Services near an address

It is for anyone considering, planning or carrying out a move to Spain. After reading, you will know how to judge whether everyday life works around an address, separately from commute and safety.

Start with "Which services matter most near a home, and how close". It explains which services matter for which kind of household and city, how many minutes on foot is acceptable, and what to do when something is missing.

From there, go to the page that fits your needs:

• Food shopping and errands: "Walkable daily life: markets (mercados), supermarkets and shops".
• Parks, sports centres, beaches and plazas: "Parks, sports centres and leisure near your home".
• Steep streets, pavements and lifts: "Hills, lifts and pavements: how accessible is the area?".
• Living with a dog: "Choosing a dog-friendly neighbourhood".
• Schools, language and community needs: "Finding international schools, English-speaking services and community amenities".

Health centre assignment, school admission, home internet contracts and shop hours are covered elsewhere.

Key rules

• Close for daily needs: About 5 to 10 minutes on foot (roughly 300 to 500 m) counts as close for daily needs like a corner shop, bus stop, pharmacy and playground.
• Close for larger services: About 10 to 15 minutes on foot (roughly 800 m to 1 km) is the usual limit for a primary school, health centre, park or market, and people with reduced mobility, children or older people should count about half that distance.
• Dog owner duties: Every dog owner must hold civil liability insurance, have the dog microchipped and register it in the regional animal registry.
• Accessibility works: A community of owners must carry out accessibility works such as a lift or ramp when a resident with a disability or a resident aged 70 or over asks for them, as long as the yearly cost after subsidies stays within 12 monthly community fees.
• Walking test: Aim for a supermarket and a fresh-food source within 10 to 15 minutes on foot.
• Market hours: Municipal markets are mainly morning shops and are usually closed on Sundays.

Documents you may need

• Photo ID to register as a member of a municipal sports centre — Parks, sports centres and leisure near your home

• A passport-style photo for the membership registration — Parks, sports centres and leisure near your home

• Padrón certificate — Parks, sports centres and leisure near your home

• Lift maintenance contract — Hills, lifts and pavements: how accessible is the area?

• Latest lift inspection certificate — Hills, lifts and pavements: how accessible is the area?

• Building inspection report — Hills, lifts and pavements: how accessible is the area?

Services near an address: questions that cross several articles

How do I find a pharmacy that is open out of hours?

Search for a farmacia de guardia (a pharmacy on duty) on the website of the provincial or regional pharmacists' association, where you can search by town and date. A closed pharmacy usually has a notice in its window naming the nearest one on duty, and out of hours it may serve you through a hatch. Read "Which services matter most near a home, and how close" for how far a pharmacy should be from your door.

Is a home without a lift a problem if I have limited mobility?

It can be, because many older buildings, especially those built before about 1960 and with 3 floors or fewer, have no lift. Check the listing, then visit and test the lift, and see whether steps remain between the street and the lift. Read "Hills, lifts and pavements: how accessible is the area?" for what to look at on the street and in the building.

Can I make my building install a lift later?

Yes, the community of owners must carry out accessibility works when a resident with a disability or a resident aged 70 or over asks for them, as long as the yearly cost after subsidies stays within 12 monthly community fees. You make the request to the community president.

Can my landlord or building ban my dog?

Yes, a landlord can ban pets in the lease, and a community can ban them if the ban is in its registered statutes (estatutos). A ban agreed only at a community meeting normally does not bind owners, and assistance dogs cannot be refused. Read "Choosing a dog-friendly neighbourhood" and check the lease or statutes before you commit.