lifestyle • day to day

Tips for day to day life in Alhaurin

Banking & Finance

Banks in Spain are usually open during the week from 9.00 to 14.00 and 13.00 on Saturdays. Be warned though, that during times of public holidays, banks tend to keep irregular hours and can close for several days at a time. Many banks, particularly in the more tourist-oriented areas, have English-speaking staff and are familiar with the needs and requirements of the British in Spain. Remember to always have a copy of your passport, as banks require proof of identification for most of the transactions they undertake.

The credit cards common to the UK will be accepted in most places in Spain and you will find that your ATM card will work in many if not all bank machines. There should be English language options to make withdrawing money relatively straightforward. As you would in the UK, make a separate note of your card numbers and keep this safe along with the phone numbers you would need to use if your cards were to be stolen.

If you plan to spend an extended (or indeed permanent) stay in Spain, you will need to set up a Spanish bank account. Even if you can find a branch of Barclays here, you will still need to set up a new account, as it is not the same as administering your UK account. There are several banks in Alhaurin and we have found that Solbank are particularly helpful.

Spain is one of the European countries that have adopted the Euro. If you have any Sterling that you need to change into euros whilst in Spain, there are many banks and currency exchanges that can do this for you.

Healthcare

The Healthcare System & Hospitals

The Spanish healthcare system is pretty good on the whole. Non-Spanish residents can use most but not all of the healthcare services. Some expats also subscribe to one of the private healthcare providers such as Sanitas (BUPA). In Alhaurin, the nearest major state hospital is to be found in Malaga although a major new health centre is being constructed in nearby Cartama.

If you do feel unwell, but not so much as to need a hospital visit, the first point of call should probably be the local health centre or "ambulatorio"

You do not need any vaccinations to visit or live in Spain.

If you buy a business in Spain , you must make payments towards the cost of healthcare provision through your Spanish National Insurance contributions. Access is free for retirees but if you are under retirement age, you must take out some private medical cover.

Pharmacies

Chemists in Spain are called Farmacias and have a lit neon green cross in the window or outside. Pharmacists are trained for simple procedures such as taking blood pressure and they are able to advise you on which over the counter medicines to take. Typically, chemists are open from 08.00 or 09.00 to 13. 00 and then from 17. 00 to 20. 00m. Out of these hours, they take it in turn to provide emergency cover and there will be a chemist open somewhere 24 hours a day. Try the local paper or a sign inside the chemists to find out which one is providing the cover. More often than not, someone in the pharmacia will speak English, especially in the more touristy areas.

Dentists

Most in Spain are private. You should be able to get a free check-up but will pay for any treatment necessary. There are plenty usually advertised in the English language publications.

Disabled

Although Spain is signatory to the same EC legislation as the UK regarding provision of disabled facilities, it does lag some way behind in meeting its obligations. Some of the larger hotels on the coast make a serious effort for their disabled guests but getting around if severely disabled can still be something of a lottery. Whilst many of the roadside pavements have ramps to allow access, many do not and care should be taken. There are companies that provide disabled resources such as scooters that can help disabled people make the most of the Costa del Sol.

Schooling

Many people who move to Spain have children of school age and this is one of the primary concerns for any family relocating here. Essentially there are two options, which are to send children to private International schools or to attend the local state schools.

State schools are free and generally of a fairly decent standard but there are often charges for books and extra-curricular activities. Education is compulsory from the ages of 6 to 14. At 14, based on academic achievement, children can either carry on to Higher Secondary School for their "Baccalaureate”( a rough equivalent of A Levels) or pursue a more vocational training programme. You can enrol a child into state schools at your local town hall (ayuntamiento). In addition to state schools, there are private schools, particularly in the tourist areas of the Costa del sol The highly regarded Cartama International School is just 10 kilometres from Alhaurin.The schools in Alhaurin are used to English speaking expatriot children. Standards, in general, vary so it is important to undertake detailed research before enrolling a child.

Language

For some, the idea of learning a new language is a daunting prospect and for others one of the great opportunities of moving to a new country. On the whole, those who don’t speak any Spanish can get by here although picking up the basics won’t take that long. The Spanish, like others in Europe, respond well to those who are trying to speak a little of their language. However, many Spanish speak some English and there are plenty of places such as bars, restaurants and shops that are English run, so no problems there. In our experience though, it is helpful to have a native Spanish speaker with you when attempting to handle formalities with authorities and in other situations, for example if you need to go to hospital. You can usually survive on your own, but having a Spanish speaker really speeds up the process and you will be happier about what is going on around you.

If you want to throw yourself in at the deep end and start to learn Spanish, there are many people locally who advertise lessons and courses. They can also be helpful if you need any documentation (official or otherwise) translated.

Officialdom & Paperwork

NIE Number

NIE stands for Numero de Identidad de Extranjero and is very important. You will need one in order to open a bank account, buy property or get a job (legally) Pretty much all dealings with Spanish officialdom will require your NIE. It can be obtained from any national police station where you will probably find yourself queuing for many an hour just to complete a simple form, You will need your passport and a photocopy of it. Once you have handed your form in, you will be issued with a temporary number until the paperwork is done and this can often take up to three months.

Residencia

It is not compulsory to have a Residencia if you are a EU citizen, but it can prove helpful as it removes the need to carry a passport everywhere for identification purposes. As with the NIE, the Residencia can be applied for at any ;ational police station that has a "foreigners department" (departmento de extranjos).

If you die in Spain as a resident, Spanish law will handle the necessary arrangements as far as your estate is concerned. With this in mind, it is advisable for residents to have a will drawn up by a Spanish lawyer. In Alhaurin there are a number to chose from and we wll be happy to advise.

Emergency Telephone Numbers

All three emergency services in Spain can be reached by dialling 112. Other useful numbers are :

Retiring to Spain

Healthcare

If you are over State Pension age (65 for men and 60 for women), you are entitled to free use of the Spanish state healthcare system. More details can be obtained above in the Healthcare section.

Pensions

Your state pension from the UK can be paid directly into your Spanish bank account. If you have a state pension, you will need to talk to the Benefits Agency who can advise you of the steps you need to take to make the transfer. For those with a private pension, your provider should be able to advise you.

General Information

The charity, Age Concern, produces a guide booklet for those thinking of retiring to Spain. It can be downloaded from their website at www.ace.org.uk.

Pets

Although it is easy to overstate the problem unnecessarily, rabies is still an issue in Spain and for this reason it is sensible to avoid coming into contact with stray animals such as cats and dogs. If you are bitten, please see medical attention as soon as possible.

The Pet Travel Scheme (PETS) started in 2000 and under this scheme and its strictly observed conditions, cats and dogs resident in the UK are allowed to visit certain countries (of which Spain is one) and return to the UK without quarantine.

There are strict conditions to be observed and paperwork to complete. For full details of how this system works, please refer to the British Embassy website at www.ukinSpain.com/english/Faq/pets/ where you will find additional information.

Entertainment & Media

Newspapers

There is no shortage of printed matter for the expat community. In addition to the UK papers (some of which are now printed here) there are a number of free local newspapers such as Sur in English and Euroweekly News which are widely distributed and read all over the region, including inland communities. These papers have local news items and major classified ads for houses, cars, jobs and pretty much everything else.

Cinema

A number of cinemas along the Costa del Sol show English language films (usually during the tourist season) and free papers such as Sur in English carry listings of what is on and when. The local cinema for Alhaurin is found five kilometres away in Coin at the La Trocha shopping centre.

Satellite TV

The British on the Costa del Sol are very well catered for when it comes to access to English language media. For many people coming to Spain, the priorities could be said to be a roof over their head, food on their plate and Sky TV, although not always in that order. You will need a larger dish than in the UK to receive the signal but you can bring your UK Sky Box to set it up. Not all channels can be received in some areas but most people do not experience any great problems. There are numerous people in any town that can install Sky for you. Just ask us.

Sports

The Spanish climate offers the chance to participate in sports for most of the year, although high-energy sport at the height of summer when the temperature can exceed 35 degrees is not advisable. Golf is popular for most of the year, except in the middle of the winter months and perhaps the real summer hotspots. For those who enjoy getting out and about there are many good walks around Alhaurin and there are numerous options for those who like cycling. There is a good ports centre in the town where tennis and football are popular.

In addition to actually getting out and playing sports, the armchair fan is very well catered for. A number of bars have large screen Sky TV and show all the English football, cricket, rugby, motorsports and everything else in between.

Bullfighting

Bullfighting is certainly not to everyone’s taste and the subject causes strong emotion on all sides of the debate. It is, however an integral part of Spanish culture and one which many visitors do want to take in. The closest bullring to Alhaurin is in Malaga.

Shopping

As befits a developed area such as the Costa del Sol, there ia a wide variety of shops selling everything you could ever need. Even most of the smaller towns are fairly well served with food stores and basic provisions. As the local infrastructure has improved greatly over recent years, you are usually only a 20 minute or so drive from a large mall or shopping centre. For many foodstuffs, the local town markets are a great starting place with fresh, locally grown produce at really good prices.

Many shops in Spain, close for the afternoon siesta but are open from 10am to 2pm and then 5pm to 8pm during the week. Smaller shops will often close on Saturday afternoons and almost everything will close all day Sunday. Larger department stores tend to have longer opening hours and 9am to 9pm Monday to Saturday is increasingly common. There are plenty of shopping centres 30 minutes drive down on the coast, one of the best being the Miramar Centre in Fuengirola. El Corte Ingles department stores are also a must..

Many supermarkets now sell a good selection of British known or branded products. This is the case even in the more rural, inland areas. In addition, pretty much anywhere that has a sizeable expat community will have a specialised shop selling British products. In Alhaurin, ours is called Brit Essentials and is a popular haunt of much of the community.

Post, Phones & Internet

Post

Post in Spain is not delivered to your house if you live anywhere in the countryside (and in some cases even in built up, urban areas). The most common way to get post is to collect it either from the local post office or from other establishments that rent mail boxes. Post from the UK usually takes 3-4 days to reach Spain, unless there is a public holiday involved in which case delays are common!

Phones & Internet

The Spanish equivalent of BT is Telefonica and they do not seem to be too highly rated. Service tends to be of variable quality and usually slow. For people living in rural areas, a landline is often not an option. It is common in these cases to sign up to a satellite based service that provides a package of a phone link, Internet connection and satellite TV if required.

If you want to communicate with friends and family in the UK , we would recommend the SKYPE system over your computer with a broadband internet connection. It is easy to install and use and costs very little. Between two Skype users, the service is free and even calling a UK mobile from the Skype system will cost a few cents a minute. If you do not have access to a computer at home, then there areiInternet cafes with phone booths for public use.

The are a number of mobile phone operators including Telefonica, Amena and Spanish Vodafone. The array of options is similar to the UK and coverage in and around Alhaurin seems surprisingly good.

Getting About

Public Transport

On the whole, public transport in Spain is very good, especially when compared to the UK . Buses and trains are fairly reliable and frequent. There are no trains in Alhaurin itself but from nearby Cartama, you can get a train to Malaga where you can join the main RENFE network of local and national services. Buses run from Alhaurin regularly and connect the town with Malaga and Marbella .

Driving

If you are moving permanently to Spain, it is probably best to get a Spanish driving licence. When driving a vehicle, Spanish law dictates that a driving licence, photographic identification, car registration document and your insurance are carried at all times. In addition, you must carry two warning triangles, a full set of spare light bulbs, spare tyre with correct air pressure, spare glasses if you need to wear them to drive, equipment for fitting and a fluorescent jacket to be worn outside the vehicle when fitting! You’d think that this, the many traffic rules and regulations and a strict driving test would result in safer roads but the standard of driving in Spain is not great. Be aware that driving practises common in the UK such as allowing someone out of a parking space are strictly frowned upon! As in the UK, use of mobile phones without a hands-free kit is forbidden. Don't be alarmed if you hear the constant beeping of horns. This is very much a way of drivers communicating with their friends walking along the street or in cars passing in the other directon!

Buying a car can be as risky as in the UK if you don’t know who you’re dealing with.