Everyday apps and home accounts

It is for anyone thinking about, planning or carrying out a move to Spain. By the end, your phone will be set up for Spanish life, and your home accounts will keep working.

Start with "The apps people actually use in Spain". It covers messaging, maps, deals and services, and it is the quickest way to get your phone ready. Then read "Keeping your home bank and two-factor codes working from Spain", because banks that block foreign logins are the most common problem. After that, pick what you need: food and grocery delivery, local reviews and booking, changing your app-store and account country, and reaching home-country government, tax and pension portals.

Key rules

• Google Play country: You can change your Google Play country only once a year, and the change can take up to 48 hours.
• WhatsApp: Install WhatsApp first, then ask each business or service which contact method it accepts.
• Bizum: You need an account with a Spanish IBAN at a participating bank; a foreign-only account does not work.
• Tell the bank: Report your Spanish address and tax residency to your home bank before you move.
• Codes: Set up app approvals, a token or an authenticator app while your old number still works.
• Apple subscriptions: Cancel active Apple subscriptions and spend your store credit before you change country.

Everyday apps and home accounts: the whole process, step by step

• Update contact details and two-factor methods with your home bank, and set up a backup that does not need your home number (see Keeping your home bank and two-factor access working from Spain): before you leave, while your home number still works

• Decide how to keep your home number able to receive SMS, for example a cheap prepaid plan or an eSIM as a second line (see Keeping your home bank and two-factor codes working from Spain): before you leave, because prepaid numbers can lapse after about 3 to 12 months of inactivity

• Tell your home tax office and pension provider about your move (see Reaching home-country government, tax and pension portals from Spain): around your departure date or by the next filing deadline, which varies by country

• Tell your home bank that you now live in Spain, so it can update your tax residency details and not freeze or close the account: as soon as you become resident in Spain

• Switch your app store, Amazon and PayPal accounts to Spain (see Changing your Apple, Google, Amazon and PayPal country when you move): after you have a Spanish payment method and address

• Move WhatsApp to a Spanish number with the Change number feature, after backing up your chats (see The apps people actually use in Spain): once your Spanish SIM is active

• Check whether your home SIM is still affordable to use in Spain, since roaming fair-use rules can bring a surcharge or restriction: if most of your use and time are in Spain over about four months

Documents you may need

• Your NIE — The apps people actually use in Spain, Reaching home-country government, tax and pension portals from Spain
• Passport or national ID card with an NFC chip — Reaching home-country government, tax and pension portals from Spain
• Certified copy of your ID — Reaching home-country government, tax and pension portals from Spain

Everyday apps and home accounts: questions that cross several articles

Do I have to tell my home bank that I moved to Spain?

Yes, you should tell your home bank, because its terms normally require you to report an address change and to update your tax residency details. See Keeping your home bank and two-factor codes working from Spain.

Can I use Bizum if I only have a home-country bank account?

No, Bizum needs an account with a Spanish bank that takes part, with a Spanish IBAN, and a mobile number linked to it. Most banks expect a Spanish number, though some accept a foreign one. See The apps people actually use in Spain for everyday apps.

Can I keep my WhatsApp chats when I switch to a Spanish number?

Yes, WhatsApp has a Change number feature that moves your chats, groups and settings to the new number, as long as the new number has no WhatsApp account already. Back up your chats first.

Which two-factor methods work if I lose my home phone number?

Authenticator apps, approvals in your bank's own app, hardware tokens and passkeys keep working without your home number. Many banks still use SMS for activation or resets, so set up a backup before you give the number up.

Can I keep using my home SIM in Spain once I live here?

Not for long, because EU roaming rules are meant for travel, and a home SIM used mostly in Spain can be surcharged or restricted. UK SIMs are outside the EU rules and follow their own terms. Keeping your home bank and two-factor codes working from Spain explains how to keep the number for codes.