INTERES Invest in Spain

Education

Education is compulsory up to the age of 16 and English is the most widely studied foreign language at schools and institutes. There are a total of 23,678 primary and secondary schools in Spain (of which 6,953 are privately-run), and a considerable number of bilingual schools of different nationalities.

This allows for the integration of foreign students in Spain, as reflected by the fact that there are currently 74 foreign students enrolled for every 1,000 Spanish students.

For further information on bilingual schools, click here and search under "Centro Docente Privado Extranjero en España". In addition, there are 50 public and 24 private universities, offering a broad range of disciplines. What is more, some of Europe's leading business schools are based in Spain: ESADE Business School, IESE Business School and the Instituto de Empresa, to mention but a few.

Healthcare

Spanish healthcare and hospitals, both public and private, are of a very high standard, with many excellent medical centers. Spanish citizens are well served by the Spanish National Health Service. Every neighborhood has a healthcare center (outpatients clinic) where patients are assigned a doctor (family general practitioner), or a pediatrician in the case of children. Patients must make an appointment to see a doctor, and the family GP is in charge of referrals to specialist physicians.

Emergency healthcare services in Spain are excellent, and the leading specialists in the country enjoy a world-class reputation. In addition, there are many private centers that offer all kinds of private medical services to workers on assignment and to their families at a modest annual cost. Spain has certain bilateral social security agreements with other countries that regulate the impact of periods in which social security contributions are paid in other states on the Spanish welfare system. Moreover, EU social security legislation is applicable to Spain, ensuring that workers assigned from one Member State to another (including Switzerland in this case) will not be affected by such assignment.

For further information on the Spanish social security system, see www.seg-social.es

Law and order

Generally speaking, Spain is one of the safest and most politically stable countries in Europe. The 2005 reported crime rate was 49.3 offenses per 1,000 inhabitants, some 20 points below the European Union average.

Climate

The average minimum annual temperatures range from 2ºC in January to 18ºC in August, while maximum temperatures range from 13ºC in January to 27ºC in July and August.

In the Canary Islands, temperatures range from a minimum of 17ºC to a maximum of 25ºC. With over 3,000 hours of sunshine a year, Spain is one of the warmest countries in Europe.

This agreeable climate makes Spain a highly attractive tourist destination, as well as an ideal location for buying a second home, particularly for retired people. Moreover, Spain's favorable climes are highly rated by foreign investors, particularly when it comes to deciding on a location for their factories or other workplaces.

Housing

There is a wide range of rented accommodation on offer in Spain, in addition to a large new and second-hand residential market for homebuyers. For more information see the Ministry of Housing website: www.mviv.es.

Driver's license

Driver licenses can be obtained from age 18 onwards, after passing the relevant theory and practical tests. Foreigners holding a license issued in an EU country do not need to take an additional test.

In the case of licenses issued by non-EU countries, foreign drivers need to check if there are any bilateral agreements which recognize their foreign license. If not, they need to obtain a Spanish driver's license once they have become resident in Spain. For further information, please go to www.dgt.es (website only available in Spanish)

Banks

Apart from the Spanish banks, many of which are ranked among the foremost banks in Europe (BSCH and BBVA), major international institutions operate out of Spain (e.g. Deutsche Bank, Barclays Bank, UBS, etc.), as do large investment banks (such as JP Morgan, Bankers Trust, Salomon Brothers and Merrill Lynch).

Language and religion

The wealth of the languages spoken in Spain is one of its cultural heritages. Castilian Spanish is the official language of the Spanish State. There are other Spanish languages that are also official in the respective Region (Autonomous Community), according to their Charters of Autonomy.

Catholicism is the main religion, but it is worth highlighting that Spain is a constitutionally secular State in which other religions peacefully coexist.

Leisure

Visitors to Spain will find sunshine, good food and hospitality, but they will also discover its rich historical heritage and stunning countryside.

Spain is the second most popular tourist destination in the world. With over 8,000 kilometers (4,970 miles) of coastline, it boasts a wide range of sporting facilities and a large variety of social events, all crowned by the diversity of its cultural heritage. Spain's highly diverse cultural heritage has, in turn, produced its world-renowned cuisine.

The Spanish coastline has been awarded this year 2007 with 576 Blue Flags, the highest number of this eco-label all over the world. The Blue Flag is an exclusive eco-label awarded to over 3,100 beaches and marinas in 36 countries across Europe, South Africa, Morocco, New Zealand, Canada and the Caribbean in 2006 (www.blueflag.com).

Spain has a broad spectrum of leisure and entertainment activities to cater for all ages. Numerous theme parks have opened in the past decade, such as Terra Mítica in Benidorm, Port Aventura in Tarragona, Isla Mágica in Seville and Warner Bros Park in Madrid and there is plenty of children's entertainment on offer, mainly focused on introducing them to science and the environment. For further information and recommended places of interest, visit the official Tourspain website.

For useful contact information in Spain, please download the following document: