Life Administration — Tenerife
Day-to-day life in a second language is harder than anyone tells you.
Bank appointments. Medical visits. Forms in Spanish. All manageable — but only when you know what you're doing, or have someone alongside who does. BCA assess each individual situation and handle the practicalities of life on the island, so you don't have to navigate it alone. Since 2002.
One office - Two reasons
One office. Two reasons to get in touch.
Living in Tenerife should feel like exactly that — living, not administering. But bank appointments, doctor's visits and Spanish-language letters have a way of piling up. If you'd rather have someone alongside who knows the system, speaks the language and gets things done — that's what BCA are here for. We go with you. We translate. We handle it. Every situation is individual, and we make sure nothing falls between the gaps.
Your mother is in Golf del Sur. You're in Manchester. You'd be there if you could — but you can't be. BCA are the people on the ground your family can rely on. We keep you informed, we flag anything that needs attention, and we handle the day-to-day so you don't have to worry about what you can't see. Your family doesn't need to be on the island. They need to know the right people are.
What We Handle
Life administration — from bank to bedside.
Whether you're opening a bank account, navigating the health system or dealing with a life event, BCA have handled it before. Here's what we cover.
Bank Account Opening
Opening a Spanish bank account involves more than filling in a form. We go to the appointment with you, explain each step in your language, and make sure everything is in place before you arrive and set up correctly before you leave.
Medical Accompaniment & Translation
Whether it's a routine GP appointment, a specialist referral or a hospital visit, we accompany you and translate — clearly and accurately throughout. If you're unsure what was said or what comes next, we make sure you leave knowing exactly where you stand.
Birth Registration
We handle the civil registration and associated documentation when a child is born in Tenerife, coordinating with the civil registry on your behalf at each step.
Marriage Registration
We manage the administrative steps for marriages registered in the Canaries — handling the paperwork and liaising with the relevant authorities so that the process is straightforward from start to finish, with you.
Funeral Arrangements
When a family faces a bereavement in Tenerife, we handle the administrative and registration requirements — liaising with the civil registry and relevant offices on behalf of the family. In an already difficult time, the paperwork is one less thing to carry.
Remote Family Coordination
We hold regular update calls with family members in the UK or elsewhere — via Zoom or Teams — keeping everyone informed and involved without anyone needing to travel.
DGT — Driving Licence Exchange
Exchanging a UK driving licence for a Spanish one involves a DGT appointment, a specific set of documents and a process that is straightforward when you've been through it before. We book the appointment and go with you.
Many of these services sit alongside your wider paperwork and status in the Canaries. If you haven't yet confirmed your residency status — the foundation for everything else, that is often the first step.
Three Simple Steps
Here is how BCA handle it.
01
Get in touch
Ring the office, send an email or pop in. Tell us what is happening — in as much or as little detail as you have. We will work out together what needs doing and what comes first.
02
BCA assess your individual situation
Every situation is individual. We look at what is needed, who needs to be involved and whether any deadlines apply — then we put a plan in place. No guesswork.
03
We handle it — with you
We go to the appointments alongside you. We translate. We liaise with the relevant offices. And we keep you informed at each step, so you always know where things stand.
More than an office
For many of our long-term clients, we are more than an office.
Some clients have been with BCA for over ten years. They do not ring us when something goes wrong — they ring us because that is simply how life on the island works. We know their situation. We know their family. When something changes, we are the first call they make. That kind of relationship is not something you build overnight, and it is not something every office offers.
For families based in the UK or elsewhere in Europe, BCA provide something that no amount of online research can replace: someone on the ground who actually knows. Whether that means a regular check-in on an elderly parent, an update call for a family in Leeds, or simply being there when something unexpected comes up — BCA are here, and have been since 2002. If you would like to know more about who we are and how we work, for many of our long-term clients, we are more than an office. For a full picture of BCA Spain — all our services, the homepage is the place to start.
Established
2002
More than twenty years of life administration support in south Tenerife.
Languages
Six
English, German, French, Dutch, Italian and Spanish.
Our Office
Golf del Sur
Your local office in San Miguel de Abona, south Tenerife.
Long-Term Clients
10+ years
Many of our clients have been with BCA for a decade or more. We know them — and they know us.
FAQ
Questions people ask us.
Do I need to speak Spanish to open a bank account in Tenerife?
You do not — but the bank will require specific documents, and the process runs more smoothly when someone who knows what is needed is alongside you. We go with you to the appointment, handle the communication in your language and make sure everything is in order before you leave.
Can BCA accompany me to a medical appointment?
Yes. We accompany clients to GP appointments, specialist referrals and hospital visits — translating clearly and accurately throughout. If you are unsure what was said or what the next steps are, we make sure you leave with a clear picture of both.
My mother lives alone in Tenerife and I am not able to be with her. What can BCA do?
We can arrange regular check-in visits at agreed intervals and keep you updated. It is a straightforward arrangement — and for many families abroad, it is simply the reassurance that makes all the difference.
Can BCA help with exchanging a UK driving licence for a Spanish one?
Yes — the exchange process involves a DGT appointment and specific documentation that is easy to get wrong if you have not been through it before. We handle the booking and go with you to the appointment.
Can my family in the UK be kept up to date with what is happening in Tenerife?
Yes. We hold regular update calls with family members abroad — keeping everyone informed and involved without anyone needing to travel. For many of our clients, this is one of the most valued things we do.
What happens if a family member passes away in Tenerife?
We handle the administrative and registration requirements — liaising with the civil registry and relevant offices on behalf of the family. This is a situation where having someone who knows what to do, and can act promptly, makes a real difference.
I have been managing everything on my own for years. Is it worth getting BCA involved?
Many clients feel that way — until something unexpected comes up. We do not replace what you are already doing well. But we are here for the things that are harder to navigate alone: a letter in Spanish you do not understand, a medical appointment where the stakes feel high, a situation that turns out to be more complicated than it first appeared. Whatever your situation — we have seen it before.
Ready to talk it through?
Not sure where to start? That's exactly why we're here.
Whether it is a bank appointment, a medical visit, a life event or simply something you are not sure how to handle — ring our office, send an email or pop in. No obligation, no pressure. In your language. Ring us or visit us in Golf del Sur — we are here Monday to Friday.
09:00 – 15:30 hrs, Monday to Friday · Golf del Sur, San Miguel de Abona