Safety, rights, and support
Scams, disputes, emergencies, your rights and where to get help.
- sections
- 4
- topics
- 34
- articles
- 250
- of reading
- 27 hours
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The essential topics in safety, rights, and support, one from each section where there is one. Read these first.
Personal safety and crime
Police and reporting a crime
You will know which police to approach, how to file a report properly, what you get from it and what realistically follows.
Discrimination, minorities, and accessibility
Discrimination law and complaints
You will know what Spanish law protects, whether your residence status limits it, where to complain and what evidence to keep.
Legal help and dispute resolution
Finding and paying for a lawyer
You will know who to hire, what it should cost, what to put in writing and how to escape a bad lawyer relationship.
Crisis planning and support
Emergency numbers and first response
You will know which number to dial, what to say, how to be found, and where official warnings come from before anything goes wrong.
Crisis planning and support
Your household crisis plan
You will leave with a short written plan, a printed card and the right copies in place.
Personal safety and crime
Theft and stolen documents
You will know how theft happens in Spain, how to protect yourself, and exactly what to do and in what order if your phone, wallet or documents are stolen.
Personal safety and crime
Helps you reduce everyday crime risk and respond when it happens.
Keep everyday risk in proportion and respond to crime: realistic risk by place, police forces, reporting, theft, scams and fraud, home and vehicle security, nightlife safety and dealings with police.
Realistic risk by place
You will know which crimes actually matter in Spain, how risk differs by place and household type, and how to check a particular street or town yourself.
How safe is Spain really for people who live there? · What changes in safety advice once Spain is home · How to check how safe a town or neighbourhood really is
Police and reporting a crime
You will know which police to approach, how to file a report properly, what you get from it and what realistically follows.
Who is who among Spain's police forces · Which police to contact for a theft, break-in or other problem · How to report a crime (denuncia) at a police station
Theft and stolen documents
You will know how theft happens in Spain, how to protect yourself, and exactly what to do and in what order if your phone, wallet or documents are stolen.
How pickpockets work in Spain and the habits that stop them · Staying safe with luggage and documents in your first week · Protecting your phone from theft before it happens
Online, phone and payment fraud
You will recognise Spain's common digital scams, protect your accounts and identity, and know exactly what to do and how likely recovery is if you were caught.
Spotting fake bank, Correos, DGT and tax-office messages · Phone calls from a fake bank agent or fake police officer · The 'Mum, my phone broke' WhatsApp scam
Scams aimed at newcomers
You will recognise the scams that most often catch new arrivals in Spain and know how to verify before paying.
The scams new residents in Spain actually meet · Fake rental listings and deposit scams in Spain · Fake gestors, paid appointments and lookalike government websites
Home and vehicle security
You will know the real burglary and vehicle-theft risks in Spain, cheap effective protections, and the exact steps after a break-in.
Protecting your home: doors, locks, window bars (rejas) and alarms · Changing the locks and securing a rented home after you move in · Keeping an empty or second home safe while you are away
Nightlife safety and harassment
You will know how nights out work in Spain, the specific risks (spiking, harassment, crowds), and practical ways to reduce them and respond.
Staying safe on a night out in Spain · Drink and needle spiking (sumisión química): prevention and response · Street harassment and groping: what counts and how to report
Police stops and public-order fines
You will know what to carry and expect at a police stop, which behaviour is fined, and how to respond to a fine or a stop that goes wrong.
Police identity checks: what you must carry and what to expect · Your rights if police stop, search or detain you · What gets you a public-order fine under the Ley de Seguridad Ciudadana
Discrimination, minorities, and accessibility
Helps you protect access and respond to discrimination or accessibility barriers.
Know your rights as a member of a minority or as a disabled person: discrimination law and reporting, hate crime, discrimination at work, in housing and services, religion, LGBTQI rights, disability recognition and…
Discrimination law and complaints
You will know what Spanish law protects, whether your residence status limits it, where to complain and what evidence to keep.
What Spain's equal treatment law (Ley 15/2022) protects · Age, sex, health and language as protected grounds · Do equal treatment rights apply if your papers are pending?
Hate crime and harassment
You will know whether an incident is a hate crime, how to report it, and what to do if the police do not act.
What counts as a hate crime (delito de odio) in Spain · How to report a hate crime and why timing matters · Racist or xenophobic harassment that is not yet a crime
Discrimination at work, home and services
You will know what is unlawful in hiring, workplaces, renting and service refusals, and what to do first.
Discrimination in hiring in Spain and when it is illegal · Unequal pay, promotion or conditions because of who you are · Discriminatory harassment at work and where to complain
Minorities and attitudes to foreigners
You will know what everyday acceptance and prejudice look like in Spain for your background.
How Spaniards treat foreigners and immigrants in practice · How your origin changes how you are treated in Spain · Daily life for Black and other visible minority residents in Spain
Religion and belief
You will know your religious rights and how to handle worship, holidays, burial and community in Spain.
Religious freedom in Spain and what state agreements mean · Finding or opening a place of worship in Spain · Religious holidays, fasting and time off at work in Spain
LGBTQI rights and life
You will know your legal rights as an LGBTQI person or family in Spain and what daily life is like by place.
LGBT and trans rights and protections in Spain · Protection against LGBTphobic discrimination and conversion practices · Marriage and partnership for same-sex couples in Spain
Disability recognition and benefits
You will know how to get or transfer recognised disability status in Spain and what it unlocks.
Disability rights in Spain and what you can actually do · Getting the Spanish disability certificate (certificado de discapacidad) · Reassessment and appeal of your disability degree in Spain
Accessibility and reasonable adjustments
You will know how to find accessible places and demand adjustments at work and in services in Spain.
Reasonable adjustments and when refusing to adapt is discrimination · Employment support for disabled workers in Spain · Accessible housing and your rights over lifts, ramps and adaptations
Support by type of disability
You will know which Spanish organisations and rights fit your type of disability.
Support for wheelchair users and physical disability in Spain · Support for blind and low-vision people with ONCE in Spain · Support for deaf and hard-of-hearing people and Spanish Sign Language
Legal help and dispute resolution
Helps you get legal help and choose the right dispute route.
A lens for legal trouble: choose and pay a lawyer, get legal aid, settle before court, respond to court papers, bring civil claims, appeal general administrative decisions and handle criminal cases. Domain disputes…
Finding and paying for a lawyer
You will know who to hire, what it should cost, what to put in writing and how to escape a bad lawyer relationship.
How to find a trustworthy lawyer (abogado) in Spain · Do you need a lawyer, court agent (procurador) or administrative agent (gestor)? · What a notary (notario) does and when you need one
Free legal aid and advice
You will know whether you can get a lawyer paid by the state, how to apply and where to get free first advice.
Do you qualify for free legal aid (justicia gratuita) as a foreigner? · How to apply for free legal aid and what happens next · What the duty lawyer (abogado de oficio) does for you
Settling a dispute before court
You will know what to try before suing, how to prove it, and how to make a deal stick.
Do you have to try settlement (MASC) before suing in Spain? · How mediation (mediación) works in Spain and what it costs · The burofax: what it proves and how to send one
Court notices and being sued
You will know what the paper is, how long you have, and how to respond without defaulting.
You received a Spanish court notice. What is it and what now? · How court deadlines are counted in Spain (business days and August) · How courts and authorities notify you, and how to spot fake notices
Civil claims, appeals and enforcement
You will understand how a Spanish civil case runs from filing to collecting and what it will cost.
How to start a civil claim in Spain, step by step · Verbal or ordinary civil procedure (juicio verbal or ordinario): what changes? · Which Spanish court handles your case, and how to follow it online
Appealing government decisions
You will know which appeal route applies, by when, and what to do if the authority never answers.
An authority decided against you: which appeal route applies? · The authority never answered: is silence a yes or a no? · You received a fine or sanction notice: how to respond
Facing a criminal case
You will know your rights at each stage, how the process runs and how to get a defence lawyer.
You were called to testify as a suspect (investigado) · How a criminal case runs in Spain from investigation to sentence · Minor offences and fast trials (delitos leves, juicio rápido)
Victim rights in criminal cases
You will know what you are entitled to, how to take part and how to claim compensation.
Your rights as a crime victim in Spain · Should you join the case as a private accuser (acusación particular)? · Claiming damages from the offender inside the criminal case
Crisis planning and support
Helps you have a crisis plan and know where to get help.
A lens for serious disruption: know who to call, keep a household crisis plan, and reach help for consular trouble, violence, child protection, money emergencies and losing your home. Domain processes stay with their…
Emergency numbers and first response
You will know which number to dial, what to say, how to be found, and where official warnings come from before anything goes wrong.
How Spain's 112 emergency number works · Which emergency number to call for what · Getting emergency help when your Spanish isn't enough
Your household crisis plan
You will leave with a short written plan, a printed card and the right copies in place.
Building a simple household crisis plan for Spain · Which documents to copy and where to keep them · Keeping access to money when cards or banks fail
Consular help in Spain
You will know whom to call at your consulate, what to expect, and what it cannot do.
What your embassy or consulate can and can't do for you · Finding your consulate and its out-of-hours number · Help from another EU country's embassy
Domestic violence support
You will know how to get safe, what help exists without reporting first, and that immigration status is not a bar to protection.
Abuse at home: first steps and the 016 helpline · Does Spain's gender-violence law cover my situation? · Abuse victims' rights whatever your immigration status
Sexual violence and exploitation help
You will know where to get medical care, support and specialised help, and what your choices are.
After a sexual assault: crisis centres and the first 72 hours · Sexual violence support for foreigners: language, status and privacy · Intimate images shared without consent or sextortion online
Child protection in Spain
You will understand the system, your rights and duties as a parent, and where children can get help themselves.
How Spain's child protection system works · Child protection as a foreign parent: norms, language and your consulate · Reporting a child at risk in Spain
Social services and emergency aid
You will know how to get an appointment, what aid exists, what to bring and what your status changes.
Getting help from social services (servicios sociales) · What happens at a social services assessment (valoración) · Emergency financial aid (ayudas de emergencia social)
Homelessness and emergency shelter
You will know where to go tonight, what to ask for and what comes after.
Nowhere to sleep tonight: how to find a bed in Spain · Getting into a shelter as a family, woman, couple or non-resident · Sleeping rough: day centres, showers, health care and safety
Support networks and NGOs
You will know who helps with what, how to reach a local office, and how to judge who to trust.
Who helps whom: the main NGOs and charities in Spain · Finding NGO and charity offices near you · Expat associations, community groups and faith networks
Related subjects
Questions in safety, rights, and support usually lead into these.
Healthcare and insurance
Public and private care, health cover, and insurance for your life in Spain.
Immigration and residency
Visas, residence permits, the route that fits you, and keeping your status.
Daily life and culture
Routines, food, local customs, holidays, transport and getting around.
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.