Some tips / information to make life in Spain easier 

  1.  The Emergency number is 112 ( here are more useful numbers ) The 112 Number is also the main emergency number across Europe and is Multi lingual 
  2. So if you do need to Dial 112 for help speak your own language they will get someone on the phone who speaks it
  3.  It is worth knowing and having to hand your Gps coordinates to make it easier and quicker for the emergency services to find you as Spanish postcodes are huge (Even more useful if you life in a rural area )
  4. The Ambulances use Orange flashing beacons rather than Blue but the Police do use Blue some Fire engines use Orange lights other use Blue(the Ambulance and Fire and Civil protection are now gradually phasing in Blue lights )     (The reason for this was that until the law change only security service vehicles could use blue lights (police , national police and Guardia Civil ) and not all priority vehicles )(but that law has been replaced and as said theya re phasing in all priority vehicles using Blue )
  5. You may not drive in Spain wearing flip flops or Bear footed or Bear chested (men and Women )
  6. In reference to the above it is worth noting that these are just a few of the Spanish road laws there are many more
  7. Distance and speed limits are in all of mainland Europe measured in Kilometres per hour  for example you may see a sign in a school zone reading 20 , which is 12 miles per hour and 30 kilometres per hour is 18 miles per hour 
  8. A useful source of information is the facebook page N332 run by the Civil guard in English 
  9. They drive on the right in Spain and France like they do in most of Europe 
  10. As they drive on the right in Spain remember when crossing the road to look the opposite way top what you would in the UK 
  11. The Currency is the Euro €
  12. Euro coins range from 1 cent which is the smallest coin to the largest the 2 Euro coin (there is a photo example in the picture section at the bottom of the page )
  13. The 1 , 2 and 5 cent Euro coins are brown with the 5 cent been the largest 
  14. The 10, 20 and 50 cent coins are gold with the 10 cent been the smallest of them and 50 cents the largest 
  15. When getting 2 euro coins in change check them as a few other foreign currencies look similar and are not legal tender in Spain. As I understand it a common coin to be given in this case is from Egypt (there is a photo example in the picture section at the bottom of the page )
  16. Euro Notes come in many sizes from 5 euros up to much larger notes like 500 euros (not common ) (the notes go 5, 10, 20, 50 , 100 Euro etc ) (and the 50 Euro note is very common and unlike in the UK where the 50 pound note is rarely accepted the 50 Euro note is commonly accepted. (there is a photo example in the picture section at the bottom of the page )
  17. The Time Zone is the Central European Time zone (Same as France / Germany Etc) and In Summer Cet +1 so Spain is always 1 hour ahead of the UK, while Spain's neighbour Portugal is on Gmt time like the UK (as should Spain be but for Historical reasons ) 
  18. Many areas of Spain have the Afternoon Siesta still ( Siesta means Nap in Spanish  ) in our area (Turre )it Is from 2;30pm to 5pm (and as a rule many Spaniards eat later when it cooler often as late as 10pm ) 
  19. It is Illegal to wash your car on the street
  20. Spain is a hot and dry country with a high fire risk in the summer which is why it is illegal to throw a cig out of a car/van/Truck
  21. Spain has a Fire ban in many communities for example Andalusia started it's fire Ban on the first of June  
  22. Spain is a Catholic country and in many parts of the country every shop is shut on Sundays (often not the case in the summer season in more holiday resort areas )
  23.  Remember to turn your headlights of in the petrol stations as here in Spain as it is Illegal to have them on in petrol stations
  24. When entering a tunnel in Spain remember to put your dipped headlights on during the Day it is the law 
  25. If the Autovia (motorway ) is number AP eg the Ap7 it means it is a toll road
  26. Know when the Red and Green days are as nothing is open on these days (red days are public holidays on the national level and green days are at a local level and nothing is open on said days 1 example of a red day is Labour day 1st May and  green day 28th  February Andulisa Day )
  27. Many petrol pumps in Spain are attendant operated (between certain hours will vary by station )
  28.  The Spanish dialling code is 0034 Uk 0044
  29. Many Spanish front doors can not be opened without a key even if you have not locked them so if your going out your door remember to keep your key on you otherwise you might lock yourself out 
  30. There are three main types of Police in Spain (read more here ) The Local police (polica Local ), The civil Guard (Guardia Civil) who by the way are 175 years old this year(the Civil guard are the ones in the green uniform ). And the polica national (as several of Spains communities have their own regional police like the Mossos d'Esquadra in Catalonia there are several others as well but these are regional police so are not seen outside their regions ) 
  31. The Polica Local are also in some areas called the Municipal police or Guardia Urbana (the Polica local do hold full police powers within their towns/cities but will normal hand  more serious matters to the national polica or guard who are larger and better equipped)  
  32. One task(of many ) the local Polica preform is crossing guard duty at schools so when it is time for he children to leave for the day the presence of a local police person is nothing to worry about and is perfectly normal  
  33. At night or in low light levels, many Spanish police vehicles run with their light bar lit up as a solid blue 
  34. Most private hire Taxis in Spain have a blue rear licence plate (not all yet as the law is newish and so the taxi have a bit of time to phase it in ) the Blue plate is to help spot the real taxis easier 
  35. When talking your dogs for a walk in Spain have you cheeked the floor temperature ? as it can get hot enough to burn their pads 
  36. Spanish motorway (Autovia ) Junctions are numbered differently to the UK, in Spain the junction number is the kilometre point on the road from where the road is deemed to start, so for example it could be junction 250 or if there are several junctions in the kilometre stretch 250 a or 250 b etc 
  37. Talking of Junction and road distance number the A7 Autovia is renumber as it enters/exit the Andulica region of Spain so these stretches have a different kilometre number 
  38. Talking of Spanish roads the roads in Spain are policed by Civil guards Traffic officer know as Traffico 
  39. The Spanish version of vat is called Iva and the top rate is 21% 
  40. The Spanish version of an Mot for your Vehicle is called ITV ( Inspecciòn Tècnica de Vehiculos ) 
  41. As you no doubt know Spain is a very hot country which is why I would suggest having a sunshade in your Vehicle to put up when not in it to keep inside a bit cooler for when you get back in 
  42. By Spanish law your dog and/or cat/s must be mircochipped 
  43. Talking of Pets for example the Spanish dangerous dog list and British one are different 
  44. And certain pets you can keep in the UK are illegal in some areas Spain ( Eg Snakes and Spiders) so check with your local areas laws if your thinking of brings them 
  45. Do you know if your new home on mains water? or water from a tank ? (the  more Rural it is the more likely it is to be on a tank and therefore you will need to fill it with a water tanker (your neighbours may be able to recommend a water tanker company ) 
  46. In relation to the above are you on mains Sewers or a septic tank ? 
  47. Many Spanish house have Gas cookers but not gas mains, as the gas is often from gas bottle (like you would use for bbq ) which can be brought all over the place for example in Turre (our base and where we live ) from Super Turre the local supermarket , plus often many Petrol stations sell them (and for any north American readers Gas station )
  48. Don't be surprised to find you don't have your own rubbish bin as you would in the UK, as most towns, cities etc here in Spain us large community bins which are emptied every day 
  49. In some areas of Spain you may only dispose of waste in the community bins during certain hours in the evening often 7pm on wards 
  50. It is worth noting that many companies have summer hours and often during August are shut in the afternoon and not just for siesta
  51. Within many tourist areas during the summer months of June , July and August many supermarkets are open on Sunday (will vary by the areas ) (but for example Mercadona Mojacar is Sunday 10am to 3pm ) 
  52. As I am sure you know Spain and most of Europe uses 2 pin plugs (Many Electric items will work no problem in Spain ) so have you any 3 pin plug to 2 pin plug adaptors get your self some as they are very useful 
  53. Most Spanish electrical sockets (if not all ) don't have an on and off switch like you would find in the UK so an electrical appliance is on as soon as plugged in (some items will have their own switches like lamps )
  54. It is well worth noting many Spanish properties have bars on their windows, this is not because the areas have a high crime problem but, common though out Spain so that you can keep windows open at night 
  55. Don't be surprised if your water boiler is on an outside wall this is very common in Spain 
  56. Many Spanish Washing machines have smaller drums than their British counterpart (in our experience )
  57. Every Spanish Region has it's own forest and Bush land / wild land Fire fighters (For example Andulica's is Infoca )
  58. Spain also has the UME but what are they ?  The Military Emergencies Unit is a branch of the Spanish Armed Forces responsible for providing disaster relief throughout Spain 
  59. Most British electrical appliances will be fine on Spanish electric however the power supply in Spain suffers like most places , But it is quite common in Spain so we suggest surge protectors 
  60. The civil protection are part of the Spanish emergency services (they are the ones who wear the uniform with the orange shirt) they provide support and man power as need in many situations from festivals to emergency's 
  61. Are you on the Padron ? (if you own or rent a house long term in Spain you need to be on the padron ) 61a But what is the padron ? it is a register of people who live with a town/municipality and helps the council get sufficient funds to provide services within their area. 61b You register for the padron with your town hall there is a small fee some charge 2 euros others more or less. 61c Does the Padron run out ? yes it is valid for 2 years and if your using it as proof of address it must be no more than 6 months old (some areas may have slightly different rules )
  62. So I am on the padron I am registered to vote ? no you need to be on an additional register which the town hall keeps, just ask to be added at the same time you do your Padron 
  63. If your a resident of Spain then you are required by law to convert/swap your driving licence to a Spanish on with the DGt (their version of Dvla/Dvsa ) 
  64.  A further useful little tip to help remember words in Spanish is word games like what does the word remind me of eg Gato for Cat reminds me of the black forest Gateau (And you can find some handy little tips that I have found useful and a few suggest by others they have found useful in learning Spanish here )
  65. Coffee in Spain is often stronger than coffee in the UK would be even 
  66. Don't be surprised if you go into a more traditional Spanish bar and the floors are messy / dirty with things like peanuts or cigarette butts and the likes on the floor ,to the Spanish this is the sign of a good bar (the logic as I understand is )as it was to busy for the staff to have time to clean the floor  
  67. Not really a tip or advice just a little observation it is not unusual in some bars to find bottles of red wine chilled as not all but quite a few Spaniards drink red wine chilled not at room temperature (in my experience anyway )
  68. It is not unusual for many Spanish homes to be heated by a wood burning fire, but make sure your chimney is swept before using your wood burning fire otherwise you could set you chimney alight 
  69. So what is the Ayuntamiento ? Well it is both the name of the building so Town hall and name of your local council for example Turre Ayuntamiento
  70. Above the Ayuntamiento you have the provincal council, a bit like the country councils are in parts of the UK 
  71. Then you have the Comunidad level which is the authority in charge of the semi Autonomous regions and run them a lot like for example the Scottish parliament does in Scotland   
  72. (Not a tip, just an observation) often the polling day for elections in Spain is on Sunday 
  73. Unlike Britain where many (not all ) house are carpeted mots homes, in Spain have tiled floors as they are better for the summer temperatures but can be a bit cold on the feet at night in the short Spanish winter so it is well worth having rugs 
  74. ​In our experience the size of the standard Spanish washing machine is smaller than in the UK  
  75. When travelling along the Spanish Toll motorways it is best to have cash on you as we have personally found that some Spanish Toll booth machines do not accept British Debit cards (Yes more and more toll roads are now going free)
  76. If you see Processionary caterpillars  stay clear they are a dangerous little Caterpillar to both pets (Have been now to have killed dogs due to the reaction contact to them can cause) and younger children and the hairs on them, can still cause an unpleasant iteration to adults (They can be dangerous even to some adults if you have a allergic reaction or that sort of thing) They make nest in Pine trees. If you see them or their nest alter your local authorities who will deal with them (I have included in the pictures section a picture of them) If they are in trees on land you own you may need to contact a pest control company instead, some councils may treat them for you but bill you. 
  77. Moving to Spain but not sure which part of Spain is for you ? well a good handy tip then is don't buy at first but rent on a short term basis and move about around areas until you find something/Somewhere you like 

A blog article discussing how to choice the right part of Spain for you

​Got any tips or tricks you found from living in Spain you want to share?