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Is it common to be late in Spain?

It is rude to toss it in their direction. Punctuality is not highly important in Spain. People can arrive half an hour late to a social function with no questions raised. If someone turns up late and apologises, people are likely to respond with something like “no pasa nada” – meaning “It's not that important”.



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During World War II, Franco moved Spain's time zone ahead one hour to Central European Time in solidarity with Nazi Germany. Because of this, the sun also tends to set pretty late in Spain, which is part of the reason dinner (and nightlife) tends to start so late.

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People get up so early cause it can take up to an hour to get to work, which usually starts at 7.30. Businesses tend to open between 8 and 10 am. Most people skip breakfast, having only tea or coffee and biscuits, and have a sort of brunch at 11 or 12. Lunch breaks are typically 1-2pm.

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The Spanish also go to sleep later than their European neighbours. According to Eurostat, Spaniards go to bed, on average, at midnight, compared to Germans at 10pm, the French at 10.30pm and Italians at 11pm.

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Respect other tenants by keeping noise levels to a minimum, and by avoiding making noise in hallways and common areas. Quiet Hours 10pm-8am: There is a national law in Spain prohibiting noise from 10pm-8am and neighbors will call the police if this is not enforced.

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If you don't leave Spain after 90 days, you would be in an irregular situation. In other words, you would be in the country illegally. Thus, in the eyes of the immigration law, you would be committing a serious infraction that could result in significant penalties and/or fines.

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Why do they eat so late in Spain? Spain's famously late mealtimes are due to the fact that the country has been geographically in the wrong time zone since World War II! During all that time, Spaniards have eaten at the same time they always have in regards to the position of the sun in the sky.

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Yes, it is customary to have dinner between 10 PM and midnight in Spain. However, there are many tourist restaurants where you can eat as early as 6 PM if you would like. If you are so concerned about being mugged, why don't you take a taxi to and from the restaurant?

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Lamento llegar tarde. Había mucho tráfico. I'm sorry for being late.

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Spaniards earn USD 37 922 per year on average, less than the OECD average of USD 49 165. Another essential factor of employment quality is job security, in terms of expected loss of earnings when someone becomes unemployed.

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