Establishing phone service is becoming less important as more and more people rely on mobile phones. However, setting up a landline is usually simple and may be included with internet/TV package. There is a wide selection of telephone options.

Phone calls within Spain are usually charged by the minute. The rates are dependent on the time of day with a flat rate available for a large number of calls.

Installation

Many places have a line already installed which just requires a transfer of account if the phone line is functioning and "live". If a new line needs to be established, Telefónica is the only company authorized to install lines in Spain. It may take several months to get an installation appointment so call as soon as possible.

To set up telephone service you will need:
• Telefonica bill (if available) or a recent utility (electricity) bill)
• NIE and passport number
• Bank Account Information

Main Provider

Telefónica is the national supplier of landline telephone service, cellular/mobile telephone service (Movistar), Internet and ADSL. Long-distance and Internet service may be obtained through other providers, but the basic landline will still be provided through Telefónica. English customer service can be obtained through calling 1004 from phones in Spain and following the prompts.

Billing

Bills can be received by paper bills, electronically, or accessed on the Telefónica website. Landline bills are distributed on alternate months.

Failure to pay may result in cut-off of services.

Dialing

To call internationally from Spain:
Dial exit code (00) followed by Spain's country code, area code and number. In some countries, the leading zero of the area code must not be dialed. For example:
00 + country code + area code + tel number

To call internationally to Spain:
Dial the number required for an international call, such as 00, then 34 (country code for Spain), then the phone number without the leading zero of the former area code. For example:
0041 34 995 1570

City Codes
• Barcelona 93
• Madrid 91
• Seville 95
• Valencia 96

Public Phones

Public phone boxes are prevalent and offer access to local and internationally calls. Users can use coins or phone cards, with cards being generally cheaper. Rates of international calls are cheaper from 0:00 to 8:00 and weekends.

Prepaid Cards

A prepaid card can be the easiest way to make international calls and the only way to use public phones. Cards usually come with Spanish or Catalan instructions, but after dialing the number listed on the card English-spoken instructions are available.

Cards can be found in locutorios , kiosks, post office (correo), stationeries, etc. The cards are usually valid from 45 to 90 days and their prices range from €6 to €15.

Most cards are used by:
• Dial the Access Number
• Enter your PIN Number
• Enter the number you wish to dial

Skype & Chatting

Various sites offer the ability to "chat" with other users. Originally this meant typed messages that would instantly pop up on each others screens. In recent years, this has expanded to being able to voice and video chat. With service through the internet, it is cheap, easy, and even better then a phone call.

Skype is far and away the best technology as users can message, talk, or video chat with other internet users for free. Users can also call land lines and mobile phones for a fee. Other useful services include google talk, windows live messenger, meebo, and more.