Archive for the 'Spanish Living' Category
Sleepless in Torrevieja
We live only a few hundred yards away from a disco and finally after a couple of weeks living here I was able to sleep through the 11 pm to 6/7 am closing time. Then last night a second disco opened. The original turned up the volume and the second followed their example. Result … sleepless night. So if you are coming to live in Torre, find a place without a disco in the vicinity unless you are one of their regular customers.
My daughter suggested that perhaps my dizzyness on standing up from sitting or lying down could be partly attributable to dehydration, so I took a bottle of water from the fridge, put it down beside me while I did my Sudoku … and forgot to drink it. So daughter said … it does you absolutely no good while still in the bottle, you need to drink it. All this in her most sarcastic tone to date. Patience is not one of her virtues!
You know you have been in Spain too long when:
• You sleep through the loud music from the local disco which goes on from 11 pm to 6 am
• You enjoy Spanish TV, like South American Soaps and get used to soft porn on late night channels
• You are not shocked to find the nice young women living next door are prostitutes receiving male visitors 24 hours a day 7 day per week
• You are not shocked when the Civil Guard raid the apartment next door and take away the nice young man who carries your bags for you, then find out he has been jailed for drug dealing
• You become used to living in an apartment block where most of the apartments are empty and used only during July and August
• You breathe a sigh of relief when the holiday season of July/August finally ends and the Brits go home
• You enjoy the out of tune music played by the brass band at Fiesta time
• You “tut” like a Spaniard when the Brits visiting Spanish stores make comments like “isn´t Spain a backward country, they don´t even sell Yorkshire tea/crumpets/and lovely soft sliced white bread (that keeps for weeks without going green)” and refer to the locals as “peasants”
• You laugh with the locals when Brits (who live in a home classed as holiday accommodation) complain about being unable to get a telephone line
• You look at visitors as if they are mad when they wear T shifts and shorts when it is only 23 degrees Celsius. You are wearing a woolly jumper, scarf and gloves
Telefonica
My daughter applied for a landline yesterday, the engineer phoned last night, the line was up and working this morning by 11 am.
Beat that BT.
Spain
Well we have moved again to another quite lovely flat in Torrevieja. It has two double bedrooms, one bathroom, one living area containing dining, sitting and kitchen. Disabled access to the building, a locked community and security access for visitors through to each flat, a nice size television and is very comfy. The area isn´t as nice as I would have liked but we have wonderful access to various good supermarkets, bars and restaurants and only a few minutes taxi ride to the cinema and a short walk to the sea. We have a pool with excellent disabed access and I have to say that other than the bath which I found it very difficult to exit from, everthing is good. We will most likely be staying here until our move back to the UK, if we do actually move permanently back there, we shall see how things transpire. Having decided to return, my daughter now has a Spanish client who wants her to work with them as a consultant and take on any designs in her area of expertise. Three years in Spain, decide to go home due to problems getting work, and now it happens!
Summer Storms
I am so excited, late summer storms have started at last, rumbling of thunder in the distance and storm clouds gathering. Weather forcasts for Spain are showing as cloud, rain, storms. Fun, at least for me.
Dangers of the sea (or pool)
Yet again tragedy strikes on the Spanish Costa’s as 3 children die of drowning. The same scene plays out repeatedly on television with the camera showing a close up of a grieving mother either clutching the lifeless body of her child or a photograph.
I have seen very young children in the sea and community pools without lifeguards, parents or a responsible adult in attendance. On the whole the children were poor swimmers and unaware of the risks involved, or ignored them!
I do agree in allowing children to grow up and take risks, but surely this should be limited to acceptable risk (or maybe I have been involved in assessing risks in the workplace for far too long). Surely parenting includes leading your child through the learning process leading to adulthood, without being “over protective”.
I have to say that on the beach I was on today, not only were lifeguards in attendance, but police on quad bikes and a helicopter, the holiday season is really underway! We actually saw someone helped to safety.
NIE
Daughter actually applied for her NIE yesterday in Alicante, and guess what?
You do need:-
- a recent photograph (photographer opposite who very quickly provided her with a passport size photograph)
- your passport
- the completed form
also
- it is beneficial if you have some knowledge of the language or someone with you who can help as when we were there, the staff on duty did not speak English. We took a Spanish national with us but my daughter managed just fine.
Update – a Cuban friend has been to renew his resedencia, apparently they allow only the first 50 people in the queue in and the remainder are sent away. The only people to argue were some Brits who had tried three times previously without success. This is Spain and it is no good arguing. Basically, the policeman told them to arrive earlier if they wanted success!
So this is probably why the queues start to form at 5 am onwards!
What is so annoying is the different versions of the rules about NIE/Residencia, so confusing! Some say that EU nationals don´t have to apply for an NIE first, others say that under new rules you do. Watch this space, I will try and find out. We only found out the rules had changed again when we tried to get a padronal for our new address. The first time, we managed to obtain one without an NIE, this time we were told we needed an NIE.
Pets entering the UK from Spain
Although this post does give a little general information about pet travel (those of us who want to return to the United Kingdom), it pays to check government websites for more uptodate information and to consult your vet here in Spain. These should be your first point of contact.
Animals (that is dogs, cats and ferrets may travel between UK and Europe without quarantine, provided very stringent requirements are met, this system allowing travel is called the Pet Travel Scheme (PETS).
DEFRA, the UK Department for Environment Food and Rural affairs, has comprehensive (and uptodate) information on the website. They can also can provide an information pack on request.
- DEFRA website: Pet Travel Scheme (PETS)
Before entering Britain (or Ireland) from Spain (or elsewhere within the European Union), an animal must:
- have a anti-rabies booster vaccination (your pet must be vaccinated by a vet)
- have a blood test. Blood sample will be taken 30 days after the vaccination and will be sent to an approved laboratory to confirm it has been effective. If the sample tests correct, the vet will sign the certificate, if negative, the vaccination and sampling process will be repeated until successful and there will be a six-month delay
- between 24 and 48 hours before departure from Spain the animal must be treated for ticks, and tapeworm (echinococcosis). Again, this treatment must be carried out by an authorised vet
- have microchip identification, please note that a tattoo is not acceptable
- have a valid European Pet Passport completed with certificates and documentation of treatments
Note: A passport cannot be issued until six months after a satisfactory blood test. Once the vet has issued the pet’s documentation and that six-month period has passed, the pet may enter the UK. The passport must be up to date and the rabies booster valid.
It should be noted that if the UK authorities are not satisfied with the animal on entry to the UK, said animal can be held in quarantine until the relevant tests are passed. So go to an authorised vet who knows what he is doing, get the right paperwork and check with the goverment websites that you have everything you need BEFORE travel.
Further information is available from the Directgov website: Click here and the British Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, DEFRA website
Personal Bank Accounts in Spain
To open a bank account in Spain, an applicant must be at least 18 years of age, able to provide an address in Spain, proof of identity and a current passport or NIE number. Both non-residents and residents can open a bank account in Spain and to do this, you will need an application form from the bank.
Residents – to open a current account you will need to provide residence permit (residencia) or evidence of employment in Spain.
Cheque Accounts
All Spanish bank account numbers have 20 digits.
The most common account in Spain is a cheque or current account and is provided by all Spanish banks.
It should be noted that many retailers do not accept personal cheques which cannot be guaranteed in Spain although banks can issue certified cheques books. Many Spaniards prefer to pay by plastic or cash.
Writing Cheques – your account details such as bank, branch and account number are printed on the top right hand side of cheques and bank statements and this information is required when payments are to be made directly from the current account, ie direct debit payments.
Complete cheques as follows:
- Name of payee should be written in the top left corner.
- The amount in figures must be written in the top right hand corner – it is advisable to either put a line to fill in the space or add an (#) hash sign before and after the amount ie: #1.111,11#) to ensure the amount cannot be changed.
- The amount should also be written in words on the line below the payee’s name (as in the UK) ie: Dos mil euros con once centimes
- To date the cheque, it must be written in words directly under the amount written in words and after the town where the branch is situated.
- You must add your signature in the bottom right corner below the date
- It is advisable to write the date and amount of any cheque issued in Spanish however, some Spanish banks will accept other languages – check with your bank for their rules on this issue.
As in the UK, it is not advisable to make any cheque out â to bearer, however, If you do so you must add al portador. Any a cheque made payable to the bearer is regarded as currency and may change hands a number of times whilst valid.
If you pay a cheque into your own account, you, as the account holder must sign the reverse of the cheque.
When making a cheque out to a named person, write the following: Paguese [person's name] por este cheque”. To ensure that a cheque can be paid only into the account of the payee and you must also add Y Cia between the diagonal lines on the front or add a abonar en cuenta before the name of the payee.
Note: A bank is not required to reimburse an account holder for a falsified cheque if they have been negligent writing it.
Validity
Spanish cheques are valid indefinitely. It should be noted that it is illegal to overdraw a Spanish bank account without obtaining agreement with your branch. If a chequebook is lost or stolen, the bank must be notified by telephone immediately and the loss must be confirmed in writing. Any cheques written after the bank has been informed cease to be the account-holder’s responsibility.
If you issue a cheque without sufficient funds being available, you as the account holder are obliged to pay a penalty – it is advisable to check your bank’s rules but this penalty is usually 10 percent of the unpaid amount of the cheque (ie: if the shortfall is three hundred euros, the shortfall plus a penalty of 10% – ie thirty euros will have to be paid). Again, it is advisable to check with your bank on this issue.
As in the UK, take care when writing cheques and keep your bank details, card and cheque book in a safe place.
Direct Debits
To make arrangements for a new direct debit (domiciliación bancaria) simply complete a form at the branch and supply a copy of the bill. This is the best way to pay all your regular bills in Spain.
Correspondence
Correspondence from a bank will be in Spanish, however, a letter my daughter received from Caja Rural gave a translation at the right hand side of the letter with the Spanish version at the left hand side of the letter.
Translation of some words are shown below:
Fecha – date
Debe – debit
Haber – credit
Saldo – balance
Concepto – description
Estados/comunicaciones de movimientos – Account Statements
Cash Cards and Debit Cards
Spanish banks offer customers a combined cash and debit card (tarjeta de débito), and these are widely used (and accepted) throughout the whole of Spain.
The amount of any purchases or cash withdrawals will automatically be debited to your account. Although monthly statements are not sent out to customers, a balance or mini statement can be requested from an ATM/cash machine. It should be noted that it is not possible to overdraw using a cash card or debit card.
As in the UK, a lost or stolen card must reported to the bank as soon is as possible, your branch will normally supply you with the appropriate telephone number.
Example of banking hours
Bank opening hours change according to the season, however, many rural banks (sometimes) have much shorter opening hours.
- Winter Season
Monday – Friday 8:30 – 16:00
Saturday 10:00 – 14:00
- Summer Season
Monday – Friday 9:00 – 14:00
What is the empadronamiento?
The Padron Municipal de Habitants or city roll is an official record of all the people who live in a community and the way to officially verify your stay in Spain. You must by law register in the community where you live.
The Padron provides many benefits if you intend to live in Spain for an extended period of time and is also the key to becoming a member of your local community.
Benefits:
You are considered to be an official resident in your community and can if you wish vote in the local elections.
It is an important first step to assist your integration into Spanish life.
Your stay in Spain is officially recorded ie verified and accredited and is an absolute necessity to enable you to do the following things in your local community:
- Enrol children with a local school
- Enable you to register with a doctor and apply for a (el carnet Para la assistance sanitaria) ie local health card
- Vote
How does registering benefit the community?
The town receives finance from the government to provide services to its residents and this based on the number of inhabitants, meaning that if you are registered, the city receives money to provide services on your behalf. It is therefore in both your interest – and theirs – to have an accurate count of who is living in the community (and using the services) and to this end, it is extremely important that you register. It is also a confidential service.
How (and where) do you obtain an empadronado?
Obtaining the empadronado is merely a question of filling out the appropriate form and providing the required documents.
Once we filled in the forms and provided our original identification documents and those relating to the property plus a photocopy of each, it took a relatively short period of time to go through the process. We had to return a few days later to pick up the padron.
We applied for our empadronamiento in person and did not have the option to apply either by telephone or over the Internet. There also wasn’t the option of having the document mailed to us, but we understand that this can be done in some areas.
To find out where you need to go to apply, phone your town hall or visit their website. The local phone directory may also give this information in the section called Gestiones under Empadronamiento – we only obtained the official certificado de empadronamiento for which we had to pay three euros.
As requirements for identification documentation vary from it is wise to check with the local town hall, however, the most commonly requested documents are:
- The application form
- Identification documentation for yourself, partner and children if your application is for the whole family and not as individuals
- Passport or national identity card, residency card and/or NIE (we tried to get a new padronal in Alicante and were told the rules had changed, you MUST now have an NIE number in order to obtain the padronal)
- If you rent a property your contract. Although we were renting a house and had a contract signed by the landlord, he had to accompany us to the council offices
- If you own a house, a copy of the title deeds escritura
- For those renting a room or apartment – your landlord or whoever is already empadronado will need to vouch that you are living at the address. It is apparently best for them to accompany you
In our case we went to the offices with an interpreter and our documents. The official told us we needed to have our landlord present with his ID and his title document. We returned the following day, the local official completed the form on her computer, printed them off, attached them to copies of our contract and ID, they were signed and we were told to return the following day. It was two months before we actually received our certificado, but I am given to understand that this is unusual. We also indicated at this time that we wished to vote in the local elections and she indicated what we needed to do to register which was a simple process
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