Spain

Brief Fact File

Capital	Madrid
Currency	Euro (EUR)
Language(s)	Castilian Spanish 74%, Catalan 17%, Galician 7%, Basque 2%; note - Castilian is the official language nationwide; the other languages are official regionally
Local time	GMT + 01:00 hours in winter + 02:00 hours in summer (from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in September)
Telephone code	349
Major cities	Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, Zaragoza

Economy
The economy of Spain boomed between 1986 and 1990 with an average annual growth of five percent. The agricultural sector mainly contributes to the growth, specially fruits, vegetables and olive oil. The manufacturing industry has developed, mainly in textiles, food-processing, iron and steel, mechanical building and naval engineering sectors. The country is the second tourist destination of the world. The top three export partners of Spain are France, Germany and Italy and in import it is Germany, France and Italy.

Major Exports:

• Machinery
  
• Motor Vehicles
  
• Foodstuffs
  
• Pharmaceuticals
  
• Medicines
  
• Wine (3rd largest producer in the world)
  
• Fruits, vegetables and olive oil (world's top producer)

Major Imports:

• Machinery And Equipment
  
• Fuels
  
• Chemicals
  
• Semifinished Goods
  
• Foodstuffs
  
• Consumer Goods
  
• Measuring And Medical Control Instruments

Business Practices

Business Dress

• They dress in more formal than many other Europeans. In Spain, it is important to project good taste in apparel.
  
• Business attire includes well-made, conservative suits and ties. Do not wear flashy colors, as it is not popular to stand out.
  
• Shorts are generally not worn in public.
  

Communication Guidelines

• A large portion of the communication take place over lunches and dinners. They are an extremely important part of business life in Spain.
  
• During the business negotiations, rules and systems are only used as a last resort to solving a problem.
  
• During the business meetings, doors are usually kept shut.
  
• Business colleagues often dine together, but different ranks of the same company do not mix.

Business Hour
9.00 am to 2.00 pm & 4.30 pm to 7.30 pm - Shops (Monday to Saturday)
Note:- Office hours are generally the same as the shops but they do not open on Saturdays.

Important Contacts

Associations / Ministries
Industry and Trade Council
Website: http://www.gva.es/industria/main_v.htm

Indian Embassy / Counsulate

Embassy of India
Av. Pio XII, 30-32
28016 - Madrid
Tel.: +(349)-(90)-2901010, (91)-1315100 (from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.)
Fax: +(349)-(91)-3451112 (Embassy)
        +(349)-(91)-3451900 (Consular Section)
E-mail: consular@embassyindia.jazzteles (Consular Section)
              com@embassyindia.jazzteles (Commercial Section)
Website: http://www.embajadaindia.com
Working Hours:
8:30 am to 1:30 & 14:00 pm to 5:00 pm (Monday to Friday)

Consulate General of Barcelona
Teodoro Rodivalta 21
08022 Barcelona
Tel.: +(349)-(93)-2120916
Fax: +(349)-(93)-2120354
Working Hours:
3.00 pm to 5.30 pm

Consulate General of Santa Cruz
Villalba Herbas 15, 1° planta
38002 Sta. Cruz de Tenerife
Tel.: +(349)-(922)-243503, 241416
Fax: +(349)-(922)-289755

Visiting this Country

Business Visa Rules for Spain
Business Visitor Visas are referred to as "Schengen Visas" and are required for all foreign nationals, unless there is any related treaty in existence between their country of nationality and Spain. Applications for a business visitor visa must be submitted to the Spanish Consulate having jurisdiction over the applicant's place of residence. A personal appearance may be required.

Allowable Activities as a Business Visitor
The allowable activities of business visitors are typically limited to the following:

• To attend any business meetings or discussions;
  
• To attend any sales calls to potential client in Spain;
  
• To attend any seminars or "fact-finding" meetings.

Special Note regarding Technical, Short-Term Activities

Spain do not have any special visa category to allow foreigner to perform technical activities in country. Anyone who performs this type of activity usually requires a work permit; so it is better to review if any short-term, technical activities requires a work permit prior to departure to Spain.

Maximum Period of Stay as a Business Visitor

The normal validity of most business visas is 90 days within a "given" 180-day period.
Extension are usually not granted, except in situations of truly emergency basis and must be based on reasons that will prevent the foreigner from departing Spain before the expiration of the 90 day period.

Basic Requirements to Apply for a Business Visa

The following requirements for Business Visitors is subject to change or modification without any notice:

• Business Visitors must have a residence and an employer outside of Spain, he/she must not be in any manner subordinate to the management of the entity doing business in Spain, and he/she must be traveling to Spain for a limited and pre-set time period.
  
• Business Visitors must not receive any compensation from sources within Spain; however, incidental expenses like accommodation, travel, and meals may be paid by the host.
  
• Business Visitors must have evidence of adequate funds to defray expenses while on the business visit.
  
• Business Visitors must have a specific, realistic and pre-determined plans for his or her stay in Spain.
  
• The period of intended stay of the visitor must be consistent with the intended purpose of the trip.

Business Visitors from countries where a visa is required must present supporting letters and other documents as evidence of the purpose and intended duration of their trip before they may be granted a Business Visitor Visa to enter Spain.

Public Holidays

Festival	Date	Detail
New Year's Day	January 1
Epiphany	January 6
Maundy Thursday		Date Varies
Good Friday		Date Varies
Easter		Date Varies
Easter Monday		Date Varies
Labour Day	May 1
Assumption Day	August 15
National Day	October 12
All Saints' Day	November 1
Constitution Day	December 6
Immaculate Conception Day	December 8
Christmas Day	December 25
Saint Stephen's Day	December 26	Regional

Travel Tips

• Taxi tip is 10-15% when it is metered. Hotels include service charges and taxes, but tips should be left for the chambermaid and the porters (per bag). It is customery to leave a tip for the waiter.
  
• There is no departure tax.
  
• Street crime can be a problem in Spain. Take care of all your belongings. Leave the tickets and the passport in a safe place. Avoid carrying too much money or wearing of conspicuous jewellery.
  
• Take special care while driving. Traffic fines are heavy and is paid on the spot.
  
• Padestrians should take care while crossing or walking along at night.
  
• The best thing in Spain is its food and wines. Areas like Rioja are well known worldwide because of its outstanding quality of wines. Most of the Spain is also famous for excellent fish and meat dishes. Northern areas like Galicia offers excellent seafood and meat dishes. The Valencia and Alicante is famous for their paella and gambas.
  
• Electricity is at 220 volts.