First, Happy New Year’s! You survived the grapes. Now let’s get this year started!

The first two weeks of January are the quietest period in Spanish administrative life. Most people don't know this. Fewer use it.

Here's why it matters: the thing you've been putting off since October is easier to do right now than it will be for the rest of the year.

Spanish families are recovering from Christmas and Three Kings Day (January 6th). School doesn't resume until the 8th in most of Andalucía. Many offices reopened yesterday with skeleton staff and empty waiting rooms.

The cita previa — advance appointment — slots that showed "no availability" in November? Check again. The extranjería — immigration office — in Málaga that had eight-week waits? Some are now showing appointments within days. The bank branch where you waited 45 minutes in September? Walk-in service with no queue.

This window closes around January 15th when everyday life resumes. You have roughly ten working days.

If you've been avoiding the bank: January mornings are dead. Sabadell's Marbella branch on Avenida Ricardo Soriano typically has three people waiting by 9 am in high season. This week, expect zero. If you need to update documents, add a beneficiary, or finally get that standing order fixed, go on Monday.

If your TIE — residence card — renewal is coming: The extranjería offices in Málaga province process renewals faster in Q1. Book your cita previa now for late January or February. Waiting until March means competing with everyone else who waited.

If you need a certificado de empadronamiento — proof of address registration: Town halls are processing same-day in most Costa del Sol municipalities this week. Mijas, Estepona, and Benalmádena all report minimal queues. Marbella's main office on Plaza de los Naranjos opens at 9 am.

If your gestor — administrative agent — owes you answers: They're back but not yet buried. This is the week to get the meeting you couldn't schedule in December. Call Monday morning.

Government offices will be open on January 2nd. Private businesses mostly reopen on January 7th. That gives you three working days (Friday the 2nd, Monday the 5th, and Tuesday the 6th) where banks, town halls, and administrative offices are open but the general population is still on holiday.

If you can take a morning off work, this is the morning to take it.

Hacienda: The tax office is technically open but running on minimal capacity until mid-January. Unless something is urgent, wait.

Notaries: Most are closed until January 7th or later. Property transactions and powers of attorney can wait.

Traffic office (DGT): Open, but the distintivo ambiental — environmental badge — you ordered online will arrive faster than if you visited in person. Don't waste the window here.

When you arrive at a quiet office, confirm they can help you:

¿Atienden sin cita hoy? — Are you taking walk-ins today?

If they ask you to wait:

¿Cuánto tiempo aproximadamente? — Roughly how long?

Ten working days of empty waiting rooms. The task you've been avoiding since October takes 20 minutes this week and two hours in March. Pick one thing, do it Monday.

Enjoy the weekend — A

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