The Ultimate Moving to Spain Checklist

Moving to Spain is one of the better decisions a person can make, IMO. The weather is sublime (excluding Galicia here, which rains like Manchester), the food is genuinely good, and it turns out that eating lunch at 2 pm and dinner at 10 pm is not a quirk you merely tolerate but something you eventually come to prefer.

What they also don't tell you is that the administrative side of moving countries is a project in its own right, and that if you don't approach it with some structure, you will find yourself three months in, living in Spain, technically unable to do several of the things that make living in Spain work. This was me. This checklist is an attempt to prevent that, and I wish I'd had it before I moved to Spain.

A note before we start: some of this depends on your nationality and your specific situation. EU citizens have a different process from non-EU nationals. British citizens post-Brexit fall into a third category with its own set of steps. Where it matters, I've flagged it, but for anything complex, get proper advice rather than relying solely on a checklist you found online.

Before you leave

Work out which visa or residency route applies to you. EU and EEA citizens have the right to live and work in Spain without a visa. Non-EU nationals, including British citizens since 2021, need a visa. The main options are the Non-Lucrative Visa (for those with sufficient passive income or savings), the Digital Nomad Visa (for remote workers), a work visa sponsored by a Spanish employer, or the Golden Visa for significant investors. Each has different requirements, processing times, and financial thresholds. Work this out early, because some visa applications take months.

Gather your documents and get them apostilled. Depending on your situation, you may need your birth certificate, marriage certificate, proof of income or savings, proof of health insurance, and a criminal background check. Documents issued in the UK or Ireland need an apostille stamp to be valid in Spain, and some will need to be translated by a sworn translator (traductor jurado). Start this earlier than you think you need to, because apostilles take time and you cannot always rush them.

Sort out health insurance. EU citizens who are state pensioners or economically inactive may be able to access Spain's public health system. Everyone else will need either private health insurance or proof of coverage for the duration of their visa application. Many expats keep private insurance for at least the first year regardless, because getting registered with the public system takes time and having a private GP while you wait is genuinely useful.

Open a Spanish bank account if you can. Some Spanish banks allow non-residents to open accounts remotely or before arrival. This is worth doing if possible, because having a Spanish account makes paying rent, setting up utilities, and handling all the direct debits of daily life significantly simpler. Most banks will ask for your NIE at some point, so there's a limit to how much you can do before you arrive, but getting started early helps.

Find somewhere to live — at least initially. If you don't have a property lined up, arrange short-term accommodation first. Trying to secure a long-term rental before you've arrived and before you have a Spanish bank account and NIE is considerably harder than doing it once you're there. Give yourself time to look properly.

Your first week

Get your NIE. The Número de Identificación de Extranjero is the number that underpins almost everything you'll do in Spain — banking, contracts, tax, utilities, property. Without it, you're administratively stuck. Getting it takes an appointment at the Foreigners' Office (Oficina de Extranjería), and appointments in popular expat areas can be hard to come by. Book as early as possible, get your documents checked before you go, and consider using a gestor to handle the process. There's a full guide to getting your NIE here.

Register at your local town hall (empadronamiento). Registering your address at the padrón is one of the first things you should do. It's your official proof of address in Spain and is required for a surprising number of things — residency applications, accessing public healthcare, school enrolment, and more. You'll need proof of address (a rental contract or utility bill) and your passport. Some town halls are easier about this than others. It's usually straightforward, but take everything with you.

Start your residency application if you're a non-EU national. If you're on a visa that requires you to convert to a residency permit once you arrive (such as the Non-Lucrative Visa), the clock starts ticking from when you enter Spain. The TIE card (Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero) application needs to be submitted within a set timeframe. Don't leave it.

Register with a GP if you're using public healthcare. Once you're empadronado and have your residency documentation, you can register at your local health centre (centro de salud) and get assigned a GP. Bring your passport, your NIE, and your empadronamiento certificate.

Set up a Spanish phone number. You'll need a Spanish number sooner than you think — two-factor authentication for banking, local services, and just general day-to-day life. Most networks offer pay-as-you-go SIMs without requiring much documentation.

First month

Set up utilities. Electricity, water, and internet. If you're taking over an existing rental, your landlord or agency should help transfer contracts into your name. You'll need your NIE and bank account details. Internet contracts in Spain can be slow to activate, so arrange this early if working from home.

Find an English-speaking accountant. Even if your first Spanish tax return is months away, getting an accountant early means they understand your situation from the start rather than being parachuted in to deal with problems retrospectively. If the Beckham Law might apply to you (it's worth checking if you've recently moved to Spain for work), the application window is narrow and you need advice quickly. There's more on the Spanish tax system for expats here.

Sort out your driving situation. If you plan to drive in Spain, check whether your current licence is valid here and for how long. UK licence holders can drive in Spain for up to two years as a resident before needing to exchange, but the exchange process takes time and the rules have changed post-Brexit. EU licence holders have different rules. A gestor can handle the exchange process.

Exchange money sensibly. If you're moving significant sums between currencies — selling a property in the UK, transferring savings — use a currency specialist rather than a high street bank. The difference in exchange rates on large transfers is meaningful.

Ongoing

Stay on top of tax deadlines. The Spanish tax calendar has several key dates: the income tax return (April to June), quarterly autónomo filings if you're self-employed, non-resident declarations (31 December), and Modelo 720 overseas asset declarations (January to March). Missing these has consequences. An accountant keeps track of this. If you don't have one, you need to.

Renew your residency documentation on time. TIE cards have expiry dates. Residency certificates need to be renewed. Set reminders well in advance because the appointments to do so are, in popular areas, not always available at short notice.

Keep learning the language. Even basic Spanish makes bureaucracy less painful and daily life more enjoyable. You don't need to be fluent, but the expats who settle most happily tend to be the ones who make a genuine effort with the language rather than relying entirely on English. This is not a lecture, it's just a pattern.

If you need English-speaking professionals to help you with any of the above — gestors, accountants, lawyers, doctors — the Your Mate Pat directory lists them across Spain, searchable by region. Every professional listed offers services in English.