Finding Help...

One of the major problems for new arrivals in Spain is how and where to get help? All too often the people that are first point of contact are the people who are selling you your new home and unfortunately the information they are giving is not always without bias!

This was one of the main reasons for setting up this website, apart from of course a need to make a living ourselves here doing something useful, important and fullfilling, well it has certainly been filling - my days are no longer my own but I do love it ! just as well really...

In addition to the information here on this website you will also need detailed localised information and there are bound to be subjects I have not yet covered, although hopefully I am getting there and one day in the not too distant future should be able to answer the majority of questions right here on this website.

Even though I am updating the site almost daily there are bound to be aspects I have not covered. It would be near on impossible to cover every eventuality and to keep up with Spain’s ever-changing laws which by no exageration do change that often.

Your local Town Hall or Ayuntamiento should be a good source of information in the area where you wish to be based, however know that it is certainly true, there are different rules and regulations from town hall to town hall so do be aware of this. What you can do or get away with in one area is not true of another, so be careful and do your homework. 

You usually need to speak a reasonable amount of Spanish to take advantage of being able to ask the correct questions in your chosen Town, however some Town Halls in areas where there are many expats have a foreigners department (Department de Extranjeros, don't mistake this for the foreigners office in the Head of Police Station, the Commiseria). Staff speak English (although this should not be expected) and other languages to help the influx of foreigners and some also publish useful information.

Most towns offer Spanish lessons and they are usually free if you are on the padron so take advantage of this, its a great way to make friends too. Albatera offers these types of lessons twice a week on Mondays and Wednesdays, its easy to enrol even though it can seem a bit long winded to get a place, it is worth it. We hope this September to have classes for both beginners and intermediates, it has been a little daunting in the past for newcomers to only be spoken to in Spanish, when knowledge is limited, we British are well known to be a little shy with languages!

Look here for information from the government in your own language. European residents will find detailed information about basic matters to do with living in the province of Alicante, such as the Social Security system in Spain, taxes, residence permits and driving licences, and the census, etc. This information has been published in the Guide to Resources and Information for European Residents, which has been published in Spanish, French, English and German. If you would like a copy of this guide, the Provincial Council will be only too pleased to send you one. Just follow the link to the website for more details.....

Another invaluable source of information are the expat newspapers (e.g. Coastrider) where contacts can also be found. There are also monthly magazines and most consulates provide nationals with local information including details of Lawyers, Translators, Dentists & Schools etc. Even if you are not yet living in Spain or only have a holiday home you can either read your copy on line or get one delivered. There are other links too on the links page...happy reading, its amazing what local knowledge you can pick up.