Introduction: when a carer comes from a different country from that of the person being cared for, there is a contrasting of social cultures and practices. Leinnenger’s concept of transcultural care echoes the cultural diversity of this contrast and recommends incorporating it into professional practice, developing care that she defines as culturally competent. Objective: know what kind of strategies foreign carers develop when caring for people of different backgrounds and how they are integrated into the social, cultural and institutional context of the receiving society. Materials and methods: qualitative method, through in-depth interviews with migrant carers in the province of Huelva, as well as with staff specialising in the care of dependent patients. Results: description of socio-cultural practices that carers develop according to their culture and how they are involved in the exercise of care in the receiving society. Conclusions: foreign carers sometimes develop strategies related to their own beliefs, prioritising them over those of the person being cared for or those of the receiving society, leading to cultural shocks. It is suggested that nurses should identify nurses in order to be able to intervene, using training and cultural competence as tools for change. DOI: 10.5294/aqui.2014.14.4.6