martincave
English looking for information about Spain
Forum posts
65
Contacts
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About me
English
Lives in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Ca
Speaks English
Registration: 06 November 2017
Buying a car cover in Gran Canaria by martincave
Does anyone know where I can buy a car cover here in Gran Canaria for my Jeep Grand Cherokee, I would prefer to buy one locally rather then have it posted here because of all the difficulties with the import/postal system, unless anyone can ...
Hi John, thanks for the suggestion, seems a little extreme though ! I鈥檝e seen them in El Campo but are not the correct size ! I鈥檓 waiting until things ease up here and will have a look at that motor spares place on the Main Street in ... Read More
Buying a car cover in Gran Canaria
Does anyone know where I can buy a car cover here in Gran Canaria for my Jeep Grand Cherokee, I would prefer to buy one locally rather then have it posted here because of all the difficulties with the import/postal system, unless anyone can ... Read More
Importing a car from the UK into Gran Canaria by martincave
Hi there , I am planning on driving my Jeep from the UK to Gran Canaria (ferry from UK to Santander then drive to C谩diz,then ferry to Las Palmas ), I understand much of what I have to do but have just read that it has to have a spare wheel and ...
Hi Hh, Thanks for the prompt reply, Yes I think buying the property over three years ago is the cause for this ridiculous import tax but it was never pointed out to us from the beginning, unfortunately we didn鈥檛 know or even knew we had to ... Read More
Importing a car from the UK into Gran Canaria by martincave
Hi there , I am planning on driving my Jeep from the UK to Gran Canaria (ferry from UK to Santander then drive to C谩diz,then ferry to Las Palmas ), I understand much of what I have to do but have just read that it has to have a spare wheel and ...
Hola Hhcompany, Thanks for your lengthy ( and with some amusing comments, to be frowned upon by some on this site,) I believe a modicum of humour is necessary to ride over the incessant beaurocracy that befits this country ! Anyway to the matter in ... Read More
Getting a Spanish itv test by roy12262
Hi does anyone know of a good garage near Liria or vilamarxant great could check my motorhome over a get it itv tested, the Uk mot has just ran out on it.
Hi John, yes I realised that and thought I had deleted it, obviously not! Read More
Getting a Spanish itv test by roy12262
Hi does anyone know of a good garage near Liria or vilamarxant great could check my motorhome over a get it itv tested, the Uk mot has just ran out on it.
You have to register your vehicle as being Spanish to put it through an ITV test! Read More
English television by martincave
Can anyone suggest a good TV box that will connect my fibre optic connection (up to 500mbps) to my TV for unbroken programs that is easy to navigate , we have tried several different boxes varying in cost from 鈧�150-.鈧�250 + and up to ...
Hi everyone, Just an update on our TV problems. We鈥檝e had several months of fairly reasonable UK Tv channels via Mucho TV , but is now proving to be erratic just lately, Just wondering if anyone has found a better solution recently, any help ... Read More
Cats in the Canary Islands by Shirt2
Hello everyone! I'm thinking of re-locating to the Canary Islands, maybe to Tenerife or Gran Canaria. I have a cat and am wondering if there are any cat related organisations. I'm interested in voluntary work and also looking for someone ...
Hi Keith, Only just read your message regarding you moving to either here or Tenerife, I live in Playa del Ingles and have transport (within reason) to be able to feed your cat, please feel free to message me if this might be any use to you, we can ... Read More
Private Health Insurance - Pay month to month? by sloanrobe
We are in the process of finding private health insurance so we can apply for visas. We will be moving to Barcelona this summer. Are there any private health insurance companies in Spain that would allow us to pay on a month to month basis? The ...
Hi, Just to confirm what John has said regarding being covered for a year before applying for a Certificate of Residency, This is very true of applying in Gran Canaria, under no circumstances would the authorities accept any monthly etc payments ... Read More
Driving License by martincave
Hi all , and John, A new question, now me and my partner have obtained our Certificate of Residency we are deciding what is the best course of action for our driving licences. Mine runs out in 18 months time and because I鈥檓 nearly 64 ...
Hi John, You鈥檝e probably read my message regarding my DL being delivered to me this morning. On closer inspection of the categories allowing me to drive I have noticed that although the Medical centre and the DGT included the use of riding a ... Read More
Driving License by martincave
Hi all , and John, A new question, now me and my partner have obtained our Certificate of Residency we are deciding what is the best course of action for our driving licences. Mine runs out in 18 months time and because I鈥檓 nearly 64 ...
Hi All, Just to update my situation regarding my DL, My DL arrived this morning through the post, very pleased it took just over three weeks, Mine runs out in 2025 when I am 70, with no medical between now and then . One of the less stressful ... Read More
Driving License by martincave
Hi all , and John, A new question, now me and my partner have obtained our Certificate of Residency we are deciding what is the best course of action for our driving licences. Mine runs out in 18 months time and because I鈥檓 nearly 64 ...
Exactly John, I just wanted to let the forum readers be made aware that the 鈥渞enewal鈥� process is quite different to the 鈥� exchange 鈥� process which some readers might mistakenly think is the same thing. Read More
Driving License by martincave
Hi all , and John, A new question, now me and my partner have obtained our Certificate of Residency we are deciding what is the best course of action for our driving licences. Mine runs out in 18 months time and because I鈥檓 nearly 64 ...
Hi John, Just to clarify my situation for other readers, the process for us here (in GC) is that the renewal process is different to the exchange process we underwent, we had the medical, had pictures taken, filled in forms etc, but still had to ... Read More
Driving License by martincave
Hi all , and John, A new question, now me and my partner have obtained our Certificate of Residency we are deciding what is the best course of action for our driving licences. Mine runs out in 18 months time and because I鈥檓 nearly 64 ...
Hi John, Thanks for that, apparently my medical was passed at the highest level on all aspects , so will just wait to see what the license says regarding dates etc when it arrives ! Martin Read More
Driving License by martincave
Hi all , and John, A new question, now me and my partner have obtained our Certificate of Residency we are deciding what is the best course of action for our driving licences. Mine runs out in 18 months time and because I鈥檓 nearly 64 ...
Hi hangoverocks, Good to hear you had a fairly easy time changing your UK driving licence to a Spanish one, ours was pretty straightforward also except they wouldn't accept our passport photos at all and had to find a photo booth some distance ... Read More
Driving License by martincave
Hi all , and John, A new question, now me and my partner have obtained our Certificate of Residency we are deciding what is the best course of action for our driving licences. Mine runs out in 18 months time and because I鈥檓 nearly 64 ...
Hi all, started the process of changing our UK licenses to Spanish ones two weeks ago, the first step is as John says is to get a medical, we found an excellent clinic in Playa del Ingles here on Gran Canaria ( if anyone wants to know the address, ... Read More
Driving License by martincave
Hi all , and John, A new question, now me and my partner have obtained our Certificate of Residency we are deciding what is the best course of action for our driving licences. Mine runs out in 18 months time and because I鈥檓 nearly 64 ...
Thanks for that John, I鈥檝e been thinking of this over the last couple of hours and have realised annoyingly that if you a Spanish person moves to the UK they are allowed to use a Spanish License indefinitely and there is no requirement to ... Read More
Driving License
Hi all , and John, A new question, now me and my partner have obtained our Certificate of Residency we are deciding what is the best course of action for our driving licences. Mine runs out in 18 months time and because I鈥檓 nearly 64 ... Read More
Clearing your belongings through customs in Spain by Priscilla
Hello everyone, During one聮s big move abroad, shipping personal belongings to the host country can be stressful. Customs regulations differ from one country to another and you never quite know what to expect when trying to recover your belongings ...
Hi John, We did have a visit from the police immediately after being granted the Padron, fair enough for that . Also we had to itemise everything that was in a twenty foot container, it鈥檒l be interesting to see if they come around sometime in ... Read More
Clearing your belongings through customs in Spain by Priscilla
Hello everyone, During one聮s big move abroad, shipping personal belongings to the host country can be stressful. Customs regulations differ from one country to another and you never quite know what to expect when trying to recover your belongings ...
Hi all, it鈥檚 good to hear it has been easy for everyone to ship goods from the UK to mainland Spain, I wish it had been that easy shipping to Gran Canaria, NIE is required, no problem with that but then your Padron is required to prove that ... Read More
Medical by martincave
Me and my partner are on medication, and are moving to Gran Canaria in a few weeks and although I can get our prescriptions sent from my pharmacy eventually we would like to obtain them from GC , could anyone advise on the procedure ? I am 62 so ...
Hi John, With all due respect ,I have pursued this exhaustively and it is not available to expatriate Uk citizens , the Police here would only accept Private Medical. Cover that is paid annually,only from January till December and paid in full with ... Read More
Medical by martincave
Me and my partner are on medication, and are moving to Gran Canaria in a few weeks and although I can get our prescriptions sent from my pharmacy eventually we would like to obtain them from GC , could anyone advise on the procedure ? I am 62 so ...
Hi John and others, I have looked into the possibility of making use of this new rule, and I have found out that this rule will not apply anywhere in Gran Canaria, apparently it is up to the individual principalities whether they adhere to these new ... Read More
Medical cover after brexit by Johncar
There has been a story doing the rounds over the past couple of days that U.K. nationals鈥� medical cover, provided by DWP on the S1 system, might be discontinued. It would seem the story was based on cover provided by the EHIC , that is ...
I have finally been granted my Certificate of Residency , the little green card ( also incorrectly called Residencia) l just want to give others the heads up on the medical insurance requirement here in Gran Canaria, it might not apply in Mainland ... Read More
Removal companies by tazzyboi2
Hi, hoping to move to La Zenia area in Autumn. Looking for some recommendations for removal companies from central Scotland to the southern Costa Blanca. Probably need the equivalent of 2 Luton type vans. Steve.
Not that you would being in Mainland Spain but don鈥檛 use a company called TIBA based in Tenerife or if they have offices anywhere else ! Read More
Car import by hamed55
Hi Can anyone inform me of the procedure of registering a UK car in Spain where do need to go first? step by step please
Hi Hamed, If my experience of registering a vehicle here in Gran Canaria is similar in mainland Spain be prepared for a very frustrating next few weeks/months and a considerable amount of money! If the vehicle is very very special to you and you are ... Read More
English television
Can anyone suggest a good TV box that will connect my fibre optic connection (up to 500mbps) to my TV for unbroken programs that is easy to navigate , we have tried several different boxes varying in cost from 鈧�150-.鈧�250 + and up to ... Read More
Medical by martincave
Me and my partner are on medication, and are moving to Gran Canaria in a few weeks and although I can get our prescriptions sent from my pharmacy eventually we would like to obtain them from GC , could anyone advise on the procedure ? I am 62 so ...
Thanks John I will be looking into this, Regards Martin Read More
Medical by martincave
Me and my partner are on medication, and are moving to Gran Canaria in a few weeks and although I can get our prescriptions sent from my pharmacy eventually we would like to obtain them from GC , could anyone advise on the procedure ? I am 62 so ...
Hi everyone, still no cover for my partner who has type2 Diabetes ( tablet only) ideal weight, gym regularly, doesn鈥檛 smoke/drink , and has never been ill due to it ! but still no company including through banks will cover him ,, !, Cannot ... Read More
Importing a car from the UK into Gran Canaria by martincave
Hi there , I am planning on driving my Jeep from the UK to Gran Canaria (ferry from UK to Santander then drive to C谩diz,then ferry to Las Palmas ), I understand much of what I have to do but have just read that it has to have a spare wheel and ...
Hola Riberia and others, Regarding the registration of my vehicle to Spanish legal requirements,just to let you know 9 months after first applying for registration I am still without a legal to drive vehicle due to some ridiculous beaurocracy, we ... Read More
Satlite TV provider closed down by julieboydell
Has anyone had problems with their satellite provider closing? I had some installed and then 9 months later am told that the company has closed and turned off the reception and that I now have to pay for installation again? As this had a out ...
Hello Julie, Did you know you can get a mobile router for fast WiFi to use anywhere? All you need for it to work is an electric socket to plug it in and away you go. I use one here in Gran Canaria and it works great. It鈥檚 just like any modem ... Read More
Satlite TV provider closed down by julieboydell
Has anyone had problems with their satellite provider closing? I had some installed and then 9 months later am told that the company has closed and turned off the reception and that I now have to pay for installation again? As this had a out ...
Hi Julie, and others , We have had a property here in Gran Canaria for over two years and as yet have not found a reliable supplier of a satellite tv system in that time , we have tried several so called professional companies but not perfect yet , ... Read More
Fingerprint Appointment for NIE renewal by brabync
Hello, i have my fingerprint appointment tomorrow and my coordinator say i only need my passport and proof that my NIE renewal was approved. Online it says i need to bring everything i brought to the first appoint ment again plus pay the tasa ...
Hi John, Yes I may have been a little over the top with my comments but it was all meant to be tongue in cheek for a brief moment, whilst I can personally add some of my problems I have had trying to obtain residencia ( or as you correctly put it ... Read More
Fingerprint Appointment for NIE renewal by brabync
Hello, i have my fingerprint appointment tomorrow and my coordinator say i only need my passport and proof that my NIE renewal was approved. Online it says i need to bring everything i brought to the first appoint ment again plus pay the tasa ...
What鈥檚 a TIE .? Yes and don鈥檛 forget a DNA sample ,an IQ test result,a first baby photo, ALL your medical since you were born, complete family tree history ,, and not forgetting a blood,urine and stool sample ! And am sure you鈥檒l ... Read More
Opening a bank account in Spain by Newlife18
Dear Forum Members A general question to anyone in Spain and then specific question for those around Denia in Marina Alta area: 1. General - What do I need to open a Spanish bank account please? I鈥檓 not living there yet, I need to have s ...
Hi John ,thanks for the medical leads ,will take a look, Regarding the P.S. haha ,very funny ,but oh so true ! Read More
Opening a bank account in Spain by Newlife18
Dear Forum Members A general question to anyone in Spain and then specific question for those around Denia in Marina Alta area: 1. General - What do I need to open a Spanish bank account please? I鈥檓 not living there yet, I need to have s ...
Thanks John, interesting, any idea where we start enquiring, as you know it鈥檚 a minefield of information and mis-information here, especially here in Gran Canaria ,!! One thing that is true of trying to live here is that if you ask three ... Read More
Opening a bank account in Spain by Newlife18
Dear Forum Members A general question to anyone in Spain and then specific question for those around Denia in Marina Alta area: 1. General - What do I need to open a Spanish bank account please? I鈥檓 not living there yet, I need to have s ...
Thanks again John for your prompt reply , my partner as stated in earlier comments has type 2 diabetes and has so far hit a brick wall regarding medical cover ,any suggestions where to apply , have tried DKV ( who I am with) Adeslas,Sanitas etc etc ... Read More
Opening a bank account in Spain by Newlife18
Dear Forum Members A general question to anyone in Spain and then specific question for those around Denia in Marina Alta area: 1. General - What do I need to open a Spanish bank account please? I鈥檓 not living there yet, I need to have s ...
Hi John , thanks for your prompt reply , interesting that the word 鈥渞esidencia 鈥� is banded about by everyone we鈥檝e dealt with! I started a thread many months ago mostly regarding bringing a vehicle over here from the UK, I am ... Read More
Opening a bank account in Spain by Newlife18
Dear Forum Members A general question to anyone in Spain and then specific question for those around Denia in Marina Alta area: 1. General - What do I need to open a Spanish bank account please? I鈥檓 not living there yet, I need to have s ...
Hi, I am in the process of obtaining my 鈥渞esidencia鈥� after many months of trying to get medical insurance that will prove to the authorities that it covers me for at least 12 months ( not easy as ALL policies end on the 31st Dec ) and ... Read More
Medical by martincave
Me and my partner are on medication, and are moving to Gran Canaria in a few weeks and although I can get our prescriptions sent from my pharmacy eventually we would like to obtain them from GC , could anyone advise on the procedure ? I am 62 so ...
Hi everyone , it鈥檚 been a long time organising my own medical cover , finally have cover with DKV from September, so I can now proceed to obtain Residencia! Hopefully !,,, But the problem remains for my partner who is diabetic, not any medical ... Read More
Health insurance - pre-existing conditions by CooleyCasa
Hi everyone! My husband and I just had our visas approved and will be moving to Spain on Sept. 17. We currently have travel insurance to satisfy our visa requirements, but we would like to find more comprehensive coverage. Can anyone recommend ...
Hi finally moved over here to Gran Canaria on 2nd March 2018, and as yet unable to obtain 饾櫦饾殠饾殟饾殥饾殞饾殜饾殨 饾櫢饾殫饾殰饾殲饾殯饾殜饾殫饾殞饾殠 for both me ... Read More
Importing a car from the UK into Gran Canaria by martincave
Hi there , I am planning on driving my Jeep from the UK to Gran Canaria (ferry from UK to Santander then drive to C谩diz,then ferry to Las Palmas ), I understand much of what I have to do but have just read that it has to have a spare wheel and ...
Yes , I will thanks , and hopefully be of some use to people thinking of doing the same trip . Read More
Importing a car from the UK into Gran Canaria by martincave
Hi there , I am planning on driving my Jeep from the UK to Gran Canaria (ferry from UK to Santander then drive to C谩diz,then ferry to Las Palmas ), I understand much of what I have to do but have just read that it has to have a spare wheel and ...
Hi ,as I said ,we have orange front indicators in the UK which are not running lights , and the rear indicators are orange ,no problem there ! Regarding the six months time scale we have decided to fly to GC on 2nd March and spend a couple of weeks ... Read More
Importing a car from the UK into Gran Canaria by martincave
Hi there , I am planning on driving my Jeep from the UK to Gran Canaria (ferry from UK to Santander then drive to C谩diz,then ferry to Las Palmas ), I understand much of what I have to do but have just read that it has to have a spare wheel and ...
Hi Ribeira, Still no luck obtaining LHD headlights for my Jeep but have found out why the USA ones are not legal, apparently it鈥檚 because the indicators are white and are on ALL the time and flash when needing to turn !!! But could you clarify ... Read More
Medical by martincave
Me and my partner are on medication, and are moving to Gran Canaria in a few weeks and although I can get our prescriptions sent from my pharmacy eventually we would like to obtain them from GC , could anyone advise on the procedure ? I am 62 so ...
Hi John, Thanks for doing that , my partner has just applied for benefits for a medical condition which is just going through the system, so I will call this team to see what is the next move, Many thanks Martin Read More
Medical by martincave
Me and my partner are on medication, and are moving to Gran Canaria in a few weeks and although I can get our prescriptions sent from my pharmacy eventually we would like to obtain them from GC , could anyone advise on the procedure ? I am 62 so ...
Hi, No luck with that number because I imagine it鈥檚 a Spanish Healthcare team that deals with ex pats , so need to over there ! There is very little info available here in the UK in preparation for moving to GC , Typical ! Read More
Importing a car from the UK into Gran Canaria by martincave
Hi there , I am planning on driving my Jeep from the UK to Gran Canaria (ferry from UK to Santander then drive to C谩diz,then ferry to Las Palmas ), I understand much of what I have to do but have just read that it has to have a spare wheel and ...
Hi Ribera, Forgot to say that the Jeep was built with UK spec , right hand steering wheel etc etc , I鈥檝e contacted my local Jeep dealership and have been told although it鈥檚 an American company the American headlights are not legal in ... Read More
Importing a car from the UK into Gran Canaria by martincave
Hi there , I am planning on driving my Jeep from the UK to Gran Canaria (ferry from UK to Santander then drive to C谩diz,then ferry to Las Palmas ), I understand much of what I have to do but have just read that it has to have a spare wheel and ...
Hi Ribera, Thanks for the reply , my Jeep is a 2006 Gran Cherokee, it does have orange indicators at the front , twin reversing lights(one in each light cluster) orange turn indicators at the rear, no tow bar ,I will look on those sites to see if I ... Read More
ship your car from Canada to Spain by Timour_Chayipov
I'm thinking to ship my car ( 6 mo old) from Canada to Spain, if I have non lucrative residence is it possible to register it and get insurance in Spain? how mach it will cost? any taxes? please advice thanks, Timour
Hi , I鈥檓 taking my Jeep(UK registered) to Gran Canaria in a short while, so far I have found that you need to obtain a Certificate of Conformity (Approximately 鈧�100) my biggest hurdle though is changing the headlights, the American ones ... Read More
Medical by martincave
Me and my partner are on medication, and are moving to Gran Canaria in a few weeks and although I can get our prescriptions sent from my pharmacy eventually we would like to obtain them from GC , could anyone advise on the procedure ? I am 62 so ...
Thanks for the replies, I鈥檒l call the UK healthcare team and see what they say, thanks a lot , Read More
Medical
Me and my partner are on medication, and are moving to Gran Canaria in a few weeks and although I can get our prescriptions sent from my pharmacy eventually we would like to obtain them from GC , could anyone advise on the procedure ? I am 62 so ... Read More
Importing a car from the UK into Gran Canaria by martincave
Hi there , I am planning on driving my Jeep from the UK to Gran Canaria (ferry from UK to Santander then drive to C谩diz,then ferry to Las Palmas ), I understand much of what I have to do but have just read that it has to have a spare wheel and ...
Hi Riberia Thanks again for the help in December, but I鈥檓 having a real problem obtaining replacement E spec headlamp fittings for my Jeep, I wondered if you know if the lens deflectors available to us in GB would be sufficient to allow it to ... Read More
Bankruptcy
Hi Paddy ,thanks , love the Judge Rinder suggestions lol . Read More
Bankruptcy
Hi Paddy thanks for the suggestion watching more Judge Rinder lol. Read More
Bankruptcy
Hi is it possible to become a resident of the Canaries if one is declared bankrupt in the UK if he or she is supported financially by their partner and would they be able to obtain a job or is there any things that they wouldn鈥檛 be able to do ? Read More
Importing a car from the UK into Gran Canaria by martincave
Hi there , I am planning on driving my Jeep from the UK to Gran Canaria (ferry from UK to Santander then drive to C谩diz,then ferry to Las Palmas ), I understand much of what I have to do but have just read that it has to have a spare wheel and ...
Thanks for the reply to some of my questions Ribeira Kind Regards Martin Read More
Transferring money
Hi, thanks for the suggestion but the reports appear to be rather old and something more up to date would be better to understand because as we all know Spanish law is alway changing ,I was hoping someone on the forum would have some personal more ... Read More
Transferring money
Hi, by selling my home in the UK, will I be taxed on that money when I move it over to Gran Canaria to purchase another property, I already have an apartment that I have paid for and this additional money would be put into another apartment to rent ... Read More
How to bring your car to Spain by Bhavna
Hello everybody, If you exported your car to Spain, were there any formalities that needed to be completed beforehand? What were they? What is the best way to export your car? Is there a limit on the number of vehicles, or perhaps the age of ...
Hi Bethany, what car have you got .? But I will defo ask my garage if it鈥檚 possible on our Jeep,thanks for that, I鈥檒l put my results on here . Read More
How to bring your car to Spain by Bhavna
Hello everybody, If you exported your car to Spain, were there any formalities that needed to be completed beforehand? What were they? What is the best way to export your car? Is there a limit on the number of vehicles, or perhaps the age of ...
Hi , no headlights yet , still trying to source them ,any suggestions would be appreciated . Read More
How to bring your car to Spain by Bhavna
Hello everybody, If you exported your car to Spain, were there any formalities that needed to be completed beforehand? What were they? What is the best way to export your car? Is there a limit on the number of vehicles, or perhaps the age of ...
Hi, I am moving to Gran Canaria within the next few months and am bringing over my Jeep, I don鈥檛 want to part with it so am biting the bullet and gathering as much information as possible ,so far I understand that the best thing to do is get ... Read More
Importing a car from the UK into Gran Canaria
Hi there , I am planning on driving my Jeep from the UK to Gran Canaria (ferry from UK to Santander then drive to C谩diz,then ferry to Las Palmas ), I understand much of what I have to do but have just read that it has to have a spare wheel and ... Read More
Moving to GranCanaria
Hi Again, Could you clarify what time scale we have to register a car brought from the UK to Gran Canaria is please , ive read that it鈥檚 60 days ,then I鈥檝e read it鈥檚 6 months and that if it鈥檚 registered within that time no ... Read More
Moving to GranCanaria
Haha , thanks for that , I just thought I had to prove where I鈥檝e lived for the last ten years ! Read More
Moving to GranCanaria
Hi , I鈥檓 Martin and am from the UK, will be moving to Gran Canaria within six months hopefully and lots of little questions to ask , I hope I can get the answers on here . ? For instance how far should I go back with bank accounts or documents ... Read More