Government

Government

Check some useful information about permits and visas, political parties, voting and elections, civil servants, foreign consulates, tax system, Spanish constitution and more about Andalucía.

Brexit has instigated a number of changes of UK National as visitors to the EU and Andalucia and present and future UK National residents and home-owners of Andalucia.   There are also changes for… More →

The 'Long term Visa or 'National Visa' is a collective name for the many different Visas that can be applied for by Non-EU Nationals who wish to reside, work or Study in Spain.'

The Spanish Golden Visa is a special resident Visa directed towards Non-EU nationals investing in Spain as part of Europe. 

The executive cabinet or "Consejo de Gobierno de la Junta de Andalucia" is comprised fo the President of Andalucia, Vice Presidents and 'Consejeros'. (as distinct from 'Ministeros' in the national… More →

Before making any plans to live or work in Andalucía or, indeed, anywhere in Spain, you must ensure that you have a valid passport (with a visa if necessary) and the appropriate documentation to… More →

Regional parliement elections have been called for the 19th June 2022. The previous ones were December 2018. Here is an overview of main parties or coalitions that are or have been active in… More →

The Guardia Civil wear green uniforms and are less reactionary today than they were during Franco's control. They are responsible for national security, customs and for crowd control at large… More →

Election campaigns are well organised in Spain. The general order of events is as follows: Voting - Foreigners wishing to vote in local (but not regional or national) elections need to prepare in… More →

The word “funcionario” is one most foreigners learn rather early on as no one gets very far without meeting one. “Funcionario” is Spanish for “public worker”. The percentage of government workers… More →

Duty-free allowances have been abolished within the EU. Travelers entering Spain from any EU country may take in the following generous quantities of alcohol and tobacco: 200 cigars, 3,200… More →

With so many tourists visiting southern Spain every year, it is hardly surprising that the area has a large number of foreign consulates. For your reference, we have included a list of some of… More →

Following the death of General Franco in 1975, which heralded the end of 36 years of dictatorship, Spain has become a parliamentary democracy. A year after Franco's death, political parties were… More →

If you are buying property in Spain, investing or starting a business, or making a will (among other reasons), you should definitely employ the services of an experienced lawyer. You will find… More →

The Royal Decree 240/2007 requires that everybody planning to reside in Spain for more than six months should obtain a Residence Certificate or Card at the local Oficina de Extranjeros.  The TIE… More →

Bureaucracy is never fun. It is even less so when you feel lost and don't know where to start in order to find the information you need and to understand why certain documents and procedures are… More →

The "padrón" is a municipal list of residents. A "certificado de empadronamiento" refers to a certificate the town hall will give you on request to demonstrate that you are registered on the… More →

It is possible to carry out either a Spanish or international adoption via the Andalucian Regional Government. However, not everyone is eligible for every type of adoption. As requirements are… More →

If you are living, working or running a business, club, association, community or any other organisation in Andalucia, you are advised to understand data protection law as it applies to you. “… More →

In Andalucia the acronym SAS is more likely to conjure up images of healthcare than air travel. It stands for Servicio Andaluz de Salud, or Andalucian Health Service and is run by the regional… More →

In Spain, it is possible to arrange civil and religious marriages between foreigners or a foreigner and a Spanish national provided you do your paperwork first. In addition, the Spanish government… More →

Statistics may be of some interest to the general public. Especially those doing research for an academic project or studying a business proposal should find this collection of statistics useful.… More →

Living in Andalucia