How to make friends in Spain

Spain is a very friendly country where it’s easy to find and build relationships with locals as well as people from all over the world. Statistically speaking, more people living in Spain can find someone to rely on when they are in trouble. Also, Spanish people are famous for their friendliness and "easy-to-get-along-with" personalities. Sincerity is always the most important in a friendship, but here are additional tips for you if you want to make friends with Spanish people.

 

1. Try to speak Spanish and understand other official languages in the region you are in.

2. Football and Politics are sensitive topics!

3. Be less critical

4. Greeting with cheek kisses and hugs

5. Body contact is a signal of kindness

6. Open the gift in front of them

7. Modesty is appreciated over assertiveness

8. One last takeaway

 

 

1. Try to speak Spanish and understand other official languages in the region you are in.

 

Like most European countries, English is not an official language in Spain and people are proud of their mother tongue. If you want to make friends with Spanish people, trying to speak Spanish can gain you a lot of “likes”. You can also find topics such as “How do you say xx in Spanish” to open more topics with them.

 

If you are in a region with another official language available such as Catalan or Basque, you are also encouraged to understand it. This will not only make your life easier but also make your friends excited and respected because this shows that you do care about their cultures.

 

 

2. Football and Politics are sensitive topics!

 

 

Passion for football runs deep in the veins of most Spanish people. They love their team, and this passion is evident in and around the stadium but also in any bar showing the game. Before knowing their preference and their ideas about football, you should be careful to comment on this sport to avoid any unpleasantness.

 

Politics is also a sensitive topic. You might hear about the independence issue in some Spanish regions. Try to avoid this topic without already knowing someone quite well. If they begin with this topic, try to be a listener first.

 

 

3. Be less critical

 

In some cultures, people might seem ok with other people’s criticism and regard it as harsh advice. But be careful, Spanish people might not look at it in the same way. Respect is the baseline for a friendship. Giving out your advice inappropriately may destroy your recently built friendship.

 

 

4. Greeting with cheek kisses and hugs

 

Before social distance became a thing, normal Spanish greetings include cheek kisses and hugs. But how you do it depends on you and your friend’s gender.

 

• If you are a girl, you might greet people with cheek kisses whether your friend is a boy or a girl. And the same time you will hug each other to show closeness.
• If you are a boy, you might still give cheek kisses to a female friend. But giving cheek kisses to a male friend might be considered a little awkward. But you can give hugs to them.

 

 

5. Body contact is a signal of kindness

 

For some cultures, body contact might not be appropriate or common among friends. However, Spanish people often do that with friends. They might touch your shoulders to show kindness, understanding or simply wanting to calm you down.

 

However, not every Spanish person likes to touch others or to be touched. If your Spanish friends touch you first, that’s probably a friendly signal and you can touch them back. Note: When engaging in these new physical acts or signals of kindness, be sure to keep it respectful and don´t cross any boundaries that border any type of sexual harassment.

 

 

6. Open the gift in front of them

 

 

If you receive a gift from a Spanish friend, you should open it immediately in front of the friend. That’s the right way to show them that you care about this gift. Indeed, people from several cultures usually keep the gift unwrapped until no one is around. But in Spain, this is considered impolite!  

 

 

7. Modesty is appreciated over assertiveness

 

Spanish friends are usually loving and caring. They tend not to show that they are better than others. And of course, they don’t want friends that always brag about their achievements. Modesty is usually appreciated over assertiveness. However, you can share with your real friends the joy in a considerate manner.

 

 

8. One last takeaway

 

Other than making friends, health is an important topic that concerns one’s life quality in a foreign country. Here at Adeslas we welcome people from all over the world (as we are an international office) and want to offer our medical insurance to you that can cover you fully. It is also visa insurance that fulfills all the visa/NIE requirements.

 

If you like to know more about living in Spain, click one of these blogs below: 

• The best places to live in Spain for Expats with different needs
• Curious facts you need to know before moving to Spain
• Cost of living: Is it cheap to live in Spain?
• Reside in Spain: live a unique Mediterranean life

 

 

Our content will be updated according to the most recent legislation. Last update: 01/08/2023