Living in the Costa del Sol, Spain - An Introduction

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Banking
We usually suggest a bank account at Solbank. Mainly because the bank is specially designed for foreign residents and all paperwork will be in English. We will introduce you to the manager who will open an account for you. You do not need to deposit any money to open the account. Staff in the bank speak perfect English and will always be keen to help you.

Banks are usually open 9.00am - 2.00pm and 9.00am – 1.00pm on Saturdays. All major credit cards are accepted in Spain and there is no shortage of cash machines.

Postal services
The Spanish postal service ‘Correos’ is normally quite efficient with international post. Post boxes are yellow with a post horn symbol. Postage stamps can be purchased from post offices or tobacconists. In areas where there is a large English community, there are Royal Mail services. This means that your mail is flown to the UK the next day then posted through the Royal Mail. It is slightly more expensive than the Spanish service but quicker and more secure.

Shopping
Spain is a shopper’s paradise and wherever you go you will find bargains. The leather in Spain is especially cheap as are ceramic goods. You will find all the designer shops in most resorts and no shortage of bargain shops. Most shops will understand English but you will soon become acquainted with the Spanish names for shops. Some shops on the coast even accept Sterling as well as euros !

Here are some useful shops;

The cost of living in Spain – a rough guide
Living in Spain is generally much cheaper than the UK. There are very few things that are more expensive in Spain than the UK. Here are a few prices you could expect to pay in Spain;

English products
There are many stores in Spain that now stock a range of English products, so there is very little that you should miss about your home country. Good old favourites that used to be hard to find such as marmite, breakfast cereals, English biscuits etc are now commonplace. Iceland the big frozen food chain now has ‘Islandia’ stores all over Spain where you can buy lots of English goods.

So what is it really like living in the Costa del Sol?
Generally, life is slower in Spain than in the UK. Things certainly do not happen overnight and ‘yes’ the ‘Mañana syndrome’ is true. Everything is done tomorrow. The Spanish work hard but also play hard. They enjoy life to the full and every moment of leisure is spent wisely. You too must fit into this lifestyle. Life in Spain, especially if you are going to be working, is not an extended holiday. There will be times when you will suffer with the intense heat. Your diet will change for the better. Diet in Spain is based around fresh foods, especially fruit and it’s so cheap. On most days you can rise and guarantee the weather is going to be fine. Rain is rare but when it rains, it rains!

Because of the language and culture differences, things do take longer in Spain and official procedures are more complex. With the appointment of a good gestor you shouldn’t have much trouble. Crime is very low (apart from the obvious opportunists that target the holiday makers) and the police have a great respect for foreigners, providing you give them the same.

One thing you will not be short of when you come to live in Spain is visitors. Your home will be constantly inundated with friends and relatives looking for a cheap holiday. Try not to let this interfere with your business.

You will probably want to keep in touch with the UK and this shouldn’t be a problem. Telephone calls are cheap as is internet connection for emails. Flights back are also bargain priced if you know where to look. See our list of suppliers in this guide.

Contacting people whilst in Spain

Dialing the UK: Use a public call box or one of the many ‘Call Home Cabins’. The latter is the cheapest option. Simply dial 0044 then the number you require in England. Make sure you drop the first zero of the UK number. Ie:  0044 (0) 1299 444999

Dialing a Spanish number: Within the local area (Malaga), all numbers begin with 952 or 951. Spanish mobiles all begin with a 6. Simply dial the number as it reads, no further codes are required, unless you are dialing from a UK mobile, then you must put 0034 before the number.

Emergencies
In Spain there are three police forces;

For information on Living in Spain, medical cover, benefits etc., visit the British Embassy website.

For information about flights, (arrivals/departures/routes) in English, please click here.

To book train tickets in English please click here.

The British Consulate-General in Madrid is unable to accept emails related to passport or visas matters. Please telephone our call centre who will be able to help you with your enquiry. CALLING FROM SPAIN: Visa Enquiries tel: 807 429 027 - Passport Enquiries tel: 807 429 026. CALLING FROM UK: Visa Enquiries tel: 0906 664 8472 - Passport Enquiries tel: 0906 664 1717 (GBP:1.50 per minute) - If your enquiry is not related to passports or visas, it will be forwarded to the appropriate department for reply.

Denunicias in English or your language - Tel: 902 102 112

To email the National Police: town@dgp.mir.es. Example: benalmadena@dgp.mir.es.