PRACTICALITIES

Currency

euro (EUR)

Official languages

Castilian Spanish; Catalan, Galician and Basque are official regionally

Time

GMT + 1

Calling code

+34

Area codes

Barcelona: 3, Madrid: 1, Seville: 95, Cordoba: 957, Malaga: 95, Valencia: 96, Saragossa: 976, Bilbao: 94

Internet TLD

.es

Shopping

Generally stores are open Monday–Saturday from 9am to 8pm in winter season. In summer season shops are open even to 8.30 or 9pm. Smaller shops often take a siesta between 1:30pm and 4:30pm. Shopping malls are open from 10am to 10pm Monday–Saturday. In December shopping malls are open also on Sundays.

National holidays

New Year’s Day		January 1
Epiphany		January 6
Easter		movable feast
Labour Day		May 1
Assumption Day		August 15
Hispanic Day		October 12
All Saints Day		November 1
Constitution Day		December 6
Day of the Imaculate Conception		December 8
Christmas		December 25 & 26

National dish

Paella – a rice (or pasta) dish with shellfish, chicken and vegetables
Tortilla de patatas – an egg omelette with potatoes
Gazpacho – a cold soup made of tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, peppers and herbs
Arroz con leche – a typical Spanish dessert, ‘rice with milk’ made with sugar and lemon peel
Churros – a Spanish doughnut
Fabada – a bean stew made of pork, sausage, saffron and white beans

Electricity

Spain’s electricity runs on 220V/50Hz.

Passport/Visa

European Union, US, Canadian and Australian citizens do not need visa nor return ticket for entry into Spain. Only a valid passport is required. Citizens of EU need only a valid national ID Card.

Useful Numbers

Emergency: 112
Hospital Emergencies: 061
National Police: 091
Local Police: 092
Civil Guard: 062
Fire Brigade - Madrid: 91 588 91 11, Barcelona: 93 291 53 53, Ibiza: 97 131 30 30, San Antonio: 97 132 26 61