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If you're thinking of relocating to Lanzarote, then you need our Relocation Pack.

It's over 40 pages of information about schools, getting jobs, setting up a business and all the paperwork you need to become a resident on the island. It also has a full run down of each municipality.

And the best news it is FREE

We have recently been asked about the laws for animals and especially dangerous ones.

Here are two links that give good information.

http://madrid.angloinfo.com/countries/spain/animals.asp#dogs

http://noticias.juridicas.com/base_datos/Admin/rd287-2002.html

The second link is in Spanish.

At ¡Estupendo! we will always advise clients to appoint a lawyer when purchasing a property in Lanzarote. The buying process here in Lanzarote may differ from your home country and it is important that you have legal advice from start to finish to ensure a smooth and timely completion of the property purchase. Gorka Centeno is a property lawyer based in Arricefe and we have asked him to write a non-biased account of the buying process in Lanzarote:

The following information is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice but a brief indication of how to proceed with the purchase of a property.

The most important point is to find the property that you really like. For all the necessary steps from this point on until you become an owner of a property in the Canary Islands, be guided by professional advice.

Once you have found the property you wish to purchase, the first step is to make sure that the title deeds are in order and all documents are correct, these checks will be carried out by your lawyer in the corresponding Land Registry and Town Hall. When everything has been checked to be in order, the preparation and signing of a private contract is the next step. This private contract will reflect the conditions, terms and date when the purchase will be formalised and also the deposit which has to be paid, which is normally 10% and is part of the final price. If it is a purchase of a property in construction the conditions of payment established between the two parties will also be set out in the private contract.

In the Public Notary’s office and on the date of completion of purchase, the pending amount to be paid and the transfer of ownership to the buyer will take place, this can be done personally or through your lawyer with a corresponding Power of Attorney. At the same time the receipts for the water, electricity will be checked and land searches carried out once more to make sure there are no outstanding debts against the property. If the property is a new construction then at the time of signing you will also need to pay the 5% IGIC (a tax which is equivalent to VAT).If the property is not new and it is a resale then the buyer has 30 days to pay the necessary purchase tax, present the deeds in order to register the property in the buyers name in the corresponding Land Registry and pay all the expenses and fees involved. All costs expenses and taxes will be approximately 10% of the sale price.

Nowadays, purchasing a property in the Canary Islands is an investment both from an economic point and quality of life point of view. Seek professional guidance and just enjoy your investment.

Gorka Centeno
Lawyer
Calle Fajardo 1, 2ºD
Arrecife De Lanzarote
pcabogados@icam.es
Tel – +34 928 813 775
Fax – +34 928 806 049

As you know Estupendo have recommended that our clients use The Foremost Currency Group who are a specialist currency broker for years now. James Stanton is our dedicated contact within the company to ensure that you receive the best service and possible rate for your currency transactions, James has prepared the following information to explain the different ways of securing your foreign currency and you are assured that he will negotiate a preferential rate for you with no commission charges.

Spot Contracts – for the best exchange rates available

If you need to transfer money quickly, at the best available exchange rate, you should use a ‘Spot’ contract. Your currency will be available as soon as you have paid for your contract – typically 2 working days after the order has been placed.

According to a recent report published in the Telegraph, British people have the worst quality of life in Europe. The study highlights the lack of weather, the amount of hours spent working, high prices of consumer goods and low life expectancy.

The study covered the ten largest countries in Europe, the top of the list was Spain and France and the bottom was Britain and Ireland.

Ann Robinson, Director of Consumer Policy at uSwitch, said: "There is more to good living than money and this report shows why so many Brits are giving up on the UK and heading to France and Spain. "We earn substantially more than our European neighbours, but this level of income is needed just to keep a roof over our heads, food on the table and our homes warm. It’s giving us a decent standard of living, but it’s not helping us achieve the quality of life that people in other countries enjoy."

Earlier in the week the United Nations published their latest top 20 desirable countries to live in and Britain was not listed for the first time.

Entitlement

The Spanish healthcare system is based on contributions, not residence as in the UK. For you or your family to be covered, you need to have paid into the local social security scheme, you can do this by working on contract for an employer or directly as a self-employed worker. You may also be eligible to pay voluntary contributions if you have paid into an EU system for at least 3 out of the 12 years.

For those residents who aren’t working, you may also be eligible for state healthcare with the following:

E106 form if you have retired early and been resident in Spain for less than two years

E121 form if you are receiving a UK state pension, long term incapacity or bereavement benefit

The local social security office is based in Arrecife, their address and contact details are:

TESORERIA GENERAL DE LA SEGURIDAD SOCIAL (TGSS)

C/ León y Castillo 85, Arrecife, 35500. Telephone: 928 824 911

According to a recent survey by Immigration New Zealand, 8 out of 10 Britons, a staggering 85% of Brits have considered, or could be persuaded to move abroad permanently.

The reason given by the participants, for wanting to make the move now, was they felt the UK was one of the worst affected countries following the credit crunch and if made redundant they would consider moving abroad to start again.

Other factors for motivating people to move abroad were:

48% higher standard of living

19% better weather

17% better place to bring up children

16% lower cost of living

If you are moving to Lanzarote or buying a property then you will be needing the services of a currency broker. Of course you can just use your UK bank to arrange to transfer your savings but you won't be getting the best exchange rate or bank charges. It is important to have thought through moving your money, it has been known for people to have to fly back to the UK to arrange transfers in person once they have arrived, UK banks tend to ask you to pop into the local branch for you to sign paperwork, which isn't easy from Lanzarote!

If you are considering relocating to live in Spain and like reading, I can recommend the following books, they aren't about living in the Canary Islands but they are an entertaining insight into living in a foreign country and not quite getting to grips with the locals and language!

Peter Kerr wrote Snowball Oranges and the sequel Mañana Mañana about their move from Scotland to Mallorca. For more information visit his website www.peter-kerr.co.uk

Chris Stewart wrote Driving Over Lemons and the sequel A Parrot in The Pepper Tree about his move to Las Alpujarras near Granada.