Language rights with officials and shops
You know that Spanish remains valid, what to expect in offices, shops and clinics and how to ask politely for Spanish or translation.
Moving to a region with its own language can feel like a risk to your paperwork. This topic explains what the law does and does not require, which language you can use and will get from regional administrations, shops, banks, health services and signs, and what to do when someone insists on the…
Pick the article that fits your situation
You need not speak a regional language, but may use it
Explains why living in Spain never obliges you to learn Catalan, Valencian, Basque, Galician or another regional language, while you keep the right to use it. Written for newcomers settling in any region, including those thinking about work in public service.
Town halls and health services in Catalonia and Valencia
In Catalonia, Valencia and the Balearics you can deal with town halls and health services in Spanish. This page explains what language to expect on forms, websites and from staff, and what to do if something arrives only in Catalan or Valencian.
Town halls and health services in the Basque Country, Galicia and Navarre
In the Basque Country, Galicia and Navarre you can deal with officials in Spanish or in the regional language. This page explains what to expect from town halls, regional offices and forms, and how Navarre's language zones change things. It is for newcomers using local services.
Shops, banks and contracts: which language you are entitled to
Explains which language you can expect from shops, banks and other businesses in regions with two official languages, and what to do if you are refused service or documents in Spanish. Written for newcomers living in or visiting Catalonia, the Basque Country, Galicia and similar regions.
Health services, transport and street signs in the regional language
In regions with their own official language, signs often show only the regional place name, and health services work in both languages. This page helps newcomers know what is official, what to expect at the clinic and on the road, and why a name may look unfamiliar.
What to do when someone insists on the regional language
If a public office in a region with its own language insists on using it, you can ask for Spanish or a translation. This page explains how firm that right is and gives calm steps and complaint routes for newcomers.
About this topic
It is for anyone considering, planning or carrying out a move to Spain. After reading, you will know that Spanish remains valid, what to expect in offices, shops and clinics, and how to ask politely for Spanish or a translation.
Start with "You need not speak a regional language, but may use it". It sets out the basic rule that everything else builds on. Then pick the page for your situation: town halls and health services in Catalonia and Valencia, or in the Basque Country, Galicia and Navarre; shops, banks and contracts; health services, transport and street signs; and what to do when someone insists on the regional language.
Key rules
- Notice deadlines: Deadlines on an official notice normally run from delivery even if it arrives only in a regional language, so ask for a Spanish version promptly and do not wait for it before acting.
- Spanish is valid: Spanish is official everywhere in Spain, so you can always use it with officials, and no resident has to know a regional language.
- Your right: You can choose Spanish or the regional language when dealing with the administration, and it must answer in the one you chose.
- Defaults: Regional sites and first letters often come in Catalan or Valencian, while national sites default to Spanish.
- Right to Spanish: In all three communities you can always choose Spanish with the administration.
- Navarre zones: Your language rights in Navarre depend on whether your town is in the Basque-speaking, mixed or non-Basque-speaking zone.
Language rights with officials and shops: questions that cross several articles
Can I ask for a Spanish version of a document written in a regional language, and is it free?
Yes, you can ask the administration for a Spanish version of a document written in a co-official language, and you pay nothing for it when you ask for it as an interested party. Deadlines on a notice normally run from delivery, so ask promptly and do not wait for the translation before acting. Read "What to do when someone insists on the regional language" and "Town halls and health services in Catalonia and Valencia" next.
Where can I complain if an office refuses to serve me in Spanish?
Start with the office's own complaints service, then go to the regional ombudsman, such as the Síndic de Greuges in Catalonia or the Ararteko in the Basque Country. The national Defensor del Pueblo can also take complaints, and court action comes last, after an administrative appeal. "What to do when someone insists on the regional language" explains how to ask politely first.
Which language will town halls use by default in Catalonia, Valencia and the Balearics?
Offices there often use Catalan or Valencian by default, especially on first letters and forms, but you can choose Spanish and the office must answer in the language you choose. Many documents are bilingual. See "Town halls and health services in Catalonia and Valencia" for what to expect in practice.
Can I choose Spanish with administrations in the Basque Country, Galicia and Navarre?
Yes, you can always choose Spanish in the Basque Country and Galicia, where both languages are official. In Navarre, Basque is co-official only in its Basque-speaking areas, and Spanish is official throughout. Service in Basque depends on the post, so some offices offer it more than others. Read "Town halls and health services in the Basque Country, Galicia and Navarre" next.
Explore places
Where you live changes the details. See how Spanish regions and cities compare on rent, jobs, weather, safety and healthcare.
What to read next
More in Regional and co-official languages
Where regional languages apply
You can name the language that is official where you will live, judge how visible it is in your town and avoid the common naming mix-ups.
How much regional language to learn
You can decide, for your place and situation, between ignoring the regional language, understanding it, using courtesy words or aiming for working level.
Regional language certificates
You can pick the right certificate for your region and goal, register for it and check it will be accepted before you pay.
Also in Language and integration
Need certainty before you act?
For important relocation decisions, speak with a qualified human specialist.
Always verify important information with the relevant official authority or a qualified adviser before acting. This website uses large language models together with various public data sources, official government documents and other established sources. Due to the amount of data on this website, some information might be wrong. Information may also be incomplete or outdated.