THE WAYPOINT SUR

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The question nobody answers cleanly

Post asking about Modelo 720 — foreign asset declaration — obligations in any Costa del Sol expat group, and three people will say you need to file, two will say the law was struck down, and one will link to an article from 2019. Nobody will mention that penalties were restructured (not eliminated) after the EU Court of Justice ruled against Spain in January 2022, with fines now capped at €20,000 and a four-year statute of limitations. (Confirmed February 2026)

The information exists. It is scattered across platforms, in threads that move faster than anyone can follow, and in government PDFs written in a Spanish register that even native speakers find impenetrable.

What we keep hearing

Since October, you have told us things. In replies. In messages that started with "quick question" and lasted 45 minutes. In forwarded newsletters with a note saying, "My friend needs this."

The pattern is consistent. The problem is rarely the system itself. Spain's healthcare is competent. The tax framework is navigable. The bureaucracy works, slowly, but it works.

The problem is the space between the system and the person trying to use it. The phone call in Spanish to Salud Responde — Andalucía's 24-hour health line (955 54 50 60). The letter from the tax agency that sits unopened because not knowing feels safer than misunderstanding. The gestor — tax advisor/accountant — who files your quarterly modelo 303 — VAT return — without ever explaining what it contains.

One reader put it cleanly: "I am competent in every other area of my life. Here, I feel like a child."

Five questions. Two minutes.

We have been in your inbox since October. Seventy-four newsletters, no sales pitch, no paywall. This is the first time we are asking for something back.

We are building tools to bridge the gap between the system and real life: healthcare navigation with a Spanish-speaking professional who handles calls and bookings, reference guides you can trust (starting with public healthcare access in Spain), and a vetted directory of professionals we have personally vetted.

Before we go further, we need to hear from you. The list is still small enough that your individual answers change what we do next.

Take the survey

Five questions, no name required, under two minutes. You'll see how your experience compares to other expats on the Costa when we publish the results.

If the answers say healthcare navigation matters most, we accelerate the pilot. If a vetted directory wins, we shift resources. If something we have not considered comes up, we listen.

The survey closes Friday, February 21st. We will share what we learned the following week.

Spanish-lite: When you need information

Three phrases worth keeping on your phone for any government office or reception desk.

Asking about your file: Necesito información sobre mi expediente, por favor — I need information about my file, please

When the answer is not in English: ¿Tiene esta información por escrito? — Do you have this in writing?

If they talk fast: ¿Puede repetirlo más despacio, por favor? — Can you repeat that more slowly, please?

All three work at the extranjería — immigration office, your centro de salud — local health centre, or any oficina de atención al ciudadano — citizen services office. Having it in writing means you can translate at your own pace. The phrase "slowdown" gives you time without losing face.