Driving a car on the Costa Blanca: licences, registration, low-emission zone, parking and charging
The complete 2026 guide to driving on the Costa Blanca: licence rules for UK, US and EU/Irish holders, re-registering a foreign car, the Alicante ZBE and its fines, blue/orange parking and EV charging.
Documents to prepare before moving to Spain (UK, US and Irish)
The checklist before you move to Spain: passport validity, non-EU visa paperwork, apostilles for UK/US documents, birth and marriage certificates and sworn translations, with far less needed for Irish citizens.
Renewing your passport from the Costa Blanca: UK, Irish and US guide
How to renew a UK, Irish or US passport from the Costa Blanca: online via HM Passport Office, Passport Online, or the US Consular Agency, plus timings, fees and what to update afterwards.
Exchanging your driving licence in Spain: UK, US and Irish rules
UK licences can be exchanged with no test, but only within six months of becoming resident. US holders must sit the full Spanish test; Irish and EU holders just register.
Do you need a visa to move to Spain? A guide for non-EU newcomers
It depends on your passport. Irish and other EU citizens need no visa; Britons (post-Brexit), Americans and other non-EU nationals do. Here are the routes.
Violence against women and children: Spain's pioneering law and real resources
Specialised courts, the VioGen system, a 1.5-billion-euro State Pact and the LOPIVI child-protection law, plus the helplines that answer in English.
Mosquitoes on the Costa Blanca: an investigation into your summer enemy
Who actually bites you, why the coast is a mosquito paradise, whether it is dangerous, and how to win back your summer nights on the Costa Blanca.
Jellyfish on Costa Blanca beaches: spotting them, reacting, staying safe
Which species you might meet, why there are more each year, what to do if you are stung, and the beach flags to watch on the Costa Blanca.
Tap water on the Costa Blanca: limescale, desalination and skin
Is it safe to drink? Where it comes from, why it is so hard, what that changes for your health and skin, and the habits that actually work on the Costa Blanca.
The cucaracha: an (almost) fond ode to the Costa Blanca cockroach
Who she is, why she turns up in summer, whether she is dangerous, and how to limit the visits: making peace with the Costa Blanca cockroach.
Living LGBTQIA+ on the Costa Blanca: reassuring, with eyes open
Spain is Europe's number one for LGBTQIA+ rights in 2026 and the Costa Blanca, led by Benidorm, is one of its calmest coastlines. The strengths, and the points to watch.
LGBT-friendly nights out on the Costa Blanca: the practical playbook
Where to drink, catch a drag show, hit the beach and meet the community, from Benidorm's old town to Alicante. Your practical LGBT-friendly guide to the Costa Blanca.