Driving in Spain and on the Spot Fines

There is a considerable amount of confusion and debating on this topic. Here I hope to clear up some points. As a resident in Spain you do NOT have to pay a fine on the spot. Visitors and non residents can be made to pay a fine immediately. There are the famous stories of the Guardia Civil accompanying drivers to the nearest cash point machine. Should this ever occur and especially if you are concerned that you have not committed a traffic offence always insist on a receipt for the amount paid. Should you be refused, take down the numbers of the police in question so you can report the matter later.  You may feel you have been unfairly treated and with the proof of payment you can later query the legality of the fine and even recoup the full amount paid.  No receipt may mean the money is being pocketed.  I leave the latter up to the reader’s interpretation.
Residents are entitled to use their European driving permits. There is no law in Spain that insists that you hold a Spanish driving licence. You may be told otherwise when stopped and there are numerous occasions where residents have had their cars impounded.  The police may not like that you are driving on Spain’s roads and reside here but have the right to use the document from your own country. This may seem unfair even to us but until the law changes it is totally legal to do so. This only applies to the European certificate which includes your photo. The old paper version is not accepted.
If you have your own personal story to tell, please go to the comments section below. If you need an open or private response to a question relating to this topic, please send me and email.

A Simple Way to Mmake an Appointment With Your Doctor

When you next need to make a doctor’s appointment, you can consider avoiding the journey to join the long queues at your Centro de Salud (health centre) and or save on the cost of calling a 902 telephone number. If you have access to the internet you will be surprised at how simple it is.   All you need is to go to the Junta de Andalucía‘s webpage, link below. Fill in your social security number and NIE and date of birth. This will take you to the following page where you have the option of choosing the date and time to suit you. If there is not an appointment available at the chosen time, you will be given options of additional dates.  Once you make your choice click on accept. You will be provided with a printable form with all the details. No printer? Jot down the details or save. The only drawback is for anyone not acquainted with the Spanish language. There is an option for English but not always reliable. It would be worth taking the time and find someone to assist you in your first attempt.  For future use you will find this approach is simple and very convenient.
Andalusia    site:    http://www.juntadeandalucia.es/salud/sites/csalud/portal/index.jsp
Costa Blanca site:  http://www.san.gva.es/

About The Author

I have been visiting Spain and especially the Costa Del Sol since the late sixties and have been living on the Costa del Sol since 1994. In 1995 I was asked to set out a list detailing the type of problems that the non Spanish community and visitors were experiencing whilst visiting and living in Spain. I volunteered in at least four municipal elections and became a trouble shooter in the hope of obtaining the expat vote for the then political party. Because of this and in 1995 assisting a group of interested people, the first office for foreigners was eventually set up in Estepona by the then newly elected Government.   I have noted the need in the market for a service offering information and advice directly on the web.  Suffice it to say that this was quite an experience and the beginnings of my finding out how the system and the bureaucracy really functioned. Over five years ago I set up an office for the expatriate community  finding solutions for the most difficult of problems experienced by residents, non residents, property owners, purchasers and visitors in Spain. Some of the difficulties are due to either a lack of understanding of the language, system and the constantly changing laws.

I write for various magazines and newspapers in Spain to make sure people are armed with the correct information in a country where even the authorities get it wrong. I find that I am inundated with questions either legal or otherwise. I have made it possible for people to make the correct choices, avoiding costly mistakes and upsets.   You will be able to read about some of the cases we deal with on a daily basis.
Due to my many years experience with the numerous problems faced by the expatriate community and my in-depth knowledge of the System in Andalucía. I have decided to embark on an honest, down to earth blog website telling it as it is. I will write truthfully about my experiences and of others without naming them unless they wish it to be so. I truly believe that now is the moment to let everyone who is living, visiting, investing or relocating to Spain, some home truths. I do not think this will be off putting for anyone wishing to settle but an eye-opener. Visitors will be forearmed and therefore forewarned. No more costly mistakes, and hopefully assist so that nobody else is taken in by professions of all nationalities in Spain. This will be more profound than you may imagine and yes everyone even the banks will be a target. If anyone disagrees with anything on this site, they are more than welcome to comment and debate.

https://informationforspain.wordpress.com/

Telling it as it is

Welcome and please accept that this website is under construction. To date I do not have advertisers to pay for the type of website that I need to provide correct and important information to all expatriates living, working, investing or relocating to Spain or it’s Islands. That will come in time. I believe it is more important to get some relevant and helpful information out on the public domain. The TRUTH does not have to come out coated in sugar.  This is not a venture to put anyone off from coming to Spain or investing here but invaluable advice and information so you can do so without making the mistakes made by thousands of expatriates over many years. What saddens me is that the corrupt or incompetent part of the system is still being perpetuated. The lies the unqualified lawyers and the professionals that have seen our community as the ‘goose that lays the golden eggs’  Note I use eggs in the plural. This is because I have firsthand knowledge on how visitors and especially homebuyers have and are still being treated. This blog forum will be built up slowly and the knowledge I have aquired passed on to you.  One thing I can promise you, even if you thought you knew it all, you will be surprised.