Culture vultures

Asociation de Arte y Cultura Marbella

A private, non profit-making organisation, the Marbella Association of Art and Culture aims to bring like-minded people of all nationalities together to boost the town’s cultural image. Since 2004, over 90 have joined the group, who meet on the first Wednesday of every month for cocktails and to discuss art-related issues, organise concerts, conferences, trips, guided tours and social gatherings.

For more information call 952 777 946.

Amigos de La Cultura

With over 150 members, the Amigos have been meeting each week for over a decade, enjoying fun get-togethers and focusing on all things arty. The group welocme both Spanish and English.speaking members and are a non-profit making organisation. Whether you’re a flamenco fan, obsessed with opera, besotted with ballet or mad for museums, there’s bound to be a trip or lecture that’ll satisfy you’re your craving for culture.

For more information call 952 777 205.

Wheel good friends

The Ferrari Owners Club of Andalucía

If you’re lucky enough to own one of the sexiest sports cars in history, a Ferrari, of course, then why whizz down to Tony Dalli’s Italian restaurant on Marbella’s Golden Mile every Sunday at 11.30am. It’s the perfect opportunity to meet fellow Ferrari fanatics, compare notes and show off your wheels.

For more information call 952 812 490.

Classic Car Owners, Costa del Sol

The American Classic Car Owners Club, Costa del Sol, was formed in 2009 and aims to promote the restoration and preservation of classic cars in Spain. Members attend regular car shows as well as partaking in special classic cruises and parades. To become a member, you must own any model of American classic car over 20 years of age and most importantly, be passionate!

For more information call 952 880 225.

All abroad!

British Association of Marbella

Ideal for making new friends, the BAM get together once a week for laid-back coffee mornings, long lunches in the sunshine and trips around Andalucía.  BAM welcomes British residents in Marbella of all ages.

For more information call President Mary MacKechnie on 952 825 191.

American Club of the Costa del Sol

Formed back in 1973, the AC aims to help American-born residents to understand and integrate with the Spanish community. Supporting a number of Spanish charities, such as Cudeca, members are encouraged to participate in events to raise funds for worthy causes along the coast as well as to make new friends and share experiences of lfe in Spain.

For more information call 952 858 993

Thank you for the music
Amigos de La Musica

Lovers of classical music and opera should snap up membership with this non-profit making association without a second thought! For over 4 decades, the group has been organising concerts featuring some of the most talented and respected musicians from around the world. English and Spanish speaking members enjoy a number of live classical performances annually and over the years, the association has brought musicians such as Daniel Barenboim, Nicanor Zabaleta, The Vienna Boy`s Choir, Moura Lympany, Joaquín Achúcarro and Alicia de la Rocha to Marbella’s prestigious Hotel Fuerte.

For more information call 952 815 047.

Suits you

Marbella Rotary Club

If you’re a professional living in Marbella and want to meet ethical, career-driven individuals, the Rotary Club will be right up your street. Uniting everyone from local business owners to politicians and top executives from the world over, the weekly meet-ups encourage high ethical standards as well as promoting world peace. The Rotary Club also supports many of the local charities by raising funds in their high-profile annual summer galas.

For more information call 952 859 840.

The Achievers (Toastmasters International)

Shy? Want to overcome your fear of speaking in public for work purposes or to simply gain more self-confidence? Let Toastmasters help! Toastmasters Marbella is one of 9,800  non-profit making Toastmasters clubs around the world and offers a supportive and friendly environment in which to improve communication and leadership skills once a week.

For more information call 956 816 018.

In order to legally work in Spain, all EU citizens and non-EU citizens must be issued with an NIE (Número de Identidad/Identificación de Extranjero). The NIE is also required for opening a Spanish bank account, starting a new buiness and obtaining rental properties.

Although it’s possible to obtain your NIE ahead of time at the Spanish Embassy before you leave your home country, or even through a Gestor (this costs around 100€) many expats opt for a slightly less simple process once they arrive in Spain.

Filling in the form

Unless your Spanish is up to scratch, filling in the NIE can cause confusion so we’ve made it easier for applicants with by translating each section of the form:

1er Apellido: Surname

2er Apellido: Second surname

Nombre: Name

Fecha de Nacimiento: Date of Birth (DD/MM/YYYY)

Lugar de nacimiento: Place of Birth

Sexo: Gender – Use ‘H’ for male (Hombre) and ‘M’ for female (Mujer)

Estado Civil: Status – Use ‘S’ for single,  ‘C’ for married, ‘V’ for widow and ‘D’ for divorced.

País de Nacimiento: Country of Birth

País de Nacionalidad: Current Nationality

Nombre del Padre: Father’s Name

Nombre de la Madre: Mother’s Name

Domicilio en España: Address in Spain

Localidad: Town

CP: Post Code

Provincia: Province

Section 2
Razones del Uso: Reasons for application – the options are: Economic, Professional or Social
(Tick professional for work reasons or social for house purchase)

Section 3
Domicilio a Efectos de Notificaciones: Leave blank
At the bottom of the form, you’ll find the words ‘firma de solicitante’.  Write your signature underneath.
Standing at the Station

Once you’ve completed your form, you need to take it to your local Police Station, along with a photocopy of the form, your passport plus a photocopy.

Most local Police Stations open for NIE applicants at 9am however, the queue can often be extremely long, particularly between June and September, when a large number of foreigners require the NIE for summer bar jobs. Deli-style tickets are given out to the first 50 people in the queue and if you’re not one of them, you will simply be turned away. Therefore, it’s recommended that you arrive at the Police Station as early as 7am during these months, in order to secure a good place in the queue. 

Once you’re inside the station, you’ll need to wait until your number is called. The Police Officer will then check your documents and issue you with a date on which to go back to the station to collect your NIE number. It usually takes around 4 weeks for the NIE to be processed and once you have it, you’re ready to work in Spain!

Once you’ve been issued with an NIE, you need to apply for a Número de la Seguridad Social (Social Security Number) in order to legally work in Spain. This number will entitle you to unemployment benefits, maternity leave, retirement and free medical care (except in private health clinics/hospitals) depending on what you’ve contributed to the system throughout your working life in Spain.

Who’s entitled?

Whether you’re self-employed (Autonomo) or working for a company and a citizen of the EU, you’ll be entitled to a Social security Number and the all the relevant benefits if you become unemployed.  
Get your number

If you’re self-employed, you’ll need to go to your local Oficina de Seguridad Social and fill in the relevant paperwork, provided you speak good Spanish! If you don’t, then it’s advisable to get a lawyer of gestor to help you with this.

If you’re going to work for someone else, your new employer needs to request a Social Security Number for you by presenting the following documents to the local Tesorería General de la Seguridad Social:

* TA1 Application Form
* Your NIE Certificate
* Your Residency Certificate or Passport

Once your application has been submitted, you’ll receive a Certificate of Registration (Documento de Afiliación) and a registration number.
When things go wrong

If you’re made redundant or you stop working for any other reason, you must notify the Tesorería General de la Seguridad Social as soon as possible so that you can claim your contributions back, provided you’ve been working in Spain 6 months or longer.

The Social Security Office is located at:

Plaza de Leganitos, 5 Marbella

Tel: +34 - 952 77 15 99

Spanish registration – a mandatory requirement for British babies

Before you can obtain a British Birth Certificate/register your baby’s birth with the British Consulate General, it’s advised that you register the birth at your nearest Civil Register Office during the first 8 days following the birth. If there’s a justified reason for the delay, this period can be extended to 30 days, however if you miss this deadline, you may have to start an administration procedure with the Spanish authorities, which will be a costly and lengthy process. This could also affect your child’s access to the state healthcare system, nursery and school.
Registering a British birth with the British Consulate General

It’s now possible to register your baby if he or she was born is Spain and is a British national. Although regsitration with the British Consular isn’t compulsory, it ensures that a permanent record of the birth is kept at the General Register Office in the UK. Certified copies of Birth Certificates are also available in Spain and produced in English.

Birth registration application forms are available from your nearest British Consulate and once filled out should be returned to the British Consulate General in Madrid, along with the appropriate fees, the following documents and photocopies of each:

1. Child’s Spanish Birth Certificate
This means the FULL Spanish Birth Certificate, showing names of both parents (certificado literal de nacimiento, NOT the Libro de Familia). This is available from the Civil Register Office where you registered the birth.

2. Parents’ Birth Certificates
* If both parents are British, send full UK Birth Certificates
* If one of the parents is not Bristish, send the Local Birth Certificate of this parent or a copy of their passport/DNI.
* If only one of the parents is British and born outside the UK, send their Consular Birth Certificate which states that their father was in Crown Service at the time of the birth
* If either of the parents have been granted British nationality, send the original Certificate of Registration or Naturalisation.

3. Parents’ Marriage Certificate
You need to provide your FULL Marriage Certificate (not to be mistaken with the Libro de Familia).

4. Photocopies of Parents’ Passports

5. Divorce Decree
Only provide this if either parent was previously divorced.

Applying for British Birth Registration if the child’s parents are not married

If the mother of the child was born in the UK and the child was born after 01/01/83, he/she is entitled to British Citizenship. Similarly, if the father is British, they can register the birth of their child born in Spain after 01/07/06.

For more information, click here. 

If you live in Spain and your passport is about to expire, there’s no need to go back to the UK to renew it – the British Consulate General in Madrid issues full 10 year passports for adults and 5 year passports for children under 16.

To renew your passport, you need to obtain the C1 (for adults) and C2 form (for under 16s). If you live on the Costa del Sol, you can obtain these from the British Consul in Malaga. You’ll also need 2 passport sized photographs, one of which must be countersigned by a person of suitable standing (e.g. a doctor, teacher). 

Once you have all these items and have filled out the forms carefully, you need to send them all (as well as your payment) to the following address:

UK Passport Service Iberia
British Consulate-General Madrid
Torre Espacio
Paseo de la Castellana 259D
28046 Madrid

(You can also deliver your application in person to this address, Opening hours: Monday to Friday 08:30 – 13:30).
 

Lost or stolen passports

If your passport is lost or stolen in Spain, the first thing you should do is report it to the local police. You should also contact your nearest British Consulate and apply to the Consulate general in Madrid for a replacement passport.

Once you’ve reported your passport lost or stolen, it’ll be electronically cancelled and you’ll no longer be able to use it as proof of identity or nationality as it may be recognised as a potential act of fraudulence.
Similarly, you won’t be able to use your passport for travel purposes as it may be impounded by the Borders and Immigration Authority at UK airports and ports or you could face arrest or deportation in foreign countries.

If you find a passport belonging to someone else, you need to take it to your nearest British Consulate immediately.

If you’re visiting or living in the Málaga region, the nearest British Consulate can be found at:

Edificio Eurocom, Bloque Sur
Calle Mauricio Moro Pareto 2-2°
29006 Málaga
Spain

The office is open from Monday to Friday, 08:30 – 13:30
Alternatively, you can contact the office Tel:    0034 95 235 23 00
Fax: 0034 95 235 92 11
Website: http://ukinspain.fco.gov.uk/en/

Casino Marbella Hotel H10 Andalucía Plaza s/n 29660 Marbella . Puerto Banús.  Strictly for over 18s only.  Remember your ID or passport!

T. +34 952 81 40 00 www.casinomarbella.com

Mixing the night away

Forget a week being a long time in politics. In the fickle and fast moving
word of clubbing, most places are burnt out, shut down or a shadow of their
former selves after a couple of years. This year, however, Michael Keijzer
and the Dreamer’s team celebrate eight years as Marbella’s top
superclub, and a sizzling line up of top DJs, internationally renowned promoters
and an interior revamp aim to ensure that the club continues to pack in the
crowds for another eight years.

Smoke – Lights
– Action

It would be fair to say that Dreamer’s shook up the Marbella club scene
when it opened on June 15, 2000. Previously clubs in the town were either for
an older, jet-set crowd, whose musical tastes seemed to go no further than “Mambo
Number 5” or the small underground hard house clubs, that even an experienced
ex-London clubber like myself felt a little uneasy about going into. Dreamer’s
however, brought the club scene bang up to date, with a great sound system
and a modern venue, although I did spot long time Marbella socialite Gert Stenger
leaving immediately on opening night, shaking his head in incomprehension.

Dreamers Full House

Dreamer’s in 2008 still holds 900 people and downstairs is the main
dance floor, a raised area with tables to one side and a huge bar running along
the opposite wall. There’s also a smaller bar, stage for the Dreamer’s
Dancers and even a merchandise shop. A word of warning. Don’t try and
join the Dreamer’s Dancers on stage. Security at the club is still very
professional.

Upstairs is the “Funky Room”, a glassed off space with a more
relaxed ambience from the madness below, playing R&B and Soul, although
the bright plastic sofas and chairs may not be to everyone’s taste.

Dreamer stars on stage

But the focal point to Dreamer’s is the glitter ball style DJ box, sponsored
by Red Bull. It’s here that some of the biggest names in the club scene
will performing this year, including superstar DJs Bob Sinclair, Eric Morillo,
and Roger Sanchez, while promoters Hed Kandi, Kinky Malinky and Space Ibiza
will also be hosting nights. And a new sound and light system will also add
to the fun.

Dreamer’s Julia Girardo explains why the club is still so popular “The
main reason that we are so successful is due to the DJs that we bring over,
so people know that they’re going to have a brilliant night. We’re
a big club but we’re quite homely as well so everyone knows each other.
We’re mainly Spanish until the summer, when the crowd, like the coast,
changes to become more international.”

Purely in the interests of research I decided to put Julia to the test and
hit Dreamer’s the following night. I left at seven the following morning,
with a huge grin, having bumped into old friends and heard some great music.
Who knows, I might even see Gert next time?

Dreamer’s
Ctra de Cadiz, km 175, Rio Verde, Pto. Banus
Tel: 952 812 080
www.dreamers-disco.com

Entrance €25 (includes 1 drink)
Table Reservations €165 (includes 1 bottle, maximum 4 people)

TEN go-gos

With my intimate knowledge of the ins and outs of Puerto Banus nightlife,
this was always going to be my assignment. TEN Gentlemen’s Club, located in
what was The Exchange in Puerta de Banus opposite Dreamer’s, launched
recently promising “Erotic, exuberant, sensational, adult entertainment
at its best” Your correspondent inwardly groaned. Adult entertainment
invariably means lap dancers, and I hold the advent of the lap-dancing club,
along with the wide screen sports bar, single handedly responsible for the
transformation of Puerto Banus from the jet set hideaway marina of the late
70s to the full throttle Chav paradise that it is today. I also speak from
experience, having worked briefly as the PR for a lap dancing club, which wasn’t
as much fun as it sounds. Unattractive, bitchy girls, rowdy clients and a venue
that was about as comfortable as an aircraft hanger in Iceland.

TEN’s owner Chris Edwards

Luckily, TEN’s owner, the urbane American Chris Edwards, has brought his
experience working in the industry in the States to the Coast and pledged to
bring Marbella “Something it has never had before; a sophisticated
choice in live adult entertainment.”

Working The Floor
Always game to give anything new a go (as Oscar Wilde once said, a man should
try anything once apart from incest and folk dancing) I took my long-suffering
girlfriend along to the launch. As always with a Marbella first night, the
place was packed, although this time there were a higher percentage of the
permatanned, 40-50 something brigade than normal. TEN is organised
over three floors. The ground floor has kept The Exchange’s stylish
bar, and added (naturally) a good-sized stage with a pole. There is also
a DJ booth above the bar and two smaller podium stages for go-gos.

Restaurant The Cellar@TEN

Downstairs is the restaurant, The Cellar@TEN, whose chef Abdul Sallak was
previously Head Chef at Hotel Las Dunas. This is the only area of TEN where
you won’t see dancing, although the changing rooms are located nearby,
so it probably wouldn’t be the best bet as the venue for a first date …

The top floor at TEN is the VIP section, and it’s here that the club
expects to attract the high rollers. As a piece of interior design, I’d
say that it has Hugh Hefner chic. There is a main stage, a Perspex box for
the girls to dance in, a bar, and beyond that a discreet VIP area for private
lap dances.

TEN Blings

Pole Position
The girls themselves all seem to have stepped from a Baywatch casting, and
there were some impressive breast sizes on display, as well as some of the
most outrageous platforms since The Rocky Horror Show. The most impressive
of all, however, was the performance by three times US pole dancing champion
Athena, who was flown over especially from the US for the evening. She had
the body of an athlete and put on a show on the pole that had half the audience
cheering – including my girlfriend – and the other half wondering
how she did it. And with a live saxophonist and DJ Brandon Vega – who
has worked for Prince – the party moved up several gears. It’s
always a good sign in Marbella when guests stay after the free drink runs out,
and at TEN the party continued until 5am. Perhaps, finally, someone has got
the formula right for adult entertainment.

Find TEN at Centro de Negocios Puerta de Banus, Marbella. Tel: 0034 952 908
842.

Along with other Mediterranean resorts that seemed to have become a pale kitsch
immitation of their 60s and 70s heyday (think St Tropez and Costa Esmeralda)
Marbella has bounced back as a desirable destination for the in crowd. Although
you won’t be able to lounge at the beach clubs, the three week break
that makes up the festive season is the perfect excuse for slipping on your
dance shoes and getting on the good foot.

The club scene in Marbella provides something to suit your mood. Whether you
want to Bling it like the Beckhams, sip sundowners on a sheltered terrace,
get intimate with an It girl, wax europhoric with the Eurotrash or just
chill with a cocktail, Marbella has the club for whoever you want to
be tonight – P.Diddy or Phillipe Junot. So in no particular order might
I recommend the following old favourites as well as a couple of young pretenders.

Olivia Valere

Olivia Valere – The original superclub that everyone has
to experience at
least once on a trip to Marbella. From the outside “Olivia’s” looks
more like a Moorish fortress than a nightclub, but once inside, it resembles
a set from the “Arabian Nights”. If you fancy a little celeb spotting,
then this is the place, as Bruce Willis, Iglesias Senior and Junior, Prince
Harry, Mick Jagger and super divas Mariah Carey and Naomi Campbell – though
thankfully not on the same night – have all paid a visit. Tel: 952 82
8861.

Dreamer’s

Dreamer’s – Marbella’s other superclub brings in a younger
and more streetwise crowd, as well as top club nights from the UK, including
Hed Kandi and Kinky Malinki, and superstar Djs Carl Cox, Frankie Knuckes, Roger
Sanchez and Bob Sinclair. It doesn’t really matter who is playing. Just
be advised that if you go to Dreamer’s you’re going to get out
late… so don’t forget the shades. Tel: 952 81 2080.

Dragon I

Dragon I – This new club located in the luxurious Gray D’Albion
at the entrance to Puerto Banus, opened at the end of summer.VIP guests included
Simon Webbe from Blue, who performed an impromtu set and serial Heart-breaker
Callum Best, who seemed to be enjoying himself with the ladiez…Could
be the coolest club this Christmas.

Lulu – Opposite the Marbella Club Hotel, Lulu is an intimate
club that has recently enjoyed a revamp and now hosts live jazz every Thursday.
It’s
not all laid back lounging, however, and the party gets into full swing
a little later in the evening.
Tel: 952 857 290.

Pangaea Prive – perhaps one of the best reasons to venture
east of Marbella, Pangaea Prive enjoys a fabulous beachfront location and recently enlisted
the covert and blatantly overt talents of Charlotte Fisher, the undefeated
nightclub hostess champion of Marbella. Expect it to be full of Marbella’s
bright young things as well as a smattering of footballer stars and the
aforementioned Mr Best. Tel: 952 82 5729.

TIBV

TIBV – Overlooking the Plaza Antonio Banderas in Banus, TIBV
is a good bet for a boogie if you don’t fancy a taxi to the superclubs.
Personally, if Dilly is Djing, it’s the best place to be. The man deserves
a medal for services to Marbella nightlife over the years. Tel: 95281 8444.

Suite – Daniel Shamoon’s souk-style club at the Puente
Romano Hotel still remains a popular haunt for stylish residents and has attracted
its fair share of celebs including Meg Matthews, Heather Mills and a
certain Callum Best (who you may have heard me mention before). Tel: 95282
0900.

And a final tip on getting home during the festive season. On New Year’s
Eve, try and get yourself invited to a private house party with plenty of guest
suites or hit one of the champagne celebrations at a hotel. It was easier to
get a chopper out of Saigon than it is to find a taxi in Marbella on December
31st!