Moving to Comporta: Portugal’s up-and-coming beach destination
Described by Conde Nast, the publication house behind Vogue and Tatler, as “Portugal’s best secret beach spot”, Comporta has attracted a considerable celebrity following in recent years. Madonna, Christian Louboutin, George Clooney and Cindy Crawford are just some of the big names that have become associated with Comporta. So what is this mysterious location?Read more...
The Algarve’s “Bumper Holiday Season” Comes to Fruition
A strong holiday season was widely predicted for Portugal’s Algarve this year, and the predictions were correct, with the destination already set to smash records as the peak of the season gets underway. A particularly busy Algarve holiday season was predicted by many this year. One of the key reasons for this is a dramatic drop in interest for destinations including Turkey, Tunisia and Egypt, where the risk of terrorist activity is currently high.Read more...
Your holiday home in France never looked so attractive!
France remains one of the most popular countries in which to invest in a second home, despite the recent EU referendum decision to leave. Our expat on the ground shares her thoughts… Whatever anyone thinks about the result of the EU Referendum, the fact is that the British people’s love of France remains undiminished and indeed there are signs that this is now stronger than ever. France is not only one of the most popular countries in which to buy a second home, but as we come to terms with the full impact of last week’s Referendum, it seems that for many British people, the dream they have alRead more...
The joys of driving on French roads
Getting around France by car – five top tips for safe driving throughout the country We love driving in France! The roads are good, the motorways well maintained and of course there is far less traffic about.Read more...
Let us have dual identities – post-referendum petition for British-Spanish citizenship
For the many thousands of British people resident in Spain, Brexit has created a feeling of uncertainty about their future. A petition seeks to address their concerns by asking for Spanish and British citizenship. Two British journalists living in Spain have launched a petition to the Spanish government requesting that British citizens who have been resident in Spain for ten years or more be allowed to hold dual British/Spanish citizenship. This could affect around 400,000 British people and would remove some of the uncertainty British people living in Spain currently face following the vote tRead more...
The Trouble in Spain Falls Mainly on the Plane
It has been an uncomfortable summer for air travellers, with strikes and operational difficulties affecting many flights to and from Spain, and Barcelona suffering the most. We look at what lies behind the problems. It has not been an easy time of late for Spain and its airlines; for many people travelling to and from the country, there are still more problems on the way. Passengers have been left stranded for hours and now there is a threat of strike action.Read more...
Five Top Tips for Setting in to the French way of life
Moving to France is such an exciting prospect! With all your hard work and preparation behind you, the day you receive the keys to your new French house is a defining moment, and you should be proud of yourself. What you need to do now is give yourself time to settle in to everything. It will take time to adjust to your new life in France, so make the most of the process and give yourself time. Moving anywhere is a stressful as well as exciting experience and moving overseas even more so: after all, here is a different culture, different language and there will be a mountain of ways of doing tRead more...
Blue Flag beaches and stylish harbour towns – fancy a slice of Liguria?
Liguria has more Blue Flag beaches than any other Italian region Searching for a property in Italy close to a clean, picturesque beach? If so, there’s a good chance you’ll find your dream home in Liguria.Read more...
Spanish Marine Association successfully encourages boating on Spanish shores
The Spanish marine industry association, ANEN, launched a successful campaign to encourage people to get in the water earlier this year. Called “Embárcate” – or “Go boating!” – the campaign was launched in officially in March 2016, in conjunction with the Nautical Congress that was hosted in Barcelona, and aims to encourage more people aged 25-45 to get into boating.Read more...
Tax in France
Our expert Independent Financial Advisor partners in France believe that the tax system is likely to remain very similar to the current structure in the event of Brexit. This is because: a). Cross border taxation of income and capital (such as French property rental income, proceeds of property sales, UK residents inheriting French property, and all UK sourced income for French residents) is subject to existing Double Tax Treaties, which are set up completely independently from the EU and therefore do not fall under EU regulation. The UK leaving the EU will not automatically change this systemRead more...
Focus on Inheritance Tax and Legalities
We asked Spanish property experts for their thoughts and guidance on the effects of Brexit for expats and property buyers in Spain. What are the effects on inheritance? EEA citizens currently pay the same inheritance tax as locals in Spain, however, as these double-taxation treaties are not created by the EU, Brexit should not affect these UK-Spain tax agreements. So, the reassuring news is that nothing will really change over the next two years. The main implication of the Leave decision that you need to be concerned with in the short term is the effect on exchange rates, and therefore your sRead more...