News

The importance of having a funeral plan in Spain

You’ve just got your residency, you’re excited and looking forward to your new life in Spain, so it’s hard to think about the realities of what comes next. Still, the truth is that residency is only the start of your journey, and there are other things you have to put in place once you start…

Tyres and passing the ITV: Upsticks top tips on all things tyres

Tyres are one of the most scrutinized aspects of the ITV inspection. Here are Upsticks top tips on what the technicians are looking for and how to avoid a fail. General condition of tyres AND rims, visual check The first thing on the list is a visual check of the tyres and the rims. A…

Driving in Spain – what is IVTM road tax?

If you own any sort of vehicle (van, car, motorcycle etc) that’s going to be driving around on Spanish roads, you’ll need to pay IVTM. What is IVTM? Known in Spain by the catchy title of “Impuesto Sobre Vehículos de Tracción Mecánica”, thankfully shortened to IVTM, it’s the equivalent of the UK’s Road Fund Licence…

What is a swallow?

A swallow, a beautiful migrating bird that spends the winter in one country and summer in another. These are pretty birds, with colourful plumage and are voracious consumers of pesky insects, from moths to mosquitos. “Swallow” is also a term used for people, those who migrate south for a warmer winter and return home with…

Halloween in Spain – Witches, Saints and honouring the dead

The origins of Halloween go back centuries, and Halloween in Spain is a real mixture of the traditional and modern. From trick or treaters, costume parties, zombie theatre to family gatherings at the local cemetery and church services to honour the lives of loved ones. ”Truco o trato” (trick or treat) is relatively new to…