How do I make friends in Spain?
Making friends in a new country takes time anywhere, and in Spain the language matters more than many people expect. Friendships usually come from doing the same thing with the same people every week, in Spanish where you can.
In 30 seconds
- Expect a honeymoon, then a dip a few months in when the paperwork is done and the UK feels far away
- Language exchanges, local clubs, volunteering and your children’s school parents’ association (AMPA) are the usual ways in
- Mainland Spain is one hour ahead of the UK all year, which makes regular calls home easy
The first-year curve
Many people describe the same pattern. The first weeks are busy with appointments and paperwork. Then there’s a dip: colleagues and neighbours go home to their own families, weekends feel long, and you miss birthdays at home. It usually eases as routines form. Knowing the dip is normal makes it easier to push through it rather than read it as a sign the move was wrong.
- Say yes to every invitation in the first six months
- Suggest a specific plan (“coffee on Saturday at 11?”) rather than “we should meet up”
- Learn some Spanish early. Even basic conversation changes how quickly you’re included, at the school gate, at work and with neighbours
- Be patient: people already have family and long-standing friends nearby, so new friendships often grow slowly from regular contact
Where friendships start
| Where | Why it works |
|---|---|
| Language exchanges (intercambios) | You practise Spanish with someone who wants to practise English, often over a coffee or at a regular bar meetup. You meet locals and other newcomers at the same time |
| Spanish classes | Official language schools (Escuelas Oficiales de Idiomas) and town hall courses put you in a class with the same people for a whole year. See The partner at home |
| Clubs and peñas | A peña is a club of people who share an interest: often supporters of a football team, but also fiestas or hobbies. Many are formal associations with members and a meeting place |
| Fiesta associations | In Valencia, neighbourhood falla associations (comisiones falleras) prepare all year for the Fallas in March. Other towns have similar groups for their own fiestas |
| Sport and walking groups | Running, cycling, padel, hiking and sailing clubs welcome beginners and meet at fixed times |
| Volunteering | The Spanish Volunteering Platform links to local organisations. 2026 is the UN International Year of Volunteers, with events across Spain |
| School parents’ association (AMPA) | By law, parents can form an association at every school. AMPAs help run activities and school life, and are the main way parents meet |
| Support groups for English speakers | Charities such as Age in Spain run an infoline and community networks. Useful for practical help and for meeting people in the same situation |
Spanish law protects parents’ right to form these school associations, and schools must let them use their premises for their activities. Ask at the school office how to join, and offer to help at one event. For families, see Schools in Spain.
Regional languages and differences
Spain’s regions have their own languages, customs and fiestas, so what works in Madrid may feel different in Barcelona or Palma. In Catalonia, the language consortium (CPNL) runs Catalan courses and a volunteer scheme, Voluntariat per la llengua, which pairs you with a Catalan speaker for 10 conversation meetings. In Valencia and Alicante, Valencian is the regional language; in Palma, Catalan. Even a few words of the local language are noticed and appreciated. Avoid judging a whole country by your first neighbourhood: cities, villages and regions differ a lot.
Groups for British people
Online groups for British people in each area are useful for tips in your first weeks. Treat advice in them as opinion and check rules on official sites. They work best as a bridge to local friendships, not a replacement. If you meet people from online groups or apps, meet in a busy public place and tell someone where you’re going.
Keeping in touch with home
Mainland Spain and the Balearic Islands keep Central European time: one hour ahead of the UK all year, as both change their clocks on the same dates. In 2026 the clocks go back on 25 October. The Canary Islands are on the same time as the UK. A regular call slot is easy to keep. For your UK number and calls, see Phone, internet and staying in touch.
What to do next
- Find a language exchange or Spanish class that meets weekly
- Ask your children’s school how to join the AMPA
- Agree a weekly call time with family in the UK
Keep going
- Real Madrid: How to set up a peña (supporters’ club)
- Junta Central Fallera: Fallas de Valencia
- Plataforma del Voluntariado de España (Spanish Volunteering Platform)
- BOE: Ley Orgánica 8/1985 on the right to education, article 5 (parents’ associations)
- Age in Spain: support for the English-speaking community in Spain
- Consorci per a la Normalització Lingüística (Catalan courses)
- Consorci per a la Normalització Lingüística: Voluntariat per la llengua (Catalan language pairs)
- Instituto Geográfico Nacional: Official time in Spain (Anuario del Observatorio Astronómico, PDF)
- GOV.UK: When do the clocks change?
- Ministerio de Sanidad: 024, suicide prevention line
- Xataka Móvil: Spain’s social interest phone numbers, what they cost and what they’re for