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Located in the southern most region in Europe, Spain is the primary option for Europeans to settle their retirement. With its Balearic islands in the Mediterranean and the Canary islands in the Atlantic, making it the most ideal place to live in all of Europe. The cost of living is also a plus compared to other European countries. No wonder its listed as The Best Places To Retire Abroad 2020¹, which analyzes the best places in the world to retire according to different variants such as the climate, the cost of living, the health system and the law on foreigners.

The south coast and the east of Spain were the most preferred places for Spanish retirees and the trend has not changed. The majority of Europeans over 55 years old, are in a community with a coast, Andalusia, Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, Murcia, the Canary Islands and Valencia community. Only Madrid sneaks into this ranking as the only interior community.

Valencian Community – This includes the east coast of Spain from Valencia, Denia, Benidorm, till Alicante. This is the most preferred place for British Expats.

Andalucia – With friendly locals and sunny temperature, this is one of the best vacation places in Spain, even by Spanish from other regions. This region is highly accessible through all modes of transportation. From AVE bullet trains, to bus and by flight. Andalucia is also festive with its significant number of “fiestas”, you will always want to go for more.

The Canary Islands have the best weather In Europe, with its tropical climate with an average temperature of 22C all throughout the year. The north-east trade winds create a thermal inversion which avoids the clouds formation in the Canarian Islands. This generates the cleanest and clearest sky in Europe.

Balearic Islands – This comprises of 4 large islands – Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formetera. With its Mediterranean weather, Balearic Islands is more famous for its world class parties and nightclubs. However, foreigners can opt for a calmer side of the archipelago.

Catalonia – Located in the northeast part of Spain, this region consists of Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Though the weather is slightly colder than the rest of the coasts of Spain, Barcelona remains the most resided area for expats due to its business districts and rich culture.

Murcia – located in the middle of Andalucian community and Valencian Community. Murcia is known for its beaches and extensive heritage that dates back in the 8th century of the Moorish era. This region includes Aguilas, Cartagena, La Manga, Mazarron, Totana and Murcia city
among many others.

• In 1996 there were more than 86,000 citizens of the European Union aged 55 or over who lived in Spain.
• In 2011, the number of elderly foreigners residing in Spain rose to over 400,000, specifically 436,000.
• The British retirees are the most numerous in Spain, they are the Germans. Older pensioners from Sweden, Norway, Denmark or Austria complete the melting pot of nationalities that are in greater numbers residing in Spain.²
• Spain has the most British Expat population and has the highest number of expats aged over 65 years (40%).³

About Tiekom:

We specialize in telecommunication for expats living in Spain. We offer services adapted to our customer’s needs including international calls inclusive of our mobile plans so they can connect to their families more often, fast internet connection and IPTV for viewing programmes from their home countries.

^{1. https://internationalliving.com/the-best-places-to-retire/}

^{2.Mapfre Retirement Guide, Sept. 2020}

^{3.https://www.iexpats.com/retire-in-spain/}

Spain is the sunniest country in Europe. With its ideal location, a bit colder in the north and sunny in the south, no wonder Spain in the target location of Europeans to retire.

Here are a few things you should prepare when moving to Spain:

1. Budget. Spain’s cost of living is less than most European countries. To have an idea of the expenses check https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/, and choose the current city you’re living in and the Spanish city you are eyeing on.
2. Place to stay. Whether its rental or purchasing an entire home, this should be the first on your checklist. For rentals, the best way to get a place is in platforms like idealista, spotahome, or look for the Facebook group of flat rental page of the specific place you want. As for purchasing an entire home, you will need to contact real estate companies, they
   are called “inmobiliarias” where you its advisable to look for an agent that speaks Spanish and your language.
3. Insurance. If you’re European and have the universal health card you don’t need to worry. However, for non-Europeans, purchasing a private health insurance will be mandatory. You can check out Sanitas, Adeslas, Mapfre and Axa as one of the top insurance companies in Spain.
4. Census. When you arrive in Spain, this is one of the things you must do. This is locally called “empadronamiento.” This is to justify that you are a resident of that specific place and you will need this paper for many things, one of them is for getting a Spanish bank account.
5. Spanish Bank Account. This applies when you arrive in Spain. To make all your local transactions easier, getting a Spanish Bank account is essential. One of the requirement is the census or “empadronamiento.”
6. Last but not the least, speak the language. Spanish is one of the most spoken language in the world. It is essential to learn how to speak the language to converse with locals. Most people in Spain doesn’t speak English, so it will be useful to know and understand them.

When you settled in, you will need internet and mobile plans. Luckily, Tiekom specializes on providing the needs of foreigners in Spain. That’s why our mobile plans include 600 minutes international calls to connect with your loved ones overseas.