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SPANISH HABITS

My Spanish habits that foreigners just don’t get

Do the Spanish have certain habits you just can't work out? Here Spanish author Alberto Letona lists a number of typical national traits or customs that leave his foreign friends bemused...or if queuing is involved, even enraged.

Published: 27 February 2018 16:44 CET
Updated: 10 April 2022 09:05 CEST
My Spanish habits that foreigners just don't get
Spaniards like to pace along the beach. Esparta Palma / Flickr

1. We are very noisy


Photo: SETShots / Flickr

Noise is everywhere in Spain whether in restaurants, on the buses, or at the beach. In bars the TV is often on, even if people aren’t watching. This makes conversations louder and the Spanish difficult to understand, for non-native and natives alike.

The latter are more resourceful; They will raise their voice even louder to be heard.  

.2. We go to bed late


Photo: Bark / Flickr 

Staying up late is part of daily life in Spain. At home it is not unusual to have dinner at ten and if you go to a restaurant, you’ll find it difficult to get a table before 9pm. At weekends we don’t start going out until at least 9pm and the night can be very long. Work is mañana.

3. We kit ourselves out for sport


Photo: The Pug Father/Flickr 

Dressing in the correct way to take exercise is a rule for the locals. So much so that you’d be forgiven for thinking you were at the Vuelta de España with professional cyclists when you use Spanish roads on the weekends. Don’t blow your horn at them, they would not take it graciously.

4. We like to be in a crowd (in pre-Covid times)


Photo: Allen Skyy/Flickr

The Spaniards are very gregarious. We all go out for a stroll at the same time and usually to the same places. Sometimes with friends, and other times with family, but very rarely alone.

5. We like to party…a lot


Photo: Cesar Manso/AFP

The summer fiestas of every village in Spain are a kind of social event that you cannot miss. This is the place to see and be seen. The younger ones enjoy their first drinks in life, and their parents are most likely enjoying themselves preparing traditional dishes with their friends.

6. We are a contradiction in terms


Photo: AFP

Liberal-minded but conservative in their life style is a description that fits many Spaniards. Even the most politically left wing citizens are ready to take part as a pious believer in the religious processions at Easter. 

7. We pace up and down the beach


Photo: Esparta Palma/Flickr

Pacing up and down the seashore is a favourite pastime for anyone over thirty. Sometimes the beaches get so crowded with people marching back and forth that it is difficult to imagine this activity as a pleasurable stroll. But we do it anyway. 

8. We all want to work in the public sector


Photo: tec_estromberg / flickr

Being a “funcionario” (civil servant) is a very sought after and carefully planned occupation for many. A job for life is often a source for admiration or envy among the different social classes in Spain.

9. We abandon our offices en masse at 11am


Photo: Alda Chou

Mid-morning is the time when everybody working in an office walks out to have a long coffee break in the bar with their colleagues. This is the moment to talk about the trials and tribulations of domestic life. Sometimes if the conversation is very engaging the break can go on a long time.

10. We don’t do queuing


Photo: Garry Knight/Flickr 

Jumping the queue is a national trait. Very few people respect queues in this country. If you are catching a bus, please be aware of old ladies. They are sometimes the most pushy and will try to go first, even if they know that you have been waiting longer.

Alberto Letona is the author of Hijos e Hijas de la Gran Bretaña – Sons and Daughters of Great Britain – in which he delves into the psyche of the British in an attempt to explain them to his own countrymen. 

Read more on his opinions of the British

For members

PADRON

When and how you need to renew your padrón certificate in Spain

The padrón document you get when registering at your local town hall in Spain must be renewed periodically. Find out when and the steps on how to do it.

Published: 22 April 2024 13:09 CEST
When and how you need to renew your padrón certificate in Spain

The padrón certificate is used to show proof of where you live. Your town hall – or ayuntamiento – uses it to find how many people are living in the area and what their ages are.

The number of people living in each area will depend on how much money they will receive from the government. They use this money for local services such as schools, health centres, parks and police officers.

If you are a non-EU citizen with temporary residence (less than 5 years) in Spain, then you will need to renew your padrón certificate every two years.

You will also need to renew your padrón each time you move house, as it should have your current address. 

For some bureaucratic processes in Spain, you will also need to be able to show you have a padrón certificate that’s no older than three months. 

Depending on where you live, there are different ways you can renew it. This could be in person, online or by post.

READ ALSO – Padrón: 16 things you should know about Spain’s town hall registration

Generally, in order to renew your certificate, you will need:

  • A recent gas, water or electricity bill in your name
  • Your rental contract and receipt of your last rental payment
  • If you own your own property, you will need to show evidence that you own it, such as the property deeds

You will also need to show:

  • A valid residence card such as TIE
  • A valid passport
  • In addition, it is also advisable to bring your previous padrón certificate

For children you will also need the following:

  • Records of your digitised family book (libro de família)
  • A valid passport or residence permit of the minor
  • A passport of one of the parents which also contains the identification data of the minor
  • Birth certificate of your child

If you do not live in the same household as your child, you will also need:

  • A delegation for registration form, signed by the parent who lives with the minor.
  • Photocopy of the valid identification document of the parent who lives with the child.
  • In the case of minors under 14 years of age, it will not be mandatory for them to have an NIE, passport or identification document from their country of origin.

Remember that all your documents should be officially translated into Spanish or another local language such as Catalan, if they aren’t already.

READ ALSO: Can I get my padrón online in Spain?

In person

If you are applying in person, you will need to make an appointment at your local Ayuntamiento or town hall.

When the date for your appointment arrives you will need to complete the renewal form, which will most like look something like this, but may change depending on where you live. 

You will also need to bring originals and photocopies of all the documents above.

Online

If you have a digital certificate or Cl@ve PIN you are able to renew your padrón online. You will need to do this via your local government website.

First, you’ll need to identify yourself digitally with your digital certificate or Cl@ve PIN.

Next you will have to complete the renewal form and then attach digital copies of all the above documentation that’s required.

Then you’ll need to submit and sign it digitally.

By post

Although this is not the most common way to renew your certificate, some town halls may let you apply by post and will have details of the relevant address to send your documents and forms to online. 

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