Spanish News and Discussions About Spain

botox costa del sol

2010-02-18T17:35:00.000+01:00

For botox on the Costa del Sol there is no better place to start than http://www.thebeautyservice.com/ as they are specialists in the aestetic treatments along the entire Costa del Sol.

From their base in Mijas Golf they can offer many different treatments including hairdressing and of course botox on the Costa del Sol

Style Consultants Costa del Sol

2010-02-18T15:09:00.000+01:00

At last you don't have to rely on the 'honesty' of your spouse for feedback on whether that new fashion item suits you or jus makes you look silly. Stylemakers are image and style consultants on the Costa del Sol and offer a range of services from personal shopping Costa del Sol through to helping to style your wedding or a special occasion.

Call Renee Coppinger on 616 051 071 for information on Style Consultants and Personal Shoppers Costa del Sol

Piers Morgan on Marbella

2010-01-12T23:14:00.000+01:00

Thank you Piers Morgan for a great documentry on Marbella and Puerto Banus.

It was heartening to see a more positive view of Marbella for once.

So many people can't help but point out the negative things about Marbella but like anywhere in the world where there is wealth, there will be crime. Yes there are gangs operating and there are hits now and again, but everytime I put the news on about the UK I see similar stories.

Marbella, as portrayed is a great place to live and work. There are great restaurants, great clubs and lots of great people. You don't actually have to be uber rich to live here either as there are plenty of things to do on a lower budget.

So once again than you Piers for a well presented documentry.

Gay Spain Torremolinos Property

2009-12-03T10:33:00.000+01:00

Grupo Imnova are the developers behind the very first property development aimed at the Gay Community.

The development will be located on the Costa del Sol in Torremolinos, home to Southern Spain's largest Gay community and will be called 'Arco Iris'.

Arco Iris will be Spain's first ever retirement complex for the LGTB community: gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transsexuals.

The building will comprise of 27 apartments and include a social centre.

The construction will commence in Spring 2010 and the apartments are projected to cost around 150,000 euros

Article by Paul Lopez - Co-Director of Artemis Internet Marketing, Marbella on the Costa del Sol

RENFE Malaga to Barcelona

2009-12-02T16:56:00.000+01:00

RENFE have confirmed that between the dates of 5 December and 7 January there will be 5300 extra seats available on the AVE high speed rail link between Malaga and Barcelona.

This is due to the fact that demand is set to increase during the bank holiday (7 and 8 December) and the Christmas period.

Many of the new seats allocated will be the Estrella or Web Tariff seats which will be on offer from just 53.40 euros.

The total journey is some 1,100kms but can be made by by-passing Madrid in just 5 hours 40 minutes.

Use the following links for more information on the RENFE network. Advance RENFE tickets can be booked via the aforementioned link in English.

For more information about this article please contact Paul on info@getspain-spain.com

Testing Malaga Airport Terminal 3

2009-12-02T16:47:00.000+01:00

Aena, the Spanish airport authority is to start a recruitment drive for 1,800 volunteers to simulate general airport conditions at the new Malaga Airport Terminal 3 building in order to test the operational efficiency of the new terminal building.

Terminal 3 at Malaga Airport is due to open Easter 2010 so these trials are critical to expose any problematic areas in operation.

The 'passengers' will be given fake tickets and baggage and must act like 'real' passengers for both the departures and arrivals areas of the airport.

There will be a small sum paid the the recruited volunteers although at this moment we do not have any information as to the amount.

More information about the recruitment can be found at http://www.crezca.es/

Click the following links for more information about Malaga Airport or more specifically Malaga Airport Terminal 3

For information on this article contact Paul Lopez on email address: info@getspain-spain.com

Yves Rossy Jet Wing

2009-11-25T15:56:00.000+01:00

Unfortunately the inter-continental world record attempt by Yves Rossy using his unique 'jet wing' has failed.

Rossy was due to fly from Morocco (Africa) to Spain (Europe) using his much publicised jet wing.

His flight was due to be between Morocco and the Costa de la Luz, renowned for its Levante winds (strong winds) and famous for attracting wind sport enthusiasts like wind-surfers and kite-surfers.

He was around 11 minutes in to the flight before he had to ditch in the Atlantic Ocean which separates the two continents and was rescued by the coastguard.

he is on his way to hospital for a check-up and will give a press conference as soon as possible to explain what went wrong.

Calahonda Property

2009-11-24T16:00:00.000+01:00

It's not often that I write a post about property on the Costa del Sol but I thought this was worth a mention.

As many of you know as well as having the Get Spain website I co-run an Internet Marketing company based up in Cabopino (the junction before Calahonda). My business partners has a very nice Calahonda property and is looking to rent out the self contained apartment for holiday rentals.

He started it off this summer and with our Internet marketing experience and knowledge of how to convert traffic to leads it was not long before he had rented the property in Calahonda (within the first couple of days to be precise).

Depending upon the market and the way you present it to the public the Internet remains one of the best and most economical ways to generate enquiries and sales.

There are many things you can do to promote your business on the Internet. The Calahonda property website was just one of the successful projects that Artemis Internet Marketing has undertaken.

So for more information about SEO Costa del Sol and how to promote your business on the net, whether it's a Calahonda property or an online shop selling shoes, pop by www.artemisinternetmarketing.com and book a FREE consultation.

Motor Movers Spain

2009-11-12T17:20:00.001+01:00

I am constantly being asked about shipping cars to Spain and am pleased to be able to recommend Motor Movers Spain.

Motor Movers Spain have shipped hundreds of cars and motorbikes to and from Spain and the UK and having spoken with a number of their clients, Motor Movers Spain appear to be totally professional and trustworthy.

We are very careful here at Get Spain who we recommend but I have no worries about recommending Motor Movers Spain for car shipping to Spain

www.carshippingtospain.com

New Stores Open in Marbella

2009-10-19T12:33:00.001+02:00

Despite the economic crisis and many popular stores and shop economising in Marbella, it is a welcome relief to confirm that Marks and Spencer and the Hard Rock Cafe are opeing their first outlets in Marbella.

Marks and Spencers Marbella

There is a buzz of excitement in Marbella and it's not because the sun is still shining in October or that the countdown to Christmas really has started, it's all because Marks and Spencers Marbella is soon to be a reality

Due to open next month in the La Canada shopping centre in Marbella, Marks & Spencer has taken over 1300 square meters to provide their trademark clothes, home furnishings and yes, even more exciting, FOOD!!

Watch this space for more news on the Marbella Marks & Spencer store

Hard Rock Cafe - Puerto Banus in Marbella

If the new Marks & Spencers in Marbella has not excited you then the opening of the Puerto Banus Hard Rock Cafe surely must

Located opposite El Corte Ingles department store in Puerto Banus, the Hard Rock Cafe will be the fifth to open in Spain and is sure to be a huge success

The Hard Rock Cafe Puerto Banus will have the capacity to seat around 300 diners and naturally has an open-air terrace and large bar.

Photos and more news on Marks & Spencer Marbella and the Hard Rock Cafe Puerto Banus very soon

Paradise Lost ITV

2009-06-17T23:11:00.003+02:00

Well I have just sat through another great (sarcasm) ITV production about Spain and how utterly awful it is for many (well five) expat property buyers in Spain.

To be honest ALL of the programmes are the same format just with a different narrator and different people.

Let's take a couple of the cases shown.

A couple purchased a huge 5 bedroom villa (family of 4 I think). In their own words they took out a massive mortgage which also left some money over. They wanted such a big property so they could have lots of friends over and have lots of parties. THEN the mortgage rate went up and they struggled. So much so they had to move out of their villa, rent it out for holidays rentals to cover the mortgage and move to rented accommodation.

Ummm OK what part of this the fault of the property market or the estate agent?

If people anywhere in the world stretch themselves to the limit and then lending rates increase of course they will have problems.

The other case which just leaves me wondering how they find people for these programmes actually willing to show the nation their stupidness.

So this couple invited a UK based agent to their house in the UK who took a brochure with him and showed some nice glossy pictures of property and a development. From what I could make out they had never been to the area, never seen where the development was and never looked at a show flat.

So they did a very sensible thing and purchased a property off plan.

Once again I have to ask who's at fault here. The agent? Spain?

Well so far Paradise Lost on ITV has just shown more strerotyped buyers who have been made so by TV programmes like Paradise Lost on ITV.

For the real Spanish property picture my advice is speak to an agent like yourViva at www.yourviva.com and get the truthful picture about the Spanish property market, what type of bargains to expect and general good advice.

Spanish Tax Changes 2009

2009-03-02T10:56:00.003+01:00

There are many changes in the Spanish tax system for 2009 but some of the most important elements

Tax Changes for 2009

There are some chages being made in respect of the Corporate Tax, Business Tax and Value Added Tax for businesses in Spain for the year 2009.

The approval back in 2008 for a new nationwide accounting plan will directly affect the Spanish tax system.

Some of the key Spanish tax changes for 2009 are;

Corporate Tax (El Impuesto de Sociedades):

If a company is able to maintain a fixed number of employees during a period required by law, the company will be in a position to depreciate 100% of all of its assets in one single year, which means that it is able to accelerate the tax write down.

Business Tax (Impuesto de Patrimonio):

A business can gain 50% tax relief if they are in the transport industry (which are business categories 721 and 722)

Wealth Tax

In 2008 the law was passed which provides 100% on wealth tax meaning there is no longer any need to submit a wealth tax return.

Page Resource - Spanish Mortgages by Mortgage4Spain, specialists in all types of Spanish mortgages.

New Year Spain 2009

2009-01-08T16:28:00.002+01:00

Well it's 2009 already and all the festivities are over.

Get Spain (www.getspain-spain.com), your guide to Spain has a new look and I am optomistic about the coming year.

To be honest I am fed up with negativity, we all know things are not as good as they could be but with some positive actions we can all move forward.

Spain right now is still a great place to be, all be it a little chilly down here on the Costa del Sol. Having been here for a few years I don't recall it being quite this cold before.

So what's new on the Costa del Sol in 2009?

Well Artemis Internet Marketing, experts in SEO Spain are continuing our new business drive. We are already working with some great companies in Spain and look forward to expanding our SEO services to the UK as well.

The property market here in Spain remains 'quiet' but the pound is creeping up against the euro so that might start off some more activity.

Well that's it for my first post of 2009 from the Costa del Sol in Spain and I look forward to adding lots more useful information about life in Spain, Spanish property, interesting news and some information on fun nights out.

Ciao!!

Motoring News Spain

2008-10-18T14:41:00.000+02:00

Breaking Motoring News from Spain.

At last the ridiculous law of having to produce proof of paying your car insurance in Spain if asked to do so by the police has been suspended (from Monday 13th October). Now this responsibility is with the actual insurer to prove you have a valid insurance.

SEO Seminars Marbella - Artemis Internet Marketing

2008-10-18T14:19:00.002+02:00

Many businesses based in Marbella and the Costa del Sol often wonder how their competitors are ranking so much higher on the search engines such as Google than they are. For some very non competitive terms and businesses, as long as the website has the correct text and a few links, it may well rank naturally.

Unfortunatley, in most cases it takes a little more work than a 'hit and miss' attempt to rank for your business activities. The actual phrase for the work required in order to rank is Search Engine Optimisation or SEO for short.

Many businesses employ a specilaists company to do it for them and there are a few that specilaise in SEO Marbella (and the Costa del Sol) and SEO Spain.

See www.solar-internet.com or www.artemisinternetmarketing.com

However the two SEO companies above have teamed up to provide businesses in Spain with an insight and some advice on how they can get started with SEO. They now run FREE SEO seminars in Marbella from their Marbella offices and with four already under their belt (at time of posting) and another arranged for November, these SEO seminars in Marberlla have proved to be very popular and extremely informative for new and old businesses alike.

If you fancy learning a bit about SEO and some ideas on how to start moving your own website up the Google rankings, why not tale a look at their Marbella SEO seminars pages.

For the Artemis website see here and for the Solar Internet page see here.

Both websites have contact forms where you can enquire about the availability of the next SEO seminars in Marbella.

English Classes in Spain - English Lessons

2008-10-18T14:09:00.002+02:00

Question:

Hi! I've just started giving private English classes and am not quite sure what percent oft he IRPF I should be charging.

I originally though it was at 15% just likeyour website indicates however someone just mentioned to me that it went upto 18%.

This same person also mentioned that I don't have to charge forIVA since my service is for "eduactional purposes" and these services areexempt from IVA.

Could you please help me understand which is it exactly?

And if you could tell me which government website I can look up to findthis information, I'd really appreciate it. Thanks!

Answer:

I have no knowledge of the IRPF being increased to 18% and am still paying 15% myself.

Either way each quarter you have to make up the minimum tax of 20%.

This is quite a useful site http://www.justlanded.com/english/Spain/Tools/Just-Landed-Guide/Business/Taxation

Train Malaga to Alicante

2008-10-18T14:04:00.002+02:00

Question received via email to Get Spain

Could you please help - we need to get from Malaga to Alicante by train, can you advise what trains and where we would need to get them from and how long this would approximately take. An idea of the times of the trains would also be helpful and are then any special tickets we can buy.

Answer:

Unfortunately there is no direct route between Malaga and Alicante.

The route is Malaga to Madrid Atocha (2.5 hrs approx) and then from Madrid Chamartin to Alicante (3.75 hrs approx)

Tickets are about £99 each one way

If you are not planning to travel within 7 days of the date you book, you can use the following link to take advantage of these rates.

http://www.getspain-spain.com/renfe-trains-spain.html just enter Malaga and then Alicante

Jobs In Spain

2008-09-15T11:30:00.003+02:00

Finding the best job in Spain can be a fairly daunting task if you are not armed with the right information about how the Spanish system works and what to expect from working in Spain.

Firstly you will need to register yourself on the Spanish tax system by applying for a NIE number at your local police station. We would actually recommend that you use a gestor to help you with this aspect.

Now you can start searching for a job in Spain by looking through the local papers and registering with recruitment agencies in Spain. One of the best agencies we have come across is Recruit Spain. They offer a friendly and professional service to help you find a job in Spain.

There are different types of employment but try and make sure you get a fixed contract (fijo) as this will give you rights in terms of being laid off and compensation / state benfit.

You will find that many employers try to avoid this by employing you on a 'self employed' basis where you actually invoice your wages each month.

Although this is common practise it is not actually legal if you turn up to the same office / place of employment every day and the majority of your invoicing is from the same company. We suggest you seek legal advice if this is your only option so that you are fully aware of all the facts.

Remember when you have a job you will be paying tax and every year you will have to submit a tax return detailing your total earnings and the tax you have paid. Then if you have under paid you will have to make up the balance but if you have over paid, you will receive a refund.

We hope this has helped if you are considering working in Spain.

Trouble at Nikki Beach Marbella

2008-08-28T14:51:00.003+02:00

Many of you would have already heard about the trouble at Nikki Beach Marbella at the weekend and it is no surprise that it has put a lot of people off spending the day at Nikki Beach in Marbella.

In an effort to ensure the safety of their patrons Nikki Beach have taken some drastic measures in terms of the entertainment on offer.

Nikki Beach Marbella have severed their relationship with club promotors Sintillate and cancelled all future Sintillate events. They have also taken measures to close the Nikki Beach nightclub for the rest of the season.

Nikki Beach Marbella will remain open for relaxed and leisurely lunches on their fabulous sunbeds and will still party through the night right up to the famous closing party on Sunday 5th October 2008.

The Nikki Beach Red Party at Nikki Beach Marbella is the famous end of season night and you are advised to book a sunbed or turn up early as it is always very busy.

Nikki Beach Marbella

2008-06-03T09:27:00.002+02:00

Well it's been and gone already. What am I talking about? The NIKKI BEACH WHITE PARTY 2008 of course held at the exclusive Nikki Beach Marbella resort at the Don Carlos Hotel in Elviria.

Once again the night was filled with fun, laughter, kicking music, great entertainment and of course lots of posing.

Each year it seems to get better and better and this year was no exception as Nikki Beach Marbella pulled out all the stops. As the night decended there were cheers as a magnificent sight could been seen over the beach. A 'scantlily' clad lady was seen suspended from a huge bunch of giant white balloons where she performed a number of moves to wow the crowd.

This year it seemed like half of Marbella turned out which addedd to the amazing atmosphere.

Nikki Beach Marbella is now fully open and in full swing for the summer so to find out more about reservations and VIP memberships please click here

When should you get a NIE number in Spain?

2008-05-30T20:18:00.002+02:00

We received an email from someone working in Spoain asking some information about a NIE number and about his taxes in Spain.

First email:

"I would like information on: I have been working in spain for over 2 years. I have just realized that I should have applied for an N.I.E number before begining to work. I was unaware I needed this number however I have been working and paying taxes for the past 2years. Now I am worried that the company I have been working for has tricked me into thinking I have been paying taxes.. Im Irish and have a spanish social security number. What advice can you give me?"

First Reply:

A couple of things sound a little strange.

Firstly, your social security number is the same as your NIE number usually i.e. it should start with the letter X. The X stands for extranjero (foreigner).

Some companies will apply for a NIE for you or appoint their gestor to get you one.

Again your NIE registers you with the tax office and each year you should file a tax return.
My advice is to go and see a gestor and they can check that you on the system.

Second Email:

"Hi Paul,
Firstly thanks for the fast reply. I have discussed my issue with a private gestor today and he has told me the following:In Spain on arrival I should have went to a police station to apply for my NIE number. As I was unaware of this fact I didnt do it. When I was hired by my company they never asked me for this number.The gestor told me they should have advised me at this point that i needed to appy for the NIE as in spain I cant legally pay taxes with out it.

On my nomina for the past 2 years they have put an NIF number . For this I never suspected anything. Only when I went to apply for the social security card I realized I had a problem . They told me that the NIF number didnt exist.At the end of my first year I didnt meet the requirments to do the declaración de la renta but this year I do.

My gestor once again has told me that this NIF number doesnt exist.I am worried that the gestoria of my company has given me a false NIF number and has kept all the tax money I have paid over the past 28months.What other possible conclusion have you come across with a similer situation to min?"

Second Reply:

It’s the first time I have come across this particular situation but I am sure you are not alone.

It sounds highly suspicious what they have done and the tax certainly has not been paid against your name.

You would need to sort this out sooner rather than later but of course you are now in a position whereby you may lose your job for raising your concerns.

I suppose the first thing to do is to confront your employers and advise them that you have seen a gestor and he has advised that the number does not exist.

Final Email:

"I have spoken with my gestor , I would like you to use my case as an example.. The problem was a result of a failure in the spanish tax system..They confused my social security number with my NIE number and the NIF ID my company gave me ..

My taxes have been paid over the past 2 years but i am not regestered as paying them.This was possible because spanish companies give foreign employees a company NIF number which is like a company ID numberI must therefore apply for my NIE number in my local police station and they will resolve the problem..Thanks for your advice and I hope my situation can help others in the future"

Welcome to the Spanish Forum

2008-05-26T20:22:00.000+02:00

Welcome to the brand new Get Spain discussion blog where you are encouraged to ask questions here so that others can participate in answers or benefit from the answers to popular questions that might be posed.

Get Spain has become a very popular guide to Spain and is continually growing. With your help we will be able to ensure that we bring you the information and answers that you want.

From information on property in Spain, the Spanish property crash right through to beach clubs like Nikki Beach Marbella and holiday resorts like Lloret de Mar.

Keep checking back and enjoy our new feature and discussion blog for Spain.