After the first flurry of becoming legal residents of Spain, la media naranja* and I talked about getting registered with a doctor at the local Health Centre. We are not often sick, but we thought it would be better to do the registration while we were well, rather than wait until one of us actually needed to see a doctor.

Needless to say, we did nothing about it, until a few days ago, when my half orange came down with some kind of chest infection. We went to the 'Centro de Salud' in our barrio (there's at least one in every barrio), and tried to register. We had gone with what we guessed might be the required documents - NIE, Social Security numbers and passport copies. It turns out we were wrong. Before you can see a doctor (for free) you need a Health Card (Tarjeta Sanitaria). Here's what they wanted before they could issue the card:

1) Empadronomiento - this is your registration with the statistics and census service. You'll have got this before registering for your NIE.

2) Asignación de Numero de Seguridad Social - a document from the Ministry of Social Security that states your Social Security number. You might think that presenting a payslip (if you are employed) that mentions your SS number, or if you are self-employed, any other document that has this number on it would be enough, but no, the Ministry of Health are very picky about this. They want this particular form. You can get it from any Social Security Administration Office. The two nearest us are at Calle de la Cruz, 7, near Puerta Del Sol, and Calle Zurbano, 73, near Gregorio Marañon Metro.

Unfortunately for me, after I'd hiked to the latter office through howling, bitterly cold wind and rain, they told me I had to get authorisation from half orange before they would produce the form. So I went back home, we completed the forms and the authorisation, and I went to the de la Cruz office. It's a fairly quick procedure - they want your original ID document (either your passport or your NIE) and a copy, and then they issue a letter that states your name and address, and your SS number.

3) Original NIE document. When I had gathered all of these bits of paper together, I went back to the Health Centre. No problem with mine, but better half was a problem because she could not find her original NIE document. So even though we know the number, and it's mentioned on her Employment Contract and several other documents that I showed them, the functionarios refused to issue a Health Card. They said she could see a doctor on payment of a €45 deposit. If she returned with her original NIE or an application form for a replacement, within five working days, the deposit would be refunded. This is hopelessly optimistic on the part of the Health people: the Police who look after these documents work on a glacial timescale, they can't even answer the phone within five days, never mind issue a document (my biased personal opinion, obviously).

I now have a letter from the Health Centre, and an assigned doctor - I can use this if I need to to access my right to free medical treatment in Spain (free, hah! As an autonomo I pay a fortune each month in Social Security payments). Poor other half, coughing and spluttering away, and desperately in need of medical attention, is denied it because of the idiotic documentation requirements of the Health (dis)Service.

I only hope that if and when we ever get to see a doctor, the 'service' is much less stressful and much more professional than what we've seen up until now. I'm not very hopeful.

*media naranja = half orange = other half. ]]> http://www.innovate.es/blog.asp http://www.innovate.es/blog.asp?id=20 Fri, 27 Jun 2008 23:02:00 GMT
Registering as an autonomo can be a bit daunting. If you manage to find a reliable gestor (a quasi-lawyer/accountant), he/she can do all of the registration work for you. Alternatively, you can do it yourself. The easiest way to do it is to use a place called the VUE (Ventanilla Unica Empresarial - one-window thingie for setting up businesses). These exist in most major Spanish cities, and they are basically a collection of officials from the various Government Departments and Ministries that are involved in business registrations, tax registrations, social security, etc. You might have to spend two or three hours there filling in forms, but the staff are helpful, and will make sure that you do every bit of official stuff that is needed.

Autonomo registration is fairly straightforward. Basically, what you are doing is declaring yourself as an autonomous worker in whatever field(s). Then you fill in forms that tell the tax authorities (personal income tax and VAT) where you live. And the same for Social Security.

As an autonomo, you are required to make a monthly contribution for Social Security - currently it's about €235-255. In return for this you get almost nothing access to Government Health services, sick pay, and eventually a meagre pension.

When you submit an invoice to a Spanish client, they have to retain 18% of the amount as tax (you may be able to reclaim some of this against allowable expenses). You also have to add 16% to the total for IVA (VAT).

You have to submit a tax return every three months, and I strongly recommend that you use a gestor for this.

Your fiscal identity number and your IVA number will be the same as your NIE. Once you have filled in all the forms, you'll get your Social Security number through the post, and the tax office will send you a few sheets of barcoded stickers that have to be used on any correspondence with them.

Madrid's VUE is located at Calle Ribera del Loira, 56-58. The nearest Metro is Campo de las Naciones. The phone number is 915 383 799. Unlike the NIE office, you will usually get your appointment within a week. ]]> http://www.innovate.es/blog.asp http://www.innovate.es/blog.asp?id=19 Sun, 15 Jun 2008 09:49:00 GMT
There are basically two ways to get your NIE. The first is to pay a gestor - a quasi-lawyer/accountant/gofer - to do it for you, and the second is to phone for an appointment. There used to be a third way, which was to queue outside the office from about 5am, but I believe that option has been stopped now.

To get your NIE you can phone for an appointment on these three numbers. They are usually engaged and there's no queueing system, so find out how the redial function on your phone works. The operators don't seem to speak English, so practice the Spanish phrases you might need!
913226919
913226835
913226876

The waiting time for the appointment varies according to how busy they are, but don't be surprised if you have to wait a couple of months.
This is the address of the office (unless you are Bulgarian or Romanian):
Plaza del Campillo del Mundo Nuevo nº 3
28005 - Madrid.
The nearest Metro is probably Puerta de Toledo.

There is a small fee (about €6.70) for the NIE - despite the fact that the EU has declared it illegal. You must pay this into their account before you can enter the building for your appointment; the heavily armed guards on the door will want to see your receipt for the payment before they will let you in. I advise you to visit the oficina some days before your appointment, get a payment form at the door, and pay at your leisure. The banks around the oficina will only accept payment until 10 or 11 in the morning, and possibly only when there's a q in the month, so save yourself a bit of stress and do it ahead of time.

Once you get to your appointment, you might have to wait a few minutes inside the oficina, but when you actually get to see the nice lady it takes less than ten minutes to squeeze your details into the computer, and your NIE is issued immediately. The NIE used to be a little plastic card, but now, for EU citizens at least, it's just a green A4 certificate.

Documentation requirements are the subject of urban myth, but as a minimum you need your passport and a copy, and the completed application form (which you can download from here). As with any government dealings anywhere, you would be well advised to take the original and a photocopy of any official document you've acquired since you were ten years old, plus about two hundred passport photos, but actually, as far as we know (and this information is offered without any guarantee or claim to accuracy, veracity or reality whatsoever, and anything that goes wrong is your fault), they only want the form and the passport. ]]> http://www.innovate.es/blog.asp http://www.innovate.es/blog.asp?id=18 Sun, 18 May 2008 09:49:00 GMT
Metro La Latina vs. Barrio Latina
La Latina is a Metro station in the very centre of Madrid near the theatres and Rastro. It is a vibrant, artistic, chic, costly area much sought after by many people who want to live in the heart of the city. People here mainly look to rent rooms in shared flat, studios or small apartments. It is difficult to rent larger three or four bed apartments in this area. The Latina barrio, however, is in the far South of the City, below Arganzuela and on the other side of the river. It is a working class part of the city, very cheap (compared to the rest of Madrid), quite removed from the City centre and not an area where we have very much demand at all.

Calle Fuencarral vs. Barrio Fuencarral vs. Fuencarral Village
Calle Fuencarral is a fairly long street that goes up to number 152. This street is very well known for it’s vanguardistic fashion clothes stores, mainly at the beginning of the street near the Gran Vía. From beginning to end the street is full of many and varied shops. This street goes through the very popular areas of Tribunal and Bilbao ending up in Chamberi at the Plaza de Quevedo. The end of the road is renowned for a large variety of cinemas which can be found there, its close proximity to the wonderful Plaza Olavide, and the fact that this part of the road is closed on Sunday mornings so that it is a purely pedestrian area. As a result of all of these things the Calle Fuencarral is one of the roads we have most demand to rent apartments for in Madrid.

Fuencarral barrio, however, is an extremely modern area in the far North of the City above Tetuán starting in Plaza Castilla and carrying on upwards. It is well known, apart from other things, for the four new sky scrapers that are being built there on the land that used to be Real Madrid’s training ground.

The village of Fuencarral is even further North on the other side of the M30 ring road within the Northern extreme of the Fuencarral barrio. There is virtually no demand whatsoever for housing in Fuencarral village. The demand to rent apartments and rooms in shared flats on the Southern extreme of the Fuencarral barrio is increasing substantially, however. Although people find the area above Plaza Castilla quite far from the city centre, there are flats and apartments here that are virtually brand new and relatively cheap to rent for short or long terms. They also find that communication links from Plaza Castilla to the surrounding areas of Madrid by bus and to the centre by Metro are excellent and all of this helps to drive demand forward here.

Calle Hortaleza vs. Barrio Hortaleza
Calle Hortaleza is virtually parralel to the Calle Fuencarral. More renowned for the many shoe shops around it than fashion clothes shops, this road goes through the extremely chic area of Chueca and there is an enormous demand here to rent rooms in shared flats, studios and apartments. There are multiple shops here to cater to all needs.

The Barrio Hortaleza is to the East of Chamartin on the other side of the M30 ring road. Far away from the city centre this is a fairly cheap area to rent flats and apartments, the residents here mainly being blue collar workers. We have very little demand for this area.

Gran Vía vs. Gran Vía De Hortaleza
The Gran Vía in Spanish is equivalent to the “High Street” in the UK and, I would assume, “Main Street” in the US. This means that virtually every city, town and village has one! With reference to Madrid, the Gran Vía virtually always refers to the main street in the centre of the city that goes from the Calle Alcala through to Plaza España. It can also refer to the Metro station on this street, which goes by the same name. It is one of the most well known streets in the city centre and has an enormous history, the official registered office of the worldwide conglomerate Telefonica, a huge variety of clothes shops and the traditional place for all Spanish film premiers in any of the many cinemas along this street, most world famous internationally renowned film stars have been on this street at some point in their career. We rent a lot of rooms in shared flats and whole apartments in, and around, this area. The Gran Vía de Hortaleza, however, is a small main road in the centre of the barrio of Hortaleza described above. An area to the East of the city, quite far from the city centre, relatively cheap, essentially for the working class community with little demand from our clients.

Retiro Park vs. Barrio Retiro vs. Metro Retiro
The Retiro park is an enormous park in the very centre of the city with a multitude of lakes, fountains, sculptures, buskers and much, much more. It's a major tourist attraction and something you should really not miss during your time in Madrid. Many people who have experienced the park and fallen in love with its attributes then start looking for accommodation close by. They wrongly think that, therefore, where they want to live is in the barrio Retiro. The Retiro park is actually bordered by four distinct barrios. The cheapest of these is Arganzuela to the South of the park, right next to the Atocha train station. This is an inexpensive area with a high concentration of immigrants from Africa and South America, among other countries. The most luxurious, and expensive, of the areas that border the Retiro Park is the Centro just to the West of the Park with the incredible Prado Museum, Ritz Hotel and Palacio de Communicaciones as well as many, many more important and historic landmarks. There are few opportunities to let flats and apartments here but a lot of demand, this means that rental prices here are well above Madrid averages. Above the park we have the barrio of Salamanca and the Metro Retiro, which is a lovely area of the city with an abundance of luxurious 19th century buildings and various possibilities to rent rooms in shared flats and whole apartments. Finally, to the West of the park we have the barrio Retiro. The Northern part of this area from Calle (and Metro) Sainz de Barranda upwards is an area we would recommend with an abundance of terrace bars in summer and a great atmosphere. There is normally a good selection of rooms in shared flats and apartments to rent here at reasonable prices. The advantage of this area is its proximity to the park, the disadvantage is the fact that it is fairly removed from the centre. The area below Sainz de Barranda is cheaper but not as safe and, therefore, not an area of Madrid for which we have much demand for property rentals. ]]> http://www.innovate.es/blog.asp http://www.innovate.es/blog.asp?id=17 Sun, 18 May 2008 11:00:00 GMT
In general terms we can say that, for the Northern half of Madrid, property prices and luxury are proportional to their proximity to the Castellana and the centre, the closer you are to both the more expensive the property. In the Southern half of Madrid prices and quality, are generally based on their distance from the Centre.

Let’s analyse the different areas of Madrid:

CENTRO
The centre of Madrid is extremely clean, compared to most other capital city centres. It is also very safe; muggings and violent crime are virtually unheard of. However, it is plagued by pickpockets; Madrid has the third highest incidence of this sort of crime in the world.

Without a shadow of a doubt the centre of Madrid is the place to live if you want to savour the true Madrileñian lifestyle. It is a bustling city centre that never sleeps. It is full of shops, bars, restaurants and clubs and the only thing it doesn’t offer is the chance to get bored! The centre is rife with history on every corner, there are better and worse parts, noisier and quieter areas but these are always interesting and exciting and the Centre caters to all tastes and needs. With a wide variety of accomodation for short or long therm lets this area is highly recommended as a base for your home in Madrid.

CHAMBERI
Just to the North of the Centre, but only a ten minute Metro ride from the very centre of Madrid, is Chamberí. This is an essentially residential and quiet part of the City and it's an interesting choice for many people. It is the second most luxurious area of Madrid, extremely safe and with an extremely low crime rate. Chamberí has abundant “cervecerias” and cafeterias that are ideal for relaxing alone or with friends. The Plaza Olavide deserves a special mention with its numerous terrace bars, restaurants, fountains and generally laid-back atmosphere.

Calle Fuencarral with its multiple cinemas and shops is great for Saturdays. Chamberí is popular with a wide variety of our clients as it is close to the centre, and the Moncloa bus station that most University students need to use. It has a major Cercanias (suburban rail network) and Metro station, Nuevos Ministérios, which makes it very convenient for professionals and students who work or study on the outskirts of Madrid and is also near the financial heart of Madrid. Whether you are looking for your own apartment or a room in a shared flat the Chamberí área will definitely not disappoint you.

MONCLOA
This is as far West as you can be housed in Madrid City. This area comprises three very different barrios. There is the traditional Moncloa area to the West of Chamberí and above the Centre of Madrid, where virtually all students want to be housed, near the Moncloa Bus and Metro Station. Then, below this, there is the area of Moncloa to the West of the Centre of Madrid below Calle Princesa and above the Rosales Park which used to be a very elite area of Madrid and, therefore, has numerous large, refurbished four bedroom apartments and smaller luxurious flats where large rich families in Madrid used to live. Finally there is the Paseo De La Florida / Aravaca area, which is much more modern and really quite removed from the city centre, not recommended for your stay here. Moncloa is close to the majority of Universities in Madrid; they are either within walking distance or a short bus trip from Moncloa Bus Station. In September and February the demand in this area is enormous and it is virtually impossible to find apartments or rooms to rent here so we would highly recommend that, if you want to live in Moncloa, you should reserve your flat or room in advance.

SALAMANCA
Traditionally the most luxurious area in Madrid and, therefore, the most expensive and safest. Salamanca is to the East of Chamberí and above the Retiro Park. The part of Salamanca between Velazquez and the Castellana is extremely exclusive and has an abundance of 19th Century apartments and flats of which the majority have been professionally and tastefully refurbished. This area includes the Calle Serrano, the most expensive street in Madrid with the Cartier, Gucci, Loewe shops and many, many more. The area between Calle Velazquez and Calle Francisco Silvela is more reasonably priced and still in the heart of Salamanca, the actual Plaza Marqués De Salamanca from which the area derives its name is here.

From the Calle Francisco Silvela over to the M30 ring road is also considered to be Salamanca although the purists don’t see it that way. This is an area built over the last fifty or sixty years a bit removed from the city centre and cheaper than the rest of Salamanca. Due to its traditional reputation of being the most luxurious part of Madrid, Salamanca has a constant demand all year round for rental of all types of accomodation from rooms in shared flats through to studios and apartments.

RETIRO
To the South of Salamanca and East of the Retiro Park we find the Retiro area. Please do not confuse this with the Retiro Metro Station which is in Salamanca just above the park. The focal point of the Retiro area is, obviously, the park with its various lakes, gardens, statues and buskers. It is always a good option any day of the week although it really surpasses itself on Sundays.

The part of the Retiro area which is close to the park and above Sainz De Barranda is what we would recommend, there is a strong demand for rental of rooms in shared flats and whole apartments in this area during the summer months due to the multitude of terrace bars and restaurants in the area.. Any further away from the park or lower down normally results in cheaper prices but a significantly less secure and appealing area.

ARGANZUELA
Below the centre of Madrid, occupying the Southern extreme of the city we find Arganzuela. Rented accommodation in the parts of Arganzuela on the border with the centre of Madrid are good value for money as this area is cheaper than the centre but extremely close and well connected. Further removed from here in the Southern extremes of Arganzuela we find an area much further away from the city centre and much newer to the Madrid skyline.

To encourage people to go to these newer areas, and compensate for the distance to the centre, the majority of these apartments have air conditioning, swimming pools, gyms, saunas and many other amenities. Many people are housed in Arganzuela because of its cheap rent prices and the fact that the Atocha train station is there, which makes commuting to the suburbs easier and quicker. Arganzuela is the cheapest area in central Madrid and is, therefore, less secure but, by no stretch of the imagination, could you ever consider it to be dangerous.

TETUÁN
Tetuán, just above Chamberí, is split down the middle by the Calle Bravo Murillo. To the east of Bravo Murillo we have the City area of Madrid with an array of multinational companies, sky scrapers and modern buildings. The West of Bravo Murillo is cheaper and reknowned for having a large South American community, flats here are a little bigger than average and sometimes have lovely balconies or terraces. There has been a lot of building development to the North and West of Tetuán resulting in very new studio flats and apartments available to rent there. The east side of Bravo Murillo consists, mainly, of apartments built around 20 years ago. Tetuán is a considerable distance from the centre but is home to several Universities and very close to the Nuevos Ministérios and Plaza Castilla hubs for connection to Madrid´s suburbs, it is therefore relatively cheap but well sought after and a viable option for your stay in Madrid.

CHAMARTIN
Chamartin is an enormous area to the North of Salamanca. The area close to the Avenida America bus and Metro hub is relatively close to the centre and interesting for airline staff as buses go from this station to the airport virtually 24 hours a day. This is a fairly inexpensive area with a high concentration of shops, bars and restaurants. As you go further North the area becomes more residential and there are less shops, bars etc. The Northern part of Chamartin, one of the quietest areas of this capital city, with the possibility to rent large apartments and flats is ideal for families. There are excellent transport connections here, the Chamartin train station with its extensive long distance and suburbian network and the Plaza Castilla bus station (on the border with Tetuán) with a large variety of buses to surrounding areas, villages and towns. Chamartin is a medium priced area quite far from the City centre where you can rent anything from a room in shared flat with bars and restaurants on your doorstep to large apartments in quiet residential streets, worth considering for your time in Madrid. ]]>