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Guide for Expats in Spain Learning the Language in Spain
Guide for traveling in Spain Health Care for Tourists in Spain
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1) Check the expiration date on your passport. Your passport must be valid for at least six months after your entry into Spain OR for the duration of your intended stay (if this is longer than six months). You can renew Australian, Canadian, New Zealand, South African, U.K., and U.S. passports in Spain, but it may be more expensive. Click here for more information on obtaining or renewing passports in Spain. 2) If you are applying for a student visa, work permit, residence visa for self-employment, or any other visa, submit all of the necessary documentation to your closest Spanish consulate as far ahead as possible. Spanish bureaucracy can be excruciatingly slow. Click here for more information on visa applications. 3) European Union citizens should request the European Health Insurance Card before coming to Spain. Non-EU citizens who will not be working or studying (legally) will need to get international health insurance. Click here for more information on private and public health care in Spain. 4) If you plan to drive in Spain, you may need to get an International Driving Permit (IDP) to accompany your domestic driver’s license. The IDP is essentially a translation of your license, making it easier for police, rental car companies, and others to verify that you hold a valid driver’s license. For more information on obtaining the International Driver’s Permit, click on the appropriate link: Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, United Kingdom, United States. 5) If you have a pet, check out the rules for bringing domestic animals to Spain. 6) Open a joint bank account with somebody you trust in your home country. This is convenient for taking care of any payments back home (e.g., credit card bills, health insurance), and money can get to you easily in case of emergency. Consider giving a family member or close friend power of attorney to handle things in your absence. Click here for more information on money matters in Spain. 7) If you wear glasses, bring a copy of your prescription. In Spain, you can usually get a free exam at any optician or eyeglass store – but this is difficult to do when you’re an elementary Spanish speaker. Try to get any medicine prescriptions filled for 6-12 months before coming. You won’t always be able to find the exact same medication here. Click here for more information on getting prescription medicine and eye care in Spain. 8) Make a copy of all important information – passport number, credit card numbers, etc. – and send it to yourself over email. Print out a copy as well. Do the same with phone numbers and addresses. Make copies of your university degree and transcript, and get them notarized if possible. 9) If you plan on being gone for a long time, consider selling anything you won’t be taking with you. If it’s just going to sit in a box in your parents’ basement for a year, or two, or five, or ten… it’s worth nothing to you. You might as well sell it and use the money to help yourself get set up in Spain. 10) Arrange a place to stay for your first week. Click here for information on finding a place to live in Spain.
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