The Local (Spain)

The Local aims to deliver all the important news and information you need about Spain. Whether you’re a foreign resident, a regular visitor, have family living in Spain, or are considering relocating to the country, we’re here to provide the resources you need.

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IN DEPTH: How bad is Spain's homelessness problem?

1 day ago | thelocal.es | Conor Patrick Faulkner

Depending on your perspective and where you come from, you might think Spain has either a lot or very few homeless people. If you’ve come from a small town in Sweden or Switzerland, for example, or even rural Spain, taking a night stroll through central Madrid or Barcelona might shock you in terms of the numbers of personas sin hogar or sin techo (homeless people) on the street.
Spain's Valencia to have direct flight to Montreal in Canada this summer

2 days ago | thelocal.es | Conor Patrick Faulkner

A new transatlantic flight route will soon link Spain's third main city with Montreal in Canada. For the first time in 13 years, Valencia’s Manises airport will have a connection to the other side of the Atlantic. The service will be run by Air Transat and judging by schedules online, it will fly on Saturdays. The eastern Spanish city has not had an transatlantic flight since 2012, when its connection with New York was scrapped.
Spain aims to ban fake tourism and hospitality reviews

3 days ago | thelocal.es | Conor Patrick Faulkner

Through a new series of measures, including the possibility for business owners to request the removal of reviews if they can prove they're fake, the change forms part of broader amendments to the country's Customer Services Law, which is currently in the final stages of parliamentary processing.
Inside Spain: Rise of the foreign autónomo and the fight against tourismphobia

5 days ago | thelocal.es | Alex Dunham

In the last three months, Spain’s population has increased by 75,865, reaching 49,153,849 inhabitants, the highest figure on record. Once again, this was due to an increase in the number of foreigners moving to Spain, while native born Spaniards continue to decrease in numbers. Spain now has 9.4 million residents who were born overseas, compared to 42.2 million born in Spain.
The differences between getting your driving licence in Spain and the US

6 days ago | thelocal.es | Alex Dunham |Esme Fox

If you’re moving to Spain from the United States it’s likely that you will need to resit your driving test in order to get a valid driving licence here. You will only be allowed to drive in Spain for a maximum of six months before you need to get a Spanish licence. The six-month grace period starts from the time you register for residency.
Will Trump close the US military bases in Spain?

6 days ago | thelocal.es | Conor Patrick Faulkner

The return of Donald Trump to the White House has had political implications far beyond Washington. A new, more adversarial dynamic now dominates the US-EU relationship, with Trump slapping tariffs on the block but also threatening to withdraw American military presence and funding, or a significant proportion of it, at least, unless European countries bolster their defence spending.
'It's a private space': Outrage as Spain okays drug use in parked cars

6 days ago | thelocal.es | Conor Patrick Faulkner

Spain’s Interior has angered police unions by instructing the country’s security forces not to report or fine people for the consumption or possession of drugs in parked cars, as long as they are not for the purpose of trafficking. This is because a parked car is considered “a private space” and in Spain, drug possession and consumption is decriminalised on private property.
The differences between Spain's public, private and 'concertado' schools

6 days ago | thelocal.es | Esme Fox

Spain has three main types of schools - public schools, concertados and private schools. It can be confusing at first to decide which one to send your kids to and which one is the best, but this guide should help you be more informed and make a decision. Firstly, a public school is one that is run by the state and is free of charge. This may be confusing for those coming from the UK where public schools are prestigious private schools, which charge a fee.
New study sheds light on who owns all the Airbnb-style lets in Spain

1 week ago | thelocal.es | Alex Dunham |Esme Fox

Despite this, the Spanish government has not released any detailed data clearly illustrating which group owns the most flats, and whether they’re using it for short-term, temporary or long-term renting.
More Americans than ever look to use Beckham Law to move to Spain

1 week ago | thelocal.es | Alex Dunham |Esme Fox

Americans wishing to settle in Europe are increasingly looking at Spain, and a new report suggests that the tax advantages offered by Spain's Beckham Law could be one of the main draws. The number of Americans living in Spain has risen by 10,000 in two years according to recent stats from Spain’s National Statistics Institute (INE). The latest data from the INE shows there were 50,623 US citizens registered as residents in Spain in 2024, up from 40,159 in 2022.