Finding international schools, English-speaking services and community amenities

Key rules

• Lawyers: Check any lawyer's registration with the local bar and agree fees before you start.
• School directories: Confirm curriculum, accreditation and free places with the school itself.
• Embassy lists: Embassy lists of English-speaking professionals are not endorsements, so check each person.
• Choice: Services in your language are most plentiful on the coasts and in big cities.

Where international communities cluster

Most international communities sit on the Mediterranean and island coasts and in the big cities. Choice of services is widest there.

• British: the province of Alicante (Torrevieja, Orihuela Costa, Benidorm, Jávea), the Costa del Sol in Málaga (Fuengirola, Marbella, Mijas), Murcia and Almería.
• Germans: Mallorca and Tenerife.
• Scandinavians and Dutch: the Costa Blanca, the Costa del Sol and the Canary Islands.
• Moroccans: spread widely, with large communities in Catalonia, Almería, Madrid and Murcia.
• Romanians: Castellón, Valencia, Madrid and Zaragoza.
• Italians: Madrid, Barcelona and the Balearics.
• Latin Americans: Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Málaga.
• Chinese: Madrid and Barcelona.

To see current numbers for a town, look at the national statistics office's yearly tables of the padrón by nationality and municipality.

Finding international schools

Start with the Ministry of Education's national register of schools. You can search it by province and municipality, and it includes foreign and private schools. Each region's education department also has its own school search.

Then narrow down by type:

• British curriculum: the British schools associations list their accredited members.
• International Baccalaureate: use the "Find an IB school" search on the IB website.
• German, French, American and Italian schools: each country runs its own school network in Spain.

Put the addresses on a map to see which schools are near your home. Then ask each school directly about its curriculum, accreditation and free places, because directories can be out of date. Public-school catchment areas are set by each region, so ask the regional education department.

Finding English-speaking services

• Lawyers, doctors and translators: your embassy or consulate website often lists English-speaking ones, sometimes by province. These lists are not endorsements, so check each person yourself.
• Lawyers: each provincial Colegio de Abogados (the local bar association) has a searchable member directory, often with a language filter. Check that the lawyer is registered there, and ask about fees before you start.
• Sworn translators: traductores jurados are listed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. You need one for official documents.
• Health care: regional health services publish guides and offer interpreter or foreign-language options in tourist areas. Many private hospital groups state which languages their doctors speak.
• Local tips: the foreigners' office at your town hall (Extranjería or Atención al Extranjero), expat forums and local expat groups add practical recommendations.

Finding places of worship, associations and shops

• Places of worship: the Ministry of Justice keeps a register of religious entities. The Observatorio del Pluralismo Religioso en España has a map and directory by faith and municipality. The main Protestant, Muslim and Jewish federations publish member lists, and Catholic dioceses list their parishes.
• Community associations: your town hall or region may publish a register of associations, and some hold immigrant-integration directories.
• Specialist food shops: search online maps in your community's own language, and join community websites and groups.
• Cultural associations: your embassy or consulate usually knows those for its nationals.

Registers show only registered bodies. Many small congregations and shops are not listed, and coverage is best in larger cities. If nothing turns up near you, ask people in the community directly.

The questions below cover the rest.

Frequently asked questions

Can I find out which nationalities live in a particular town?

Yes, the INE, Spain's national statistics office, publishes the Padrón (municipal register) by nationality and municipality every year. Use the latest tables to see how many people of your nationality live in a town. Patterns shift from year to year.

How do I check that a lawyer in Spain is properly registered?

Check the lawyer in the member directory of the provincial Colegio de Abogados (bar association), which often has a language filter. Embassy lists of English-speaking lawyers are not endorsements. Ask about fees upfront before you hire anyone.

What if my community has no registered place of worship or shop nearby?

Registers show registered bodies only, so many small congregations and shops are missing. Search maps in the community's own language, and ask your embassy or consulate about cultural associations for your nationals.