Living on Tenerife
Those of us who do aspire to living in a foreign country are like minded people who want a better lifestyle for ourselves and our children. The moral support you gain from fellow Brits who have succeeded in creating their own lifestyle in Tenerife is worth its weight in gold and the relaxed way of life in Tenerife affords us the opportunity to pass the time of day with our fellow countrymen. You will be amazed at how much you have in common with them, which immediately creates a bond leading to a good friendship and you will be introduced to other friends and acquaintances.
This is where the fun starts, if you didn’t have much of a social life in the UK, you will have when you move to Tenerife, once people get to know you the invitations flow and usually involve going out for a meal or a drink at their favourite restaurant or bar. A great way of networking and getting yourself known as you will invariably be introduced to others. The only downside is that it can become too much especially if you have to get up for work the next day! Saying “no thank you” occasionally won’t offend and you will be asked again.
Below is a brief account of Tenerife and what to expect when you begin living in Tenerife
Tenerife (the Island of Eternal Spring) is an island that is bathed in sunshine throughout the year. Black sand beaches, golden sand beaches and palm trees create an impressive coastline; the mountains provide a dramatic backdrop with Mount Teide at the heart of the island surrounded by spectacular rock formations and Canarian pine forests.
Tourism is a big part of the island and improvements continue to be made to the popular resorts in a bid to entice holidaymakers to become regular visitors to the island. An increasing number of people from all over the world have relocated to Tenerife and successfully opened businesses that cater for holidaymakers. The increase in expats has also led to a number of businesses being opened to provide services and products to residents.
The south of the island remains desert like, with temperatures rarely falling below 15 deg.c even throughout the winter months and rarely any higher than 30 deg.c during the summer months. The island averages approximately 4 days of rain per year. The north of the island is cooler and experiences more rainfall creating a lush greener landscape. Kalimas are quite common in Tenerife and are caused by warm winds known as a Scirocco that brings sand from the Sahara Desert resulting in a yellow haze across the island.
Citizens of the European Union can live and work in Tenerife once they have completed a few formalities. If you want to buy property in Tenerife or work in Tenerife it is essential to obtain an NIE. This is a Foreigners Identification Number similar to the National Insurance Number in the UK.
It is no longer a legal requirement to apply for residencia, however you are still expected to register your presence on the island with the authorities by a obtaining a ´Certificado de Residencia´. It is also a legal requirement that you carry photo identification on you at all times. Passports and EU driving licences are generally accepted as ID.
Unless you are fortunate enough to be able to buy property in Tenerife before you relocate, the chances are you will require long term rental accommodation. The vast majority of this accommodation are apartments, you can expect to pay between 500€ and 1000€ depending on location and how many bedrooms you require. If you prefer a house or villa you could expect to pay upwards of 1200€.
One of the first things you need to do when you get to Tenerife is to open a bank account. There are non-residents accounts and resident’s accounts. Needless to say, you can only open a resident’s account when you formally become a resident. A non-resident’s account should be adequate initially.
If you have a large amount of money that you need to transfer into your new Spanish Bank Account from the UK, we recommend using a money broker. A money broker is likely to give you more euros for your sterling. Money Corp are a reputable company who provide an outstanding service, for more information on the services they provide and how to apply visit their website, www.moneycorp.com.
Payment of your Spanish utility bills can be made directly from your new Spanish account using the same methods as the UK eg Direct Debit.
Shopping in Tenerife is great once you know where to go. There are several big supermarket chains but the Mercadona is possibly the most popular and they supply a wide range of products including a small selection of familiar brands. Overseas Imports is a popular supermarket with the British as they sell well known British products and frozen foods supplied by Iceland
There are several large warehouses and department stores in the south of Tenerife where you can buy electrical equipment, furniture and other household items.
El Corte Ingles is a large department store in Santa Cruz, similar to Debenhams where you will find designer goods, electrical equipment, kitchen and household items to name but a few. They also have a supermarket. There are several commercial centres located in Santa Cruz offering a good choice of shops, bars and restaurants including McDonalds and Burger King.
Carrefour can be found at Añaza on the way to Santa Cruz, situated within a commercial centre, Carrefour is very similar to Tesco or Asda, they sell just about everything under one roof but on two floors. Other shops in the commercial centre include clothes shops, shoe shops, hobby & craft shops, jewellery shops, toy shops and one we are all familiar with - the Disney Store.
Having a car is almost a necessity in Tenerife unless you don’t mind getting the bus or taxis whenever you want to go out. Most hire car companies can offer discounts for long term rentals, but shop around and get the best deal you can.
Buying a second hand car in Tenerife isn’t as easy as it is in the UK and you will need to use a Gestor to make sure that the paperwork is transferred into your name and that there are no outstanding debts against the vehicle.
There are plenty of petrol stations along the motorway and in the towns and many of them give attended service, so you don’t even need to get out of your car, just tell them which fuel you want (sin plomo = unleaded) and how much you want to spend. Petrol is approximately 78 cents per litre.
Motor insurance is considerably less expensive in Tenerife and it is normal for the car to be insured rather than the driver, although this is not always the case.
It is important to carry your driving licence, insurance and other car documents with you whenever you go out in the car. If you don’t have the correct paperwork and you get stopped by the police you could get a hefty fine and your car could be impounded.
As far as drinking and driving goes, just don’t do it. The limits are less than in the UK, and the consequences if you do get caught can be severe.
Driving in Tenerife is quite a different experience from driving in the UK. Apart from the fact that you drive on the right hand side of the road, there are other differences too which are not so obvious unless you actually get yourself out and about in the car.
If you are not familiar with driving in Europe on the right hand side of the road you should exercise extreme care and caution when you first take to the roads in Tenerife. Forget about how you drive in the UK, it just doesn’t work here. In the UK if you are approaching a roundabout and want to take the third exit it is usual practice to take the inside lane. If you take the inside lane of a roundabout in Tenerife you wont be able to get off!! Very few drivers use the inside lane. The road markings that look like Zebra crossings are not Zebra crossing as you know them in the UK. They are simply designated crossing points, and many drivers do not bother to stop to let someone cross the road, a word of caution though, pedestrians do tend to walk out on these crossing points and expect cars to stop for them. Un-marked road junctions: Many people just drive over them without slowing down so be very careful. When you try to join the motorway in Tenerife, you will need to give way to the motorway traffic. This sounds obvious, but be prepared to stop and wait in order to join the motorway, particularly at busy times of the day.
It is worth noting that flashing your headlights is signalling a warning to other drivers and is not a thank you gesture as it is in the UK. If you feel you need to thank a courteous driver then a few short blasts on the horn will do the trick nicely.
Remember that there are many tourists in Tenerife in hire cars who don’t know where they are going, or even which side of the road they should be driving on so take care at all times.
If you are in any doubt about driving in Tenerife, then I suggest that you do it like the locals do it. It doesn’t make it right, but it works.
You will inevitably pick up more of the Spanish language when you are resident in Tenerife than you do when you are on holiday and there are several inexpensive course available if you want to learn to speak fluent Spanish. If you are planning on running your own business you will soon pick up the Spanish words for the products and services that you provide. Native Canarians and Spanish residents are very forgiving when you make the effort to speak their language and if their English is better than your Spanish they are happy to converse with you in English, a little knowledge of the Spanish language is better than none at all.
Relocating to Tenerife and realizing your dream is an exciting prospect and although there are some formalities that need to be dealt with when you arrive, and once done, you are well on the way to living your dream in a country with a fantastic climate. The relaxed lifestyle will help you unwind and you will be begin to feel healthy and alive. Don’t just take our word for it, live your dream as so many others are already living theirs.