Learn from Dénia about Resources for Foreign Residents in Spain
Our move to Dénia, Spain is teaching us that many towns here are doing a great job of providing resources for foreign residents in Spain. We get so used to looking online for help, that we almost overlooked how our Spain home-base of Dénia is helping their foreign residents, here in person. It got us to thinking that this can be a resource easily overlooked when you’re moving to Spain.
So learn from us and Dénia – if you’re interested in moving to Spain, it can help you take into consideration your choice of town or city, knowing that there are many places that will support your integration into their community.
Meet Denia's Department of International Relations & Citizen Participation
We learned about Dénia’s resources for foreign residents through Neil, a new friend and fellow expatriate here in Spain. Originally from Britain, he has been living in Dénia for over 6 years and is actively involved with the international community. When he learned of our interest in community activities and learning Spanish, he encouraged us to become involved in the ‘intercambio’ program that is hosted by the U3A (more on that below). That is how we met Enric, who works for the Department of International Relations and Citizen Participation (known in Spanish as ‘Cooperacion y Relaciones Internacionales’) in the Ayuntamiento de Dénia (Dénia’s Townhall).
Above Image – Posing with Enric in front of Dénia’s Ayuntamiento.
To learn more about this department and its benefits, we set up a time to meet with them. Enric has been working in this department since 2005 and is currently working in the position of ‘Gestor Atención Residentes Extranjeros’. In English that can be translated to Manager of Foreign Resident Resources. At the meeting we were also joined by the elected Councillor of International Relations and Citizen Participation, Oscar Mengual. Together, these two men and their colleagues bring a wealth of knowledge and support to the department and the foreign residents they assist here in Dénia. They generously shared their time and knowledge with us and it was a great meeting. Here’s more about what we learned.
What Do Resources for Foreign Residents in Spain Look Like?
Probably the most common resource that towns provide for their foreign residents are ‘intercambio’ programs or language exchange groups. The particular group we joined is formed by a partnership between a group called the U3A Dénia and Dénia’s Department of International Relations.
Local Enric Gil and expat Neil Weatherall head up the roster system where he can keep track of people who want to learn another language. From this list, they’re able to match up people as language partners, for example, a native Spanish speaker here in Dénia with a native English speaker who now lives here as a foreign resident. It incorporates other languages as well, the most common after English being German, French and Italian.
To further encourage this exchange of languages and cultures, the U3A also puts on a great Pub-Quiz, or trivia night, every month. Even in the off-season of winter, they get over 100 people attending! Other events are also hosted, such as once-a-week meet ups, concerts, speakers and tours of local sites here in this beautiful coastal area known as the Marina Alta.
The other service provided is information regarding the day-to-day aspects of living in Dénia or Spain in general. This usually has to do with things like local laws, such as permits required for home renovations, laws about purchasing a home or renters laws. Or maybe you need help figuring out how to register for empadronamiento. This is registering as a resident of the particular town you’re living in so you are counted as part of the population and can benefit from the local and federal systems in place.
While the latest facts and information are provided, the department does not refer or recommend specific businesses since that would be a conflict of interest. But they will make sure to steer you in the right direction and provide other resources that can connect you with relevant services for living here. Think of the department as a great in-person Help Desk, ready to answer questions, provide accurate information, and foster positive community development between the local and foreign communities.
Read More: Living Costs in Spain on the Costa Blanca
The Latest Updates of Denia’s Resources for Foreigners in Spain
A most recent update to this article features the web page where the Department of International Relations lists current links to more resources for foreigners living in Denia.
Click here for this online resource page, which once you scroll down has two sections documentació d’interés (documentation of interest) and further below enllaços d’interés (links of interest). The page is only available in the Valencian language or Castilian Spanish unless your browser gives the option to translate it.
We highly recommend having your browser translate the page if you can, so that you can benefit from understanding what resources are available.
The first section about documentation has documents about Spanish classes for foreigners, listed as the first three items.
Then the next section of links is also helpful, especially the last link titled Ciudadanosextranjeros Diputació Alacant. This directs you to the website for the regional resources managed by the regional government of Alicante. It has a lot of great information and resources as well.
Resources for Foreign Residents in Spain Can Be Overlooked
It seems like resources for foreign residents are an obvious thing that towns in Spain would provide, yet do not assume – there are towns in Spain that do not provide them or if they do, may not provide them very well. This can be due to a small population and size, which is many of the small villages throughout rural Spain, and the amount of time a town has had a significant foreign resident population. Let’s also remember that many times, these resources are not easily found online, at least not yet. So you may not learn of them until you are here in person.
Above Image – We love the culturally diverse community we’ve connected with here in Dénia.
There’s plenty of towns in Spain that only in the past decade or less are growing in foreigners. After all, have you heard of Dénia, Spain? It’s well-known among the British and other Europeans, but we find it unknown to Americans and other countries.
A big assumption among foreigners moving to Spain is that living in a large city will automatically provide good resources for foreign residents. Yet the resources in cities can be confusing, chaotic and unreliable. There are plenty of great resources for foreign residents in the large cities in Spain. We simply have experienced that they tend to be online resources, forums and more independent private groups rather than the government, city ran programs.
Whether you choose to live in a town or city in Spain, the government provided resources for foreign residents will most likely be something that you discover and connect with once you’ve physically arrived and some months into the throws of your new Spanish life. There’s no better way to benefit from these resources than from being out and about, exploring your new neighborhoods and meeting your new Spanish neighbors.
Read More: Our Top 7 Reasons for Living in Denia, Spain as Expats
Why Utilize Resources for Foreign Residents in Spain
We find that one of the biggest benefits of a town providing resources for foreign residents is the people-connection. It reminds us to get out into our community and not just be online all the time. You can meet other internationals and foreign residents and hopefully some of the locals. Hey, in today’s times, ‘unplugging’ from the internet is something we have to consciously seek balance in, even as travelers or perhaps more so. It also helps you get to know your international community, like what other countries your fellow expats come from and what other cultures are represented.
Above Image – Being introduced to Dénia’s Creative Department of Gastronomy.
Turning to the local town and its government-provided resources for foreign residents also provides reliability. You can rest more assured knowing that the information you’re receiving is coming direct from the source, which is especially important when you’re looking into things related to local laws and regulations.
There can be hidden gems about your town that you can discover through such a department. It was through our department of foreign residents here in Dénia that we learned about Dénia being designated by UNESCO as a Creative city of Gastronomy in 2015. We also got to spend time getting to know them, which you’ll get to read soon in an upcoming interview post.
We Love Dénia's Department of International Relations
We’ve loved getting to know Dénia and the designated department that our wonderful town has for foreign residents. From Enric we also learned that the largest foreign population here in Dénia is German. After that is British and then French. As Americans, we actually love that there are very few of us here in Dénia. So far we only know enough Americans here to count on one hand, with us included!
There’s a lot of great social events that the department also supports and helps advertise. They’re mainly groups that have been formed by foreign residents who want to share their passions and interests with others here in Dénia. Along with feeling more at home, it’s a great way to feel that thrilling energy of travel and diversity even while settling into a home-base.
Above Image – Getting to know Dénia’s Townhall.
We highly recommend that if you’re moving to Spain or just starting to consider living here, that you find out if the towns you’re looking at have a good department of international relations. Even if they don’t, it could still be the place for you. It depends on what kind of person you are and what you want out of life here in Spain. Either way, Spain is a welcoming and friendly culture, in the towns, small villages and big cities. As a foreign resident, you can’t go wrong choosing to live here.
What questions do you have about resources for foreigners in Spain or in Denia in particular? We’re continuously working to provide great resources for you here, so let us know your questions in the comments below.
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Written by Amalia & Eric
Founders & Producers of Move to Traveling
We’re Amalia and Eric – a traveling couple who are living a traveling lifestyle. Do you love to travel? Perfect! Come along…
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Hi Amalia and Eric! Firstly many thanks for your excellent and informative blog! My Canadian husband and I (Brit) are moving from Madrid to Denia at the end of June 2020 and are very excited and keen to get involved in the local community – I’ve volunteered as an English teacher here in Madrid and would love to continue to do this in Denia.
Does Enric still work with the international community and if so would it be ok to reach out on the email you provided?
Appreciate any advice and would also love to meet up with you both when we finally unpack the boxes!
Thanks again
Suzanne and Desny
Hi Suzanne and Desny! Thank you for taking time to get in touch and for enjoying our blog. We’re so excited to hear that you’re moving to Denia. We love Madrid as well for a great time in the city. But boy, you’re going to love being on the Med and in Denia.
Yes, you can definitely reach out to Enric with that email address. Here it is again just in case: jgil@ayto-denia.es.
And please let us know once you’re here and we would love to meet up. We look forward to it and wish you all the best in your move. Let us know if you have any other questions or want any other tips.
We hope you keep enjoying our blog and that we get to meet you soon!
Thanks very much Amalia! Looking forward to meeting soon.
Great article thank you! I am moving to Denia with my family in a few months and planning a short trip in June by myself to get some things organised. It sounds like I should try to contact this department to get some advice. Any idea how I can get in touch with them to book an appointment for when I am over?
Hi Vanessa. It’s wonderful to hear that you’re moving here soon. Where are you moving from? We’d love to help you connect with the great resources that Denia has and we recommend emailing Enric Gil (jgil@ayto-denia.es) who still works with the international community here. He can best answer any questions and direct you to more resources depending on your specific needs and interests. And if you can, please let him know that we sent you and how you learned about these resources through our blog. If you also like, we’d love to meet you when you’re here and welcome you to the community. Feel free to be in touch again and we can follow up more directly and plan to meet. Thanks for reading and appreciating our post. Let us know what other questions you may have, and we hope to see you on our blog again. Welcome to Denia!
Thanks so much, it’s really kind of you. We are British family moving from Thailand. I would love to meet up with you guys – let me know how I can contact you privately to arrange it 🙂
Ooh, Thailand – how exotic! You’re so welcome, and I’ll follow up with you directly so we can be in touch. Thank you!
Hi again Vanessa, I tried to email you but got a ‘mail delivery failed’ message in return. So if you like, please feel free to contact us directly at info@moveotraveling.com. Look forward to being in touch and hopefully getting to meet in Denia. Thanks!
Hi guys .. who can I contact for info about paperwork tu submit to go to this beautiful town ?? If I can live permanently ? Do I have to go out of the country every certain time ??? Can I get insurance ?? Name of company/ emails/webpage of housing for rent and more …. thanks
What language they speak ??
This site is a great source and I am glad that I have stumbled into it. For the past three years my wife and I have been searching areas between Altea, Benissa, Calpe, Xávea, Xávita and now Dénia. Of all of these locations, I am finding that Dénia appears to have many of the features and benefits that we are seeking such as proximity to both Valencia and Alicante, an array of housing that will better match our needs in an area that appears to be close to everything but yet somewhat sparse. as well as been coastal does help. We live in Dallas, Texas and we will be traveling these areas from early April to late May with the hope of finding the ideal location. Our goal is to find a place where we can not only enjoy our retirement but more importantly, we want to become part of a community and to reach this objective we want to join groups/organizations that are both socially and civically active in helping members integration into the community. I would love to join and would appreciate all of the feedback I can get in finding the right location to make our new home. Look forward hearing from you. Lionel and Patricia.
Hello Lionel and Patricia. We’re so glad you found us and are considering Denia and this area to move to. You are definitely looking in the right place for achieving your goals. Denia has a great community of internationals and locals. There are wonderful groups to join, such as the Intercambio group, the Facebook Group Denia Connect, and many others. Not to mention that we would love to welcome you to Denia whenever you come visit, and if you move here. Let us know if you would like to meet up during your upcoming visit. And did you read the great guest post from our neighbor who just retired here from the US? They love meeting and welcoming people are considering to move to Denia as well, and they have such great first-hand experience to share: https://www.movetotraveling.com/retire-in-spain-american-couples-story-part-i/. Keep us posted and we hope to meet you soon and be of any help.
Thanks Amalia & Eric! After reading Adam & Tara story I find the our dilemma is not unique as I told my wife Pat that there are others out there with very similar situations. Pat and I will be staying at Posada del Mar for a week and perhaps we can all meet there. Perhaps you can tell us about good places to search in the area and that will be great. I look every day, and have been doing so for the past three years, I normally search websites like Kyero, and idealista. Additionally I look over different agencies sites such as Engels & Völkers, Lucas & Fox and major sites. My ideal place would be an area that it is close to town and the beach. I really do not want to be too close to the beach or town, just close enough that I can get there in a short drive. I need space for my car collection and I like to find a place where I can store them as I plan to take them with me. If you have any suggestions I would greatly appreciate it. Another place we are looking into is Xátiva, a little further inland but I see not much that we like, but the town does seems to have a good feel to it. The only challenge would be that we could end up being too isolated. As stated earlier, Dénia seems to have a good array of properties that would suit our needs and taste and we will be spending a fair amount in the area. We are taking the plunge and hoping to buy this time after many years of search. Again, thanks so much for the feedback look forward meeting you guys. Don’t hesitate to give us some suggestions of good areas to search for properties, Kind regards, Pat and Lionel
You’re definitely doing your research! Well, we are obviously pretty biased, but we really love Denia above the other places. Javea (Xabia) can feel more British. Nothing wrong with that, it’s simply that being in Spain, we wanted a place that feels Spanish and is still actually Spanish. At the same time, Denia has a great international community as well.
Regarding places more inland, like Xativa, they can feel more isolated, especially if you’re looking to live here year-round which is what it sounds like you want. It’s great that you’re coming to visit soon, because there truly is no better way than to experience and tour the area a little more yourself. And we’re excited to help with that 🙂
We will be in touch more soon via email and have great recommendations on some other resources for your search. And we know that Tara and Adam have great resources too. Be in touch soon!
Amelia, Yes, I read Tara’s post and I tried to comment on our similar experiences but I guess it did not registered. I will try again later, as I find it very interesting that our personal experiences are not unique and thus similar in many ways to others whom are trying to take the plunge into the “third dimension” sort of speak. Pat and I will be in Dénia in early May and would enjoy meeting all of you while our week stay there.
Amalia, I read Tara’s post with much interest as I discovered the similarities in experiences in many fronts. Later Pat read her post and we agreed that the similarities are striking. As we often do, while enjoying the fruity and volatile flavors of a good glass of wine as we engage in the brainstorming of ideas. We are truly convince that there many other couples with similar reasons for new changes and adventures. Hope that we all can meet in early May while we are in the area as we will spent one week in Xávea and the other week in Dénia. Hasta luego.
Hello Lionel! Thank you for reading Tara’s post. We did receive your comment there, as well as your other comment on this post just earlier, and we just needed to approve them before they show up. But it did register correctly. And thank you for staying in touch. We definitely want to meet when you come in early May and will coordinate something with Tara and Adam as well. We will be in touch more directly via email to plan more. Thanks again for reading and look forward to meeting soon!
It’s great way to help people know what they want from moving abroad,many thanks for your effort and the time ..we just moving from London and we think we will rent first we tried barcelona in few visits..you’re right about big city..so we decided to try the south from around Malaga and going north we renting for a month in Torre de mar then driving passing Alicante with possible long stop in Denia..thanks for helping us and a lot of people like us.
Best Wishes
Anna and Ahmed
You’re so welcome Anna and Ahmed. And thank you for reading and sharing about your exciting plans. Malaga and Torre de Mar are two places that we have not been to yet, and hear are wonderful. Let us know what you think of them and how your trips go. And of course, we’d love to hear what you think of Denia too when you make it here. Renting first is a great option, wherever you decide to be. Enjoy your journey and hope to see you back here at our blog often!
Hi I have been coming to denia for 20 years and am now planning to stay for 6 months. I am irish…are there many irish here. Brian
Hi Brian. Thank you for reaching out and enjoying our blog. That’s fantastic that you’re staying longer in Denia.
We have met quite a few Irish people in Denia and really enjoy the diversity of backgrounds here. I recommend using the Facebook Group Denia Connect (no adverts) to inquire about events to connect with other Irish. And the intercambio events that were mentioned in this article are a great place to meet people as well. Please let me know of any other questions you have. We hope you continue to enjoy Denia!
Thank you for all this great information. We are traveling to Denia in May 2019. We plan to retire early and looking to spend a year or two in the area. We don’t know if we want to rent/purchase a home. We are both US citizens, and wondering if you know where we should go to obtain information on establishing residency in Spain. Thank you! Elisa
Hi Elisa and Benny, Thanks for reading our article and we’re so glad that the information is helpful. We’re also thrilled you’re coming to Denia early next year. Great question about where to get more info on residency in Spain. There are many resources out there on the web, so it can be confusing to know which one is accurate and current. A site called ‘Expatica.com’ can be helpful. But I would recommend that you first and foremost contact your local Spanish Embassy in the US. The one relative to you will depend on where you live in the states. For example, the Spanish Embassy for when we lived in Denver, Colorado is in Los Angeles. Usually, you need to begin the process while still in the states, via your local Spanish Embassy, to get a visa for staying longer than 3-months.
If in May you’re coming just to visit, then try and arrange meetings with services here in Denia who can assist you with the things you’ll need to do once you’ve arrived in Spain to live. Those are things like becoming ‘Empadronado’ (registering with the townhall), and getting your NIE (your identity number and card as a foreigner living in Spain). We have not worked with anyone for help on that and did it ourselves since I have dual nationality and know Spanish, so we don’t endorse those services here right now. But contact us directly via our contact form here on our site, and we can email you back some links to services that other expats here in Denia have used and refer for this portion of the process.
We really hope this helps and please continue to be in touch about anything we can help with. Thank you and hope to see you in Denia one day soon!
Hi, really enjoyed reading your article. We hope to emmigrate to Spain once retired but need Brexit outcome 1st. Denia is a possible place to live. Fingers crossed nothing will stop us !
Hello David. Thank you and we’re so glad that you enjoyed the article. We hope that you are able to make the move to Spain as well, and let us know of any other questions you have, especially as you consider Denia as one of the many great possibilities. Continue to enjoy our blog and happy travels!
Hi both
Just wanted to say thank you for this information. I knew about departments of international relations but hadn’t realised that they could be so personally helpful – think I’d assumed that they would just be beurocracy.
So … this is a really helpful tip
Thanks
Helen
You’re so welcome Helen. We’re glad that it’s helpful to you. Please let us know of any questions from your own journey and experiences with these international relations resources and departments. Thanks for reading and happy travels!