Don't Be The Person Queuing Twice — Thursday, the 6th of November

Plain-English guidance for retirees and snowbirds on the Coast—residency, healthcare, licences, and where to eat when you need to hear yourself think.

Here's what we see every week: Someone books a driving licence appointment before getting their padrón — town-hall census registration — and gets sent away. Or they try to register for healthcare without proof of address. Then they queue again. Same forms. Same questions. Different day. Here's the order that works:

1) Padrón First

This is your proof of residence. You need it for everything else. Book a cita previa — appointment — at your town hall (ayuntamiento).

Bring: Passport, NIE (if you have it), proof of address (rental contract or utility bill).
Ask for: Certificado de empadronamiento (printed certificate).
Timeline: Typically, a same-day certificate is issued; however, some offices may take 1-3 days.

Spanish-lite for the desk:
"Quisiera pedir cita para el padrón." — I'd like to book a town-hall registration appointment.

2) Healthcare Registration Second

Now you can get your tarjeta sanitaria — health card — (if you qualify) or confirm your private policy covers GPs here.

Bring: Passport, NIE, padrón certificate.
Ask: "¿Podemos tramitar la tarjeta sanitaria aquí?" — Can we process the health card here?

Some clinics want the padrón first. Others will accept private insurance as their primary coverage. Sort both paths now; you'll have options later.

3) Driving Licence Exchange Third

Don't book this until you have completed steps 1 and 2. The DGT (traffic authority) often requests padrón and sometimes proof of healthcare.

Bring: Current UK/EU licence, passport, NIE, padrón certificate, ID photos, and payment method.
Timeline: 4-8 weeks for the new Spanish licence to arrive.

Reply 'admin guide' for the one-page checklist with exact document requirements for Málaga, Marbella, Estepona, and Mijas. We'll send screenshots of the forms and the phone numbers that actually pick up.

You don't need a PhD in SEPA regulations. You need one local account and one cross-border account. Here's how:

1) Open one Spanish (ES) IBAN account for local bills—utilities, community fees, insurance. Some providers insist on ES IBANs even though EU law says they shouldn't. Easier to comply than fight.

2) Keep your UK/US account for pension/income deposits. Use Wise or a low-fee provider to move money once a month at a reasonable rate. Don't trickle it across at whatever rate your bank feels like that day.

3) Set up direct debits now. Put everything on autopay before mid-December when offices downshift for the holidays.

Reply 'bank intro' and tell us your town. We'll introduce you to an English-capable branch manager who handles foreign income smoothly.

Tell us: 'Intro: gestor' (for paperwork help), 'Intro: bank' (branch manager), or 'Intro: clinic' (English-capable GP).

We'll introduce you to two vetted options. Licensed. Insured. Responsive. We verify their credentials, trial first intros, and rotate out poor fits. Your details stay private—one-to-one intros only, no broadcast lists.

Tell us what you need and we'll introduce you to two vetted options. Licensed. Insured. Responsive. Discreet. We verify, trial, and rotate out poor fits.

Clear labelling if a partner also sponsors us (rare; we disclose it). That's the Black Book promise.

Plain-English guidance to land, settle, and thrive on Spain's Costa del Sol—homes, schools, healthcare, visas, taxes, work, and daily life.

See you on the paseo,
— A. and the slightly sober WayPoint Sur crew

Made mostly under the Costa del Sol sun.
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