after residen-
tial 'colonies' whose villas have private
gardens.
Tucked away behind Chamartín's wide
avenues are medium to costly modern two
to four-bedroomed apartment complexes,
as well as a couple of secluded and
sought-after residential "colonies" El Viso
and Rosales.
The local two-storey covered market is the
most chic in Madrid and there are endless
options for stylish cafes and restaurants.
Socially this is a busy area too with plenty
of international clubs, societies, churches
and schools and the suburb's top sports
facilities include Madrid's only Olympic-
sized indoor swimming pool.
POZUELO DE ALARCÓN, MAJADAHONDA
AND LAS ROZAS
Half an hour outside the city to the north
west is this close-knit trio of new towns
which have been transformed from neg-
lected post Civil War hamlets into large
ultra-modern urbanisations of spacious,
upmarket apartments, semi-detached
houses and villas with tastefully planned
green zones.
Their original centres have been over-
hauled to provide banks, shops and
restaurants (often with a north African
rather than European influence). There are
several international schools in the area
and plenty of organised sports and social
facilities.
Properties are expensive and the zone is a
favourite among executives with families
seeking home comforts in a peaceful set-
ting that's within easy commuting distance
of work. Cercanías (suburban) train and
For detailed information on managing your finances
as an expat, visit www.expatica.com/spain
continued on page 12
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bus services both into the capital and up
into the mountains are excellent and for
car owners access via the main Carretera
de Coruña highway - best avoiding rush
hours of 7.30am to 9am and 7pm to 9pm -
is first rate. Rail routes in and out of the
city are unexpectedly attractive as they
pass through the southerly fringe of the
pinewooded El Pardo national park.
LA MORALEJA
Top of the scale comes the rarefied-air
development of La Moraleja in the north
east of the city just below the "satellite"
town of Alcobendas. Rental and purchase
prices in La Moraleja are extremely high
and its residents include the international-
ly rich and famous, including David and
Victoria Beckham.
Like Mirasierra to the west and Piovera to
the south, this Madrileño version of
Beverly Hills is a tranquil and spacious
oasis of luxury villas with private gardens.
Most of Madrid's best private schools and
sports clubs can be found her, and the few
eating spots are select and costly.
Buses and trains run regularly from near-
by Alcobendas to Madrid centre half an
hour away but a private car is essential
both for shopping in nearby commercial
centres and for going into the city inde-
pendently via the busy Carretera de
Burgos N1 highway.
Where To Live: Madridcontinued from page 11
To keep up-to-date with the latest news from Spain -
in English - visit www.expatica.com/spain
The Palacio de Com in the
Plaza Cildes in Madrid is
indicative of the granduer
of much of the architecture.
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Where To Live: Barcelona
CIUTAT VELLA
The oldest, liveliest and most touristy
neighbourhood which runs south of Placa
Catalunya down to the sea oozes history,
character and tourists. It may not be the
most practical place for long-term living or
for families as buildings tend to be tall,
narrow and without lifts and the streets
old, dark and impossible to get a car
through (let alone park). But the area is
full of atmosphere and great for young
couples and single professionals.
El Born is a particularly sought-after place
to live at present, with its narrow streets of
bars, restaurants and boutiques converging
on the beautiful Santa Maria del Mar basil-
ica.
On the other side of the Ramblas is the
Raval, a former no-go neighbourhood
known for crime and prostitution, now
being lapped up by artists, designers and
musicians. Chic bars and restaurants are
springing up on every corner and property
is still relatively cheap. Be prepared for
some extensive DIY though to bring these
buildings up to scratch.
L'EIXAMPLE
In stark contrast to the maze of backstreets
in the old town, Eixample boasts an immac-
ulate grid of avenues, designed in 1859 to
extend the city beyond the overcrowded
centre. The area is conspicuously upmarket,
with designer boutiques, tree-lined boule-
vards and wonderful Modernist buildings
by famous Catalan architects Antoni Gaudí,
Josep Puig i Cadafalch and Lluís Doménech
i Montaner.
The Eixample is divided into the left side,
L'Eixample Esquerra and the right side,
L'Eixample Dreta. Both have a mixture of
high-end and more modest housing, with
shops and restaurants galore, schools and
other services filling the first and second
floors of early 20th-century buildings dedi-
cated to housing or office space.
GRÀCIA
Long the haunt of artists and free-thinkers,
Gracia was once an independent village of
narrow streets and small plazas until
Barcelona swallowed it up in 1897. It
retains that villagey feel in its shady
squares and pretty streets of cafes, tapas
restaurants, low-key nightspots, alternative
theatres and quirky shops.
Housing ranges from large, sunny flats to
cramped spaces that have been carved out
of one-time private homes, but in general
renting or buying here is more affordable
For information and contacts for all the expat groups
and clubs in your area, visit www.expatica.com/spain
continued on page 14
Barcelona has the rare privilege of being a vibrant city by the sea, which is
why so many foreigners move there. Here’s the city, suburb-by-suburb.
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SARRIÀ AND THE ZONA ALTA
Barcelona's most privileged address, Sarrià,
and the larger area Zona Alta are home to
mansions, elegant apartment blocks and the
most expensive international schools. You'll
need your own transport to get around
comfortably, but the neighbourhood has a
tranquil, residential feel impossible to find
in other parts of the city. All housing here is
expensive, but it's also newer and generally
in better condition than many of the apart-
ments on offer in more historic parts of
Barcelona. For many people, a big plus of
the Zona Alta is that it's close to the Ronda,
the belt-like highway that circles Barcelona.
SAN CUGAT
An ideal place for families, the suburb of
San Cugat is well connected to the city cen-
tre by the ferrocarril (regional train). The
pace here is slower than in central
Barcelona and while property prices are
still high, it's possible to find a larger town-
house or even a small one-family home,
something which is difficult in Barcelona.
Forests of the Collserola mountain ridge
make for great strolling, and the large park
on the grounds of a Romanesque
monastery is a good place for children to
play. San Cugat's concentrated centre has
all the services you need, including an
international school.
Where To Live: Barcelona
Looking for the lowdown on life in Spain? Visit the
forum to talk to old hands: www.expatica.com/spain
La Sagrada Familia, Antonio Guadi’s
unfinished masterpiece in Barcelona.
continued from page 13
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Buying A HomeWhen you are ready to take the plunge and enter the Spanish property market,
where do you start? Town or country, there are plenty of property options.
With average property prices in Madrid
and Barcelona at !3,100 per square metre,
you will be lucky to stumble across a bar-
gain anymore (properties in provincial cap-
itals and small towns are about half this fig-
ure). Such is the demand among foreigners
for central apartments in these cities that
Spanish families are increasingly selling up
and moving into something far bigger out
of town for the same price.
Prices are predicted to continue to rise by
about 10 percent in 2004, though venture
slightly inland from the coast or just out-
side of big cities and there are far more
affordable properties to be found offering
greater value for money.
The appeal of buying on the coast is obvi-
ous. Coastal properties, as well as apart-
ments in cities, also profit from a strong
buy-to-let market.
In Barcelona, buying a central two-bed
apartment to rent out for !150 a night dur-
ing the summer months will cover your
mortgage payments nicely.
Compared with the UK, the house-buying
process in Spain is quick and the entire
transaction is often complete within a
month or two.
CHECKING OUT THE PROPERTY
If you are interested in a new-build proper-
ty, which by Spanish law must come with a
10-year guarantee, make sure you check
plans for future developments in the area.
Buying new-build off-plan is popular in
Spain, especially on the Costa del Sol and
Costa Blanca, though if you are intending
to rent it out, do not instantly take the
agent's claims of guaranteed year-round
income at face value. Also consider that
when complete, the property may not be
worth as much as originally anticipated.
With resales, you must ensure that you col-
lect and check all the relevant documents
from the seller before you pay your deposit.
Also check that the sale and purchase con-
tract are carefully drafted as in Spain per-
sonal debts, tax bills, court judgements and
mortgages are charged against the property
rather than the individual.
Check on the escritura publica that the sell-
er's name corresponds with the person you
are dealing with, that the description of the
property matches what you think you are
buying and that the property is free from
charges, restrictions and court orders for
seizure.
If the seller has a mortgage, make sure the
payments are up to date. Otherwise the
bank could seize the property.
The Property Registry (www.reg-
istradores.org/principal/indexx.jsp, tel. 902
201 200) can provide you with details of the
owner and any charges on any property in
Spain. You can pay by credit card to receive
this information online, usually within 24
hours.
The website also lists details of local
branches (search under 'Localice su registro').
See below for the main branch in major
cities.
Make sure the house is not rented out as
you will struggle to get rid of tenants.
Ask the building's president or whoever is
in charge of the community of property
owners about monthly community fees,
whether the current owner owes anything,
and whether any major works on the build-
ing are due.
Check that the owner has paid all munici-
pal real estate tax (IBI- Impuesto sobre Bienes
Inmuebles) owed, otherwise you will foot
the bill and penalties.
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Buying A HomeTHE BUYING PROCESS
The are four principle stages when buying
a house in Spain:
1. HOLDING DEPOSIT: Once the buyer has
established the property is free from any
debts, he puts down a non-refundable
deposit which takes the property off the
market and avoids gazumping. Make sure
you get a receipt if the deposit is paid
directly to the developer rather than held
in a solicitor's account. If you pull out of
the purchase, you lose your money.
2. SALE AND PURCHASE CONTRACT: This
contract is drawn up a few weeks after
you have paid the holding deposit and
should outline:
•name, identity number and address of
seller. If the seller is a company then the
company details and the particulars of its
representative must be disclosed.
•details of the property being sold with
reference to its registration in the land reg-
istry.
•description of what the property consists
of (eg. garage, storeroom, furniture, com-
munal pool, garden etc.)
•price, terms and method of payment.
•completion date
•details of guarantees associated with any
deposits or stage payments on the proper-
ty (legally required if demanded by the
buyer).
•implications regarding non payments of
stage payments or late completion.
•legal jurisdiction.
The remainder of the deposit, typically 10
percent of the value of the property, is nor-
mally payable at this point.
3. ESCRITURA PUBLICA: The official docu-
ment of title deeds and transfer of owner-
ship. It must be signed in front of a
notario, an official government representa-
tive, who confirms the identities of the
signing parties and that the contents of the
document and the statements made in the
Escritura by each of the contracting par-
ties.
Bear in mind that the notario does not
guarantee that the contents are true. It is
up to you to check the validity of the facts.
On signing the Escritura, you must pay the
remainder of the cost of the property. If
the property has charges or debts attached
to it then you should make out bankers’
drafts to each of your sellers creditors
with the balance payable to him.
Remember the debts stay with the proper-
ty so don't rely on your seller paying off
his obligations out of the proceeds; you
should do it directly.
4. REGISTRATION OF DOCUMENTS: Once
signed, the buyer must ensure all this doc-
umentation is correctly registered in the
land registry. Otherwise you could come
up against all sorts of problems later on
when you come to sell. It is usually best to
ask a local gestor to take care of this for
you.
GETTING A MORTGAGE:
The bank requires the following documents:
•passport or NIE
•work contract
•last three payslips
•latest income tax return
•pre-agreement with the seller
•proof that the property tax (IBI) on the
house is paid up
•details of other mortgages or loans that
you may have
•all property titles, both in Spain and
overseas
•certificate from work authorities (vida
laboral), showing your past work history
•records of your assets (bank/mutual fund
statements, etc.)
•prenuptial agreements, if applicable
•certificate of non-residency if applicable
(form available from the bank)
•details of tax paid in the past year, if self-
employed
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Renting A HomeThere is little more stressful than arriving and wondering where on earth you
are going to live. Here’s how to make the hunt for a place to rent less painful.
Before you look at anything, establish the
basics: whether you want to rent a room in
a shared apartment or live alone; the max-
imum amount you are prepared to pay
and in which area you want to live and
how long you want to rent for. You can
rent properties on a short-term basis, by
the week or month, but this will cost con-
siderably more. Otherwise, rental con-
tracts are usually for a minimum of one
year.
Like any European cities, finding a prop-
erty to rent in Madrid or Barcelona
depends as much on striking lucky by
being recommended somewhere through
a contact as pounding the pavements for
days on end before you find something
you like.
WHERE TO LOOK
Make the most of anyone you know in the
city – friends, family, distant acquaintanc-
es, work links – who can advise you on
where to start and what to avoid. Check
advertisements for apartments to rent (se
alquila) in shop windows, on noticeboards
in supermarkets, universities and colleges,
expat clubs, newsletters, and bars.
You will also see many apartments adver-
tised or on lampposts. Don’t be fooled
though by the apparent scrappiness of the
advert. The property may still be dealt
with by an agency, in which case you will
have to pay their commission, which is
usually one month’s rent for long-term
rentals.
The advantage of going through an
agency is that you have a proper rental
contract and they act as a useful go-
between between you and the owner if
anything goes wrong in the apartment.
The local and regional press is a useful
source of accommodation adverts, usually
on Friday and Saturday. Phone as soon as
you spot something you are interested in
as, particularly in Madrid or Barcelona,
any remotely desirable property will have
a queue of people waiting to view it. As
with lamppost advertising, you will usual-
ly find there is an agent involved in news-
paper adverts.
If you do not speak Spanish, look at expat
publications and websites (including
Expatica). In Barcelona the main source of
rental accommodation is Metropolitan
magazine with its Catalunya Classified
accommodation supplement, distributed
in expat bars.
Visit estate agents (agentes de propriedad
inmobiliaria) in the area you are interested
in. Most will also deal with properties to
rent or be able to recommend letting
agents locally.
RENTAL COSTS
Cities, of course, cost far more than small
towns and villages. Then within that you
have to consider the neighbourhood, the
age of the building (in cities with a signifi-
cant old town such as Barcelona, be pre-
pared for endless flights of stairs and no
lift), the size of the flat – always measured
in square metres - and the amenities. If the
building has a lift, the higher the apart-
ment, the higher the rent generally, as you
have more light, security and less noise. In
a building without a lift, the higher the
apartment, the lower the rent. It is no easy
matter trudging up six storeys several
times a day.
In Madrid and Barcelona there is far
greater demand than supply for rental
accommodation so rents are high. For a
two-bed unfurnished apartment of a
decent size (eg.75m2) in a good central
area, expect to pay around !1,200 a
month.
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Renting A HomeIn smaller towns, rural areas and on less
expensive coastal resorts it will be half the
price. High rise developments (urbaniza-
ciones) on the outskirts of major cities,
where many Spanish families live, offer
cheaper accommodation, though less aes-
thetic and practical than living centrally.
Rents are lowest in small towns and rural
areas, although good rented accommoda-
tion is often difficult to find. Check out
public transport and other facilities before
you are lured by a more remote rental.
EXTRA COSTS
Gas and electricity are unlikely to be
included in your long-term contract,
though community fees, property taxes
(IBI) and water rates are usually paid by
the owner. If you want a telephone, you
will most likely have to install it yourself
as few Spanish properties have a landline.
CONTRACTS
Rental contracts dated from January 1
1995 must adhere to the new Law of
Urban Lettings (Ley de Arrendamientos
Urbanos) of 1994. A short-term contract
(contrato de arrendimiento de temporada)
applies to holiday lettings or anything up
to one year. Long-term contracts are for a
minimum of one year and usually up to
five years. After that time the owner can
terminate the contract, provided he gives
the tenant 30 days' notice. Otherwise the
contract will be automatically renewed for
three years.
DEPOSIT
When you sign a rental contract, you must
pay the landlord a desposit (fianza) equal
to one month’s rent. This will be returned
to you when you move out, providing you
leave the property in the same state as it
was in when you moved in. Make sure
you check the inventory otherwise you
may find chunks of your deposit moved
for items not there in the first place.
Many landlords, especially in big cities,
demand additional guarantees that you
can pay your rent. They may wish to see a
payslip (nomima) or they may require an
aval bancario, a letter of credit from a
Spanish bank which guarantees that if you
default on your payments, the bank will
pay whatever is owed for the remainder of
the contract.
REPAIRS
It is the landlord’s responsibility to keep
the property in a fit and habitable condi-
tion but not to repair any damage the ten-
ant causes through daily use. If you need
to make any urgent repairs, inform the
landlord first so that s/he can reimburse
you of the costs.
If repairs are required which affect health,
hygiene and comfort in the property, the
landlord must give you three months’
notice, in which time you may decide to
end your rental agreement (by giving one
month’s notice) or negotiate a reduced
rental while the apartment is in a state of
repair.
RESCINDING THE CONTRACT
The landlord can terminate the rental con-
tract if the tenant does not pay their rent
or deposit, sublets the property without
the landlord’s permission, deliberately
causes damage to the property or under-
takes repairs without the landlord’s con-
sent.
Equally, the tenant may pull out of the
rental contract if the landlord fails to make
the necessary repairs to keep the property
in a fit and habitable condition or disturbs
the tenant while they are living there.
PROBLEMS WITH YOUR LANDLORD
Go to a Spanish lawyer to make a formal
complaint. Then, if necessary, your lawyer
will take the case to court (procedimiento
civil ordinario).
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BankingThe currency in Spain is the euro, but the old pesetas have not been totally
forgotten. Here’s how to open an account and pay for goods and services.
Spain may now be a land of the euro
(and prices bear little resemblance to
those in the days of the peseta) but you
will still hear many people quoting fig-
ures in their old currency.
CURRENCY
As in most EU countries, the currency in
Spain is the euro, with 100 centimos to the
euro, !1 and !2 coins and notes of !5, !10,
!20, !50, !100 and higher. But it’s best not
to flash those last ones around and certain-
ly don't expect many places to be able to
change them for anything smaller.
OPENING AN ACCOUNT
Once you've acquired your big wads of
high-denomination euros, it's time to
open a bank account. You have the choice
of a regular bank or a savings bank (a
Caja de Ahorros, which doesn't have
shareholders and invests profits in social,
educational and cultural projects).
Internet-only accounts like ING Direct
(www.ingdirect.es, tel. 901 020 901),
Patagon (www.patagon.es, tel. 902 157
213) and Uno-e (www.uno-e.es, tel. 901
111 113) offer higher interest current
accounts and fast access to your money.
Opening a savings account (cuenta de
ahorro) or current account (cuenta
corriente) in any Spanish bank is a
straightforward process. You simply
need your passport or residency/ID card
and an address in Spain and then let the
bank manager fill in the forms for you.
Once you make a minimum deposit of
!20, you receive a paying book - which
states whether you have a resident or
non-resident account (the rates differ
slightly). Non-residents can open a non-
resident euro account (cuenta de euros de
no residente) or a foreign currency
account only. You will be sent an ATM
card within a couple of weeks.
You will need a bank account if you wish
to pay bills such as water, electricity and
telephone by direct debit. Once you give
the company your bank's name and sort
code you will be directly debited for
these services.
If you wish to stop a direct debit, visit
your branch to ask them to cancel it and
write to the company concerned. You
must also write to your branch if you
change address.
You have the
choice of a
regular bank or
a savings bank
(a Caja de
Ahorros, which
doesn't have
shareholders
and invests
profits in social,
educational
and cultural
projects).
continued on page 20
!"#$%&!'()*+,,-./-0/0--1,,23456,,789!,2:
BANK BRANCHES
Bank staff and managers are strangely
friendly in Spain. They smile and recog-
nise you on subsequent visits. They may
even know your name.
The major national banks can be found in
all cities and towns, but each region also
has its own banks such as Banco de
Andalucia, Caixa Catalunya and Banco
de Alicante.
Opening hours are usually 8am/9am-
2pm on Monday-Friday and 9am-1pm on
Saturday. You may find designated hours
and days for paying bills (usually first
thing in the morning).
PAYMENT METHODS
Cheques are rarely used. Most Spaniards
use debit/cash cards (tarjeta de débito) or,
even better, cash for those crucial tax fid-
dles. You should receive your debit/cash
card and chequebook at the same time
and your PIN number will probably be
given to you in a sealed envelope at the
bank rather than posted.
Visa and Mastercard are widely accepted
in Spain and issued by most banks for a
fee of between !10-25 a year or up to !60
for a gold card.
You can withdraw around !300 a day
from ATMs - the major networks are
Telebanco 4B and Servired - and obtain
balances and mini-statements, pay bills
and top up your mobile phone with cred-
it. Although you can use your card in
any ATM, you will be charged at any
banks other than your own.
You can also use non-Spanish credit or
debit cards in cash machines, but if you
wish to purchase goods in Spanish shops
with a credit card you must show your
passport or residence card.
BANK CARD CANCELLATION NUMBERS
If your Visa or Mastercard is stolen, tel.
4B 902 114 400 or Servi Red 902 192 100.
To cancel an American Express, tel. 902
375 637.
continued from page 19
MAIN SPANISH BANKS
La Caixa
tel. 902 200 202
www.laCaixa.es
BBVA
tel. 917 416 904
www.grupobbva.com
Grupo Banco Popular
tel. 915 207 900
www.bancopopular.es
Santander Central Hispano
tel. 902 242 424
www.gruposantander.com
Solbank
tel. 2 343 999
www.solbank.com
Banking
Spain may now be in euro-land and prices
bear little resemblance to those in the days
of the peseta — but you will still hear
people quoting figures in their old currency.
20 WWW.EXPATICA.COMSPAIN EXPAT SURVIVAL GUIDE
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Taxation
Taxes are inevitable and inevitably confusing, especially in a foreign country.
Here is a potted guide to how to cope with Spain's fiscal system.
The tax regime has changed dramatically
in Spain in the past decade. It is far hard-
er now to avoid paying tax and the
penalties are high. Income tax in particu-
lar has risen considerably, although it
remains lower than the EU average.
But it is still very difficult to get consis-
tent advice on what you should and
shouldn't be paying. The rules keep
changing, the system is complicated and
you are likely to receive different advice
from every tax adviser you consult.
Foreign residents would be wise to find
yourself an English-speaking adviser to
explain the intricacies of your tax situa-
tion as it will depend upon numerous
complicating factors such as where you
live in Spain, whether you are resident or
non-resident, the source of your income
and your assets.
The Spanish tax year runs from 1
January to 31 December and taxes are
levied by governments at three levels:
centrally, regional and locally. There are
assessment and tax collection centres in
all provincial capital towns whose infor-
mation section (oficina de informacion al
contribuyente) will offer free advice and
help you fill in your tax declaration,
though they won't do it for you.
WHO PAYS
There is a difference between being a
Spanish resident for civil purposes (ie. by
having a residence card) and being a res-
ident for tax purposes. If you live in
Spain for more than 182 days per year,
you are automatically considered a
Spanish resident for tax purposes.
This means you will be liable to pay
income tax (Impuestos sobre la renta de las
personal físicas, IRPF) on your worldwide
income when you complete a declaration
(Declaración de la Renta) during May or
June the following year.
Personal Income Tax starts at 17 percent
and rises to 48 percent. It is a direct tax
levied on the income of individuals,
minus the expenses deductible according
to Spanish law. At present if you earn
less than !21,035 you do not have to fill
in an income tax return.
Non-residents Income Tax (IRNR) is cal-
culated according to any income derived
in Spain, including a money deposit with
a Spanish bank, a property in Spain or
income made from any business in
Spain. The United States, however, is the
only country that taxes its non-resident
citizens on income earned abroad.
Residents are taxed on their worldwide
income. But you may deduct income tax
paid in your home country to avoid dou-
ble taxation.
MAIN TAX OFFICES
•C/ Guzmán el Bueno, 139, 28003 Madrid,
tel. 91 582 67 67
•Pza. Doctor Letamendi, 13-.23, 08007
Barcelona, tel. 93 291 11 00
•Ctra Malaga 174, 04700 El Ejido, Malaga,
tel. 95 048 3311
•Pz. de la Montañeta, 8, 03001 Alicante,
tel. 96 514 97 00
•C/ Cecilio Metelo, 9, 07003 Palma de
Mallorca, tel. 971 44 88 00
•Moll de Ponent, 1, 07701 Mahón,
tel. 971 35 23 87
Contact the Agencia Tributaria (tel. 901
335 533, www.aeat.es) for details of all
local tax offices in each region.
For information about income tax and
VAT refunds, tel. 901 121 224.
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SPAIN EXPAT SURVIVAL GUIDE WWW.EXPATICA.COM24
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Taxation
THE VARIOUS TYPES OF TAXES
INCOME TAX - IRPF (see page 22) —
employees' income tax is deducated at
source by employers; self-employed
workers pay the tax quarterly (pago frac-
cionado).
Non-residents who earn money from a
Spanish source, and non-residents who
own property should file an income tax
declaration.
Residents and non-residents with income
in Spain (other than that made from
property letting) must make their annual
income tax declaration between May 1
and June 20.
WEALTH TAX (Impuesto sobre el patrimo-
nio) — payable by residents and non-res-
idents on high-value capital assets,
including property, cash in bank
accounts, vehicles, boats, life insurance,
jewellery, stocks and shares in Spain.
Residents are entitled to an allowance of
!258,435 against wealth tax.
There is no allowance for non-residents
who must pay tax on all their assets in
Spain.
PROPERTY/REAL ESTATE TAX OR RATES
(impuesto sobre bienes inmuebles
urbano, IBI)— paid by all property own-
ers, resident or non-resident, to go
towards street cleaning, education, coun-
cil administration, local sports amenities
etc.
IBI is calculated according to the fiscal or
rateable value of your property.
Ask at your town hall when to pay as
they may not send out a bill.
WASTE COLLECTION/MAINS DRAINAGE TAX
(basura y alcantarillado) — annual tax
payable by all property owners.
CAPITAL GAINS TAX (impuesto sobre
incremento de patrimonio de la venta de
una bien inmeuble) — residents pay 15
percent, non-residents 35 percent of the
profits made on the sale of property and
other assets such as a business, antiques
or stocks and shares in Spain.
INHERITANCE AND GIFT TAX (impuesto
sobre sucesiones y donaciones) —
payable by beneficiaries within six
months of a death if the person died in
Spain.
BUSINESS TAX (impuesto sobre activi-
dades economicas/IAE) — paid by all
businesses with annual turnover exceed-
ing !1 million.
COMPANY/CORPORATION TAX (impuesto
sobre sociedades) — 35 percent on prof-
its made by partnerships and registered
companies such as Sociedad Anonima
(SA) or Sociedad Limitada (SL).
OFFSHORE COMPANY TAX (impuesto espe-
cial) — annual tax on offshore companies
that do not declare the individual owner
of property in Spain or the source of
investment.
MOTOR VEHICLE TAX (impuesto de circu-
lacion) — paid by anyone who owns a
Spanish-registered vehicle.
The amount is based on the age and the
power of the vehicle and the region you
live in.
The larger the city is, the higher the tax.
For an average car, it costs about !60 a
year.
For detailed information on managing your finances
as an expat, check out www.expatica.com/spain
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SPAIN EXPAT SURVIVAL GUIDEWWW.EXPATICA.COM 25
MO
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Insurance
The Spanish take out fewer policies than Northern Europeans, but the insurance
market in Spain has still grown considerably over the last ten years.
Some types of insurance are obligatory in
Spain: third-party car insurance, third-
party property liability insurance for ten-
ants and home owners and mortgage life
insurance for anyone who has a mort-
gage.
Voluntary insurance includes private
pensions, health, household, travel, car
breakdown and life insurance.
If you need to make an insurance claim,
you may need to report the incident to
the police within 24 hours. Spanish law
is likely to differ from that of other coun-
tries so obtain legal advice if you need to
make anything more than a minor claim.
There are many foreign insurance com-
panies, direct telephone insurers, insur-
ance agents and brokers (corredor de
seguros) who deal specifically with expa-
triates. Look in the Yellow Pages under
Seguros for local details.
In Spanish resorts you will find many
independent British and foreign brokers.
Shop around for quotes and ask friends
and colleagues for recommendations to
avoid using a disreputable company.
Since 1994, Spanish residents can insure
their car, home or life with any insurance
company in the EU, with the insurer
needing to be registered in Spain.
Using a foreign insurance company
means the policy and any claims will be
written in your language. They may
charge more than a Spanish company,
however, and the policy may still need to
be written under Spanish law.
If the policy is written in Spain, get a
legal adviser to check it before you sign
anything.
If you wish to cancel a policy, most com-
panies request that you write to them
with two or three months notice, other-
wise they will automatically extend your
policy for a further year.
Even if your
possessions are
simple, home
and contents
insurance
is a sound
investment.
There are many
foreign
insurance
companies,
telephone
insurers, agents
and brokers
(corredor de
seguros) who
deal specifically
with the needs
of expatriates.
es-money.qxd 09/02/2005 15:07 Page 25
Insurance
HOMEOWNER'S INSURANCE
Although homeowner's insurance (seguro
del hogar) is not compulsory, it is advis-
able to take out cover for building dam-
age (storm damage can be common in
some parts of Spain), theft, vandalism,
etc. Your mortgage lender may also insist
you take out fire insurance until the loan
is repaid.
The price of the policy will depend on
the value of your home, the value of the
contents and the risks you wish to be
covered. If you are renting a property,
the landlord only can take out insurance
but you, as the tenant, can insure its con-
tents.
LIFE INSURANCE
A life insurance (seguro de vida) policy
pays the beneficiary an agreed sum upon
the death of the person whose life has
been insured.
If the beneficiary is named, they do not
have to wait for the estate of the
deceased to be distributed before they
can receive their money.
HEALTH INSURANCE
Most people in Spain are covered for
health treatment under social security,
but more than six million Spanish resi-
dents take our private health insurance
to avoid waiting lists and gain access to a
wider range of hospitals and specialists if
they need to.
Always check what is included and
excluded with any policy. Spanish com-
panies have the right to cancel a policy at
the end of the insurance period if you
have an ongoing serious illness with high
expenses.
Many expats find that Spanish policies
offer more limited cover than schemes in
their own countries.
CAR INSURANCE
There are two types of automobile insur-
ance in Spain. Third party liability insur-
ance (seguro de terceros o de responsabilidad
civil obligatoria) is the minimum manda-
tory insurance required to drive a car. It
covers personal injury and damage to a
third party's property (passengers and
car).
Then there is fully-comprehensive insur-
ance (seguro a todo riesgo), which covers
injury and damage not covered by third-
party liability insurance. It also covers
theft of the vehicle and damage of its
contents.
For daily news and analysis — in English — of current
events in Spain, read www.expatica.com/spain
Always check what is included and
excluded with any policy. Spanish
companies have the right to cancel a
policy at the end of the insurance
period if you have an ongoing serious
illness with high expenses.
26 WWW.EXPATICA.COMSPAIN EXPAT SURVIVAL GUIDE
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When you reach the grand old age of five
in Spain, it's time to go to school. But
should your parents want to hand you
over earlier, you will find nursery schools
for children from as young as nine
months.
Parents usually need to register their chil-
dren for the September intake in May,
either directly at the school or via the local
town hall.
NURSERY EDUCATION (3-6 YEARS)
(Educación Infantil, EI)
Children usually receive three years of
nursery education to develop their physi-
cal and mental skills. From the age of four
they learn to read and write and by the
time they complete their EI they will
know the alphabet. Emphasis is placed on
learning about various aspects of different
cultures, the environment and road aware-
ness skills
PRIMARY EDUCATION (6-12 YEARS)
(Educación Primaria, EP)
The six years of primary education are
split into three two-year periods. If the
child has not reached the required stan-
dard by the end of any period they may
have to repeat the second year of that
stage.
Pupils learn Spanish language, maths,
Conocimiento del Medio (which includes
history, geography and biology), Physical
Education, Art and a second language,
usually English. Religion is also taught at
this stage in most schools, focusing on
Catholicism.
There is no streaming in Spain; classes are
all mixed ability, and parents can see
teachers once a week to discuss their
child's progress and problems. Children
are introduced to exams from around the
third year of primary school, but there are
no national level testing exams as is the
case in the UK.
Parents need to buy all textbooks and
materials, but they save on uniform as few
state schools have one. Homework may be
given from the first year onwards.
School hours vary depending on the
school and are usually from 9am to 4pm
with an hour's break for lunch.
Some schools, however, prefer to work
through to 1.30pm or 2pm without a break
and then the children finish for the day.
If your child's school day continues into
the afternoon and you are unable to get
home for lunchtime, school dinners are
available.
Prepare your child for the fact that they
will be sizeable lunches, as it is the main
meal of the day for Spaniards, and that
they will be encouraged to eat it, along
with all the Spanish children. This may be
traumatic at first for your child, being
made to eat strange food with names they
don't understand.
SECONDARY EDUCATION (12-16/18 YEARS)
(Educacion Secundaria)
The secondary school system in Spain has
seen major changes in the past decade. It
has moved away from the traditional rote-
learning model and is now more akin to
the British comprehensive system.
Pupils attend secondary school (instituto)
aged 12 to begin their four years of com-
pulsory education. At the end, they
receive a certificate and can either leave or
go on to study for the 'bachillerato'.
Education SystemSpain’s education system can offer a lot to the expat family, but do your
research and find the school that is best suited to the needs of your children.
continued on page 28
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If a pupil does not reach the required level
of maths or Spanish at the end of each
year they can be made to repeat the year,
which can cause discipline problems when
an older child is placed in a class of
younger children. Subjects include the
usual range and the ethos is now far more
geared towards project work and continu-
ous assessment than the old-style endless
fact-learning.
Spanish schools have a relaxed atmos-
phere with less discipline than British
schools, for example, and the family is
expected to help the child with their stud-
ies.
Pupils who stay on after 16 can study for
the two-year 'Bachillerato' academic
course (either Arts, Humanities, Sciences
or Technology), or enrol on practical train-
ing courses called 'modulos'.
Those who have passed the Bachillerato
with good marks and who want to go on
to university take an entrance exam in
June.
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS
For information about British English-lan-
guage schools in Spain, contact the British
Council, Paseo Martínez Campos, 31,
28010 Madrid. tel. 91 337 3500,
www.britishcouncil.es, or consult ECIS
(00 44 1730 268244 or www.ecis.org).
For information about American schools
in Spain, write to the Instituto de
Cooperación Ibero-americana, Avenida de
los Reyes Católicos 4, 28041 Madrid (91
583 8526). Information is also available
from embassies in Spain.
ENROLLING YOUR CHILD
Foreign parents should prepare for a long
process of enrolling their child in a
Spanish state school.
Go to your local town hall in the area you
are moving to in order to ask their
requirements as the process and paper-
work vary quite substantially from region
to region.
Generally, enrolment takes place in May
and you will need to take the child's birth
certificate or passport with an official
translation of the parent's passport. You
will also need proof of the child's immuni-
sation, proof of residence and two pass-
port photographs.
To enrol your child in a Spanish state sec-
ondary school, you need proof of convali-
dation - the official record of your child's
education. It is best to do this before you
move to Spain, having obtained the appro-
priate forms from the Department of
Education at the following address:
Ministerio de Educacion y Ciencia
C/Alcala,34
28014 Madrid
tel. 91 701 8000
Send the completed form together with
your child's school record book and/or
examination qualifications, plus his birth
certificate.
A child will not be accepted at school until
the official papers have been received and
stamped by the Department of Education.
Expect the process to take between 3 and 6
months although a receipt from the
Ministry for the convalidation documents
for your child should be acceptable.
INTEGRATION
Some primary schools in areas with large
expat populations such as the Costa del
Sol and Costa Blanca provide extra
Spanish classes to bring foreign pupils up
to speed and to minimise disruption in
classes for the Spanish children. They may
also encourage a pairing scheme between
Spanish and foreign children to help new
pupils settle in.
Education Systemcontinued from page 27
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The main choice to make is whether you
want your child to go to a Spanish school
or an international school.
Current figures show that 80 percent of
expats send their children to state schools
in Spain, an experience that allows the
child to integrate fully in local life and
(depending on how young they are when
they start) be speaking the language flu-
ently within a year. But immersing the
child in a foreign language from day one
may put pressure on them, beyond all the
ordinary strains associated with starting a
new school.
An international school will enable your
child to ease their way into school in a for-
eign country yet in familiar surroundings,
with smaller classes taught in their lan-
guage. But their level of Spanish may not
be any better than if they had studied it as
a second language back home.
PUBLIC (STATE) SCHOOLS
Spain's public or state schools are non-fee
paying, though parents must pay for
school books, school supplies and extra
curricular activities such as sport, music
and art. Foreign pupils can attend
Spanish state schools, but you need a
document known as the 'empadronamien-
to'. For this, you will need to register at
the local town hall. Take originals and
photocopies of your passport, proof of
address and details of your Spanish bank
account.
The bureaucracy and paperwork required
for enrolling your child in a Spanish
school is lengthy and only manageable if
you speak at least some Spanish.
Spain's public schools have improved con-
siderably in recent years and the qualifica-
tions gained are valid if your child wants
to study at a university elsewhere, such as
the UK.
However, in areas with large expat com-
munities such as the Costa del Sol, there is
a growing problem of foreign pupils
flooding schools (in Andalucia, the num-
ber of foreign pupils in Spanish schools
quadrupled between 1997 and 2001). The
result is disrupted classes, inadequate
teaching and worse exam results as teach-
ers are unable to deal with so many non-
Spanish speaking pupils.
Bear in mind, too, that if you send your
child to a public school in Barcelona, most
teaching will be in Catalan, and in the
Alicante area a proportion of classes will
be in Valencian.
SPANISH PRIVATE SCHOOLS
There are many varieties of Spanish pri-
vate schools, some which teach entirely in
Spanish and are subsidised by the State
providing they have at least 25 percent
Spanish students. Others are bilingual
schools which place a strong emphasis on
English.
Most are day Catholic schools and co-edu-
cational with classes from Monday to
Friday. Fees vary greatly, though they are
generally lower than private schools in the
UK and US. Schools in Madrid and
Barcelona are naturally the most expen-
sive. A subsidised Spanish school costs
about !600 a year.
Choosing A SchoolFinding the right school for you children will make your time in Spain a much
more rewarding experience. Here’s a guide to what to look out for.
Get some useful hints on navigating the bureaucratic
jungle of Spain at www.expatica.com/spain
continued on page 30
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FOREIGN SCHOOLS
This umbrella term includes schools solely
for expats and schools which encourage a
mix of Spanish and foreign children.
Classes are smaller and the atmosphere
more relaxed than in Spanish schools.
There is also a wider choice of academic
subjects on offer and examination pass
rates are high - as is the number of pupils
going on to university.
If you prioritise an easy transition for your
child over integration, it is worth consid-
ering a foreign school. Also if you are only
staying in Spain on a short-term contract,
you may feel it is not worth putting your
child through the strain of having to learn
another language - although the immer-
sion will stand them in good stead in
future years.
International schools vary hugely, howev-
er, and they are not necessarily ghettoes
for foreign pupils. Spain has the largest
number of 'foreign' schools of any
European country, meaning schools where
the majority of pupils are from the host
nation, and many Spanish seek the pres-
tige of sending their child to an English-
speaking school.
So although lessons may be in English,
Spanish may rule in the playground. Fees
vary from around !1,500-6,000 a year,
with some schools in Barcelona and
Madrid considerably more.
American schools follow the American
system and prepare pupils for SATs and
college admission in the US. British
schools study the British curriculum and
learn Spanish as a foreign language.
International schools take pupils from sev-
eral different countries, including Spain,
and prepare them for the internationally-
recognised bachillerato for
university entrance.
Choosing A School
Spain's public schools have improved
considerably in recent years and the
qualifications gained are valid if
your child wants to study at a university
elsewhere, such as the UK. Figures show
that 80 percent of expats send their
children to state schools in Spain.
continued from page 29
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School HolidaysIt’s great news for the kids, but maybe not so exciting for parents — Spain
has among the longest school holidays of anywhere in Europe. Be prepared.
HOLIDAY DATES 2004-2005
MADRID
Christmas: 23//12/04-7/1/05
Easter: 21/3/05-27/3/05
Festivals: 11/10/04, 12/10/04, 1/11/04,
6/12/04, 7/12/04, 8/12/04, 31/1/05, 18/3/05,
28/3/05, 16/3/05
CATALUNYA
Christmas: 23/12/04-9/1/05
Easter: 19/3/05-28/3/05
Festivals: 12/10/04, 1/11/04, 6/12/04, 8/12/04
(2005 dates yet to be confirmed. Also two
further festival days of school's choosing.)
VALENCIA
Christmas: 23/12/04-6/1/05
Easter: 24/3/05-4/4/05
Festivals: 11/10/04, 12/10/04, 1/11/04,
6/12/04, 7/12/04,8/12/04, 7/1/05
MURCIA
Christmas: 23/12/04-7/1/05
Easter: 21/3/05-28/3/05
Festivals: 12/10/04, 1/11/04, 6/12/04,
7/12/04, 8/12/04, 19/3/05, 2/5/05, 9/6/05
(plus local Saint's day and other local festi-
val days, and three days determined by
regional school advisory board.
ANDALUCIA
Christmas: 24/12/04-7/1/05
Easter: 21/3/05-28/3/05
Festivals: 12/10/04, 1/11/04, 6/12/04, 7/12/04
BALEARICS
Christmas: 24/12/04-7/1/05
Easter: 24/3/05-1/4/05
Festivals: 12/10/04, 1/11/04, 6/12/04,
7/12/04,8/12/04, 28/2/05, 1/3/05 (plus two
local fiestas and one extra day to be
decided)
SCHOOL YEAR 2004-2005
Infants Primary Secondary
MADRID 13/9/04-24/6/05 13/9/04-24/6/05 15/9/04-24/6/05
CATALUNYA 15/9/04-22/6/05 15/9/04-22/6/05 15/9/04-22/6/05
VALENCIA 9/9/04-24/6/05 9/9/04-22/6/05 17/9/04-24/6/05
MURCIA 8/9/04-24/6/05 8/9/04-24/6/05 15/9/04-30/6/05
ANDALUCIA 9/9/04-21/6/05 9/9/04-21/6/05 13/9/04-21/6/05
BALEARICS 13/9/04-22/6/05 13/9/04-22/6/05 15/9/04-22/6/05
The long summer break is a particularly
tough test of any parent's mettle as to
whether they can keep their child enter-
tained during the hottest months with no
school between the end of June and mid-
September.
Children moving up from primary to sec-
ondary school get an extra two weeks
summer holiday, which usually includes
an end-of-school trip abroad.
The other two main holidays are at
Christmas, when schools breaks up for
about two weeks, and Easter, with about
10 days holidays.
Half terms do not exist, though there is
plenty of compensation in the numerous
local festival days and non-teaching days
(dias no lectivas, included below under
'Festivals') to give children and teachers
more breaks in the school year.
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EDUCATION
International SchoolsMADRID
Hastings School (British)
c/ Azulinas 8
tel. 91 359 9913
www.nabss.org/hastings.htm
The American School of
Madrid
Apartado 80
28080 Madrid
tel. 91 740 1900
www.amerschmad.org
International College
C/Vereda Norte, 3
La Moraleja
tel. 91 6502 398
www.icsmadrid.com
International School Of
Madrid (British)
Rosa Jardón, 3
tel. 91 359 2121
www.nabss.org/ismadrid.
htm
King's College (British)
Paseo de los Andes, 35
28761 Soto de Viñuelas
tel. 91 803 4800
www.kingscollege.es
Kensington School (British)
Av. de Bularas, 2, 28023.
Pozuelo de Alarcon
tel. 91 715 4797
www.nabss.org/ken.htm
El Enebral Montessori
School
Paseo de Belmas, 2,
Collado Villalba
tel. 91 850 1053 or 91 857
9117
www.nabss.org/enebral.htm
The English Montessori
School
Av. LaSalle s/n,
Aravaca
tel. 91 357 26 67/68 or 91 307
15 42
www.nabss.org/montse.htm
Runnymede College
Calle Salvia 30
La Moraleja
tel. 91 650 8302
www.runnymede-
college.com
St Anne's School
Avda Alfonso XIII, 162
tel. 91 345 90 60
www.stannesmadrid.com
BARCELONA
Oak House School (British)
San Pedro Claver, 12
tel. 93 252 40 20
www.oakhouseschool.com
The American School of
Barcelona
C/Jaume Balmes, 7
Esplugues de Llobregat
tel. 93 371 40 16
www.a-s-b.com
The British School of
Barcelona
C/Ginesta 26
Castelldefels
tel. 93 665 1584
www.nabss.org/bsob.htm
Benjamin Franklin School
(American)
C/ Martorell i Peña, 9.
Tel.: 93 434 2380
www.bfis.org
Col.legi Europa International
School
Av. Pla del Viñet, 110
Sant Cugat
tel. 93 589 8420.
www.col-legieuropa.com
Colegio Alemán de
Barcelona (German)
Av. Jacint Esteva Fontanet
105
Esplugues
tel. 93 371 83 00
www.dsbarcelona.com
ESCAAN
Passeig de les Acàcies s/n,
Passeig Issac Albèniz s/n
Sitges
tel. 93 894 20 40
Lycée Français de Barcelona
(French)
c/ Bosch i Gimpera, 6-10
tel. 93 103 79 50
www.lfb.es
Kensington School (British)
c/ Cavallers 31-33
tel. 93 203 54 57
www.kensingtonschoolbcn.
com.
Colegio Japonés de
Barcelona (Japanese)
Camí de Can Graells, s/n
Polígon Can Graells
San Cugat
tel. 93 589 33 07
www.colegiojaponesbcn.com
More information on clubs and groups, for children
and adults, in your area is at www.expatica.com/spain
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International Schools
COSTA BLANCA
British School Alicante
Glorieta del Reino Unido
nº 5
Alicante
tel. 965 106 351
www.bsalicante.com
Xabia International College
Ctra. Cabo la Nao 21
Apartado de Correos 311
Javea 03730
tel. 96 647 1785
www.xabia-international-
college.com
Newton College
Camino Viejo de Elche
Elche
tel. 96 661 02 38
www.nabss.org/newton.htm
Sierra Bernia School (British)
La Cañeta s/n, San Rafael
Altea/Benidorm
tel. 96 687 51 49
www.nabss.org/sierra.htm
The Lady Elizabeth School
Seniola 70
Javea
tel. 96 579 0252
www.theladyelizabeth-
school.com
ANDALUCIA
Aloha College (3-18)
Urbanización El Angel
Nueva Andalucia
Marbella
tel. 95 281 41 33
www.aloha-college.com
Calpe College International
School (3-18)
Ctra de Cádiz, Km 171
San Pedro Alcántara
tel. 95 278 14 79
www.calpecollegeschool.
com
Sotogrande International
School
Apartado 15, 11310
Sotogrande
San Roque
tel. 956 795 902
www.sis.ac
Sunny View School
Torremolinos (British)
C/Teruel, 32 Urb. Cerro del
Toril Apartado 175
29620 Torremolinos
tel. 952 38 31 64
www.nabss.org/sunny.htm
The English International
College
Urb. Ricmar, Crtr de Cadiz-
Malaga km 189,5
Marbella
tel. 95 283 1058 / 95 283 1059
www.eic.edu
The British College
C/Guadalmedina s/n,
Benalmádena Costa
tel. 952 44 22 15
www.thebritishcollege.com
St Anthony's College
(British)
Camino de Coín Km. 5.25
Mijas Costa
tel. 952 47 31 66
www.stanthonyscollege.com
MALLORCA
Baleares International School
Calle Cabo Mateu Cock, 17
07015 Palma de Mallorca
tel. 97 140 31 61
www.balearesint.net
Bellver International
Colleage
C./ José Costa i Ferrer 5
Marivent-Calamayor
tel. 971 40 16 79/40 42 63
www.bellver.baleares.net
The Academy
Son Ametler Vell, 16
Marraxti
tel.971 60 50 08
www.theacademyschool.com
Queens Colleage
Juan de Saridakis, 64
Palma De Mallorca
tel. 971-40 10 11
www.qcmallorca.com
Coming to Spain with a family in tow? For all you
need to know, visit www.expatica.com/spain
!"#!$%&'()*+,-.$//0120323004//56789//:';!/94
SPAIN EXPAT SURVIVAL GUIDE WWW.EXPATICA.COM36
ED
UC
ATIO
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Spain's high number of university stu-
dents - with women outnumbering men -
are scattered across 75 institutions
throughout the country, 56 of them state-
run and 19 run by private enterprises or
the Catholic Church.
Salamanca University, founded in 1218, is
the oldest university in Spain, while
Madrid's Complutense and Barcelona's
Central are the largest and most presti-
gious, with 103,000 and 59,000 students
respectively.
Malaga and Murcia also have high compe-
tition for places, though tough end of first
year exams soon whittle down high stu-
dent numbers.
There are four levels of higher education:
university schools (escuelas universitarias),
which offer three-year courses such as
vocational diplomas for teachers or nurs-
es; university college (colegios
universitarios), where you leave with a
degree (licenciatura) at the end of three
years; faculties (facultades), where you
study for five to six years for the equiva-
lent of an MA or MSc; and higher techni-
cal schools where you receive a degree in
engineering or architecture after a period
of 5-6 years.
The highest level of university study is a
PhD programme, after which you become
a Doctor en Filosofia y Letras.
Once you have chosen your course and
university, you cannot change half way
through.
Remember, at Barcelona University courses
may be in Catalan.
Getting in is no easy matter as there are
too much demand and too few places.
Spanish students must pass the Prueba
General de Bachillerato (PGB) with a good
mark and then wait to hear in July
whether they have an offer of a place to
start that October.
FOREIGN STUDENTS
EU nationals have an equal right to places
in Spanish universities and most universi-
ties allocate five percent of places to non-
EU students.
To apply, write to the student secretariat
(vice-rectorado de alumnus) at your chosen
university.
British A Levels are accepted as entrance
qualifications, but American students need
more than a high school diploma - prefer-
ably a BA, BBA or BSc degree or two years
previous study at college.
You will need to have your qualifications
officially approved - a process known as
convalidation or homologation (homolo-
gación).
For further information about entrance
requirements and how to validate your
qualifications, contact the Ministry of
Education:
Ministerio de Educación y Cultura,
Subdirección General de Cooperación
Internacional, Centro de Información
sobre Reconocimiento de Títulos y
Movilidad de Estudiantes,
C/Alcalá 34, 28014 Madrid.
tel. 917-018 000. Also see their website
at www.mec.es
FEES
About one in seven Spanish or foreign stu-
dents receives a grant or scholarship.
Otherwise, fees are relatively low for resi-
dents and EU nationals, from !300 to
!1,000 a year, depending on the faculty
and location.
Universities
Spain’s higher education system offers international standards that will make
studying in Spain not only a daily delight but a career boost as well.
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SPAIN EXPAT SURVIVAL GUIDEWWW.EXPATICA.COM 37
ED
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UniversitiesAdd about !350-1000 a month for living
costs, depending on where you are.
Madrid and Barcelona are the most expen-
sive cities to live in Spain.
Some universities have student halls of
residence (colegios mayores), although you
have to fight for a place as there aren't
enough to go round.
Most Spanish students attend the univer-
sity in their home town to avoid the high
costs of renting.
Foreign children may not be eligible for
grants from their home countries if they
are resident in Spain. They may also have
to pay higher fees.
AMERICAN AND EUROPEAN UNIVERSITIES
At American universities such as Schiller
International, St. Louis University and
Suffolk, all in Madrid, classes are taught
in English.
The European university has branches in
Barcelona and the University of Surrey
(Britain) also has a branch in Madrid.
Many foreign university students (and
Spanish students abroad) can study in
Spain under European Union exchange
programmes for periods ranging from a
few weeks to several months.
Further information about higher education in
Spain contact:
University Council (Consejo de Coordinación
Universitaria)
Secretaría General
Ciudad Universitaria s/n,
28040 Madrid
tel. 91 453 9800
Or contact the cultural section of Spanish
embassies. For details of all universities, see
the Spain exchange website: www.spainex-
change.com
UNIVERSITIES IN SPAIN
UNIVERSIDAD DE MÁLAGA
tel: 95 213 1109
www.uma.es
UNIVERSIDAD DE SEVILLA
tel: 95 455 1049
www-en.us.es
UNIVERSIDAD DE ALMERÍA
tel: 95 001 5046
www.ual.es
UNIVERSIDAD DE MURCIA
tel: 96 836 3620
www.um.es
UNIVERSIDAD DE ALICANTE
tel: 96 590 3400
www.ua.es
UNIVERSITAT DE BARCELONA
tel: 93 402 1709
www.ub.es
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SPAIN EXPAT SURVIVAL GUIDE WWW.EXPATICA.COM38
JO
BS
EU residents do not need a work permit
(permiso de trabajo) to work in Spain. Non-
EU nationals do, however, whether an
employee or self-employed in Spain. The
permit will initially be valid for one year
and then is renewable for a period of up
to five years.
EU NATIONALS
EU nationals can enter Spain as a tourist
and register with the Spanish national
employment office (Instituto Nacional de
Empleo - INEM) to look for a job. You
then have 90 days to find employment -
you can obtain an extension after that date
or leave Spain and re-enter for a further 90
days.
Once you get a job, you will need your
employment contract if you want to apply
for a residence card.
NON-EU NATIONALS
Before coming to Spain, non-EU nationals
must obtain a visa (visado) from the
Spanish consulate in their home country
to work, study or live in Spain.
Once in Spain, you must apply for a work
permit at the provincial office of the
Ministry of Labour (Delegación Provincial
del Ministerio de Trabajo) or at your local
Foreigners' Office (Oficina de Extranjero -
see list under 'Residence Cards' in this
guide). If you already have a prospective
employer, they will probably deal with all
of this process. Then the provincial labour
offices (Direcciones Provinciales de
Trabajo, Seguridad Social y Asuntos
Sociales) will decide whether to issue the
work permit.
Any job must be advertised to EU citizens
through the INEM before a non-EU citizen
can be offered the post and a work permit
will only be granted if it can be demon-
strated that no unemployed EU national is
available for the position.
Priority is then given to non-EU nationals
who are married or closely related to a
Spaniard, who previously held Spanish
nationality, or who come from Latin
America, Andorra, the Philippines,
Equatorial Guinea or Portugal. Jews of
Spanish origin, the family of a work per-
mit holder, and anyone who was born in
Spain, is living legally in Spain or has
been resident here for five years is also
given priority.
Non-EU students in Spain require a tem-
porary work permit, available from INEM
offices (www.inem.es). The type of work
Work Permits
Preparation is key to landing in a new country and picking up work, whether in
your profession or as a short-term option. Here’s the lowdown on work permits.
Before coming
to Spain, non-EU
nationals must
obtain a visa
(visado) from
the Spanish
consulate in
their home
country to work,
study or live
in Spain.
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SPAIN EXPAT SURVIVAL GUIDEWWW.EXPATICA.COM 39
permit you apply depends upon the job,
whether it is a permanent or temporary
position, and the region within which you
are planning to work.
TYPES OF WORK PERMIT
EMPLOYEES
Type A: for seasonal or temporary work,
valid for nine months and not renewable.
Type B: it enables the foreigner to work in
a specific profession, activity and geo-
graphic area, valid for one year and
renewable.
Type C: issued after the B permit has
already been renewed and has expired. A
C permit is unrestricted, allowing the for-
eign employee to work in any job any-
where in Spain. Valid for three years and
renewable or can become a Permanent
work permit.
SELF-EMPLOYED (AUTÓNOMO)
Type D: for self-employed people in a
specific field of work and location.
Valid for one year and renewable for two
years.
Type E: issued after the renewed D permit
has expired, this entitles the foreign work-
er to operate in any profession, including
self-employment, anywhere in Spain.
Valid for three years and renewable - or
worker may be issued with Permanent
work permit.
Self-employed non-EU nationals must
show they are investing about !120,000
in Spain to start a business or that their
professional activity will produce a prof-
it and benefit to Spain, for example by
employing Spanish (or European Union)
workers.
EITHER EMPLOYED OR SELF-EMPLOYED
Type F: for workers who cross over the
Spanish border every day from their
usual country of residence. Valid for five
years and renewable.
ESSENTIAL WORK PERMIT DOCUMENTS
EMPLOYEES
•Passport
•Medical certificate
•Certificate of criminal records issued by
the authorities of your home country,
except when it was presented upon appli-
cation for the visa
•Three passport-size photographs
•Fiscal registration number (NIE or CIF)
and the Social Security registration num-
ber of the employer
•Offer of employment containing labour
conditions
•Full description of the job and the com-
pany's activity
•Proof of the employer's solvency could
also be required
SELF-EMPLOYED
•Copy of your valid passport
•Certificate of criminal records issued by
the authorities of your home country,
except when it was presented upon appli-
cation for the visa
•Official medical certificate
•Three passport-size photographs
•Full description of the job and the com-
pany's activity
•Proof of professional qualifications or
licences if applicable, or registration to the
Spanish Social Security system, or your
NIE.
JO
BS
Work Permits
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Healthcare System
WHO CAN BENEFIT
EU nationals are covered for treatment by
a reciprocal agreement with the Spanish
public health care system. Bring an E111
form with you, or E121 if you intend to
live permanently in Spain.
If you are a British citizen over 65 and
have an E121 form, you are entitled to
public healthcare in Spain, but it's advis-
able to seek advice from The Pension
Service in the UK (tel. 0044 191 218
7547/7777) as they can advise on what you
are entitled to abroad. Also see the 'Living
Overseas' section of their website
www.thepensionservice.gov.uk.
For those who plan to stay in Spain, you
need to get an official Medical Card
(Tarjeta de SS), also from your local Social
Security Office. To apply, take your
E111/E121 (if you are an EU citizen) and
other relevant documents such as your
residence card or passport.
Once you start paying Social Security con-
tributions, you and your family are enti-
tled to free or subsidised medical and den-
tal treatment on the same terms as
Spaniards.
To visit a public health service doctor is
free as long as you take your social securi-
ty card.
Non-EU citizens in Spain should contact
their consulate before leaving their home
country to find out what forms and docu-
ments are required.
WHAT YOU GET
Medical care in Spain is administered
through the National Health Institute
(Instituto Nacional de Salud, INSALUD) and
benefits include general and specialist
medical care, hospitalisation, laboratory
services, discounted drugs and medicines,
basic dental care, maternity care, appli-
ances and transportation.
However, social security covers only
around 75 percent of the cost of treatment
and the other 25 percent must be paid by
the patient or a supplementary insurance
scheme. Completely free treatment is
available only in certain hospitals, where
waiting lists are very long. Members must
also pay a percentage of the cost of certain
treatment and items such as drugs and
medicines.
DOCTORS
You may choose a doctor, not necessarily
the one in your area, and you are entitled
to change practices. It is always best to go
with a recommendation from a friend or
neighbour.
If you are unable to visit the surgery, a
doctor will visit you at home at any time
of day or night.
If you need a doctor or medicine in a non-
urgent situation and are unable to contact
a doctor, ring the telephone information
service 1003 or your local police station,
either of whom will give you the tele-
phone number of a doctor on call or the
address of the pharmacy that is open.
You may also choose to go to a healthcare
centre (centro de salud), which usually has
about half a dozen doctors. They try to
ensure you see the same doctor, although
it doesn't always happen. You need to
make an appointment first.
All healthcare centres are listed in the
Yellow Pages (www.paginasamarillas.es).
Take your E111/E121 or your medical
card. You do not need to pay your doctor
for a consultation, or when referred to a
Spain’s healthcare system was once a byword for shoddiness. However, that
reputation no longer holds true for a system revamped and revitalised.
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SPAIN EXPAT SURVIVAL GUIDEWWW.EXPATICA.COM 41
HEA
LTH
specialist. In Madrid, English-speaking
doctors are available at the Anglo-
American Medical Unit, c/Conde de
Aranda 1, tel. 91 435 1823, open Monday-
Friday 9am-8pm, and on Saturday from
10am-3pm.
DENTISTS
Unless you have private health insurance
which covers dental work, you must pay
for treatment at the dentist.
This is not overly expensive though, and
as with many businesses and services in
Spain, if you need time to pay, most den-
tists will allow the freedom to pay later
rather than making you pay on the day of
consultation.
The dental service in Spain is generally
very good and efficient, with most practi-
tioners having access to the latest in dental
technology.
You do not have to show any forms when
visiting the dentist - simply make an
appointment. It is, however, always advis-
able to take some form of identification
with you.
HOSPITALS
Hospitals are generally very good, with an
efficient and fairly rapid service. If it is an
emergency you do not, of course, have to
be referred by a doctor, but make sure you
take your E111/E121 form or medical card
and a form of ID.
You do not have to pay for any service
other than prescriptions (if you are not a
pensioner).
If you have to stay in hospital and do not
speak Spanish, you will find that even in
smaller cities there are usually a couple of
doctors and a nurse or two who can speak
English, to varying levels. It is always
wise, though, to take along a dictionary,
just in case.
PHARMACIES
Pharmacies are plentiful and marked with
a large green cross. You can buy many
medicines over the counter in Spain that
you may not have been able to at home,
but if you are a pensioner it would be
cheaper and more advisable to see your
doctor and to get a prescription from him.
Each item is priced differently but still a
lot cheaper than prescription items in
most counties. Pharmacies usually open
from 9.30am-2pm and from 5-9.30pm
Mondays to Fridays and from 9.30am-
5.30pm on Saturdays. Even in small vil-
lages there will be a 24-hour pharmacy or
contact number.
EMERGENCY TREATMENT
Throughout Spain the number to call for a
medical emergency is 061. In each
province however it would be wise to
familiarise yourself with the address of
your nearest hospital and its own emer-
gency number. In any city there is more
than one hospital for accidents and emer-
gencies.
Healthcare SystemUSEFUL CONTACTS
Ministry of Health (Ministerio de
Sanidad y Consumo), tel. 901 400 100.
English/Spanish/French website:
www.msc.es
Instituto Nacional de la Salud
C/ Alcalá, 56, 28014 Madrid.
tel. 91 338 0000
Instituto Nacional de la Seguridad Social
C/ Padre Damián, 4
28036 Madrid.
tel: 91 568 8300 or freecall 900 166 565
www.seg-social.es
Contact your local office of the National
Social Security Institute for a list of all
national health centres and hospitals.
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SPAIN EXPAT SURVIVAL GUIDE
HospitalsMADRID
Ambulances: 112, 915 884
500 or 915 222 222
Hospital La Paz
Paseo de de Castellena, no.
261
28046 Madrid
tel. 917 277 000
Hospital Clinica Puerta de
Hierro del Insalud
c/- San Martin de Porres, 4
28035 Madrid
tel. 913 164 040
Hospital de Madrid
Plaza Conde del Valle de
Suchil, 16
28015 Madrid
tel. 914 476 600
Hospital de Cantoblanco
Ctra. Colmenar Viejo, KM.
14,500
28049 Madrid
tel.: 915 867 555
BARCELONA
Ambulances: 061 or 93 300
2020
Hospital Vall de Hebron
Paseig de la Vall de Hebron,
no. 119
08035 Barcelona
tel. 932 746 000
Hospital Creu Roja
Carrer del Dos de Maig 301
tel. 93 507 2700
Hospital de la Santa Creu I
de Sant Pau
Carrer de Sant Antoni
Maria Claret 167
tel. 93 291 9000
Hospital del Mar
Paseig Marítim, 25-29
08003 Barcelona
tel. 932 483 051
Hospital Universitari
Germans Trias i Pujol
Ctra. del Canyet s/n
08916 Barcelona
tel. 934 978 900
Costa del Sol Hospital
Hospital Costa del Sol
Ctra. Nacional 340 Km 187
29600 Marbella
tel. 95 282 8250
www.hcs.es
Hospital Marítimo de
Torremolinos
C/Sanatorio 5
Torremolinos
tel. 951 032 000
www.hospitalmaritimo.com
ALICANTE
Hospital General de
Alicante
Pintor Baeza
tel. 96 593 8300
BENIDORM
Hospital de la Vila Joiosa
Pla d'Aljuv
Villajoyosa
tel. 96 685 9800
MALLORCA
Hospital Son Dureta
Emergencies
Andrea Doria 55
07014 Palma de Mallorca
www.hsd.es
tel. 971 175 012
Hospital Manacor
Emergencies
Ctra Manacor-Alcudia s/n
tel. 971 847 060
For detailed information on the community services
in your area, check out www.expatica.com/spain
42 WWW.EXPATICA.COM
LOCAL HEALTH CENTRES
HEA
LTH
(see Yellow Pages under
Centros de Salud for a full
list of health centres)
Madrid: tel. 91 566 1008/1104
(www.comadrid.es/sanidad
/srs/index.htm)
Barcelona: tel. 93 329 4495
Marbella: tel. 95 282 6596
Malaga: tel. 95 260 4266
Fuengirola: tel. 95 246 8945
Torremolinos: tel. 952386484
Alicante: tel. 96 514 3587
Benidorm: tel. 96 680 3802
Calpe: tel. 96 583 50 11
Denia: tel. 96 578 08 56
Torrevieja: tel. 96 670 08 77
Menorca (Mahon): tel. 971 35 29 90
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TR
AN
SP
OR
T
Public TransportSpain has one of the most highly efficient public transport system in Europe.
Here is a basic guide to getting around on its trains, planes, buses and taxis.
PLANES
Spain's national airline is Iberia
(www.iberia.es, tel. 902 400 500), which
operates international and national flights.
Domestic flights may be cheaper with
budget airlines Spanair (www.spanair.es,
tel. 902 131 415) or Air Europa (www.air-
europa.com, tel. 902 40 15 01).
TRAINS
RENFE (www.renfe.es, tel. 902 240 202)
operates the Spanish national train net-
work. Smaller towns are served by region-
al networks such as FFCC in Catalunya.
The high speed train - AVE - service is
constantly being improved and extended
considerably so that by 2007 all provincial
capitals will be within a four-hour journey
of Madrid and all provinces within six
and a half hours from Barcelona. A full
refund is offered if an AVE train arrives
more than five minutes late at its destina-
tion. On any route you will find a variety
of trains whose travel time to your desti-
nation can vary enormously. Make sure
you realise this before you board, as you
may find yourself on a slow one which
stops at every station en route.
Fares are cheap - about !0.60 per 10km for
second class, !1 per 10km for first class -
though they vary wildly according to the
train's speed and comfort. Talgo trains are
long-distance trains, though slower than
the AVE, sometimes with sleepers (coches-
cama) for overnight journeys. The Talgo
TEE operates international routes.
Intercity (IC) trains are air-conditioned
and fast, while Electrotren (ELT) and Tren
Electrico Regional (TER) are slightly slow-
er than the Talgo.
Suburban commuter trains (cercanías) stop
at all stations. A regional express or
interurbano is a second class, air-condi-
tioned diesel train and an exprés is a slow
night train, usually with sleeping cars. A
rápido is a daytime version of the exprés,
but neither are particularly fast.
BUYING TRAIN TICKETS
Buying tickets is always confusing, given
the range of trains, routes and fares on
offer - and the ticket office clerk may not
offer you, or know about, the cheapest
options so make sure you ask.
Fares for long-distance and high-speed
trains are published in leaflets available
from stations and RENFE offices and all
fare information is available on the
RENFE website (www.renfe.es). Children
under four travel free and those aged
between 4 and 12 travel for half price.
You can buy tickets at station ticket win-
dows (taquillas de billetes), from machines
(máquinas de billetes), at RENFE offices and
RENFE appointed travel agents or online.
For the latter, however, you will need a
password which requires calling RENFE
(tel. 902-157 507).
RENFE also provides a telephone booking
service (tel. 902-240 202) open from 5am to
11.50pm and tickets can be delivered to
addresses in Barcelona, Madrid, Seville
and Valencia. Otherwise you have to col-
lect your tickets yourself directly from a
train station.
There are two classes on most long-dis-
tance trains: first class (primera clase,
shown as 1ª) and second class (segunda
clase, shown as 2ª). AVE trains usually
have three fare classes: turista (T-tourist),
preferente (P-business) and club (C-first)
and some trains such as IC and TEE inter-
national trains are first class only. Avoid
travelling on public holidays and long
weekends (puentes) as the trains will be
fully packed.
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SPAIN EXPAT SURVIVAL GUIDEWWW.EXPATICA.COM 45
TRANSPORT
For details of season tickets (abonos) and
special discount (descuento) tickets, includ-
ing for students, OAPS or commuters, ask
at the information or ticket office at any
railway station.
BUSES
The bus (autobús) service in Spain's cities
and towns and the long-distance coach
(autocar) service are excellent. Make sure
you establish which station they leave
from, as there are often several (especially
in Madrid). All buses are no-smoking.
Buy a ticket from the ticket office or
machine before you board or from the
driver as you enter the bus.
In cities, buses usually run from around
6am to 11pm and then a night service
takes over. In rural areas and resorts serv-
ices are usually more erratic, with a few
buses a day and a long break taken for
lunch.
However, they usually run on time.
Timetables are often published in local
free newspapers and magazines.
For long-distance bus travel Alsa-Enatcar
(www.alsa.es, tel. 902 422 242) is the
largest company. Other companies include
Auto Res (www.auto-res.net, tel. 902 020
603) and Continental-Auto (www.conti-
nental-auto.es, tel. 902 330 400).
Inter-city buses are usually faster than
trains and cost less. A bus from Madrid to
Barcelona costs about !56 and from
Madrid to Alicante !42.
TAXIS
Taxi fares in Madrid and Barcelona are
moderate in comparison to other
European cities and run off a meter. They
can be hailed in the street: look for a green
light and a 'libre' sign on the roof. It is not
usual to tip taxi drivers, though they won't
say no if you try.
Public TransportMADRID
AIRPORT: From Barajas International air-
port (tel. 902 404 704), 16km east of
Madrid, you can take a bus (!3 to Plaza
Colon) or metro (Line 8, !1.15) into the
centre of Madrid. The metro takes 15-30
minutes and the bus 30-45 minutes. The
bus runs from 5.30am-9.30pm. Taxis from
the airport to the centre of Madrid cost
about !20.
BUSES: Madrid has a highly efficient and
cheap bus network. A single trip costs
!1.10 or a book of 10 tickets costs !6, avail-
able from bus offices and tobacconists.
The main bus station for international and
long-distance travel is the Estación Sur de
Autobuses (tel. 91 468 4200), south of the
city centre. To travel to the north of Spain,
you need to take Continental Auto buses
(tel. 91 745 63 00) buses which depart from
a terminal near Nuevos Ministerios metro
and train station. Call EMT (Madrid's city
bus company) on tel. 91 580 4260.
METRO: The Madrid metro (info line: tel.
902 444 403) is one of the oldest in Europe
and the largest in Spain, with 12 lines and
160 stations, and it is highly efficient.
Trains runs from 6am-2am and tickets cost
!1.10 per journey and !6 for a 10-journey
ticket, which may include bus travel
(metrobús). You can check-in luggage at
Nuevos Ministerios station for the airport,
15 minutes away. For metro information,
see www.metromadrid.es (tel. 902 444
403).
TRAINS: The Spanish railway system is
centred on Madrid, from where three
main lines radiate out to other parts of the
country (two extend to the French border
and the other to Andalusia and the
Levante). Madrid has two main stations:
Chamartín (the largest) serving destina-
tions to the north of Madrid, and Puerta
de Atocha station (south of the Prado
museum) serving towns to the south.
TAXIS: tel. 91 405 55 00/91 447 51 80/91 445
90 08
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MALAGA
AIRPORT: Malaga airport (flight informa-
tion: tel. 952 048 484) is situated 10km
south west of the city centre, just off the
main N340 coast road to Estepona. The
no.19 bus runs every 30 minutes from in
front of Terminal B to the centre of
Malaga, from 6.30am-11.30pm (!1). Trains
from the airport into Malaga's Centro-
Alameda leave every 30 minutes (!1).
TRAINS: Malaga's RENFE station is on
Explanada de la Estación. The regional
network takes in Seville, Cordoba and
Granada, and local trains to Torremolinos
and Fuengirola leave every 30 minutes.
BUSES: Malaga's bus station (tel. 952 350
061) is behind the RENFE station. All
Malaga's bus companies operate from this
terminal. In summer arrive an hour or
early as tickets can sell out, especially to
Granada. Buses to Fuengirola run every 40
minutes; to Marbella every 30 minutes.
Public TransportBARCELONA
AIRPORT: Most scheduled flights arrive at
Barcelona's El Prat de Llobregat Airport
(tel. 93 298 3838), 12km to the south of the
city. Easyjet also flies there, while charter
flights and budget airline Ryanair fly to
Catalunya's other airports Girona or Reus.
The quickest way to get to the city centre
is by train from the station opposite
Terminal A. Trains to central Barcelona
leave every 30 mins (!2.15). The Airbus
service leaves every 15 mins and takes
from 30-60 mins depending on the traffic.
It costs !3.45, stops at Plaza Espana and
terminates in Placa Catalunya. A taxi to
central Barcelona costs about !20.
BUSES: The main bus station is Estacio del
Nord, Carrer d'Ali Bei 80 (tel. 93 265 6508)
and Eurolines/Linebus (tel. 93 265 0700)
operates the majority of services.
Most long-distance and international serv-
ices use the Estacio d'Autobuses de Sants
beside Sants train station. Contact
Eurolines/Julia Via (tel. 93 490 4000); Alsa-
Enatcar (www.alsa.es, tel. 902 42 2242)
also operate routes across Spain.
TRAINS: The main station is Sants (Placa
dels Paisos Catalans), which has a link to
the airport and serves major Spanish cities
and France. The Estació França (Avinguda
del Marques de l'Argentera) has daily
international trains to Geneva, Milan,
Paris and Zurich. Local Rodalies trains go
all over Catalunya and stop at every sta-
tion. Deltas stop slightly less and
Catalunya Expres are the fastest. For train
RENFE information tel. 934 900 202. For
regional routes in Catalunya, FGC
(www.fgc.catalunya.net, tel. 93 205 1515).
METRO: A single journey costs !1 but a T-
10 (tarjeta multiviaje) for !6, is valid for 10
journeys. For a month's unlimited travel,
buy a T-mes (!39). A T-familiar is valid for
up to 70 journeys and transferable and the
T-joven, for under 21s, is valid for 90 days'
unlimited travel. See: (www.tmb.net).
TAXIS: tel. 933 300 804
ALICANTE
AIRPORT: El Altet airport (tel. 966 919 000)
is 11km from Alicante by the A7 motor-
way. The airport bus leaves for central
Alicante every hour and takes about 40
minutes. A single journey costs !1.50.
There are also a dozen buses a day from
the airport to both Benidorm (about !3
single journey, 1hr) and to Denia (!7, 1hr
30mins).
TRAINS: Alicante's main train station is
Estacion de Madrid on Avenida
Salamanca with trains to Madrid, Murcia
and Valencia (tel. 902 240 202 for info.).
Trains on the FGV line to Benidorm and
Denia leave from the far end of Playa
Postiguet. For info, tel. 965 262 233.
Renfe Alicante information is at
www.renfe.es or tel. 902 240 202.
BUSES: The bus station for local and inter-
national services is on Calle Portugal (tel.
965 130 700). For Ubesa routes within the
province of Alicante, you can contact tel.
96 513 0143.
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DrivingSpanish cities are better negotiated by foot or by public transport, but you will
need a car sometimes… and some tips on how to deal with Spanish drivers.
A driving licence from any EU country is
valid in Spain. You do not need a Spanish
licence, but you will need to take your
existing licence to the local provincial traf-
fic department to be stamped and regis-
tered (see addresses below right).
If you are a non-resident, you can only
drive in Spain for six months a year.
Anyone from a non-EU country can drive
for six months in one calendar year on
their existing licence but must then obtain
a Spanish licence.
To drive a foreign-registered car in Spain
you must carry at all times your passport,
current driving licence, valid insurance,
vehicle registration document, a national
identity plate (GB etc), two red warning
triangles, first aid kit, fire extinguisher
and a set of spare bulbs.
It’s a lot to remember, but failure can
result in a hefty fine.
Many non-residents bring their car to
Spain and retain their national number
plates, though this is strictly speaking ille-
gal as it is assumed that you are returning
to country of origin and paying tax and
MOT (vehicle registration) there.
But anyone, from the European Union or
otherwise, who is intending to take up
Spanish residency can bring their car with
them without having to pay IVA or car
registration tax - providing you can prove
you owned the car for at least six months
before bringing it to Spain, that you are a
non-resident in the country you have
come from and you have paid VAT in the
country where the car was purchased.
LOCAL TRAFFIC DEPARTMENTS
• Jefatura Provincial de Trafico de
Madrid, Arturo Soria, 143, tel. 91 301 8500.
Open 8.30am-1.30pm.
• Prefectura Provincial de Transit, Gran
Via de les Corts Catalanes, 184, Barcelona,
tel. 93 298 6500.
• Jefatura Provincial de Trafico de
Malaga, c/Mauricio Moro Pareto 13, tel. 95
235 7200. Open Mon-Fri 9am-2pm.
• Jefatura Provincial de Trafico de
Alicante, Ferré Vidiella 4, esquina San
Juan Bosco, 12, tel. 96 512 5466.
To keep up to date with the latest news and current
affairs - in English - visit www.expatica.com/spain
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Certificates of non-residence don't exist in
the UK, but you can obtain them from the
Commisaries in all main towns or at the
consulate office in Spain.
Residents have six months after obtaining
their 'Residencia' to sort out legally 'import-
ing' their vehicle. It's a tricky form-filling
process which takes a few months and
costs about 12 percent of the value of your
car.
SPANISH ROADS
The quality varies from excellent on the
main arteries to dire out in the sticks - and
the standard of driving is equally erratic.
Road deaths are a constant fixture on the
Spanish television news, with 14.3 deaths
per 100,000 population - more than double
that of the UK.
You only have to experience a Spanish
motorway (autopista) to see the problem.
Machismo still rules among male drivers
in Spain and a favourite game is to intimi-
date anyone in the fast lane by driving
right up to your bumper to force you to
pull across into a slower lane.
Motorways have an 'A' or 'E' prefix to the
road number and are often toll roads. For
short distances you pay at a booth (peaje)
as you exit the road (some toll roads allow
you to collect a ticket at the start for
longer journeys, so you pay the total when
you exit).
Useable lanes will have a green arrow,
closed lanes will be indicated with a red
cross. Choose the lane with an attendant if
you are not paying with a credit card or
exact change.
Motorways and dual carriageways
(autovías) - fast roads but not necessarily
with a central reservation - have a 100-
120kph speed limit as marked. Main roads
(carreteras nacionales) have an N or CN
before the road number and country roads
(carreteras comarcales) begin with a C and
have lower speed limits applied (though
many drivers feel this is discretionary).
The speed limit on country roads is 90kph,
on urban roads 50kph and in residential
areas 20-50kph as marked.
For road information, tel. 900 123 505 or visit
www.dgt.es.
Driving RULES OF THE ROAD
DO...
• expect the unexpected. The received
wisdom is to expect the unexpected.
• Watch out for traffic lights, which are
invariably positioned very high up in the
blinding sun.
• take care at pedestrian crossings, espe-
cially if you are the pedestrian as cars will
rarely stop at them. On dual carriageways
vehicles may overtake on whichever side
they feel like and some cars drive without
lights when it is dark.
• carry all documentation (passport, driv-
ing licence, vehicle registration form) at all
times. You can be also be fined for not car-
rying two red warning triangles, spare
bulbs, fire extinguisher and first aid kit.
• give way to traffic from the left, espe-
cially at roundabouts.
DON'T...
• be surprised when a car indicating left
turns right or doesn't indicate then turns,
or stops without warning in the middle of
the road, then takes off again apparently
oblivious to anyone behind.
• pull into the middle of the road to turn
left if there is a solid line in the road.
There are often special lanes for this, sign-
posted cambio de sentido.
• drink and drive - the limits are very low,
the penalties very high and breathaliser
tests are common.
• speed - fines are calculated at !6 per km
over the speed limit.
• drive while talking on a mobile. Fines
are heavy.
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TO APPLY FOR A SPANISH LICENCE YOU
WILL NEED THE FOLLOWING
• a completed application form TASA 2.3
(available from your local traffic depart-
ment)
• Spanish residence card and photocopy
• Current foreign drivign licence and pho-
tocopy (non EU residents will need an
official translation and certificate of equiv-
alence, available from the Real Automóvil
Club de España, tel. 902 120 441,
www.race.es)
• registration number of a Spanish-regis-
tered vehicle or a sworn statement that
you do not own a Spanish-registered vehi-
cle
• one passport photograph (non EU citi-
zens need three, one signed by a doctor
performing the medical examination. All
non EU driving licence holders must
obtain a medical certificate of fitness to
drive)
• !16.20, payable at the traffic department
For further information, see the Department of
Transport at www.dgt.es (in Spanish only).
Want to see Spain but don’t know where to start?
Get the inside track at www.expatica.com/spain
Driving
When you do get out on the Spanish roads
there is no end to the places worth
visiting, like Alcazar Castle near Segovia
FUEL (GASOLINA)
At any garage you will see a choice of four
pumps: Normal 92 octane, Super 98 octane,
Sin plomo (unleaded) 95/98 octane and
Diesel (gasoil/gasoleo). Attendants will usual-
ly come out and serve you.
PARKING
If the strain of driving was too much, wait
until you try to park. In small towns, leave
your car on the outskirts and walk in as
otherwise you will invariably find yourself
trapped in a maze of narrow one-way alleys
with no hope of immediate escape. (And
although getting lost in small Spanish
towns is a most charming pastime to pur-
sue in its own way, it does get a bit frustrat-
ing when you are rushing for an appoint-
ment.)
In cities, underground car parks are by far
the best option for when you want to park
- they easy to enter and exit and provide
extra security.
Otherwise look for parking spaces marked
in blue and buy a ticket from a machine or
attendant. Watch out for a two-hour maxi-
mum parking time. Tow trucks love foreign
cars - and it will cost you about !70 to get it
back again.
Avoid parking where the kerb is painted
yellow, red or white - or where there is a no
parking sign, obviously.
Other signs to look out for are
'Estacionamiento prohibido' or a red circle on
a blue background with a red line through
it. In some residential areas parking is per-
mitted on one side of the street for the first
half of the month (see blue and red sign
market '1-15') while changing to the other-
side for the remainder of the month (sign
says '16-31').
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Utilities
Once you have found yourself a home, next you need to get everything up and
running. Here's how to get yourself sorted out on the domestic front.
If you're lucky, the estate agent you
bought your property through may trans-
fer all utilities to your name or accompany
you to the relevant office for no extra
charge. Confirm that all previous bills
have been paid before you set up your
accounts and make sure the account is put
into your name from the day you move in
to avoid any debts from the previous
owner.
Non-residents should also give a foreign
address in case of any problems such as
the bank not paying the bills. You may
also need to pay a deposit.
ELECTRICITY
As soon as you buy or rent a property you
should sign a contract with the local elec-
tricity company. Electricity is cheap in
Spain and Grupo Endesa (www.endesaon-
line.com, tel. 900 737 373) is the biggest
supplier. Regionally they are known as
Fecsa in Catalonia (tel. 934 04 1111),
Sevillana Endesa in Andalucia and Gesa
(tel. 971 46 77 11) in the Balearics.
The second biggest, Iberdrola (www.iber-
drola.es, tel. 901 202 020) serves Madrid,
Catalonia, the Costa Blanca and Northern
Spain. In big cities there are others to
choose from including Enher
(www.enher.es, tel. 902 507 750) in
Barcelona and Union Electrica Fenosa
(www.uef.es, tel. 915 676 000) in Madrid.
The electricity supply in most of Spain is
220 volts AC with a frequency of 50 hertz
(cycles), although some areas still have a
110 volt supply.
If you live in an area where power cuts are
frequent and you depend on electricity to
operate a computer and other equipment
for your livelihood, you may want to
install a backup generator. Most compa-
nies offer the choice of registering online
or by telephone rather than having to go
to their office. You will need some form of
ID (passport or residence card), the refer-
ence number for your electricity supply
(see the left hand corner of an electricity
bill under Contrato de Suministro Nº) and
the contract and bills paid by the previous
owner.
You will be billed every two months, usu-
ally after a meter reading but sometimes
on the basis of an estimate, so learn to
read your meter toc check you are not
overpaying.
The best way to pay is by direct debit
(transferencia) from a Spanish bank
account. You can also pay at a post office,
local banks listed on the bill or at the elec-
tricity company's offices (in cash).
WASTE DISPOSAL
Spain is slowly getting into the idea of
recycling (reciclaje) and you will see bins
dotted around most towns to collect glass,
paper, cardboard, aluminium, cans, plas-
tic, batteries and other materials. Many
municipalities also recycle garden waste,
which is then sold as compost. You may
receive leaflets through your door about
where to take your household rubbish for
recycling. Bins are usually emptied every
night, except on Sundays. If your property
has personal bins, ask neighbours when to
put out your rubbish for collection as you
may be fined if you leave it out too early.
In rural areas residents may have to take
their rubbish to a collection point out of
town, although most urbanizaciones have
communal bins or skips.
Depending on whether you live in an
urban or rural area, you will be charged
for rubbish collection, from !30-150 a year.
Check with your town hall and set up a
direct debit arrangment with your bank to
avoid fines for overdue payment.
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GAS
At present, you will only have access to
mains gas in major cities in Spain. When
you move into a property with mains gas,
contact the local gas company to switch
the gas on, read the meter and provide a
supply contract. You will receive a bill
every two months, including VAT (IVA) at
16 per cent. The most efficient method of
payment is by direct debit from a Spanish
bank account.
There are various gas companies in Spain.
Gas Natural (www.gasnatural.com, cus-
tomer services for all areas: tel. 900 760
760) is the main supplier to all the regions.
Its suppliers include CEGAS in Alicante
(tel. 900 760 760), Gas Andalucia (tel. 954
48 01 00), Gas Natural Catalunya (tel. 93
402 5100), Gas Natural Murcia (tel. 968 25
07 69) and Gas Natural Madrid (tel. 91 589
6116). Endesa (www.endesaonline.com)
also supplies gas and has regional distrib-
utors including Gas Alicante (tel. 902 200
393).
In Madrid, there is Gas Directo (tel. 91 567
6682). Mallorca is served by GESA Gas
(www.gesa.es, tel. 900 303 032).
In rural areas, bottles of gas (bombonas) are
delivered to homes. They are incredibly
heavy and can run out just when you need
them, but they work out about half the
price of mains gas in most northern
European countries. To be supplied with
gas bottles, you need to set up a contract
by Repsol Butano (tel. 901 100 100; sup-
plies tel. 965 710 937) with a !25 deposit.
Each 12.5kg bottles costs about !8.50 and
can last for a couple of months if used just
for cooking. After an initial inspection on
installation, Repsol Butano will service
and inspect your gas appliances every five
years.
WATER
A hot topic given the dire lack of the stuff
in certain regions, Spain has enough water
to supply the country. The problem is, it's
unevenly distributed. Areas likely to see
water shortages are the Mediterranean
coast and the Balearics, where usage is
heavily restricted.
If you need to transfer a water contract
into your name, go to the town hall with
ID and previous bills from the former
owner. Non-residents will need to give
their foreign address too.
If you need to install your own water
heater, it must be at least 75-litre capacity.
Water is controlled by local municipalities,
and you will usually be charged anything
from !50 to !300 to install water in a new
home, or up to !1,500 in an isolated area.
In most areas there is a standing quarterly
charge for a minimum consumption (canon
de consumo), even if you don't use any
water during the billing period.
When you receive your water bill each
quarter, check it carefully as overcharging
is common. To reduce costs, install a
'water saver' for about !40, available from
hypermarkets, DIY stores and El Corte
Ingles. It mixes air with the water that you
use to reduce the total amount of water
used in your home.
Tap water in cities is often a dubious rust
colour and has a chemical taste, which
would account for the millions of litres of
bottled water consumed every year in
Spain.
WATER COMPANIES:
•Barcelona: Aigües de Barcelona
(www.aiguesdebarcelona.es) tel. 900 710
710
•Madrid: Canal De Isabel II (www.cyii.es)
tel. 91 545 1000
•Costa del Sol: Acosol (www.acosol.es) in
Marbella area: tel. 95 283 93 29; Emasa
(www.emasa.es), Malaga: tel. 952 135 013
or customer service tel. 900 777 420
•Costa Blanca: Aguas de Alicante
(www.aguasdealicante.es) tel. 965 925 141
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INSTALLING A TELEPHONE
This is the source of greatest woe for most
expats in Spain, because the country has
the lowest landline phone ownership in
the EU - with two phones per five people -
and because of the high costs involved
with installation and making calls, having
a home phone is still considered a luxury
and most people rely on mobile phones.
Although Telefonica no longer has the
monopoly on the telephone service and
there are six other companies who provide
call services including Tele 2 (tel. 901 107
366), Uni 2 (tel. 902 011 412), Auna (tel.
015 or 902 500 060) and Jazztel (tel. 1565),
Telefonica owns the cabling and is the
only company that offers local calls - so
you will invariably find yourself dealing
with it at some point.
Calling Telefonica with a query is always a
challenge as staff seem to have been
trained to slam the phone down when
they can't be bothered to find out the
answer. Ask for the English department
(servicio ingles) if you do not speak
Spanish, or see their English website
www.telefonicainenglish.com.
If the property you have moved into
already has a phone line (it must have
belonged to an expat if so), transfer it
immediately into your own name and ask
Telefonica to read the account on the day
that you want your account to start and
the previous tenant's to end so you do not
find yourself paying for calls made before
you moved in.
If you need to install a line, call Telefonica
(tel. 1004 freephone) and they will turn up
within a few days and charge !110, which
is usually distributed over the next three
bills. Line rental costs !30 for two months.
Always study your bill carefully as it is
not unknown for Telefonica data inputters
to leave their finger on the '0' key - espe-
cially on expats' bills it seems - and issue
you with a phone bill that resembles a
mortgage statement. You may also find
they have charged you for all sorts of tele-
phone services you didn't request or,
indeed, may never even have had.
Though the emergence of competition in
the market has seen a fall in the cost of
calls, they are still expensive by EU stan-
dards. Local calls cost 7 centimos to con-
nect and 2.5 centimos per minute peak
rate, 1 centimo off-peak.
TELEVISION
Most Spanish television sets receive five
terrestrial channels: the state-run TV1 and
TV2, independent stations Antenna 3 and
TeleCinco and film and sport subscription
channel Canal Plus, for which you can
buy a decoder at supermarkets. Regional
channels include Barcelona TV, Tele
Madrid, TVC3 Catalunya and Canal Sur in
Andalucia.
If you don't speak Spanish or you are not
a born fan of chat shows where over-excit-
ed guests shout at each other, you will
soon tire of terrestrial TV - and decent for-
eign product will be dubbed anyway. One
solution is to go out. The other is to sub-
scribe to satellite TV, which is popular in
Spain, or cable or digital TV.
The main digital providers are Canal
Satélite Digital (tel. 902-110 010,
www.csatelite.es), a sister company of
Canal Plus, and ViaDigital (www.viadigi-
tal.es), owned by Telefónica. Canal Satélite
Digital offers a complete package with
over 40 channels for !40.60 a month.
ViaDigital offers a complete package
(Paquete completo) with over 40 channels
for !37 a month.
Auna (www.auna.es, tel. 900 50 00 60) is
promoting a television, internet and
Around The Home
It can be tedious at times, but getting set up at home is something that can’t
be put off too long. Here’s a guide to take out some of the hassle ahead.
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Around The Home
phone package for !45 a month until 2006.
It offers regional packages for Catalunya,
Madrid, the Valencia and Alicante and
Andalucia which include channels such as
BBC World, CNN, Fox, Paramount
Comedy and MTV.
Nearly 3 million homes in Spain have
satellite TV - and no doubt a large propor-
tion of them belong to expats. Through
Astra you can watch Sky One, Sky Sports,
Film Four, UK Gold, Channel 5, Eurosport
and many more in Dutch, German,
Swedish and other languages.
British expats can feel at home by
installing Sky satellite TV for about !60 a
month and soak up a taste of home with
BBC1, BBC2, BBC3, BBC4, CNN, Sky
News and BBC24. You need to subscribe
to Sky and pay through a UK bank
account or you can buy an instant viewing
card for !200 to last 2-6 years. Contact a
satellite installation company for advice
(see list below right). You can also import
your own satellite dish and receiver and
install it yourself. Before buying a system,
ensure that it can receive programmes
from all existing and planned satellites.
VIDEO, TV AND DVD
Due to differences in transmission stan-
dard TVs and video recorders which oper-
ate on the British system (PAL-I), French
(SECAM) or American (NTSC) won't work
in Spain which uses the PAL-BG system.
But you can buy a multi-standard
European TV and video recorder which
can adapt to different systems. Some can
operate using the American system too,
but check before purchasing.
Videos and DVDs films are pricey to buy
so you are better off joining a local video
shop for about !3 a day.
There are some English-language rental
shops in the major cities and resorts and
Blockbuster (www.blockbuster.es) exist all
over Spain.
INTERNET
Growing numbers of expats in Spain has
meant an increasing demand for easy
internet access from home. Telefonica is
the largest internet service provider - and
even if you don't choose to use it, other
companies still have to ask their permis-
sion to use the phone line to install ADSL
Broadband, so the process is invariably a
long and painful one.
You do have a choice of ISPs, though,
which offer free connection if you register
over the phone or online, giving your NIE
or passport number and bank details. ISPs
include Wanadoo (www.wanadoo.es, tel.
902 012 960), Arrakis (www.arrakis.es, tel.
902 020100), Metro Red Online
(www.metrored-online.com, tel. 952
880032), Mercury (www.mercuryin.es, tel.
952 837575) or Ola internet (www.olainter-
net.com, tel. 902 250 100).
For 24-hour usage, ask for the 'tarifa plana'
package. It usually costs about !20 a
month. ADSL costs about !40 a month and
is 10 times faster than dial-up.
Or you can use internet cafes, which usu-
ally charge about !1.50 per hour, or less if
you pay for multiple hours in advance.
For a list of internet cafes in Andalucia,
see www.andalucia.com/internet/cyber-
cafes/home.htm.
In Barcelona and Madrid easyInternetcafe
(www.easyeverything.com) offers the best
value, including an unlimited usage week-
ly pass for !10.
SATELLITE TV INSTALLATION COMPANIES:
•SmartSat (www.smartsat.tv), Barcelona
tel. 93 810 2458 •Brit Sat (www.britsat.tv),
covers Barcelona/Costa Brava region tel.
977 493 820 •Sky's the Limit (www.skys-
thelimit.tv), Costa del Sol tel. 952 371 699
•Satellite Superstore (www.satellitesuper-
store.com/spain), all Spain, tel. 00 44 870
027 1888
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There are some 6,000 post offices (oficinas
de correos) scattered across Spain which
offer the potential for a wide range of
modern services such as sending telegrams
and faxes, accessing the internet, and deal-
ing with various international giro money
orders.
That said, the postal service itself is still
one of the slowest in Europe and although
you may be able to send a letter from
Spain to the UK in two days, you may find
a letter from one address in Barcelona to
another takes more than a week. Sending
letters 'express' (expres/urgente) is unlikely
to speed up the process, though you could
use a courier (mensajeria) if you are desper-
ate.
If you want to guarantee the letter arrives,
pay about double the ordinary price to
send it by registered post (certificado) or get
proof of delivery (aviso recibo).
To send a basic letter or card up to 20g
costs !0.27 within Spain or !0.52 for EU
and !0.77 for the rest of the world.
If you can't face the queues, you can also
buy stamps in tobacconists shops
(estancos). Postboxes (buzones) are yellow
with red stripes around the bottom and
two slots, for local and national/interna-
tional post.
In Madrid, Barcelona and at airports there
are branches open 24 hours. The main post
offices in cities usually open from around
8-9am until 9-10pm on weekdays and until
2pm on Saturdays. In smaller towns, they
are much more likely to close for lunch
and not re-open again afterwards.
For more information on the services
offered and addresses of local branches,
see www.correos.es or call Customer
Service 902 197 197. You can also check on
this website for postcodes.
Post Offices
There are over 6,000 post offices spread across Spain, offering all the modern
services you could require — except the speedy delivery of your mail.
MAIN POST OFFICE BRANCHES:
•Palacio de Comunicaciones
Plaza Cibeles s/n
Madrid
Mon-Fri 8am-10pm/Sat 8.30am-8pm
•Placa Antoni Lopez s/n
Barcelona
Mon-Fri 8am-9pm/Sat 9am-2pm
•Avenida de Andalucia 1
Malaga
Mon-Fri 8am-9pm/Sat 9am-2pm
•Plaza Gabriel Miro
Alicante
Mon-Fri 8am-9pm/Sat 9am-2pm
•Patricio Ferrandiz, 38
Denia
Mon-Fri 8.30am-2.30pm, Sat 9.30am-1pm.
•Constituti 6
Palma de Mallorca
•Ramon Areces s/n
Marbella
•Avenida Europa 8
Benidorm
•Plaza de la Constitucion
Fuengirola
•Desiderio Rodriguez 37
Torrevieja
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There is no shortage of public telephones
in streets and bars which take coins or, in
the case of more modern booths, only
phone cards (tarjetas telefonicas), which you
can buy from tobacconist shops and post
offices. They come in denominations of !6,
!10 or !20 and you insert the card into the
phone to make a call. Call centres are also
common. You make your call in a private
cubicle and pay at the desk afterwards.
INTERNATIONAL CALLS
International calls are very expensive from
Spain. Instead, buy a pre-paid phone card
such as Europa or Eurocity for !6 from
various outlets. You tap in the code on the
card and you can call for at least 200 min-
utes at any time of the day.
See Direct Telecom's website (www.direct-
telecom.es) for details of how to make
cheap international, as well as local and
national, calls in Spain. Or Cellhome
(www.peoplecall.com) offer a way of mak-
ing international calls at national rates by
dialling 902 055 123 then entering the
number you want to call following by #.
See their website for details.
MOBILE PHONES
Mobiles are big business in Spain. The
Spanish may not like landlines but they
love their mobiles and own more than any
other EU country. They use them a lot too,
given calls are cheaper from mobile to
mobile than from mobile to landline.
There are three digital networks -
Movistar (owned by Telefonica), Airtel
(which includes Vodaphone) and Amena.
You cannot get a contract with a mobile
phone company if you do not have a resi-
dence card, so you need to use prepaid
phone cards either in your existing mobile
brought from abroad (if it will take a
Spanish SIM card) or you can buy phones
without contracts from about !65, includ-
ing free calls, from telephone shops and at
FNAC stores in Madrid (C/ Preciados, 28),
Barcelona (Centro comercial El Triangle
Plaza Catalunya, 4), Alicante (Avenida de
la Estación, 5-7) and Marbella (Parque
Comercial La Cañada, Autovía 340, Salida
Ojén).
Pre-paid cards are available from super-
markets, petrol stations etc. Or you can
top up your phone directly from ATM
machines.
TELEPHONE NUMBERS
Mobile phone numbers in Spain begin
with a 6 and landline numbers with a 9.
Numbers beginning with 90 are for special
services. 900 is freephone numbers and is
used (along with low-cost 901 numbers
and standard-cost 902 numbers) by busi-
nesses as a national number. 903 to 906 are
premium rate lines such as call-in compe-
titions on TV. 909 is used for flat rate inter-
net access.
To call directory enquiries, for any nation-
al numbers, call 18818.
TelephonesMobile is definitely the way to go in Spain — in some cases it is the only way
to go — but there are ways to avoid the high costs of keeping in touch.
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Expat Shops
BRITISH
Sabri Food Store
San Emilio, 4, Madrid, tel. 91 726 9833
10am-2.30pm, 5-9pm Mon-Sat; 11am-
2.30pm Sundays.
Indian and Pakistani spices, herbs, vegeta-
bles and British favourites including PG
Tips teabags, all imported from London.
Living in London
Santa Engracia 4, Madrid
tel. 91 310 3932
Teas, shortbread biscuits and homemade
jams.
Helen's
Paseo de la Castellana 204, Madrid
tel. 91 359 6377
8am-midnight
Deli selling imported English products
including apple and pumpkin pies.
The British Market
Carrer de Verdi 14, Barcelona
tel. 93 415 9468
An all-British store selling all the favourite
brands, including Walkers Crisps, Jammy
Dodgers and British beers.
A Taste of Home
Calle San José 38, Sitges, tel. 93 894 9879
www.sitges-spain.com
Another well-stocked grocery full of
favourite British brands.
Brit Buys
Alfaz Del Pi, Alicante, tel. 96 686 0370
www.britsbuys.com
English supermarket with website order-
ing facility.
AMERICAN
Taste of America
Serrano 149, Madrid, tel. 91 562 0278
0am-9pm Mon-Sat
Pretzels, fudge brownies, Paul Newman
sauces and everything you need for a
Thanksgiving feast.
ASIAN AND FAR EAST
San Bernardo 5 and 7, Madrid
tel. 91 559 7741
10.30am-2pm, 4.30-8pm Mon-Sat
Exotic Far East products from Thailand,
Vietnam, Philippines, China, India and
Japan. Also some Mexican favourites.
Extremo Oriente
Plaza de España s/n, Madrid
tel. 91 547 9191)
10am-2.15pm, 4.30-8.30pm, Mon-Sat
Miso, ginseng, seaweed, oriental teas and
more from the Philippines, China, Japan,
Korea and Thailand.
Foodland
Virgen de Lluc 4 and Amparo 88, Madrid
tel. 91 404 1902 and tel. 91 467 2880 for
respective branches)
Arabic, Middle East and Oriental prod-
ucts, including Lebanese tahini, Japanese
soya sauce, hot Vindaloo curries, Indian
basmati rice and Assam tea.
Superstore Asia Food
Calle Tallers 77, Barcelona
tel. 93 317 8976
Specialities, sauces, plus noodles galore.
Sakura-Ya
Centro Comercial L'illa Diagonal,
Barcelona, tel. 93 301 1961
All the ingredients to make your own
sushi, plus prepared foods and desserts.
Tokio Ya
Presidente Carmona 9, Madrid
tel. 91 579 2311
10am-2pm, 4-8pm Mon-Sat
Upmarket store selling everything from
saki and sushi to traditional ceramics, as
well as stocking a wide range of Japanese
newspapers.
When you tire of tapas and yearn for a familiar taste from home, here is
where to look to start stocking-up on all your essential favourite foods.
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HUNGARIAN, GERMAN AND AUSTRIAN
La Húngara, Padilla 33, Madrid
tel. 91 402 6574
9.30am-2 pm, 5-8.30pm, Mon-Sat
Specialities include brioches, chocolates
and raspberry and apple tarts for that real
taste of home
Edelweiss, Galileo 93, Hilarion Eslava 38
and Paseo Yeserias 15, Madrid.
tel. 91 534 72 04/ 91 544 08 75/ 91 517 82 94
9.30am-2.15pm, 5-8.45pm.
Austrian, German and Hungarian pastries
including apfelstrüdel, pear and sacher
tarts.
Fass, Rodríguez Marín 84, Madrid
tel. 91 563 60 83)
9am-8pm Mon-Fri, Sat until 3pm.
International supermarket with largest
choice of German products to be found in
Madrid.
EUROPEAN
La Boulette, Ayala 28, Madrid
tel. 91 431 7725
8am-3pm, 5.30-8pm Mon-Fri and Sat
morning.
A European cheese haven including Swiss
Emmenthal, Danish Blue and English
Stilton, plus French pastries.
Tot Formatge
Passeig del Born 13, Barcelona
tel. 93 319 5375
Cheeses from all over Europe.
SWEDISH
Ikea
Avenida de Europa 22, CC Parque Oeste
Alcorcón, Madrid, tel. 91 664 5200.
Avinguda de la Granvia 115-133,
Barcelona , tel. 902 400 922
11am-10pm Mon-Sat
Swedish beers galore, apple and pear
cider on the go, herrings, meatballs and
even some glogg wine in winter - it’s the
closest to Scandinavia you can get.
Expat Shops
MADRID
Petra's
International
Bookshop
C/Campomanes 13
tel. 91 541 7291
Turner English
Books
Genova 3
tel. 91 310 1245
JJ Books & Coffee
C/Espiritu Santo 47
tel. 91 521 8576
Booksellers
José Abascal 48
tel. 91 442 8104
BARCELONA
Elephant Book
Shop
C/ Creu dels
Molers 12
tel. 93 443 0594
Hibernian Books
C/ Pere Serafi 33-35
tel. 93 217 4796
BCN Books
Roger de Llúria,
118
tel. 93 457 7692
FNAC
Centre Comercial
L'Illa Avinguda
Diagonal, 555-559
tel. 93 444 5900
There’s no need to panic - your favourite
foods from home can often be found
at specialty shops throughout Spain.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE BOOKSHOPS:
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EmbassiesAustralia
Plaza Descubridor Diego de
Ordás 3
Madrid 28003
tel. 91 441 6025
www.spain.embassy.gov.au
Austria
Paseo de la Castellana 91
28046 Madrid
tel. 91 556 5315
Belgium
Paseo de la Castellana 18 (6)
28046 Madrid
tel. 91 577 6300
www.diplobel.org/spain/
Canada
Núñez de Balboa, 35
28001 Madrid
tel. 91 423 3250
www.canada-es.org
China
C/Arturo Soria 11,
28043 Madrid
tel. 91 519 4242
www.embajadachina.es
Denmark
Claudio Coello 91 - 4º
28006 Madrid
tel. 91 431 8445
E-mail:
Finland
Paseo de la Castellana 15
28046 Madrid
tel. 91 319 6172
www.finlandia.org
France
Salustiano Olozaga, 9
28001 Madrid
tel. 91 423 8900
www.ambafrance-es.org
Germany
C/Fortuny 8
28010 Madrid
tel. 91 557 9000
www.embajada-alemania.es
Greece
Av. Doctor Arce 24,
Madrid 28002
tel. 91 564 4653
India
Av. Pío XII, 30-32
28016 Madrid
tel. 902 901 010
www.embajadaindia.com
(Republic of) Ireland
Paseo de la Castellana 46
28046 Madrid
tel. 91 436 4093
Israel
C/Velazquez 150
28002 Madrid
tel. 91 782 9500
www.embajada-israel.es
Italy
Calle Lagasca 98
28006 Madrid
tel. 91 423 3300
www.ambitalia.org
Japan
C/Serrano 109
28006 Madrid
tel. 91 590 7600
Mexico
Carrera de San Jeronimo 46
28014 Madrid
tel. 91 369 2814
www.sre.gob.mx/espana/
Netherlands
Avenida Comandante
Franco, 32
28016 Madrid
tel. 91 353 7500
www.embajadapaisesba-
jos.es
New Zealand
Plaza de la Lealtad 2
28014 Madrid
tel. 91 523 0226
Norway
Paseo de la Castellana 31
28046 Madrid
tel. 91 310 3116
www.emb-noruega.es
Poland
Calle Guisando, 23-bis
28035 Madrid
tel. 91 373 6605
www.embajada-polonia.org
Portugal
Calle Pinar, 1
28006 Madrid
tel. 91 782 4960
www.embajadaportugal-
madrid.org
(Federation of) Russia
c.Velázquez 155,
28002 Madrid
tel. 91 411 2524
www.russianembassy.net/is
ervice.nsf/cities/madrid or
http://visados.narod.ru
South Africa
Claudio Coello, 91
28006 Madrid
Tel 91 436 3780
www.sudafrica.com
Sweden
Calle Caracas, 25
Madrid 28010
tel. 91 308 1535
www.embajadasuecia.es
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EmbassiesTurkey
C/Rafael Calvo, 18 2A-B
28010 Madrid
tel. 91 319 8064
www.tcmadridbe.org
United Kingdom
Calle de Fernando el Santo,
16
28010 Madrid
tel. 91 319 0200
www.ukinspain.com
United States
Serrano 75
28006 Madrid
tel. 91 587 2200
www.embusa.es
CONSULATES IN SPAIN:
UNITED KINGDOM:
Paseo de Recoletos, 7/9
28004 Madrid
tel. 91 524 9700
madridconsulate@
ukinspain.com
Avenida Diagonal, 477, 13º
08036 Barcelona
tel. 93 366 6200
barcelonaconsulate@
ukinspain.com
Plaza Calvo Sotelo 1/2-1
03001 Alicante
tel. 96 521 6190
enquiries.alicante@
fco.gov.uk
Edificio Eurocom, bloque
Sur
C/Mauricio Moro Pareto,
2, 2º
29080 Málaga
tel. 95 235 2300
Plaza Mayor 3D
07002 Palma de Mallorca
tel. 97 171 2445
Sa Casa Nova
Cami de Biniatap 30
Es Castell
07720 Menorca
tel. 97 136 3373
UNITED STATES:
Paseo Reina Elisenda de
Montcada, 23
08034 Barcelona
tel. 932 802 227
Consular Section
C/ Serrano, 75
28006 Madrid
tel. 91 587 2200
Edificio Reina Constanza
Porto Pi, 8, 9D
07015 Palma de Mallorca
tel. 971 40 37 07
Up, up and away:
Living in Spain
puts all of
Europe on your
doorstep, so get
your papers in
order and your
travel shoes on.
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Groups And Clubs
NATIONAL CLUBS
British Spanish Cultural
Foundation, Madrid
tel. 91 345 6344
Canadian Circle, Madrid
tel. 91 446 4591
Australian Club, Madrid
tel. 669 458 341
m
www.australiaspain.com/gu
donya
EuroAmerican Club of
Madrid
tel. 629 218 169
The American Society of
Barcelona
www.amersoc.com
tel. 696 751 654
The American Club of
Marbella
tel. 95 277 4092
The British Association of
Marbella
tel. 952 825 191
Club International de
Marbella
tel. 95 277 0706
British Society of Catalonia
tel. 93 688 0866
Brit Club of Torrevieja
tel. 669 640 803
English-speaking Club of
Torrevieja
tel. 965 719 907
Catalan Irish Association
tel. 93 729 1393
Dutch Club
Sitges
tel. 93 410 6210
www.nederlandseverenig-
ingbarcelona.com
Masala - Promotion of India
culture
Scandinavian Club
www.clubescandinavo.com/
index_sve.htm
tel. 93 325 8905
BUSINESS NETWORKING
Entrepreneurs Network,
Barcelona
www.en-barcelona.org
The Business Lunch,
Barcelona
www.thebizlunch.com
Business Networking
Barcelona (BNB)
www.business-networking-
barcelona.com; email:
info@business-networking-
barcelona.com
British Chamber of
Commerce, Barcelona
www.britishchamberspain.c
om; britchamber@britcham-
ber.com, tel. 93 317 32 20
Eurocircle, Madrid and
Barcelona
www.eurocircle.com. Email:
SOCIAL CLUBS
Gay Madrid (Cogam)
tel. 91 522 4517
www.cogam.org
The International
Newcomer's Club of
Madrid
www.incmadrid.com
tel. 91 604495
The Rotary Club,
Fuengirola
tel. 696 492 492
Jazz Appreciation Society,
Marbella
tel. 95 278 7364
Torrevieja Discussion
Group
tel. 966 760 448.
Belly Dancing Classes,
Torrevieja
tel. 619 512 714
Bridge Club Torrevieja
tel. 96 671 84 40
New Solos Club, Torrevieja
(40s-60s)
tel. 966 702 556/600 985 656
Women's clubs
American Women's Club of
Madrid
tel. 91 457 1108
Keep up to date on all the latest bureaucratic and
legislative changes at www.expatica.com/spain
Even though you may be on your own or with your family, remember that there
are plenty of expats out there just like you. Here’s how to make contact.
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Working Mothers Group,
Madrid
tel. 91 530 7978
Spanish Federation of
Business and Professional
Women (FEMENP), Madrid
Barcelona Women's
Network
www.bcnwomensnetwork.
com; tel. 93 753 3066
International Women's Club
of Barcelona
tel. 93 204 0231
Parent and Toddler Group,
Torrevieja
tel. 660 222 637
POLITICAL ORGANISATIONS
Labour international,
Torrevieja
tel. 96 692 50 59 or
96 571 41 45
Conservatives Abroad
Contact: D. Napier
tel. 972 256 677
Sports and fitness clubs
British Football Club
tel. 91 742 2998
Madrid Cricket Club
tel. 91 314 2268
cricketinmadrid@
yahoo.co.uk
www.cricketinmadrid.com
Madrid Hash House
Harriers (running club)
tel. 91 518 8131
www.madridhhh.com
Barcelona Hash House
Harriers
www.geocities.com/
barnahhh
tel. 93 415 9738
Mijas Hash House Harriers
www.mijashhh.com
tel. 651 315 691
Madrid Lions Rugby
Football Club
tel. 91 373 5613
www.madridlionsrfc.com
Real Federación Española
de Golf
tel. 91 555 2682
Barcelona International
Football club
tel. 93 218 6731
Barcelona Cricket Club
tel. 93 488 2852
Torrevieja Cycling Club
tel. 636 183 314
Costa Blanca Runners
tel. 96 570 60 16
Euro Divers club, Torrevieja
tel. 965 703 803
Latin Line Dancing,
Torrevieja
tel. 96 679 85 88 or tel. 96
676 19 98
Netball Club, Torrevieja
tel. 617 575 168
Gaelic Football Club,
Barcelona
tel. 616 306 284
Marbella Hill Tennis Club
tel. 659 677 539
Manolo Santana Racquets
Club, Marbella
tel. 95 277 8580
Marbella Golf Institute
tel. 619 180 009
www.marbella-golf-insti-
tute.com
Special interests clubs
Barcelona International
Wine Society
tel. 93 412 6801
Barcelona Toastmasters
tel. 93 811 1299
Natural Health Club
THEATRE CLUBS
The New English Theatre
Society, Barcelona
tel. 93 896 0165
Madrid Players Theatre
Group
91 326 2439
www.madridplayers.org
SELF-HELP GROUPS
Relationship Therapy
Group, Barcelona
tel. 93 675 9276
Alcoholics Anonymous,
Madrid
tel. 91 309 1947
www.aaspain.org
Groups And Clubs
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Phone Book Decoder
ACCOUNTANT
Contable
AIRLINE
Línea aérea
ART GALLERY
Museo de arte
BABY GOODS
Artículos para bebes
BAKERY
Panadería
BARBER
Barbero/peluquería
BATHROOM
Cuarto de baño
BEAUTICIAN
estetecista
BICYCLE
Bicicleta
BOOKSHOP
Librería
BUILDER
Constructor
BUTCHER
Carnicería
CAR DEALER
Venta de coches
CARPENTER
Carpintero
CARPET
Alfombra
CAR RENTALS
Alquiler de coches
CENTRAL HEATING
Calefaccion
CHILDREN'S CLOTHING
Ropa infantíl
CINEMA
Cine
CONFECTIONERS
Pastelería
DENTIST
Dentista
DEPARTMENT STORE
Grandes almacenes
DO-IT-YOURSELF SHOP
Bricolaje
DOCTOR
Médico
DOG KENNEL
Perrera
DRIVING SCHOOL
Autoescuela
CHEMIST
Farmacia
DRY CLEANING
Tintorería
ELECTRICAL GOODS
Electrodomésticos
EMPLOYMENT OFFICES
Agencia de trabajo
EYE DOCTOR
Oculista
FIRE BRIGADE
Bomberos
FISHMONGER
Pescadería
FLOWER SHOP
Floristería
FURNITURE
Muebles
GARDEN CENTRE
Centro de jardinería
GREENGROCER
Frutería
GROCERIES
Comestibles
HAIRDRESSER
Peluquería
HARDWARE STORE
Ferretería
HEALTH CLUB
Gimnasio
HOSPITAL
Hospital
HOUSE CLEANING
Limpieza de la casa
INSURANCE
Seguros
JEWELLER
Joyería
KEY CUTTING
Cortar llaves
KITCHEN
Cocina
LADIES CLOTHING
Ropa feminina
LANGUAGE SCHOOL
Escuela de idiomas
LAWYER
Abogado
LEGAL ADVICE CENTRE
Asesoría juridical
es-listings+index.qxd 09/02/2005 11:14 Page 64
When you
need more
than just a
way to decode
the phone book,
go to
www.expatica.
com/spain
and learn how
to decode the
whole country.
SPAIN EXPAT SURVIVAL GUIDEWWW.EXPATICA.COM 65
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Phone Book Decoder
MENSWEAR
Ropa de caballero
OPTICIANS
Optica
PAINTERS
Pintores
PEST CONTROL SHOP
Control de plagas
POLICE
Policía
POST OFFICE
Correos
REAL ESTATE AGENT
Inmobiliaria
REMOVALS COMPANY
Mudanzas
SHOE SHOP
Zapatería
SUPERMARKET
Supermercado
SWIMMING POOL
Piscina
TAILOR
Sasterería
TAX CONSULTANT
Asesor de
impuestos/notario/gestor
THEATRE
Teatro
TOOLS
Herramientas
TRAVEL AGENTS
Agencia de viajes
VET
Veterinario
WINDOW CLEANER
limpiacristales
For breaking news and considered analysis of current
affairs in Spain, check out www.expatica.com/spain
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Weights And Measures
LINEAR MEASURES
1 centimetre 0.39 inch
2.54 centimetres 1 inch
30.05 centimetres 1 foot
91.4 centimetres 1 yard
1 meter 39.37 inches
1 kilometer (1000 m) 0.62137 miles
1.609344 kilometers 1 mile
WOMEN’S SHOES
US UK ES
5! 3! 36.5
6 4 37
6! 4! 37.5
7 5 38
7! 5! 38.5
8 6 39
MEN’S SHOES
US UK ES
8 7! 40
8! 8 42
9 8! 43
9! 9 44
10 9! 45
MEN’S SWEATERS
US UK ES
small 34 44
medium 36-38 46-48
large 40 50
x-large 42-44 52-54
MEN’S CLOTHING
US UK ES
36 36 46
38 38 48
40 40 50
42 42 52
44 44 54
OVEN TEMPERATURES
OVEN C F GAS MARK
very cool 130 260 0.5-1
cool 150 300 2
warm 170 325 3
moderate 180 350 5
fairly hot 200 380 5-6
hot 220+ 460 7-8
WOMEN’S CLOTHING
US UK ES
6 8 36
8 10 38
10 12 40
12 14 42
14 16 44
16 18 46
18 20 48
20 22 50
MEN’S SHIRTS
US UK ES
14! 14! 37
15 15 38
15! 15! 39
16 16 41
16! 16! 42
17 17 43
17! 17! 44
THERMOMETER
C F
25 77
23 73
20 68
18 64
15 59
13 55
10 50
8 46
5 41
3 37
0 32
-5 23
-10 14
-15 5
BODY TEMPERATURE
C F
36.0 96.8
36.5 97.7
37.0 98.6
37.5 99.5
38.0 100.4
38.5 101.3
39.0 102.2
39.5 103.1
40.0 104.0
40.5 104.9
41.0 105.8
DRY MEASURES
g oz
30 1
115 4
170 6
225 8
450 16 (1lb)
LIQUID MEASURES
ml fl oz
30 1
60 2
150 5
240 8
300 10
450 15
900 32
1000 34
Get the most out of living in Spain, read Expatica
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Emergency Numbers
EMERGENCY SITUATIONS
Police, fire, ambulance: 112
National Police-091 - ask for translator
service
Border police (at railway stations, airports
and borders) 0180 5234566
Ambulance - 061
Fire - 080
Civil Guard - 062
Coastguard -900 202 202
Red Cross -915 222 222
Civil Protection - www.protecioncivil.org
HELPLINES
CONSUMER:
Spanish Agency for Protection of
Consumers: 913 996 200
Ministry of Health and Consumers: 915
961 090 or 915 961 091
National Consumers' Institute:
914 311 836
IMMIGRATION:
Immigration Service, Ministry of Interior:
900 150 000
Institute of Immigration and Social
Security: 913 638 888
Or 913 638 916, 913 638 917; 913 638 909
High Commission for Refugees (ACNUR):
915 563 503
www.acnur.org
MEDICAL SERVICES
EMERGENCY DOCTOR:
Barcelona: 649 938 392
Madrid: 639 364 670 or Sanitas helpline:
918 043 802/918 032 484
Malaga: Carlos Haya Hospital 95 103 01 00
Civil Hospital 95 103 03 00
Materno Infantil Hospital 95 103 02 00
Hospital Clínico 95 103 20 00
Alicante: 965 144 000
Aids Helpline: 900 212 222
Spanish Aids Foundation: 900 111 000
Poisons Helpline: 915 620 420
Cancer Helpline: 900 100 036
Social services helpline: 900 703 030
Federation for Relatives and Partners of
the deaf: 915 765 149, DTS: 915 771 230;
Domestic violence
Victim Support: 900 121 884 or 900 100 009
EMERGENCY DENTISTS:
Barcelona: 607 332 335
Madrid: 661 857 170
Malaga: 966 730 603
Alicante: 965 717 512
UTILITIES
GAS:
Gas Natural: 900 760 760
HidroCantabrico: (24-hrs) 902 860 600
Repsol Butano: (24-hrs) 901 100 100
ELECTRICTY:
Fecsa Endesa: (24-hr) 902 507 750
HidroCantabrico (24-hr) 902 860 860
Iberdola(24-hr) 901 202 020
Enher(24-hr) 900 770 077
CREDIT CARDS
American Express: 91 572 03 03
Cajamadrid: 91 519 38 00
4B: 91 726 00 00 / 91 532 62 00
Eurocard-Mastercard: 91 519 21 00
Dinner's: 91 547 40 00
Sistema 6000: 91 355 30 00 / 91 596 53 35
Visa: 519 21 00
Want to make the most of your time in Spain? Keep
your finger on the pulse at www.expatica.com/spain
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Advertiser Index
The Expat Survival Guide will be distrib-
uted to over 20,000 expats in Spain through
embassies, international companies and
organisations, expat clubs, and expat hous-
ing and relocation companies.
If you are involved in managing expats
(maybe you are involved in international
HR management) or through work and
leisure activities come in to contact with
expats who would find this guide useful,
please contact Mark Batty at
You can order as many guides you feel are
necessary, for free, and delivery is also free
within the major cities (outside of the major
cities we ask that you simply cover the
costs of postage).
Details of where you can pick up individual
copies of the Survival Guide can be found
at www.expatica.com. Venues include inter-
national bookstores, relocation agencies,
expat food stores, and bars and restaurants
throughout Spain.
If you run a bookshop, cafe, bar or restau-
rant popular with expats and would like to
distribute the free Expat Survival Guide to
your customers, please email
[email protected] for details.
A Abogados Leal 21
Alliance and Leicester 23
AXA PPP inside back
cover
B Blasco & Advocats Associats 21
H. HSBC back cover
I International Health
Insurance - Danmark
inside front cover
K King College - The British
School of Madrid 33
P Paraninfo -
Intensive Spanish 31
W World Pack 9
To advertise with us in the next Expat Survival Guide,
please email [email protected]
Another perfect
Spanish sunset...
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