There are 2,805 Australians, 801 New Zealanders and 1,632 South Africans who reside in Spain, according to the latest government data from Spain’s National Statistics Institute (INE).

Spain is certainly not the number one destination in Europe for these southern hemisphere English speakers, who tend to prefer to move to the United Kingdom.

But those who do start a life in Spain no doubt find a lot in common with their home nations, from the good weather and outdoor living to the love of food and the sociable people. 

Here are the Spanish regions where Aussies, Kiwis and Saffas are based and other interesting information they may want to know about.

While these figures are based on the padrón (town hall registry), and therefore may exclude Australian, New Zealand and South African citizens who have moved within Spain and not updated their registration in their new town or city, they do enable us to get a pretty good idea of where in Spain most of them live. 

Where are all the Australians in Spain?

There are a total of 2,805 Australians living in Spain. 

The majority of these (787) live in Catalonia, followed by Madrid with 507 and then the Valencia region with 335.

However, there are Australians living in all of Spain’s regions, apart from Ceuta and Melilla.

The regions with the least number of Australians are La Rioja with just 6, and Castilla La-Mancha and Extremadura with 19 each.

The Embassy of Australia in Spain is based in Madrid, although there is also a consulate in Barcelona if you want to find out anything relating to Spanish visas, work, study or other permits. The current Australian Ambassador to Spain and Andorra is Ms Sophia McIntyre.

There is also the Australia Spain Business Association (ASBA) a non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting collaboration between Spain, Australia and New Zealand.

Australians who are missing their country’s cuisine will find several Aussie brunch places in Barcelona such as Federal and Caravelle. Federal also has restaurants in Madrid and in Girona. 

There is also an Australians in Spain Facebook group with over 2,000 members. 

Where are all the New Zealanders in Spain?

The latest INE statistics show that there were a total of 801 New Zealanders living in Spain in 2021. 

Again the majority of these live in Catalonia with 208 Kiwi inhabitants, followed by Andalusia with 119, then Valencia with 103. Like the Australians, there are no Kiwis living in Ceuta and Melilla, but there are in all other regions.

The regions with the least however are Castilla La-Mancha and Extremadura which are home to just 1 New Zealander each, followed by Navarre with three.

The Embassy of New Zealand is also based in Madrid and there is a consulate in Barcelona. Office hours are by appointment only and the ambassador is Nigel Fyfe.

Kiwis who are after a New Zealand-style brunch in Barcelona, should head to Little Fern. 

Where are all the South Africans?

According to the latest INE data from 2021, there are a total of 1,632 South Africans living in Spain. 

Catalonia is also the most popular region for South Africans with 420 having chosen to move to the northeastern area. This is followed by 287 in Andalusia, 252 in Madrid and 225 in the Balearic Islands.

The South African Embassy can be found in Madrid, where you can find information on visas and work permits for Spain. The current ambassador to Spain is Ms Thenjiwe Ethel Mtintso. 

If you’re hankering after some of your South African favourites, there are several places you can find South African bites in some of Spain’s more cosmopolitan areas such as Spice in Barcelona or Sarafina South African Kitchen in Algorfa, Alicante. There is even a South African restaurant in Catalonia’s Val’d Aran – Pinotage.  You can also buy South African treats such as biltong, droëwors and chilli bites from some Spain-based sellers, including El Toro Foods in Mallorca. 

There is a popular South Africans in Spain Facebook page with over 2,000 members if you want to find some of your fellow countrymen.