Lanzarote Relocation

Archive for the ‘Lanzarote Information’ Category

If you are thinking of retiring to Lanzarote, the following information may be of use to you. Read the rest of this entry »

The Foreign Commonwealth Office gives advice on what benefits you can claim as a UK National in Lanzarote… and as a Irish National in Lanzarote. We hope the following links help. Read the rest of this entry »

“How much money would we need to live on in Lanzarote?” This is a question we are asked frequently.. and one to which there is no stock answer. It really does depend on your personal circumstances… and how much you want to get out and about, either eating and drinking, or going shopping for pleasure etc. Read the rest of this entry »

What is the difference between a Gestoria and a lawyer in Lanzarote? Read the rest of this entry »

I’ve recently been trying to get my rusty old Suzuki Jeep through its ITV again and in the process experienced some of the the best service I have encountered since moving here. Having failed the ITV, I went over the San Bartolome road looking for parts at the Suzuki dealers – Rozalen Zentrum Wagen (they work on all makes of car) and got talking to Jaime over there.

I often feel a bit stupid walking into a Spanish business with frankly, my very poor Spanish. But, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

The young man in the showroom introduced me to his boss, Jaime – who’s English is far better than my Spanish, who not only helped me out with the parts, has since offered me no end of advice and help, including a couple of invaluable tips on the ITV process. Even to the point of offering to bring in a part from his own car that he thought might substitute a part I was looking for so as to check before spending out on a new one.

The moral of the story: So many English speakers on this island tend to be a little afraid, if their command of Spanish is not so good, of the Spanish don’t be. What’s the worst that can happen? You may even end up finding a real gem of a business like this one – and save money into the bargain.

I can’t speak highly enough of this place, and know where I’ll be taking my car to in future.

Rozalen Zentrum Wagen
Ctra.  San Brtolome 23
35500 Arrecife

Tel: 928 80 25 72

This is a question so often asked… so here is some basic information for you that may help.

The easy answer to whether you need a Spanish licence, or whether you need to exchange what you already have… really depends on where your current licence was issued. For the purposes of this article, we are concentrating solely on EU member states.

If you are over eighteen and the holder of an EU drivers’ licence, then you are legally entitled to drive in Spain on that license. However, you do have the option of exchanging it for a Spanish licence if you wish. Remember that not having an up to date address on your UK drivers’ license is a criminal offence – and as you may no longer have a UK address, then you are in a dilemma. However, don’t worry… while it is completely legal to use the EU-issued licence until it expires, it is not possible to change the address on the EU licence to an address outside of the issuing country. It is generally accepted within the rules that the address on the licence will be from the issuing country and may not be the drivers’ actual residential address.

Here is what the DVLA have to say about the matter:
Moving to another country
You don’t need to notify DVLA of a change of address when moving to live abroad.

Remember also that you are subject to Spanish Law when it comes to driving in Spain – just having a UK license does not make you exempt. Spanish authorities are well within their rights to demand that you exchange your EU license for a Spanish one if a driving offence occurs (for example the moitoring of “points”).

Drivers from within the EU do still need to register with Trafico however, within six months of living in Lanzarote

* The office for Lanzarote is here:
Ctra de los Mármoles, 5
Arrecife
Tel.: 928 817 600
Fax: 928 814 170

Once registered, you will need to have a medical exam at an Authorised Drivers Check Centre (Centro de Reconocimiento de Conductores Autorizado) to show mental and physical fitness.

How do I exchange my EU licence for a Spanish licence?
Simply head to Trafico (address above) and they will give you an application form to complete. You will need to take certain documentation with you also.

• Passport and a photocopy
• Proof of residence (Certificate of Registration in the Central Aliens Register NIE number certificate (and a photocopy)
• Your current valid driving licence(original and a photocopy)
• Two recent photographs (25 by 32 mm)
• Declaration in writing stating that you have not been banned or suspended from driving
• Declaration in writing stating that you do not hold another driving licence of the same class in another country

The licence issued will be credit card sized and include photo identification, and is sent out by snail mail – so if post is an issue in your area (as it is in ours) then ensure you have a friend who can accept delivery.

Comgratulations – you now have your spanking new Spanish driving licence. This license is valid for ten years for a private car or bike, when you are under 45 years of age, five years between 45 and 70, and two years from 70 and upwards.

The above information is only valid for member states of the EU. For anyone outside of that, we recommend that you contact Trafico directly, so as not to fall foul of the law.

More information (in Spanish) is available here: DGT

We all like to be a bit canny with our funds… saving money in one area gives you more income to splash out in another. So how can you save money on your property in Lanzarote?

Here are our top tips to start the ball rolling.

1. Negotiate the price. Don’t accept the asking price straight away – particularly in the current climate, there are always deals to be made. This applies not only to properties for sale, but also for long term rental too

2. Transfer your funds over via a specialist currency transfer company. We use HIFX (banner on right of this page). Oh how we wish we’d known about services like this when we came over! We relied on the bank rates… and actually missed out on quite a bit of saving by doing it that way.

3. Pay property tax online. When it comes to paying property tax on your new house in Spain… there is a corker of a way to save money if you are paying from the UK. Have a look at www.taxesonline.eu as the standing charge is just €29 if you just need the paperwork raising. Or just €49 if you want them to pay it on your behalf. Needless to say, you calculated tax is in addition to this.

4. Shop around. Ask around. Don’t take the first price you are quoted for things. Ask people who already live here as no doubt they have found some real bargains. We were lucky and found some good people when we moved over, that were happy for us to just pick up the phone and ask. We still ask around now!

5. Dont be scared to use local businesses too! So many people stick to just using the British and Irish, because of nerves with the language. Don’t be scared… get to know the Spanish guys down your local garage, the lady in the butchers, the fella in the fruteria. You’ll save yourself a packet… get great quality goods… make new friends… and it always helps to have a friendly face that won’t laugh when you practise your new language skills.

Of course there are many ways to save money… but these are just for starters.

A big thank you for Phil from Lanzarote Business Sales for sending this tip to us today.

“OK now I know that a few people throughout the Canaries are getting a little bit frustrated waiting for their new sky cards to come and can only imagine how difficult it can be to keep getting rid of the warning if you have a bar or other business showing games.

TIP:
If you select any program you wish to watch from the SKY TV Guide and then select it to “Autoview” then leave the box to bounce in to the program without pressing any backup or selecting the channel you will find that the warning doesn’t appear again until after the program has finished!”

Thanks Phil! We don’t have Sky… but we know many who do… so hope that your tip helps them out.

Elle xx

We received a spam email this morning… and it is one that people could easily fall for… especially if they do not speak Spanish. Read the rest of this entry »

When we originally sat Alan’s boys down and talked about moving to Lanzarote – they only had one question…

“Will there be a pool?”

We were looking specifically for a villa as opposed to an aprtment, so the chances of having one at our new home were pretty high. And sure enough, the property we chose in Playa Blanca did indeed come with its own private pool.

When we first arrived… you couldn’t keep us out of it. We were probably having a quick dip at least once a day… right through until November. However, the novelty wore off for us… and soon it was used only by the kids when they came over, or by other visitors.

After being there a few months, we decided to get a new pool cover. To be honest, the last one had died a death, and certainly wasn’t keeping dust, leaves and petals out – let alone conserving heat. The new one was great – and god didn’t we notice a difference! The higher quality added on at least another 6 weeks to 8 weeks on either end of the months of the year we could actually use the water (yes – I know I’m a wuss… no New Years day dips for me!).

When we decided to move… and started looking at other properties in Playa Blanca, we weren’t looking for anywhere with a pool specifically. As long as we had room to one day add a jacuzzi spa, we were happy. Luckily for the boys and our visitors… the place we fell in love with already had a pool… so all was well anyway.

Unfortunately however, it did not have a cover… so it was off to the shops again. Once again, we went for a higher grade of cover… and once again it amazed us how much heat it held in the pool. There have been times this year when we have left the cover off the pool just to cool it down bit. It is worth noting that we have no form of pool heating whatsoever… this was just the pool cover working for us.

So… a little bit of advice. If you want to replace your pool cover – then DO spend a little more money on it, and get that better service from your cover. We did, and are very happy indeed.

Apparently there are some that conserve heat, some that help reduce algae, safety covers in case kiddies or pets take a topple (Been trying to get Alan to take a topple… but so far he’s not having any of it)

We bought our covers from Montaña Villas & Pools in Playa Blanca. They have a large warehouse in the industrial zone of Playa Blanca… and are extremely friendly and helpful. It is no secret that Angela and David are amongst our closest friends… but we would still have no qualms about going elsewhere if they had been enable to get what we wanted or needed. We went to them… because without exception they have given us above and beyond anything we ask for… be it pool chemicals, pool cleaning kits, and obviously the pool covers too. Highly recommended.