
Although the tourism season hasn’t started yet and we’re barely over the excitement of the Christmas season, February is still a very busy month in Spain. If you’re self employed then your tax deadline is fast approaching and there are carnivals taking place across the country too.
Here’s everything you need to know that’s happening in Spain in February 2025:
The Arrival of Carnival Season
Perhaps the most exciting thing to happen in Spain in February is the start of Carnival season. Carnival is an annual event in Spain that takes place in the week leading up to Spain. Towns and cities across the country celebrate the carnival freedom before the temperance of Lent. This year carnival week will take place from 27th February – 4th March.
What Carnival looks like will depend on where you are in Spain, which each town and city taking their own approach. But what you can be sure of is costumes, big parades, and celebrations.
Self Employed in Spain? Your Tax Deadlines Are Approaching
If you’re living in Spain and you’re self employed then you probably already know that your tax deadlines are approaching. If this is new news, then let us give you a reminder!
By the 20th February you will need to submit Modelo 349 which is a declaration of intra-community operations.
By 28th February you will need to submit the following 6 documents:
- Modelo 347 which is annual declaration of operations with third parties for 2024
- Modelo 036, which is Corporate Tax
- Modelo 303 for VAT self-assessment
- Modelo 322 and 353 for groups of entities
- Modelo 369 for importations
- Modelo 380 for operations assimilated to imports
Decreased Pension Payments
A government bill which will see pension rates increase for pensioners across the country was votes down in Spanish congress. This means that while pensioners saw their pension payments increase by 2.8% in January, this increase will be stopped in February until the bill is approved. As cost of living continues to increase, this is bad news for Spain’s pensioners.
The End of Transport Discounts
In more negative financial news, the Spanish government has taken the decision to discontinue discounted travel tickets, with tickets returning back to their normal prices. Spain’s Transport Minister, Óscar Puente, explained that travellers “will now have to pay the full price of the season ticket" which is bad news for commuters.
This won’t impact all autonomous regions. To reduce the impact of this change the regions of Madrid, Andalusia, Barcelona, the Balearic Islands, Valencia, Zaragoza and Tenerife will temporarily continue offers discounts to their residents. When these discounts will be extended to, and the other conditions associated with these offers, will vary from region to region.
Public Transport Prices Increase In Barcelona
On the subject of public transport, from 10th February public transport prices will increase in Barcelona. There will no longer be a 30 percent government discount on the T-usual, the T-jove, but the 20 discount provided by the ATM itself remains unchanged. The rest of the tickets remain exactly the same as now as they did not have any discounts applied. This will also impact commuters in the city.
Alicante Tram Workers Strike
In the final piece of transport-related news for February, the tram workers in Alicante are going on strike! This will be a partial walk out and it will take place from Monday, January 27th until Thursday, January 31st. Then in February we will see a full strike. This will make getting around Alicante increasingly difficult, and you can expect the knock on effects to make other modes of transport crowded too.
More Protests In Valencia
Protests are another theme of the month, this time calling for the regional leader in Valencia to resign. This is set to be a large protest as more than 200 organisations in Valencia have called upon residents to participate in a new demonstration on February 1st to demand the resignation of the president of the regional government, Carlos Mazón.
During the floods in the city in October it was though that Mazon didn’t handle the situation properly and bears responsibility for the deaths of the citizens who lost their lives in the floods.
On 29th January there will also be protests in Alicante, Alcoi and Burjassot. This date is significant as it is the 3 month anniversary of the floods taking place.
Protests In Madrid
Madrid continues to experience a housing crisis that is particularly impacting young people and lower income families. Locals in the city have protested before about this issue, and the next protest is due to take place on February 9th.
Last October more than 150,000 people took to the streets of Madrid according to the Habitat24 who organised the protest, and 22,000 according to the police. The intention is to surpass these figures this time, so if you aren’t taking part in the protest then you are advised to avoid the city on that day.
A Beach Clean-Up In Valencia
Spain is very proud of, and famous for, its abundance of beautiful blue flag beaches. Unfortunately after the tragic floods in October, Valencia’s beaches have been left covered in debris. But Valencia City Hall intends to fix this problem, spending February cleaning 500 tons of debris per day (on average) from the beaches. A total of around 60,000 tons of debris need to be removed. This huge project will cost €800,000, but Spain’s central government will ultimately be footing the bill.
Will you be in Spain this month? Or have you always dreamt of moving to Spain? Whether you’re looking for golden mile properties in Marbella or bargain property in Andalucia, our local property experts are perfectly placed to turn your dreams into a reality. Why not get in touch to find out more about how we can help you.