Expat Spain News

Latest 10 news items tagged Spain

20 Jul at 6 PM 2020

Consumer watchdog Which takes on airlines not paying refunds

Consumer watchdog Which is now supporting expats and tourists whose flights to Spain were cancelled due to the coronavirus. The consumers’ group is now demanding airlines which cancelled flights in the early days of the pandemic should stop prevaricating and speed up refunds to those who missed out on holidays or flights to and from Spain. According to a Which spokesperson, expats are suffering emotional distress as well as financial losses due to the carriers’ reluctance to refund those affected. In support of its accusations,...
16 Jul at 6 PM 2020

Expat dog owners in Malaga thrilled by its new doggie play parks

Lucky dogs in Malaga can now take their expat and local owners for a refreshing walkie in two large, brand new doggie-designated recreational areas. Malaga’s city council has allocated a total of 13,000 square metres in two sections for dog-owners to get exercise along with their furry best friends. The two dog-walking parks are located close by the Society for the Protection of Animals and Plants shelter and within the grounds of the Municipal Animal Health Centre, with the two areas together costing some 73 thousand euros and...
15 Jul at 6 PM 2020

Expat Brits in Spain finally have guaranteed post-Brexit rights

After long periods of silence unappreciated by British expats living and retiring in Spain, the UK Ambassador is urging all to register as residents. Although the message conveyed had already been a central focus of expat media outlets, Britain’s man in Madrid took it on himself to point out there are only 25 weeks to go before the transition period ends and the UK is all alone in the dark. At present, according to social media, both British residents and British expats in Europe are now fearing a governmental rush to compromise as...
10 Jul at 6 PM 2020

Brit would-be expats can now visit Spain without self-isolating

If the coronavirus chaos in the UK is the last straw in your broken relationship with your home country, massive discounts on European summer holidays make for affordable checking out of European expat hubs. If you’ve just about given up on the UK as your country of residence, now’s the time to visit Spain. Tourists and potential expats can now travel to any one of Spain’s favourite destinations, and don’t need to self-isolate or get tested on arrival. The only problem is that, as the UK government is backing off from arranging...
9 Jul at 6 PM 2020

Expat retirees in Spain urged to take part in new academic survey

British expats living and working in Spain are required for a new university study. Britons in residence in Spain are now being urged to join in a new study in order to discover how many are considering repatriation to the UK as a result of the pandemic. Led by Dr Charles Betty and Dr Jordi Giner from the University of Valencia, both of whom are expert researchers on the subject of migration to Spain for retirement purposes, the survey will examine the effect of the pandemic on older expats’ lives and decisions. Dr Betty, now 97...
7 Jul at 6 PM 2020

How to avoid UK quarantine after your Portuguese vacation

The UK Foreign Office is urging Brit expats in Portugal to stop helping their compatriots avoid quarantine. As reported in an English language local expat newspaper, expat Brits living in Portugal are advising prospective UK tourists on how best to avoid having to quarantine for two weeks after returning to the home country. Some enterprising expats are even volunteering to pick British tourists up at local airports in Spain and drive them across the Portuguese/Spanish border. For British holidaymakers needing to avoid the 14-day...
6 Jul at 6 PM 2020

Brit would-be expats urged to tread carefully on property purchase

European properties are now in high demand by British buyers hoping to become expats before Brexit hits the already damaged UK economy. According to online property agents, searches for both remote, waterfront and beachfront properties have soared since the UK’s coronavirus shutdown, focusing mainly on Greece, Italy, France, Spain and Portugal. Unsurprisingly, Spain is the most popular destination, with over a million hits on favourite website Rightmove. Inquiries totalled 49 per cent over last year’s totals and are now at...
6 Jul at 6 PM 2020

Expat retirees in Spain warned over cold calling internet scam

British expats living in Spain are at risk from scamming cold-callers originating in Indian call centres. Yet another internet scam is targeting British expats living, retiring or working in Spain’s Costa del Sol region. The cold-calling crooks pretend they’re from Microsoft as regards fixing a non-existent computer issue. Many thousands of expatriates are receiving the calls, which either claim the recipient’s Windows programme is an illegal copy or it’s infected with a computer virus. The expat recipients, mostly elderly...
3 Jul at 6 PM 2020

Tourists in Spain charged sneaky covid-19 tax on beer by expat bar owners

As tourists return to Spanish beach resorts and British expats shake off the lockdown blues, a new owner-introduced tax on beer is causing consternation! Tourism has finally returned to the Spanish Costa’s with the first tourism flights bringing financial relief to British and Spanish-owned bars and restaurants alike. However, savvy bar owners are now unofficially charging a sneaky ‘covid tax’ on alcoholic drinks. Cash-strapped tourists are not overjoyed, nor are British expat residents looking to celebrate their new-found...
30 Jun at 6 PM 2020

Expat charity shop owners urge VAT tax relief on their sales

Expat charity shop owners in Spain are fighting to end VAT taxation. The expat owners of two charity shops on Spain’s Costa Blanca are taking on the Spanish government in an attempt to cancel the charge of 21 per cent VAT on all sales. According to David Young, the new president of the Reach Out charity in Torrevieja, the government is raping charitable concerns through its ridiculous Value Added Tax law. The Help at Home charity shop, run by Carmen Perez, is also calling for VAT relief on all sales, and both are urging all Spain’s...