Spain has an excellent public healthcare system — regularly ranked among the top 10 in international rankings. The life expectancy (83.5 years) is one of the highest in the world. For EU Citizens With the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) — on the back of your German health card — you are entitl

Spain has used the Euro (€) since 2002 — no currency exchange needed for travelers from the Eurozone. Cash vs. Card Spain is increasingly card-friendly. Credit cards (Visa, Mastercard) are accepted almost everywhere — even for small amounts in bars and bakeries. Contactless payment (tarjeta contactl

Shopping in Spain follows its own rules — shaped by the siesta, Sunday as a rest day, and a preference for specialized shops over supermarkets. Supermarkets Mercadona: Spain's largest supermarket chain — affordable, well-stocked, own brand "Hacendado" with surprisingly good quality. In every city Li

Spain has 14 official holidays per year — 9 national and 5 regional (each Comunidad Autónoma chooses its own). In addition, there are local holidays in each city. It can happen that it's a holiday in Valencia, but not in Madrid — and vice versa. National Holidays Date Holiday Note January 1 Año Nuev

For EU citizens, the situation has been as simple as possible since 2017: EU roaming means you use your German data volume in Spain without surcharge — calls, SMS, and data just like at home. For Non-EU Travelers If you need a Spanish prepaid SIM: Lycamobile: Cheapest provider, SIM cards available i

Spain is one of the most LGBTQ+-friendly countries in the world — and that's no exaggeration. In 2005, Spain became the third country worldwide to legalize same-sex marriage (before Germany, before France, before the USA). Social acceptance is high: Over 85% of the population supports homosexuality

Spain's media landscape is diverse, political, and passionate — newspapers are openly partisan, TV debates loud, and football omnipresent. Newspapers El País: Largest daily newspaper, center-left. Excellent English online edition (english.elpais.com) El Mundo: Second largest, center-right. Strong in

Spain has a well-functioning emergency call system. The most important number: Emergency Numbers 112: General emergency number (police, fire, ambulance) — Europe-wide, multilingual (English, French, German). Always the first choice! 091: Policía Nacional (criminal police, theft, assault) 092: Policí