Moving anywhere is always a mammoth job, but if you are moving to Spain, or anywhere abroad for that matter, the mammoth task becomes a gargantuan one. It’s not the physical side of course – that remains pretty much the same wherever you go, it’s more the organisational side of things. The problem is of course that once you have “upped sticks”, if you do find later on that you’ve forgotten to take care of something, it can be much more difficult to try and do it remotely, from a foreign country. So, in order to help you not to forget anything before moving to Spain, here’s a checklist that you can use to cover your bases.

If you are living in Spain and your passport is about to expire in the near future, there's no need to worry, because it is now possible to have it renewed in Spain, in fact it has been for several years. You will need to apply to the British Embassy in Madrid, but no need to panic; you don't actually have to go there, you can do it all by post or courier. Remember, we're talking about renewing a passport, and not applying for one for the first time; that requires a different procedure. So, if you are renewing your passport, you must be in possession of the old passport you are about to renew.

We are all told that we should make out our last will and testament in good time. Understanding what "good time" really means is anybody's guess. But I think we all know that it alludes to the fact that we should make out a will well before we "pop our clogs". However, it's something that most of us keep putting off. I guess it's one of those things that we would rather put to the back of our minds. Of course the advice is very valid, and in our heart of hearts we know this to be true; but it doesn't make it any more palatable.

Spain is a great country to live in providing that you are fully retired, and receiving a pension or other form of income from UK, or that you have permanent well-paid employment. Spain, like many other countries around the world, has suffered badly from the recession. In fact at this point in time (2012) Spain has one of the worst economies and unemployment records in Europe. So if you are contemplating moving to Spain, but will be reliant on obtaining some form of employment here, then you may need to think twice before taking the plunge.

If you are considering moving to Spain permanently and currently hold a driving licence, it is very important that you are aware of the legal requirements in Spain.

Whether you are a full time resident in Spain or live in the country on and off throughout the year, it’s essential that you have a basic understanding of the laws. After all, you wouldn’t want to be pulled over by those nasty Guardia Civil officers only to be berated and informed that you are not driving legally would you?

There are different requirements in terms of licensing depending on a number of factors including whether you are resident, whether your current licence is an EU/EEC or non EU/EEC licence and how long you have been in the country.

What Is Empadronamiento?

In Spain every municipality (Borough) keeps a record of local residents, this is also called the ‘Padron Municipal de Habitantes’ or simply ‘Padron’. It is equivalent to the UK electoral roll. The Padron is held at the local Ayuntamiento (Town Hall) and anybody that owns a property in Spain, whether they live in it permanently or as a holiday home, should register.

The local government receive funding for the amount of people registered on the padron, this funding goes towards essential amenities such as health centres, cleaning, policing and road maintenance so being on the Padron does massively benefit the municipality and of course as a homeowner, that benefits you.

Having your own independent mobility is one of the most important aspects of life no matter where you live. But when you are living in foreign climes, this independence becomes even more important because very often, the vagaries of the local public transport system can leave little to be desired.

Here in Spain, many people tend to take liberties by importing cars that they already own without bothering to make any proper declaration. It is remarkably easy to do so because all you need when crossing borders within EEC member countries is your passport. But even with your own vehicle, the Spanish government will only allow you a six-month grace period before the vehicle needs be officially registered, or “imported!

Living in Spain is great, but just like most places in the world today, you have to be mindful of security; not that the Spanish are more criminally minded than other Europeans; in fact they are pretty good as a nation, but there are other elements from other countries here in Spain who are unfortunately quite active, so it pays to be careful.

The first thing you should do of course is to make sure that your property and its contents are properly insured, and you’ll find, just like back in the UK, that the better your property security is, the cheaper your premiums will be. So here in this brief article, we’re just going to run through a few basic tips on security to help avert any possible break-ins, and to help keep your insurance costs down at the same time.

Many people dream of spending their retirement years in warmer climes than in the UK, and mainland Spain is one of the most popular destinations for us Brits, both from terms of a holiday and for full-blown retirement - but why Spain? - Why not Italy, or Portugal, or France? What's the big attraction about Espana?

Well, there are many factors to take into consideration, especially when you're choosing a country to live out your retirement years. It's not just a question of the weather; there are many other important things to be considered too, things that can have a significant influence on your quality-of-life.

A few years ago it was a nightmare if you wanted to take your pets with you abroad. Before the advent of pets’ passports, you were left totally exposed to the vagaries of the various countries immigration rules, which often stipulated protracted terms of quarantine for travelling pets.

During this time they were monitored for signs of any illnesses and/or conditions, before being allowed to legally enter the country. This was a considerably distressing time for both owner and pet and actually prevented a lot of people from realising their dreams of moving abroad.

Traditionally it has always been the UK that has been the fly in the ointment when it comes to allowing animals into the country but who can blame them? Keeping Britain rabies free was the main priority and they operated a particularly strong policy which demanded that animals were subjected to a six-month quarantine period before being allowed in.

Six months is of course an awful long time to be separated from your beloved family pets but with the introduction of Pet Passports and the Pet Travel System, thankfully that has now all changed. So providing that pets can fully meet the relevant qualifications, no quarantine and therefore separation is now necessary.