Glossary of useful Legal, Financial & Procedural Phrases

It is always useful to be familiar with various words and phrases that can occur wherever and whenever you are faced with any kind of bureaucracy in Spain. You might want to print our this page and keep it with your legal documents.

• Autonomo = A Person who has registered as being self employed
• Baja = A Doctors Sick Note
• Basura = Rubbish Collection Tax
• Cedula = Certificate of Habitation
• Certificado de empadronamiento (pardon) = Town Hall Register (Electoral Role)
• Certificado de empadronamiento = Town Hall Register (Eletoral Role)
• Certificado literal de nacimiento = Official Birth Certificate
• Cheque Bancario = Bankers Draft
• Comisaría de policía provincial = Provincial Police Station
• Convenio Colectivo = Employment Regulation Categories
• Debito = A Payment Out
• El Alcalde = The Mayor
• El Ayuntamiento = The Town Hall
• Embarazada = Pregnant / Pregnancy
• Escritura = Full title Deeds of Ownership
• Extranjero = Foreigner
• Fichas Technicas = Ownership and Registration Documents
• Giri = Slang for a Disagreeable Tourist
• Hacer Puente = To extend the Fiesta for a day up to / From the weekend
• Hacienda = The Tax Office
• Hipoteca = Mortgage
• Homologation / Convalidation = The Process of confirming standard of learning in the UK
• Impuestas de Circulation = The Importation Tax due
• Impuesto de Transferencia de Propiedad = property Transfer Tax
• Impuesto sobre Bienes Inmuebles (IBI) = Yearly property Tax
• Impuesto sobre circulation de vehiculos = Vehicle Import Tax
• Ingresso = A Payment in
• ITV = The Spanish equivalent of MOT
• Jefatura de Trafico = Local Traffic Office
• Libreto = Your Bank Book
• Libro de Familia = Family Book issued by the Town hall that includes family details
• Multas = Traffic Fines
• Navidad = Christmas
• NIE (Number Identification de Extranjeros) = National Identification Number for Foreigners
• No qiero Conecer el sexo del bebe = I don't want to know the Sex of the baby
• Nomina = A Deduction taken off your gross salary
• Nota Simple = A Shortened version of Title Deeds
• Oficina de extranjeros = Foreigners Department (within the Police station)
• OMIC / Oficina Municipal de Información del Consumidor = Similar to Citizens Advise Bureau
• Pascua / Semana Santa = Easter / Holy week
• Permiso de Circulacion = Road Tax, usually issued by and Paid to your local Town Hall
• Permiso de circulación = Vehicle registration document
• Plusvalia = Capital Gains Tax
• Registro Civil = Civil Registry Office
• Registro general de actos de ultima voluntad = The National Spanish Archive of Wills in Madrid
• Seguridad Social = Spanish Social Security
• Servicio Ejecutivo para la prevencion del Blanqueo de capitals (SEPBLAC) = The Government Agency responsible for Investigating Black Money
• Sueldo en Bruto = Gross Annual Salary
• Tantoria = Chapel of Rest, where the Body lies in peace until the Funeral
• Tarjeta Debito / Credito = Your Bank Card
• Temporal = Wording indicates short term contract for rental
• Testamento = Will (Of which there are 3 different types)
• Transferencia = A Bank Transfer
• Un certificado literal de nacimiento = Full / Detailed Birth Certificate
• Un extracto de inscripción de nacimiento or certificado simple = Short Birth Certificate
• Vivienda = Wording Indicates a Long Term Contract for rental