Key facts
Spain is a member state of the European Union located in Southern Europe. There are 5 countries (Andorra, France, Gibraltar, Morocco, Portugal) that Spain shares its borders with. As for languages, the country’s residents speak Spanish, Basque, Catalan, Galician and Occitan. Unfortunately, if you speak English, it might be problematic to communicate fluently unless you know Spanish.
In the EF English Competency Index (EF EPI), which assesses the language proficiency of non-native speaking countries, Spain was ranked 33rd out of 100 countries in 2021.
The national currency in Spain is Euro (EUR). The euro (€) is subdivided into 100 cent (c).
With today’s currency rate, 1 USD is worth 0.92 EUR.
Spanish
Banknotes
€5€10€20€50€100€200€500
Spanish
Coins
€1€25c10c20c50c1c2c
Check with your bank before your trip to find out if there are any fees for using your card abroad. Some banks do not charge fees when you use a foreign ATM or pay in foreign currency, but others may charge a fixed cost for each transaction or allow a limited number of free withdrawals. The travel card provided by Wise.com, Revolut or Monose might be an excellent option to cut down on transaction fees.
Ookla® Speedtest The average fixed internet speed in Spain is 270 Mbps and mobile is 106 Mbs.The global average is 171.07 Mbps and 126.25 Mbps respectively.
ATM Density Spain has more ATMs than most other countries.96.54 ATMs per 100,000 people.The global average is 39.49.
SIM Registration In order to purchase a SIM card in Spain, a passport or ID is required as identification.
Socket types
There are 2 socket types used in Spain. Type C is a popular socket type throughout Europe (except the United Kingdom), Russia, and certain Asian countries.
The sockets’ shapes and voltage differ from country to country and a travel plug adapter may be required. Portable devices, such as phones, notebooks or tablets, usually handle the entire range of voltages used across the world (110-240V).
Public holidays
In the year 2023, Spain will celebrate 10 national public holidays. Furthermore, there are 24 holidays that are only celebrated in certain parts of Spain. The next one Constitution Day will take place on December 6.
| Date | Holiday name | |
|---|---|---|
| January 1, 2023 | New Year’s DayAño Nuevo | |
| January 2, 2023 | New Year’s DayAño Nuevo | Regional holiday |
| January 6, 2023 | EpiphanyDía de Reyes / Epifanía del Señor | |
| February 21, 2023 | Carnival TuesdayMartes de Carnaval | Regional holiday |
| February 28, 2023 | Day of AndalucíaDía de Andalucía | Regional holiday |
| March 1, 2023 | Day of the Balearic IslandsDia de les Illes Balears | Regional holiday |
| March 20, 2023 | St. Joseph’s DaySan José | Regional holiday |
| April 6, 2023Moving holiday | Maundy ThursdayJueves Santo | Regional holiday |
| April 7, 2023Moving holiday | Good FridayViernes Santo | |
| April 10, 2023Moving holiday | Easter MondayLunes de Pascua | Regional holiday |
| April 24, 2023 | Day of AragónSan Jorge (Día de Aragón) | Regional holiday |
| May 1, 2023 | Labour DayFiesta del trabajo | |
| May 2, 2023Moving holiday | Day of MadridFiesta de la Comunidad de Madrid | Regional holiday |
| May 17, 2023 | Galician Literature DayDía das Letras Galegas | Regional holiday |
| May 30, 2023 | Day of the Canary IslandsDía de Canarias | Regional holiday |
| May 31, 2023 | Day of Castilla-La ManchaDía de la Región Castilla-La Mancha | Regional holiday |
| June 8, 2023Moving holiday | Corpus ChristiCorpus Christi | Regional holiday |
| June 9, 2023 | Day of MurciaDía de la Región de Murcia | Regional holiday |
| June 24, 2023 | St. John’s DaySant Joan | Regional holiday |
| July 25, 2023 | Santiago ApóstolSantiago Apóstol | Regional holiday |
| July 28, 2023 | Day of the Cantabrian InstitutionsDía de las Instituciones de Cantabria | Regional holiday |
| August 15, 2023Moving holiday | AssumptionAsunción | |
| September 8, 2023 | Day of ExtremaduraDía de Extremadura | Regional holiday |
| September 11, 2023 | National Day of CataloniaDiada Nacional de Catalunya | Regional holiday |
| September 15, 2023 | Regional HolidayLa Bien Aparecida | Regional holiday |
| October 9, 2023 | Day of the Valencian CommunityDia de la Comunitat Valenciana | Regional holiday |
| October 12, 2023 | Fiesta Nacional de EspañaFiesta Nacional de España | |
| November 1, 2023 | All Saints DayDía de todos los Santos | |
| December 6, 2023 | Constitution DayDía de la Constitución | |
| December 8, 2023 | Immaculate ConceptionInmaculada Concepción | |
| December 25, 2023 | Christmas DayNavidad | |
| December 26, 2023 | St. Stephen’s DaySant Esteve | Regional holiday |
Sources
- EF English Proficiency Index (EF Education First)
- Speedtest Global Index® (Ookla®)
- Automated teller machines (ATMs) (per 100,000 adults) (The World Bank Group)
- Registration Policies Per Country (Prepaid Data SIM Card Wiki)
Tourism
What hotel chains are present in Spain?
There are Mariott hotels in 2 cities: Denia and Madrid.
The Hilton hotel chain operates in Spain.
The IHG hotel chain operates in Spain.
The Best Western hotel chain operates in Spain.
There are Radisson hotels in 5 cities.
The Accor hotel chain operates in Spain.
What fast food chains are present in Spain?
The McDonald’s chain operates in Spain.
The KFC chain operates in Spain.
The Burger King chain operates in Spain.
The Subway chain operates in Spain.
The Domino’s Pizza chain operates in Spain.
The Starbucks chain operates in Spain.
Sources
- Country by National Dish (Samson Daniel)
Weather
What is the weather like in Madrid?
Weather data for Madrid (capital city) by Open-Meteo.com
Transport
Railways There are passenger trains , and some of them are high-speed trains.
Subway Systems The subway system is available in Barcelona, Bilbao, Madrid.
Sources
- List of high-speed railway lines (Wikipedia)
- List of metro systems (Wikipedia)
- Left- and right-hand traffic (Wikipedia)
- The Global Enabling Trade Report 2016: Road connectivity (World Economic Forum)
Safety
Emergency phones in Spain
Sources
- Spain Travel Advisory (United States: Department of State)
- Travel Advice for Spain (United Kingdom: The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office)
- Mortality caused by road traffic injury (The World Bank Group)
- Corruption & Economic Crime (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
Smoking & Alcohol
Smoking ban Smoking is forbidden in all public indoor locations, with limited exceptions.
Cananbis legality Recreational usage is decriminalized, and medical use is legal in certain circumstances.
The products are only for your own use or consumption, or as a present for members of your household. They may not be imported for commercial purposes under any circumstances.
Alcohol allowance
Travellers from EU countries:
- 90L of still wine (60L of sparkling wine)
- 110L of beer
- 10L of alcoholic beverages stronger than 22%
- 20L of fortified or sparkling wine or other liqueurs up to 22%.
Travellers from non-EU countries:
- 4L of wine
- 16L of beer
- 1L of spirits over 22% volume or 2L of alcoholic beverages less than 22% volume
Tobacco allowance
Travellers from EU countries:
- 800 cigarettes or 400 cigarillos or 200 cigars or 1kg of tobacco
Travellers from non-EU countries:
- 200 cigarettes or 100 cigarillos or 50 cigars or 250g of tobacco
Sources
- Alcohol, tobacco, cash and excise duties (europa.eu)
- List of smoking bans (Wikipedia)
- Legality of cannabis (Wikipedia)