Spain's new driving rules came into force on 21st March 2022 and include new fines for drivers. Spain's new 2022 Traffic Law is now in force (as of 21st March), meaning there are some changes that you need to be aware of if you're driving in Spain. If you want to avoid unnecessary fines and losing points from your Spanish driver's licence, we have summarised 10 of the main changes in the new rules...

After the impact of the pandemic, the real estate sector in Spain has been recovering positively, with property sales figures higher than pre-pandemic levels. In this recovery, private buyers and investors interested in luxury properties located in large cities such as Madrid or Barcelona, on the islands and in coastal areas have played a major role. In times of crisis and uncertainty, it is to be...

The real estate sector continues to be attractive to investors. So much so that it has reached an unprecedented level in history. According to a report published by the consultancy firm CBRE, the sector attracted record investment in Europe in 2021, reaching a volume of 359 billion euros. The figure is 25% higher than that recorded in 2020 and 8% higher than in 2019, before the pandemic broke out...

Sometimes there's nothing better to help you sit back and relax than a good glass of wine. Sometimes it's just what you need to complete a quiet dinner with your family or friends. However, it is also becoming an increasingly popular option when it comes to rural tourism getaways, where wine tourism getaways are on the rise, especially in Spain. Spain has a deep and rich wine culture, and the best...

House prices in the European Union (EU) as a whole rose by 9.1% year-on-year in the third quarter of 2021, their highest increase since the second quarter of 2007, according to data published by Eurostat. The largest increases were recorded in the Czech Republic (22%), Lithuania (18.9%), Estonia (17.3%) and the Netherlands (16.8%). The most moderate increases were observed in Cyprus (2.2%), Italy,...

Housing transactions are set to move in a positive direction this year, according to the important players in the sector, although this does depend on various factors, such as the impact of the health situation (which is rising in urgency at the moment), inflation and the shortage of raw materials, which could lead to a rise in property prices. Given this scenario, what will real estate investment be like...

Loans for these profiles usually finance a smaller amount and have higher interest rates, as they carry more risk for the banks. Mortgages for foreigners living in Spain, or Spaniards residing in another country, have some differences with respect to ordinary mortgages granted to Spanish citizens residing in Spain. For example, they allow financing of up to 70% of the...

The Balearic Islands (34.3%), Canary Islands (23.6%), Valencia (19.7%) capture foreigners' interest in owning a house on the Spanish coasts. Activity in the housing market is recovering faster and faster, following the lifting of most measures restricting people's mobility implemented due to the coronavirus pandemic. One of the points confirming this recovery, in addition to the increase in property sales...

People's desire to leave home and travel again is greater than ever. The covid-19 pandemic is still ongoing, but thanks to high vaccination rates and the use of the digital certificate, we are now freer and safer to pack our bags and go on vacation. So it is  obviously to be expected that tourist accommodation can resume their business which spent almost a year on ice. Tourism in Spain seems to have...

If you're planning on buying property in Spain but you're not a resident, there are many factors that need to be considered. Can a non-resident get a mortgage in Spain? Buying a property in Spain, such as a holiday home, and getting a mortgage in Spain for non-residents can be challenging, but certainly isn't impossible. While some Spanish banks will straight out not lend money to people who live abroad...