Additional information about moving and living in Spain

Here is some additional information which will help to answer some of the questions you may have about moving to and living in Spain.  If you can’t find what you are looking for here, please just give us a call or send us an email and we’ll be happy to help you.

What are the advantages/disadvantages of living in a town/village or in the countryside?

Living in a town or village can often be quite noisy and the views can be limited, but the hustle and bustle of village life and the close proximity of local shops, bars, restaurants, etc can outweigh the disadvantages.  Learning Spanish is easier living in a town or village as you have plenty of people to practice with and you will invariably find local people and shopkeepers more than willing to help you learn.

Living in the countryside can lead to a feeling of isolation and of course it is usually necessary to travel some distance for shopping, eating out, etc.  Often you will find that your neighbours are not Spanish so learning to speak Spanish can be more difficult.  However, these inconveniences are compensated for by the peace and tranquility of living in the countryside and by the views of the beautiful surrounding landscape and scenery

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What are the benefits of living in a town/village for your children?

If you have children who will be entering the state schooling system you might consider living in or close to a town or village.  From personal experience, children do tend to settle more quickly and easily if they live amongst their peers and are able to become immersed in the local community.  They often find it easier to make friends and to learn Spanish more quickly than if they are living some distance from a town or village.

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Bringing your pet to Spain

For up to date information on the Pet Travel Scheme (PETS), follow this link www.defra.gov.uk

Also you can see 'The Ultimate Guide to Traveling with Pets' here - upgradedpoints.com/traveling-with-pets

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Bringing a UK car into Spain and Driving licences

For comprehensive information about car importation, registration and insurance regulations please click here www.ukinspain.fco.gov.uk

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Passports lost or stolen

If you have lost your passport or it has been stolen and you need to travel to the UK immediately, you can obtain an emergency passport, valid for a one-way trip only, from the British Consulate in Malaga.  If you have time to wait for a passport application to be processed, you can apply for a replacement passport from the British Consulate-General in Madrid either in person or by post.  For more information, visit the British Embassy website www.ukinspain.fco.gov.uk

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Registration with the British Consulate

If you decide to live in Spain permanently, it is a good idea to register your presence in Spain with the British Consulate in Malaga.  This means that, in case of an emergency, the Consulate has your contact details, contact details for your next of kin and also those of two other nominated persons, either family or friends.  You can register online at www.gov.uk/government/world/organisations/british-embassy-madrid/office/british-consulate-malaga

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Telecommunications in Spain

You will notice that in our property descriptions, we always indicate whether a property has a telephone line. We know that this is crucial for some buyers especially those who intend to work from home and need access to the internet. For others it is an important way of keeping in touch with family and friends.

In the villages it is generally straight forward to have a fixed landline installed. However, out in the countryside it can be a different story. Although many people get by using just a mobile phone, the costs can be high and in some areas, there is little or no reception.

There is a wide range of services available that can help to overcome the problem and there are several options available to meet your particular needs and geographical situation. So even if a property description states that there is no telephone, you may still be able to have a broadband internet connection and therefore make telephone calls via the internet.

Here are some of the options:

Fixed Landline Telephone

In and close to the villages and towns you should be able to have a landline installed by Movistar. You will pay for the installation and then pay a monthly standing charge for use of the line but you can buy your calls from any provider. There are many companies offering cheap calls. Once you have a landline it is possible in most places to have a broadband internet connection and again there is no shortage of providers.

Wireless Internet Connection

This is probably the most popular way of accessing the internet in the countryside and there are a number of companies offering this service in and around the Competa area. Together with a fast broadband service, there are companies offering deals which include the provision of Spanish and UK telephone numbers and free calls to landlines.

Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP)

You can use the internet to make telephone calls at a much lower cost than via a traditional fixed landline telephone. The most well know company offering this service is skype (see www.skype.com ) Once you have the software, you can speak to other skype users entirely free of charge and call landlines in most countries at a very reasonable rate. You can also purchase a ‘skypein' UK telephone number enabling people without skype to call you. Calls to mobiles cost more but are still often cheaper than other providers. Free skype to skype calls using a webcam is a great way to keep in touch with family and friends.

Radio Phone

Radio phones are sometimes found in country houses and are supplied by Telefonica. With this antiquated technology you cannot access the internet but you can make telephone calls. If you find that you have one of these telephone systems you can apply to Movistar to update it.

Digital TRAC Phone

This is also radio technology but a little more modern, it can give you an internet connection the speed of which can be improved by contracting with Telefonica for GPS connection.

Mobile Telephones

You can of course use your UK mobile phone here in Spain. However, for calls within Spain it is cheaper to buy a Spanish SIM card to use in your existing phone whilst you are here. These are readily available everywhere and there is a wide range of providers, contracts and special deals to choose from.

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This information is for advice only.