Links
Official links for British residents and visitors:
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Direct Gov – UK Government public services
These are various laws (and links to other official sources – in brackets) that may be of interest. Please do ask if there are others that you would like to see here:
Health & Welfare
- Canaries – Patients’ Charter
- Domestic Violence
- EU right to reside in Spain directive
- Emergency services charge for rescue for risky sports, etc
Tourism
- The 1995 Canarian Tourism Law
- 1999 Modification of 1995 Tourism Law
- 2009 Modification of 1995 Tourism Law
- 2010 Canarian touristic standards law
- The 1998 Not Subject to Tourism Legislation Decree
- 2011 modification of 1998 Not Subject Decree
- 1996 Tourism inspections and sanctions powers Decree
- (British Embassy advice on illegal letting)
Property & communities
- The Urban (residential) Lease Law
- (FAQs on letting property in Spain from the Sociedad Pública de Alquiler – Public Rental Society) (in Spanish)
- Law of Horizontal Division (in Spanish)
- Law of Horizontal Division (in English)
- Swimming pool law
Civil matters
- Road Traffic Law 1990
- Road Traffic Law 1997
- Road Traffic Law 2003
- Driving licence law 2006
- Driving licence law 2009
- Código de circulación (Spanish Highway Code)
- Consumer rights law
- Complaints book law
- Legal Aid
- Spanish Constitutional Right to Association
- Canarian Association Law
- Canarian Right to Petition Law
- Information in English on the Dación en pago (handing a property back to a bank)
- Details in English of the Spanish bank Ombudsman scheme, and list HERE of relevant contact details per bank.
Throughout the Canaries, the registration of pets is legally required. This is done at your local Ayuntamiento, details of which are HERE: look at the box headed “Seleccione su Ayuntamiento” and click the far right link “Todos”; this will give you a complete list of links to local authorities with addresses and particular requirements for pet registration. In addition to registering pets, there are further requirements for dogs considered “potentially dangerous” (perros potencialmente peligrosos): owners of such dogs must have a licence, walk them on lead and keep them muzzled at all times in public, and hold public liability insurance of up to €120,000. See THIS post for further information on the types of dogs considered “potentially dangerous”, and the following links for specific legislation.
- Regional Government Law on “potentially dangerous” dogs
- National Government Law on “potentially dangerous” dogs
- Local rules on keeping animals - Adeje, Arona, Granadilla, Guía de Isora, San Miguel, Santiago del Teide
Tourism Resources:
Regional Government, Tourism Department:
- Infrastructure – 922 473 040
- Organization and promotion (and inspections/fines) – 922 475 477
Insular level – Tenerife Cabildo:
- Dept of Economía, Competitividad, Movilidad y Turismo – 922 239 294.
- Within the dept : Tourism admin – 922 239 585, Technical service of tourism and innovation – 922 531 531
- Tenerife Cabildo tourism website HERE (approved touristic apartment search HERE)
- Tenerife Cabildo website about Tenerife HERE (approved touristic apartment search HERE)
Local Ayuntamiento tourism departments:
- Adeje 922 750 633 can’t find an email but website is www.costa-adeje.es
- Arona 922 725 203, email turismo@arona.travel
- Granadilla 922 392 037, email turismo@granadilladeabona.org
- San Miguel 922 738 664, email turismo@sanmigueldeabona.org
Local tourist information offices (these are the ones I think are the obvious ones, the full listing from the Cabildo is HERE:
- Adeje - Fañabe 922 716 539, Troya 922 750 633, Plaza del Duque 922 750 633, South 922 793 312
- Arona - Las Américas 922 797 668, Las Galletas 922 730 133, Las Vistas 922 787 011
- Granadilla – El Médano 922 176 002, TFS 922 392 037
- Guía de Isora - San Juan 922 138 987
Illegal Letting Situation:
If anyone has been fined, you need a lawyer urgently. The only two who are informed and totally up to speed on this issue are José Escobedo in San Eugenio and Santiago Saenz in Torviscas. Together, they have formed a combined office – Tenerife Litigation. Either will do you proud. HERE is the link.
You can check whether you’ve been fined by googling your NIE together with “BOC”: that should bring up any relevant search results specific to you. The BOC itself is HERE: please note that each year needs to be searched individually and I have found the search facility very poor, which is worse than useless because it doesn’t find what’s there to be found, leaving people feeling safe when they aren’t. The best is to use google.
This link is the MEMBERSHIP FORM to download to join ALOTCA, an association for those affected by the “illegal letting” legislation. Please print off, fill in, scan and email back to me (help@janetanscombe.com). Please note that the form has been designed to comply with asociación laws, so all boxes need to be completed. The direccion/domicile box needs your address – if you have a Tenerife property then it needs to be that, otherwise your British address will do.
HERE is the new law that, as of 29 October, has been published as going through the Canarian Parliament after being presented to Parliament on 23 October. HERE is a page on this site with what I consider to be the most relevant sections of the draft from the perspective of foreign property owners.
Favourite venues:
Auditorio Infanta Leonor for international-level concerts and cultural programmes of all descriptions in the centre of Los Cristianos.
Loro Parque a superb day out while contributing to an environmental foundation that does perhaps more good than any other in Tenerife.
Tenerife Museums a range of museums to cater for all cultural tastes, whether science, anthropological, historical, human. Click on the British flag for a full translation of each of the museums, which are listed by abbreviations across the header.
Rutas del Vino a choice of days and half days out to various grape regions to sample local wines as well as landscapes and cultures.
Pirámides de Güímar an “ethnographic park” with an eye to the history, nature and geography of Tenerife. It has a lovely atmosphere, different sections, gardens, a museum, as well as those “pyramids”.
Teide astounding geography, incredible views. The link is to the Teleférico website, with information about the national park, the cable car, getting a permit to go to the very top, the Refugio Altavista where one can stay overnight. Whether it’s a drive into the crater or a climb to the summit, Mt Teide is an absolutely essential visit.
Los Imprescindibles – the essentials. Tenerife tourism authorities list of unmissables.
Practical matters:
Poul’s Auto For short- and long-term hire cars.
Sunshine Hire Shop For everything you may need but couldn’t pack, from fans to cots and child car seats.
Bargate International UK-based Tenerife specialists for a complete removal service.
Nikki Attree – Digital Artist & Photographer to capture those special Tenerife moments.
Tenerife Information Centre is a website all about Tenerife, packed with information about everything from food to ferries and police to politics, and much more.
Monthly list of duty chemists – just choose the month from the drop down box and it will do the rest, giving a list of pdf files available. There are five pages with different areas – just click Siguientes to move on a page.
Different perspectives:
Islandmomma A deliciously whimsical and wonderfully written blog about real life in Tenerife, and with some gorgeous photographs too.
The Beach in Tenerife A family blog about living, learning, working and playing in Tenerife.
Living beneath the volcano A blogger’s blogger with real travel writing crammed with information about the real Tenerife.
Nova’s Haven A brand new blog by a very likeminded friend, a mix of logical and poetic that I find uplifting. Pictures, information and thoughts about everything, including Tenerife.
ChalkCat A currently small and new forum for a wide range of interests, but which contains a section for the Canary Islands, from news and intelligent discussion to serious and accurate information.
Churches:
South Tenerife Christian Fellowship Interdenominational Evangelical Church based in Los Cristianos
St Francis Anglican Chaplaincy for Christian fellowship in south Tenerife
