THE WAYPOINT SUR
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This week on WaypointSur
The Gibraltar border disappears on April 10. And gets more complicated.
The physical fence at La Línea de la Concepción comes down on April 10. Schengen-style movement replaces the daily queue. What replaces it: a 15% transaction tax on goods above €300, banking rules that haven't been clarified, and a treaty that no parliament has read in full. If you cross for shopping, prescriptions, or banking, the calculus changes.
[Read the full edition →] https://waypointsur.com/p/the-fence-comes-down-the-rules-go-up
300 potholes on the A-7. No repair plan. One legal claim almost nobody files.
Estepona's mayor wrote formally to the Transport Minister demanding action. The minister's response: no project, no budget, routine maintenance only. What the minister didn't advertise: under Spanish law, you can claim compensation directly from the Ministry when their road damages your vehicle. The process is free. The window is one year from the damage date. Most drivers on the Costa don't know it exists.
[Read the full edition →]https://waypointsur.com/p/300-potholes-no-repair-plan-one-legal-claim
Which healthcare system are you actually on?
The doctors' strike cancelled 200,000 appointments across Andalucía last week. The people least affected weren't those with the best SAS coverage. They were the ones who had stopped relying on SAS at all. The strike clarified something that was always true and rarely acknowledged: the Costa del Sol runs on two parallel healthcare systems. Which one you're actually on shapes everything from appointment wait times to what happens if something goes wrong.
[Read the full edition →]https://waypointsur.com/p/cancelled-appointments-everywhere-but-only-on-one-healthcare-system-which-one-are-you-on
March is the quiet window before the Costa gets expensive again
Semana Santa — Holy Week — starts March 29. Domestic tourists arrive from Madrid, short-term rental competition picks up, and the property market gets busier. The Modelo 720 foreign asset declaration deadline is March 31. A few financial decisions are easier to make before the noise starts. Today's edition covers what those are.
[Read the full edition →] https://waypointsur.com/p/march-is-the-window-here-s-what-to-do-before-it-closes
Three guides worth bookmarking this month
The stories above connect to three practical guides on guides.waypointsur.com:
Tax Residency in Spain: Beyond the 183-Day Myth. The three tests that determine whether you're a tax resident, the Modelo 720 foreign asset declaration, Beckham Law eligibility, and common audit triggers. Relevant if the Gibraltar banking situation or the March 31 deadline applies to you.
Spain Expat Tax Deadlines 2026: Every filing deadline in one place: Modelo 720 (March 31), Renta campaign (April 8 - June 30), IVA quarterlies, and autónomo contributions. Bookmark and share with your gestor.
Healthcare in Spain: Complete Guide 2026 SAS referral chains, private insurance options, what the doctors' strike revealed about who has access to what, and how to navigate both systems.
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