The office will be closed between 02-02-2024 and 11-02-2024 due to vacations.
Check your insurance documents for the emergency numbers.
Vérifiez vos documents d'assurance pour les numéros d'urgence.
Check your insurance documents for the emergency numbers.
Regards
Salutations
Kind regards
Segurantis - Expatgestoria
The green card, also known as the International Insurance Certificate or CIS certificate, is a document that proves car insurance abroad. Previously, it was mandatory to carry the physical green card when driving in many European countries.
However, regulations can change, and there was discussion within the EU to remove the requirement to carry a physical green card as electronic systems become more sophisticated and information is more easily accessible.
At the time of writing, the CIS certificate is still a useful document to have with you when traveling through Europe, even if it is not always strictly necessary. After all, it shows that you are insured and can reduce any discussions or problems at a traffic stop or after an accident.
If you are going to travel abroad with your car with Spanish plates, do not forget to ask us for your international certificate. The insurance companies are more and more strict with the provision of this document and they hardly give it for a period longer than 3 months. This is to avoid insurance fraud, as you are not supposed to drive your Spanish car abroad continuously unless it is for professional reasons and the vehicle is registered as a professional vehicle.
If you are leaving for abroad, ask us for the CIS certificate a few days in advance. We will provide you with it free of charge in paper or digital version.
If you come to settle in Spain you will have to follow a number of laws, at least if you want to be in order. A general rule that applies within the EU, where there is free movement of people, is that you are considered a tax resident in a country if you stay there for more than 183 + 1 days. You will not be notified or invited of this, it is a given, a status. This tax status means that the country in which you reside can demand that you pay taxes to them because you reside in that country the most (roughly; by your presence you tax that country and there is something in return).
Another form of residency is the European Residence Card, proof of entry in the register of European citizens - "Certificado de registro de ciudadano de la Unión Europea." This is the "green residency card" which was also previously simply an A-4 document with a green background. Fiscal residency and the European residence card often go together. One must apply for this status and depending on how you wish to settle in Spain (retired, active, inactive, benefit recipient, etc.) you will have to meet other administrative requirements.
Finally, there is a certificate of tax residency. This subject is less known and it is mostly residents in Spain who come into contact with it. The certificate of fiscal residency is what a resident needs, for example, if he or she wishes to sell a property in Spain (a property registered in your name) and avoid the 3% retention. So with this attestation you avoid the 3% retention that non-residents have to pay on a sale. Even if you have the green card and you have lived in Spain for more than 6 months you will still have to request this at testation when selling a property in Spain.
Important note, de Padron - empadronamiento - el certificdo de empadronamiento colectivo, is a certificate of registration in the municipality and says nothing at all about your residency. By being registered in the municipality of Spain says nothing about your fiscal, legal status wherever you are considered resident.
Annually, residents residing in Spain will have to file their personal income tax return in Spain. This is an obligation for anyone living, working or retired in Spain. If you receive any kind of income inside or outside Spain, you will have to declare this income and depending on the amount of that income (pension, benefits, income from work or from an activity, ...) you will have to pay tax on it or not.
We annually take care of the file of residents in Spain and often receive the question or remark, especially from Belgian pensioners and benefit recipients, that they are shocked that they already have to pay tax in the first place and secondly about the amount of their tax due. This does not apply to retired civil servants because they remain taxed at source in the country where they did their career. But all other pensions and benefits are subject to the Spanish system.
The reason is actually quite simple, the Belgian pension and/or benefits for the disabled and long-term sick are among the highest within the EU. In Spain, according to the SMI - Salario Mínimo Interprofesional - more than 60% of pensioners receive less than the legal minimum pension of 1,000 euros every month, of which more than 10% even receive less than 500 euros. In many cases, it is a question of having worked for 38 years. To this should be added the fact that often the wife of a retired couple in Spain receives nothing or a pittance in the total sum.
Perhaps a message to those residents who are dissatisfied each year with their tax returns in Spain and their tax owed and yet take a moment to reflect on this fact. More than half of Spanish pensioners do not get by on their "small" monthly pension. If you find it unjust that Spanish pensioners are paid well below the legal minimum, you can help this group by making a donation. For more information please contact us. Go to the contact form and mention your desire to make a donation. We will then contact you.
In this article we explain the usefulness of a will in Spain. It is a fact that in every country where you have property, for example, you should check what the rules are regarding inheritance law. Each country has its own laws and it may well be that they are totally different from what you are used to in your home country. Make sure that you are well informed in order to avoid unpleasant surprises for you or your partner.
It is a fact that a will in Spain facilitates matters and the process in the event of death. This is what experience has taught us so far. It is not an obligation to draw up this notarial formality but it can avoid many headaches afterwards. With a will you ensure at least that the Spanish authorities, in the event of your death, immediately know to whom and according to which law the assets must be distributed. You will also prevent Spain from imposing its regulation of the succession just like that and from third parties suddenly interfering in the distribution process.
After all, within the European Union and as a European, you have the right to choose to have your last will done according to the law of your country of birth. There are also agreements between non-EU countries and the EU. Here the EU allows you to choose how your succession is arranged - as long as they are not in conflict with the law. This legal formality is subject to frequent changes and these changes are mainly to the advantage of the testator (the one who has the will drawn up).
An example is the choice of the testator to use the term Longest living heir in Belgium (notarial act of the will) whereby the designated heirs have a free choice of disposal. This is something that is not common in Spain and that just goes to show the importance of a well-balanced will. You would not want a relative to suddenly appear on your doorstep in Spain and claim a share of the usufruct (?!).
A properly completed will is therefore clearly a must if you want you and your partner to be able to enjoy your Spanish property carefree. How Segurantis does this together with you is as follows. We always check what your marriage regime is or your cohabitation contract and whether you have already made a will in your country of residence. Based on this information and the questionnaire we send you, we make an outline of the will which we then go over with you.
The will is always drawn up in Spanish, but you have the option of choosing an additional language to translate the Spanish version. An interpreter must always be present who will explain certain items in the will to the testators at the request of the notary so that everything is clear before signing. The original version of the will is registered in Madrid and will also be kept there. The testators are given a copy of the original.
The prices for drawing up a will vary enormously. A little market research will quickly show you these differences. There are Asesoria 's who easily charge 300 to 500 euros per person for this and that is a bit too much. Of course, the content and quantity must be taken into account, but a standard will of about 5 pages varies between 100 and 200 euros per person, which is a market-based price. This sum also usually includes the interpreter. The notary fee for the registration of the will varies between 50 and 70 Euros (depending on the number of pages to be registered).
If you wish to draw up a will, please do not hesitate to contact Segurantis for an appointment at the office, by telephone or via chat. We can be reached at 0034 865 75 95 75 or via email info@segurantis.com.
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Purchase assistance means that an external party is involved that is completely independent of the selling party and can work objectively on behalf of the candidate buyer.
Especially in countries where you do not speak the language, an external party that takes care of this task is not an unwise choice. A purchase in another country comes with different customs and different rules and laws. A party that engages a lawyer for you in this process immediately covers you against legal errors and takes responsibility to a higher level.
Always be careful with sellers who offer you this service "for free" or who have their "own people" who offer this service for them. Always look critically at the situation and think who benefits the most when the sale goes through... be careful to dance with the devil's advocate.
The code of conduct or deontology of a good estate agent should give you, from the moment you have decided to buy, a choice of 3 to 4 agencies that could organise the purchase assistance for you as a buyer. But it is best to do your own research into references and experiences of people who have already bought in Spain.
Be wary of comments from others that say this service is unnecessary. Think about the consequences of an error or mistakes that could happen during a purchase. Is the person who prevented you from having proper legal assistance going to help you resolvethe mistake? Let alone the defects that occur after the purchase, often at the first heavy rainfall in Spain the new owners get the bill immediately.
A golden tip should you go into the legal battle yourself without guidance keep in mind that everything that is said and promised to you should be immortalized immediately by putting it in writing and signed by the parties involved. Otherwise it is guaranteed Talk for the often.
Send us an email or give us a call so we can have an exploratory meeting first. In this meeting we will inform you about all the preparatory steps so that you can start your new adventure well prepared.
Would you like a safe place for your keys of your home or car when you're not in Spain or just an extra set if you lose your keys then this can be in our office. Our office has a secure storage room with camera surveillance and is fully equipped with an alarm system. The Guardia Civil, with whom we also cooperate, is located less than 30 meters from our office.
Keeping your duplicates in custody for 49 euros a year. This is significantly cheaper than at the competition.
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We also offer our customers the possibility to use our postal services. Both a standard postal service and a mailbox for important shipments as well as a parcel service for pick-up and shipment. Would you like to keep your keys safe then we have a solution for you.
Thanks to its infrastructure, Segurantis offers you the possibility of acting as a post office box or collection centre. This means you don't have to use community mailboxes, which often lack privacy and punctuality.
You can use our office as an official postal address for your correspondence. We work with the national postal service and our address is included in their records as a collection point. This is easy if you know that your current address has problems with postal delivery and/or if you prefer your Spanish address to remain discreet .
Your own postal address for 49 euros per year. This is cheaper than the postal service charges and with us you avoid long queues.
If you regularly receive urgent or important mail , we can provide you with a PO box directly at the local post office so you can send your correspondence to this secure address. For example, deeds and certificates or other urgent documents.
Your own priority mail address for 79 euros a year. You avoid long queues and are sure that your mail arrives correctly and safely.
You can use our office as an official postal address to pick up your parcels. We work together with the national postal service, Amazon, DHL, ... and our address is included in their registers. This is easy if you know that your current address has problems with the postal delivery and/or if you prefer that your Spanish address remains discrete.
Your own Pickup Point + Normal mail address for correspondence for 129 euros per year. This is about the same rate the postal service charges for you and with us you avoid long queues.
Go to the overview of our services.