Even if you are moving to an area full of fellow expats, it will still be beneficial to learn Spanish and a few words of the local dialect, if you live in Catalonia, Valencia, the Basque Country or Galicia. 

Learning Spanish will broaden your horizons, give you more opportunities and make it easier for you to feel settled in Spain. There's nothing more frustrating than not being able to converse with your neighbours!

Here are just a few reasons why you should learn Spanish:...

When you and your family are relocating to Spain, you will not want to leave your pets behind. However, moving pets to Spain takes some planning. You need to check that you can legally move them to Spain, and what policies and procedures are involved, and you need to think about how you will transport them to Spain.

You can transport your pets in a variety of ways and which you choose will be dependent on your budget and your pet's temperament...

Relocating your family to Spain is complicated and takes a lot of planning and preparation but don't forget your pets! It is relatively easy to move a cat or dog to Spain but it does take planning. So, I want to know how to get my dog and cat to Spain – how can I transport them and do they need a pet passport or certain vaccinations?...

Moving abroad is a particular concern for the older generation, or for those with health problems or conditions. Every country's health care system is different and is accessed in different ways. Before moving to Spain you will want to know how the health care system works and the answer to "how good is healthcare in Spain?".

According to the World Health Organization, Spain's healthcare system is the seventh best in the world. Hospitals are modern, clean and well-equipped, waiting lists are shorter than in many countries and doctors and nurses are polite and professional.

However, nurses simply do “nursing”, medical treatment, rather than feeding and washing a patient. A relative is expected to stay with the patient to do these types of duties, so make sure that you have someone...

“I live in Spain and I would like to buy a house – how do I do it?” is a question many people ask. Congratulations on doing the sensible thing and renting, or staying with family, while making the decision. Taking your time to get to know an area and making sure that the move is right for you and your family, will make everything easier and will give you a much higher chance of settling happily in Spain.

So, if I live in Spain and I would like to buy a house, what do I do? Well, every country has its own property buying process and the Spanish process is bound to be different to that of your native country.

Hopefully, you've spent your time in Spain researching...

I have lost count of people I know who have not consulted a tax adviser and got their tax affairs sorted out properly. Many people think that they can live in Spain and carry on just paying tax in their home country, others think that they can be self-employed in Spain and still pay income tax in their home countries!

Tax is a complicated issue and you need to take advice from a professional tax adviser before you move and after you move. There are many companies who specialise in giving tax advice to expats, so there is no excuse! You do not want a hefty bill from the Hacienda in the future.

If you live in Spain for 183 days or more per year, you are classed

Spain is a country that is well-known for its bureaucracy and red tape. It seems that you need lots of paperwork for everything you do and it needs to be stamped and double stamped! It is frustrating but is a necessary evil and you just have to accept that things take time and paper!

When you buy a property and move to Spain, there are a few things you will have to do to reside legally in Spain. You also have to do things in the right order and this all changed in March 2008.

The first thing you need to do, is to apply for your NIE number, Numero Identificacion Extranjeros. Without this number, you will not be able to buy property, open bank accounts, buy a car or register for utility accounts. It is your personal identification number and is also your fiscal number (tax number).

To apply for your NIE number, you will need to

Spain is a great country in which to buy a holiday home or permanent residence. It has so much to offer: a great climate with year round sun in many regions, a cheap cost of living, beautiful scenery and a chance to escape the rat race and settle down to a more relaxed lifestyle.

But, where you do start when looking for a property?

Here are our top ten tips for how to find property in Spain...

Many people like the idea of buying a property in Spain, either to move into or to use as a holiday home or investment, but are put off because they don't know how to buy property in Spain or because they have heard reports of illegal properties, the land grab law and properties being bulldozed.

Each country has its own way of doing things and its own laws and legislation. If you want to buy a property anywhere abroad, you need to find out as much as possible about the buying process and use professionals to help you.

In Spain, the property buying process involves a notary and abogados (lawyers).

A notary draws up...

There are many different types of property in Spain. Your choice of property will depend on your chosen area and whether you are looking at rural areas, villages, towns or cities.

Villages in Spain tend to have a central square, the Plaza, which is the focal point of the village and usually has the village shop, perhaps a townhall, and then traditional townhouses or apartments. Modern villas and old cortijos and fincas can usually be found in the rural area surrounding the village and in the deeper countryside, along with ruined farmhouses.

Cities consist of townhouses and blocks of...