Retiring in Spain
Joanna Styles
Retiring in Spain is essential reading for anyone planning to retire to Spain, whether permanently or for just part of the year, and is worth its weight in sunshine. As with all life-changing decisions, the key to a successful retirement in Spain is extensive planning and research (research, research) before you go, which is where this book will prove invaluable. Retiring in Spain is the most comprehensive book available about all aspects of retiring to Spain – written by best-selling author Joanna Styles – and is packed with vital information to help make the process as smooth and straightforward as possible.
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Other guides for Spain
Extracts from the book…
Obtaining Cash
One of the quickest methods of obtaining of cash is to draw cash on debit, credit or charge cards (but there’s usually a daily limit, e.g. €600). Many foreigners living in Spain (particularly retirees) keep the bulk of their money in a foreign account (perhaps in an offshore bank) and draw on it with a debit card. This is an ideal solution for holidaymakers and holiday homeowners (although homeowners still need a Spanish bank account to pay their bills).
Most banks in major cities have foreign exchange windows where you can buy and sell foreign currencies, buy and cash travellers’ cheques, and obtain a cash advance on credit and charge cards. Most banks charge around 1 per cent commission with a minimum charge of between €3 to €6, so it’s expensive to change small amounts. However, some banks charge a flat fee of €3 and no commission, irrespective of the amount, especially if you’re a client of the bank. There are numerous private bureaux de change, many of which are open long hours. They can be found at most travel gencies and even in some shops (such as El Corte Inglés department stores).
Banks at airports and railway stations often offer the worst exchange rates and charge the highest fees. There are automatic change machines at airports and in tourist areas in major cities accepting major currencies, including US$, £Sterling and Swiss francs.
Most bureaux de change offer competitive exchange rates and charge no commission (but always check) and are also usually easier to deal with than banks. If you’re changing a lot of money you may be able to negotiate a better exchange rate. However, the best exchange rates may still be found at a bank, even taking into consideration commission charges.
Posted exchange rates may apply only when changing high amounts, so ask before changing any money. The euro exchange rate (cambio) for most major international currencies is listed in banks and daily newspapers, and announced on Spanish and expatriate radio and television. Always shop around for the best exchange rate and the lowest commission.
Crime
The Spanish generally have a lot of respect for law and order, although ‘petty’ laws are often ignored. In villages away from the tourist areas, crime is almost unknown and windows and doors are usually left unlocked. Major cities have the highest crime rates and Alicante, Barcelona, Madrid, Malaga, Seville and Valencia are among the worst. Many cities are notorious for ‘petty’ crime such as handbag snatching, pickpockets and thefts of and from vehicles.
Stealing from cars, particularly those with foreign registrations, is endemic throughout Spain. The most common crime in Spain is theft, which embraces a multitude of forms. One of the most common is the ride-by bag snatcher on a motorbike or moped. Known as the ‘pull’ (tirón), it involves grabbing a hand or shoulder bag (or a camera) and riding off with it, sometimes with the owner still attached (occasionally causing serious injuries). Motorcycle thieves also smash car windows at traffic lights to steal articles left on seats, so stow bags on the floor or behind seats. Tourists and travellers are the targets of some of Spain’s most enterprising criminals, including highwaymen, who pose as accident or breakdown victims and rob motorists who stop to help them.
Foreigners are often victims of burglary, particularly holiday homeowners, which is common in some resort areas, and according to statistics there’s a burglary every six minutes. In some areas, it isn’t unusual for owners to return from abroad to find their homes ransacked. It’s advisable to arrange for someone to check your property periodically when it’s left unoccupied.
Petty theft by gypsies, who wander into homes when the doors are left open, is common in some parts of Spain (see also Home Security on page 162). Violent crime is relatively rare in Spain, although armed robbery has increased considerably and sexual crime is also on the increase, particularly in Madrid. Muggings at gun or knife point are also rare in most towns, although they’re becoming increasingly common in some areas.
The Costa del Sol has earned an unsavoury reputation as a refuge for criminals and fugitives from justice, hence its nickname the ‘Costa del Crime’, although in recent years the Costa Blanca and Costa Brava have also attracted the wrong sort of ‘tourists’. Much organised crime (particularly money laundering and drug trafficking) on the Costa del Sol is centred on Marbella – the ‘White Whale’ money-laundering scandal uncovered in 2005 involved millions of euros. The government has set up a special police body in the attempt to reduce it; however, although money-laundering scandals provide an interesting and eye-opening diversion for locals, they have little effect on residents’ lives.
One of the biggest dangers to most foreigners in Spain isn’t from the Spanish, but from their own countrymen and other foreigners. It’s common for expatriate ‘businessmen’ to run up huge debts, either through dishonesty or incompetence, and cut and run owing their clients and suppliers thousands of euros. In resort areas, confidence tricksters and fraudsters lie in wait around every corner. Fraud of every conceivable kind is a fine art in Spain and is commonly perpetrated by foreigners on their fellow countrymen – so beware!
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PRICE: £11.95
PUBLICATION: October 2006
EDITION: 1st
PAGES: 384
BINDING: paperback
SIZE: A5 (210mm x 148mm)
COLOUR PHOTOS: 20
