A Spanish real estate expert says landlords are not required to return rental deposits, citing laws that impose penalties for breaking a lease within the first six months. Housing access remains a pressing concern across Spain, and many renters are unaware of these clauses. Tenants should review contract terms carefully to avoid unexpected costs.
Spanish tax authorities can reclassify money from parents for a home down payment as a gift if there is no written loan agreement with a repayment obligation. Lawyer David Jiménez warns that failing to formalize the deal could result in tax, interest, or sanctions. Gift tax treatment for parent-to-child transfers varies widely by autonomous community. Anyone buying property with family assistance should document the loan to avoid a surprise bill.
The Spanish government briefly raised the number of people who illegally entered Ceuta on July 30 from 72,000 to 80,000 before ministry sources said the figure remained unchanged. Territorial Policy Minister Ángel Víctor Torres declined to give a definitive number of unaccompanied minors, which has been put at 1,400. Ceuta’s president says between 8,000 and 11,000 immigrants remain on city streets, highlighting the border pressure shaping national policy.
Revolut Bank has secured a full banking licence in France, placing its Spanish business under regulatory oversight from Paris. Deposit guarantees for accounts in Spain and other Western European markets will now originate from France, while other regions remain under Lithuanian protection. Revolut has invested more than €1 billion in the region and plans to add more than 600 staff, opening a Paris headquarters in 2027.
The average return on bank deposits in Spain rose to 1.92% in June, the highest since March 2025, following the ECB's rate hike to 2.25%. The yield is up more than 17% year-on-year, and the best promotions now top 3%, with neobanks and foreign institutions driving competition. Savers can find offers such as Deutsche Bank at 3.25% TAE and Revolut at 3.51%.
Workers in Spain who retire voluntarily before the legal age face permanent pension cuts, even with more than 41 years of contributions. For those with 41.5 to 44.5 years of contributions, the penalty ranges from 2.96% to 17% depending on how many months early they retire. Those planning to claim a Spanish pension should factor in these reductions, which also apply to maximum pensions via transitional coefficients.
National Police have checked 1,033 passengers from non-EU countries arriving on flights from Italy over the weekend, following a government order linked to migrant arrivals in Italy. The controls, carried out by 109 officers, focused on Madrid-Barajas (223 passengers) and Barcelona-El Prat (552), with checks also at Málaga, Sevilla, and Alicante. Travelers from Italy should carry valid ID and be prepared for random inspections.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Danish PM Mette Frederiksen published a joint statement calling for EU repatriation centers in third countries and denouncing 'uncontrolled immigration.' The demand comes despite Frontex data showing that irregular crossings into Europe fell nearly 40% in the first five months of 2026. Italy also criticized Spain’s recent regularization measures, even as it recruits migrant workers itself.
A new heatwave will push temperatures to 43°C in parts of Spain, with nights staying above 25°C in many areas, according to the weather service Meteored. Aemet has activated high-temperature alerts across 13 autonomous communities on Wednesday, with orange warnings in Andalusia, Castilla-La Mancha and Extremadura. The Guadalquivir valley may hit 43°C, and the Ebro valley around 41°C, posing health risks for residents.
The government has activated a Unified Command Post at the national emergency center to coordinate the response to Wednesday's total solar eclipse. Civil Protection, Guardia Civil, National Police and the DGT will monitor crowds and traffic in real time. The eclipse's totality band crosses 36 provinces, and authorities have issued safety recommendations to avoid travel disruption.
A wildfire in Huelva's Niebla area has scorched about 20,000 hectares since August 6 and is currently 'beyond containment' due to extreme fire behavior, Andalusia’s first vice president said. Strong winds and complex terrain are generating large pyrocumulus clouds and secondary fire outbreaks that jump kilometers. The priority is protecting residents and responders, with the containment effort expected to last days.
The Defense Ministry and the CNI intelligence agency have warned Galicia's regional government that SAIC Motor's planned car plant in Ferrol could be used to spy on nearby naval facilities. The site, about five kilometers from the military arsenal, sits close to a Navantia shipyard that builds Navy frigates equipped with sensitive radar systems. The investment has backing from Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Xunta president Alfonso Rueda, though national security concerns may complicate approval.
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