Telefonica used to be owned by the state, and were obliged to provide a phone line for any household that required it. This could however take months, and even years to complete in some areas. Nowadays, since it was sold, Telefonica can refuse to install a line if the infrastructure is not in place. At least you know, I suppose! Our first phone line was live within a fortnight of ordering… although our new home is still waiting, and is likely to be so for some time.

To order your services, you can either do it online at www.telefonicaonline.es or by phone from within Spain on 0034 902 118 247. Make your call between the hours of 10am and 6pm Spanish time (remember Fuerteventura is on GMT). Telefonica’s sales department has  English speaking operators now to make life easier… and have the following information to hand:

• Your passport & NIE numbers
• Your bank details
• The full postal address of your property
• An old Telefonica bill if you are simply changing address

We haven’t posted the tariffs here, as these can change dependant upon which package you get, and there are quite often special introductory offers which can save you money too. Please also be aware that you may be charged for 3gb connection, when only 1gb is available. It’s only a couple of euros, but don’t assume that simply because you’re paying for it, that it is available.

There are other service providers also, such as mobile phone operators. So if you would like to look elsewhere, then have a look at the 3G cards available from such providers as Vodaphone and Orange. We’ve recently plumped for Vodaphone, which gives us unlimited usage for just over €40 per month.

Telefonica do not charge you for landline to landline calls within Spain – which is great for saving you money. For mobile calls, or for overseas calls, we recommend using Skype – it has free Skype-to-Skype calls through your computer, and very very cheap call charges to landlines around the world. It is free to set up, and very simple to use.

Good luck!

Once you take any job in Fuerteventura your employer is required to register you in the Spanish social security system legally, and to deduct any contributions payable by you from your salary, as well as making the additional employer contributions themselves. You will need to register for your NIE number first. Be aware that if you take on employment where you are paid cash in hand, that you will not be eligible for Social Security benefits, including health care, as no contributions will have been made on your behalf. In this case, we advise you to pay as a self emplyed person. Other employers may register you, but claim you are working less than you are, and give you some of your wages as cash in hand, to save themselves some money in employer contributions. In this situation you will still be eligible for a certain amount of free health care, but if you then become unemployed or have to take a period of sick leave, your benefits will be proportionally lower.

If you are self-employed you will have to go to the local Social Security office and fill in all the paper-work yourself. However, our Spanish isn’t tremendous, so we used the services of a “Gestoria” (official agent – and most definitely worth having as your “new best friend”) to do this for you. They will be able to advise the amount you need to pay. Alternatively if you are already registered in the UK system you can work in Spain for up to 2 years, and you will be entitled to Spanish healthcare. See The Department for Work and Pensions website for further details.

If you are claiming certain benefits when you leave the UK, you may also be able to get your claim transferred to Fuerteventura. Again see The Department for Work and Pensions website for more information. If you leave a job in order to move to Spain, you will not be able to claim any benefits… so no handing in your notice to go sunning yourself on the dunes at Corralejo, whilst hoping to claim dole!

If you have been employed in Spain for 6 months and you lose your job, you will usually be entitled to Spanish unemployment benefit. If you are employed or self-employed, you will also be entitled to sick pay, maternity pay and, also when you eventually retire, a pension. As before, all benefits are dependant on the level of the contributions you have made previously into the system. Another useful thing to note, is that if you are planning to live in Spain for quite some time, you should contact the DSS overseas department in order to get your UK National Insurance contributions transferred over to the Spanish system here. We cannot say how easy the process is as yet – but watch this space, as we’ll be doing it ourselves over the coming months. We would also be interested in hearing from anyone who has done this successfully.