Spanish News Today Editors Roundup Weekly Bulletin Mar 28
TOP STORIES: "Clocks go forward in Spain this weekend" & "Changes coming in April to rental licence applications"
This is the last weekend in March. It’s been such a wet one, we’ll probably be glad to see the back of it. Now, the wind of change is in the air as the sun pokes its head back out and begins to warm us all up.
There are changes to the clocks coming this weekend and there are changes coming in April for homeowners in Spain – to do with the law around short-term tourist rental accommodation and the start of the tax return season. Yippee!
More sun on Sunday evening, less sun on Saturday…
This weekend sees the return of that annual spring rite of messing with the clocks again. On Sunday, Spain jumps forward an hour for Daylight Saving Time (DST), meaning that at 2am on Sunday it will suddenly be 3am. Remember the old adage: “Spring forwards, fall backwards”.
That means one less hour of sleep, of course, but it’s all done in the interest of being able to enjoy those longer, lighter, lovely summer evenings. Look on the bright side, eh? (Pun intended).
The whole idea of shifting the clocks is to make better use of daylight and save on energy bills, something Spain has been doing since 1974 when the oil crisis made everyone rethink their electricity usage. Apparently, DST can cut national energy consumption by 5%, potentially saving around €300 million – a blessing when electricity prices are as high as they currently are.
If you want to soften the blow of losing an hour in bed, though, the experts suggest going to bed a little earlier and resisting the temptation to scroll through your phone at night. In fact, that one’s good advice for getting a sound night’s sleep at any time of year.
The question that’s on everyone’s lips now is whether Spain will actually keep doing this whole DST thing. The European Commission suggested scrapping it back in 2018, but no one could agree on what to do, so the clock-changing tradition has staggered on. Technically, Spain has only committed to DST until late 2026, meaning that from 2027, we could say goodbye to this twice-yearly disruption… though, knowing how these things go, we won’t get a final decision until the last possible moment (October 25, 2026, to be exact). Mark that date in your calendars.
This year’s time change conveniently aligns with a partial solar eclipse on Saturday, so at least there’s a bit of cosmic excitement to distract us from the fact that we’ll all be running on less sleep.
The eclipse will be visible from Spain this Saturday March 29. You won’t want to miss this rare sight as the moon partially covers the Sun, casting an eerie shadow over the landscape. While it won’t completely darken the sky like a total eclipse, it will still be an unforgettable experience for stargazers.
A partial solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the Earth and the Sun but doesn’t fully block it. The result is a striking crescent-shaped Sun, partially obscured by the moon.
The amount of the Sun covered will all depend on your location; the closer you are to the eclipse’s central path, the more dramatic the effect. But don’t worry, no matter where you are in Spain, you’ll be able to witness it.
The eclipse will unfold throughout the morning, with peak viewing times varying by region:
- Mainland Spain: It kicks off in the west, with Pontevedra in Galicia at 10.42am, Madrid at 10.48am and Barcelona at 11.02am
- Canary Islands: Expect the show to begin around 10.15am, peak at 11.04am and wrap up by 11.56am
The maximum eclipse will occur at around 11.30am when the moon will cover the most significant portion of the Sun visible from Spain.
Of course, while that means that we’ll have a little less sunlight than usual on Saturday, we will more than make up for it when we turn the clocks forward on Sunday!
Return of the tax
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it’s almost time to dust off those invoices and grab a calculator because the dreaded Income Tax Return season is here again. While the official 2024-2025 tax campaign (Declaración de la Renta) doesn’t kick off until next month, taxpayers can already access their info for the 2024 tax year and start getting things in order.
This year, as always, you’ll be filing taxes on income earned last year, with the option to do it online, by phone or in person. To help avoid any surprises, the Spanish Tax Agency (AEAT) has a handy tax return simulator on their website. And for the first time, you can pay any owed taxes through Bizum, in addition to the usual direct debit and bank transfers.
Thankfully, not much has changed from last year when it comes to who exactly needs to file their tax returns:
- Self-employed workers (autónomos) need to file, no matter how much (or little) they earn
- Beneficiaries of the Minimum Living Income payments also need to submit a return
- Unemployment benefit recipients are off the hook this time, despite earlier plans to include them
In Spain, personal income tax isn’t paid all at once. Employees have taxes deducted from their paycheck each month, while self-employed workers make quarterly payments.
If you lived in Spain for more than 183 days in 2024 or your main economic activity was based here, you’ll likely need to file, regardless of your nationality. However, there are exceptions.
As for income thresholds, you’re only obliged to file an income tax return if:
- You earned more than €22,000 from a single tax payer
- You earned more than €15,876 from multiple payers, as long as the second and subsequent payers contributed more than €1,500 in total
- Your income exceeds €15,876 and falls into certain categories, such as receiving maintenance payments (unless exempt) or earning from sources that don’t require tax withholding (like foreign pensions)
The Income Tax campaign begins on Wednesday April 2 with online tax returns and will run until Monday June 30.
From May 6 to June 30, the Tax Agency will be able to prepare taxpayers’ tax returns over the phone; appointment requests will be available from April 29 to June 27. Hacienda will be able to prepare taxpayers’ returns in person at its offices between June 2 and 30, with appointments available from May 29 to June 27.
However, it’s important to remember that if you owe the government money (lucky you) and intend to pay by direct debit, the deadline for getting your return in is June 25.
At the end of the 2023 fiscal year, the Tax Agency had returned more than €12.9 billion to more than 15 million taxpayers – so make sure you get filing to get back what you’re owed!
Do you rent your Spanish home out to tourists? Then you need to know this…
From April 2025 (that’s this coming Tuesday), Spain is making changes to its rental licence rules, and if you’re renting out your place or thinking about it, you might want to pay attention. The law has been changed to say that communities of owners will now get to decide whether short-term tourist rentals are allowed in their buildings or urbanisations, or not.
Put another way, your neighbours might soon have the power to shut down your Airbnb dreams with a simple vote at their next annual general meeting.
If a community votes against tourist rentals at its next AGM (which, mind you, if your community has only just had theirs, may not be until March 2026!), new licence applications will be blocked. If the community votes to continue to allow tourist rentals, then logically they can carry on as before.
It’s always hard to gauge the way votes such as these will go. Tourists staying in short-term apartment lets are blamed for all sorts of ills, from disrespecting the community rules and littering to pushing up house prices and leading to those anti-tourism protests. In fact, these latter two are basically the reasons why the government has changed the law. But at the same time, Airbnbs may be seen as a money-spinner for the community to be able to pay for important projects.
If you already have a valid tourist rental licence in place, you can keep renting your place out even if the community later bans new licences from being issued. But if you sell your property after a ban is in place, the new owner won’t be able to get a licence, so future buyers looking to invest in holiday lets might not be too keen.
Of course, if there are already lots of holiday lets in the community, those homeowners may wish to vote against issuing any new ones as it reduces the amount of competition they have in the market.
For those eyeing a Spanish property as a rental investment right now, the advice is simple: apply for that rental licence as soon as possible, even if you don’t plan to rent straight away. Better to have it and not need it than to miss out entirely.
But remember that although the new rules come into play from April 1, you don’t necessarily have to get your tourist licence before then – it all depends on when your specific community’s next AGM is.
Murcia
It looks like, with the clocks going back and spring officially sprung, the rain we have had all March long may finally be gone (famous last words, I know!). The weather over the last five or six weeks has actually been (on the whole) great for farmers and reservoirs but, according to a report from hospitality sector associations in Murcia, an absolute disaster for bars and restaurants.
With terraces left deserted and four consecutive rainy Saturdays putting a damper on business, some establishments have reported a revenue drop of up to 40%. The coastal spots have been hit the hardest, but the industry is now crossing its fingers that Easter and the upcoming spring festivals will bring some much-needed relief.
Thankfully, the clouds are finally shifting, and Murcia is basking in some actual sunshine. With this change in weather, coastal municipalities are already gearing up for the summer season. The beaches of Villananitos and La Puntica in San Pedro del Pinatar have been getting a top-up of sand, and dredging is underway to ensure holidaymakers won’t be greeted by unexpected sinkholes.
The meticulous process is being overseen by municipal technicians to avoid disturbing local marine life, and in the coming weeks, wooden walkways will be installed to complete the preparations so that the beaches are in top form for the Easter holidays and sunseekers can relax knowing their sandy paradise is being primed to perfection.Meanwhile, they are launching an all-out assault on the mosquito population, which has boomed as a result of the recent downpours combined with rising temperatures. Larvicidal treatments are being applied across gardens, storm drains and any other mosquito-friendly hangouts in an effort to keep the bloodsuckers at bay. You can do your part to reduce mosquitoes in your area by ensuring there isn’t any stagnant water sitting around in your flowerpots or anything.
Speaking of unwelcome visitors, the annual Berber pirate raids in Los Alcázares have received national and continental recognition, gaining membership in the Spanish Association of Historical Fiestas and Reenactments, as well as automatic inclusion in the European Confederation of Festivals and Historical Events. This latest recognition of the fiestas means that the event will benefit from the prestige and publicity which being in the association provides.
The event, which takes place from April 17 to 20 this year, recreates the centuries-old skirmishes when actual pirates would swoop in to terrorise the Murcia coastline. Now, instead of fending off invaders, the town gets to enjoy a bit of historical drama complete with disembarkations and battles, and of course the obligatory food and drink that is a part of any Spanish fiesta worth its sal.
It’s been a week full of earthquakes in Murcia, with seven earthquakes being recorded across the Region in the last seven days, the largest of which was a 3.2-magnitude tremor off the Murcia-Almería coast. Lorca has had a particularly busy few days with multiple small quakes, but none of them measuring more than 3 on the Richter scale.
While none of these tremors have caused any damage and harm to life and limb, they serve as a reminder that we’re sitting on some pretty active ground, seismically speaking. The National Geographic Institute assures us that these smaller quakes are actually a good thing, as they help relieve pressure without building up to something bigger. So, in theory, this is good news, though that might not be much comfort to anyone who’s been woken up in the middle of the night by an unexpected shake or an ominous sound.
And lastly, in an incident that was dramatic for different reasons, a man and his dog had to be rescued from a reservoir near Camposol earlier this week after both of them managed to get themselves trapped in the water.
The dog fell in first, and his well-meaning owner followed in an attempt to save him, only to need saving himself. Firefighters and police had to be called in to pull them out with special rescue equipment, and thankfully both man and dog made it out unharmed.
What’s going on around Murcia this weekend? Apart from some sun-worshipping on the baches, I imagine, there is a cycling excursion in Caravaca de la Cruz to go and see the partial eclipse of the sun on Saturday; there is a free guided tour to go and discover Los Alcázares’s urban art at night, also on Saturday, or you could go and see flamenco superstar José Mercé perform live in concert in Yecla.
On Sunday, the Easter season kicks off early in Jumilla with the performance of their annual Passion Play, which is free to go and watch and dramatises the crucifixion of Christ as a prelude to the Semana Santa processions. Alternatively, you could go along to a classic motorbike display and rally in Alhama de Murcia or enjoy a free Holy Week concert in San Javier. The world (or at least Murcia) is your oyster!
Remember, you can always access our EVENTS DIARY for more events and activities coming up soon around the Region of Murcia:
Spain
For years, millions of women in Spain have devoted their lives to managing households and raising families, often without any financial security in their later years. Unlike those in paid employment, they haven’t contributed to Social Security, meaning no pension when it comes time to retire. But that’s about to change.
Starting in 2025, a new non-contributory pension will provide financial support specifically for housewives, offering €564 per month across 14 payments a year. It’s a long-overdue recognition of the value of unpaid domestic work and a step toward providing more stability for those who have spent their lives caring for others.
Not everyone will be eligible, though. To qualify, applicants must be at least 65 years old and have lived in Spain for at least 10 years since turning 16, including two or more consecutive years immediately before applying.
Income is also a key factor. Those living alone cannot earn more than €7,905.80 per year, while the limits increase depending on household size. For a two-person household, the cap rises to €13,439.86 and for a family of four, it’s set at €24,507.98. If you live with direct family members like parents or children, the limits are even higher, reaching up to €61,269.95 for a household of four.
But in a nutshell, the full pension amounts to €7,905.80 per year, which breaks down to €564.70 per month. However, if you have any additional income, the amount you receive may be reduced.
Applications will be handled by regional governments and to apply, you’ll need to provide proof of identity, residency and income. Each region might have additional requirements but once approved, payments will be backdated to the date you submitted your application.
In a turn-up for the books, Ryanair is finally giving something back to passengers with its new subscription service, Prime (a clear rip-off of Amazon), which promises big savings for frequent flyers. For about €92 a year, members get perks like free reserved seats, free travel insurance and access to exclusive seat sales every month. The airline says the scheme is designed for regular travellers who want to cut costs without sacrificing convenience.
According to Ryanair, someone flying 12 times a year could save up to €492, while even those taking just three trips could save around €122, which is actually more than the cost of the subscription itself.
Launched on March 24, Prime is limited to 250,000 members on a first-come, first-served basis.
Customers can sign up through the Ryanair website to take advantage of the deal. Ryanair’s Chief Marketing Officer, Dara Brady, called it a “no-brainer” for anyone who flies frequently and wants to save money.
Now for something less appetising. The Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN) has issued an urgent recall for six types of pork rind snacks after detecting salmonella. These products are being sold in supermarkets across 11 regions in Spain, including Murcia and Andalucía.
The contaminated snacks include:
- 'Chicharricos de cerdo' (barbecue flavour) 50g packs of the Frit Ravich brand with batch numbers 3001 and 2301
- 'Torreznos' (barbecue flavour) 90g packs of the Sun Snacks brand with batch numbers 2901 and 2001
- 'Chicharricos de cerdo' (barbecue flavour) 100g packs from the SPAR brand with batch number 3101
- 'Torreznos' (barbecue flavour) 100g packs from the Alteza brand with batch number 3101
- 'Torreznos' (barbecue flavour) 100g packs from the Carrefour Sensation brand with batch number 2901
- 'Chicharricos de cerdo' (barbecue flavour) 100g packs from the Auchan brand (commonly sold at Alcampo supermarkets) with batch number 2901
According to AESAN, the products have been distributed in the autonomous communities of Andalucía, the Canary Islands, Cantabria, Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y León, Catalonia, the Valencian Community, the Community of Madrid, the Balearic Islands, the Region of Murcia and the Basque Country, although redistributions to other autonomous communities cannot be ruled out.Consumers who have purchased any of these products are advised not to eat them. If you’ve already consumed one of the recalled batches and start experiencing symptoms of salmonella – such as diarrhoea or stomach discomfort – it’s best to seek medical advice.
Alicante
Residents of Orihuela Costa have been waiting for five long years for a solution to their healthcare shortfall, but they’re also all too used to budgeting blunders that sell the coast short time and again. And we’re sorry to say that there’s yet more disappointment coming.
The current medical centre in Aguamarina at the back of Cabo Roig strip, which struggles to serve 30,000 year-round residents, not even counting tourists, is in desperate need of an upgrade. Yet, despite repeated election promises from regional President Carlos Mazón, a second health centre is nowhere to be found in the latest budget.
Instead, the Generalitat Valenciana has only set aside €150,000 to expand the existing facility into the car park next door. For most people living locally, two facilities – one to serve the north of Orihuela Costa and one for the south – is the more practical option, but this appears to have been taken off the table.
Local neighbourhood group Unidos por la Costa isn’t happy, calling it yet another example of poor planning and empty political promises. They argue that Orihuela City Council had already allocated land in Los Altos for a second health centre, which would have been a much better solution. Frustrated by the lack of progress, the association is seeking answers from health officials to clarify what, if anything, is being done.
“Can someone explain this mess? Who’s lying here? Or who’s the incompetent one who can’t manage even the most basic things?” a Unidos por la Costa spokesperson has asked.
Meanwhile, plans for a private hospital near Villamartín are moving ahead, but this won’t do much to ease the pressure on the public system.
It’s not just Orihuela Costa being short-changed as Torrevieja is facing its own budget bungle. The long-promised expansion of the CV-95 dual carriageway, a crucial link between Torrevieja, Orihuela and the jam-packed N-332 dual carriageway, has been effectively sidelined.
Despite previous commitments of €30 million, this year’s budget has allocated a mere €300,000, making any real progress impossible.
Carlos Mazón also made a big deal of this project during his 2023 election campaign, mentioning it in nearly every speech. But now, the funding has mysteriously vanished. When pressed, the Ministry of Environment insisted the project isn’t dead, claiming they are exploring alternative funding models.
Adding to the frustration, the planned road widening near Torrevieja Hospital – another critical infrastructure upgrade – has also been pushed aside. Last year’s budget set aside €5.06 million but this year, only €165,000 has been allocated.
The government insists they are working with city councils and businesses to find a way forward, but for residents, it’s just yet another broken promise.
There’s finally some relief for the family of John George, a Belfast man murdered on the Costa Blanca, as the Irish fugitive wanted for his murder has been arrested in Portugal.
The 26-year-old suspect, Jonathan Alan Smyth, known as Jonny Smyth, was found in an Airbnb in Braga, where he had been hiding out with his girlfriend. Authorities had initially believed he had fled to Thailand, but he was much closer to home.
John George, a 37-year-old from Northern Ireland, was discovered shot to death in a lemon grove in Rojales on January 7. His family played a crucial role in tracking down his alleged killer, sharing his image widely on social media and pointing investigators toward Portugal.
“He was travelling on his own passport and wasn’t using fake ID but his girlfriend had made the booking and it wasn’t made in his name,” a police spokesperson explained.
“While he was on the run he tried to fool the Spanish authorities into thinking he was somewhere in the Middle East with photos he posted online.”
Smyth, who was reportedly one of the last people to see John George alive, will now face the Guimarães Court of Appeal in Portugal, where officials will determine his extradition to Spain.
The Guardia Civil had already arrested another suspect, a 32-year-old Czech man, who appeared in court in Torrevieja before being released. He denied involvement but provided key testimony that helped authorities locate the victim’s body.
John George had travelled to the Costa Blanca in December to visit friends in Cabo Roig. His last call to family was on December 14 and, although he had booked a return flight for December 18, he never boarded.
Concerned loved ones flew to Spain to join search efforts and after weeks of uncertainty, his body was found under a lemon tree in early January.
Andalucía
It’s not just Murcia, but also Andalucía which has been getting its fair share of seismic excitement lately. Not content with just one or two minor tremors, such as the one off the coast of Almería that I mentioned before, the region decided to go all out with five earthquakes in less than 24 hours in the Gulf of Cádiz. The most powerful, clocking in at a respectable 4.3 magnitude, gave a bit of a jolt to the municipalities of Lepe, Isla Cristina and Ayamonte in Huelva on Monday morning.
If that wasn’t enough, the earth kept grumbling with four more, though most were minor and thankfully didn’t cause any damage.
The Guardia Civil in Málaga has been busy busting a rather alarming wildlife trafficking ring this week. Birds of prey, turtles, a marmoset monkey, crocodiles and even a flamingo were all being traded illegally, and alongside these live contraband items officers also found zebra skins, tortoise shells and caracal furs (a kind of big cat similar to a lynx or an ocelot).Adding to the list of illegal activities, the investigation uncovered poaching, unlicensed hunting and fishing during closed seasons. Some of the culprits were even caught using banned hunting methods, and some of those involved had prior arrests for similar offences. They’re now facing even more charges. I guess some people just never learn.
Updates now on a couple of other Málaga stories we brought you in previous weeks: a French national suspected of murdering the American priest from Boston back in January has finally been arrested in Seville. The 40-year-old man, along with his 27-year-old accomplice, allegedly followed the priest from a taxi before ambushing him at his apartment.
According to police reports, one of the attackers strangled the victim while the other kept watch, making off with his belongings afterwards. It’s taken weeks of painstaking detective work – going through footage from 80 different cameras – to track down the suspect, but authorities finally caught up with him. Both men are now in custody, and the investigation continues.
And, to end on a positive note, there’s been a happy ending to the missing persons case that had many people worried. Martina Renate, the 61-year-old German woman who vanished from Marbella earlier this month, has been found safe and sound in another province. She had last been seen heading out on errands with her dog, Ellie, before her phone mysteriously went silent.
Fearing the worst, friends and family launched a social media campaign that quickly gained traction, even attracting international media attention. Thankfully, Martina and Ellie were found unharmed, though authorities aren’t revealing exactly where she ended up. While the details behind her sudden disappearance remain unclear, the main thing is that she’s safe and well. With all the bad news floating around, it’s nice to end on a high note. Enjoy your weekend!
You may have missed…
- Send your mother flowers this Mother’s Day with a beautiful bouquet.
This coming Sunday is Mother’s Day in the UK (but not in Spain). Still, if your mother lives in Murcia and you want to treat her to a bouquet of flowers, then Garden Boutique in Mazarrón can sort that for you! - Spanish fuel prices drop for the fifth week running.
The average price of a litre of diesel this week (beginning March 24) is €1.440 – that’s 0.7% less than last week and the cheapest it’s been since the second-last week of December. - Risky business—buying a squatted Spanish property to save 60%!
Would you take a gamble on a property that was sale for with in-house squatters if you thought it would save you thousands, or even tens of thousands, of euros? It’s a risky proposition, but one more and more investors feel is a risk worth taking, especially since the anti-squatting laws in Spain are finally starting to swing in favour of landlords… - EU wants all households to prepare a 72hr survival kit.
This week, the EU has issued a recommendation that all households prepare a ‘survival kit’ that contains all the necessary equipment to last you through a 72-hour siege. You’d be forgiven for thinking you’ve stumbled upon the plot for the latest end-of-days Hollywood blockbuster! - Summer flight destinations for 2025 at Murcia Corvera Airport: Complete list of routes.
We finally made it – today is the start of the summer high season at Murcia Airport! Here you can see the full list of currently confirmed flight routes (still no word on when Marseille, France might be starting).
And that’s all for this week. See you next week for more!
Bye!
