Cancelling memberships and subscriptions when you leave or move within Spain

Key rules

• Start early: Look for minimum commitments and notice periods as soon as you know your move date.
• Cancellation channel: Cancel in the way the contract says, and keep proof that the provider received your request.
• Moving within Spain: Ask whether each service can transfer to your new address before you cancel it.

Limits on minimum commitments, exit fees and cancellation channels vary by contract, so confirm what applies to yours with your town hall's consumer office.

Start early and get the exit terms in writing

Begin as soon as you know your move date. Some contracts tie you in for a minimum period (a "permanencia"), and some only accept cancellation in a set way. Leaving it until the last week is how people end up paying for months they do not use.

Use the checklist below to find every recurring charge and decide what to keep, move or cancel. Then, for each contract you want to end, find three things: when the minimum commitment ends, how much notice you must give, and whether there is an exit fee.

The traps to watch for

• Minimum commitment. Gyms, phone and internet providers often tie you in for a fixed period. Cancelling before it ends can mean a fee. Check the end date in your contract before you give notice.
• In-person or written cancellation. Some gyms and clubs ask you to cancel at the front desk, by signed form or by registered letter. A phone call or an app message may not count. Read the cancellation clause and follow it exactly.
• Notice periods. Many contracts need notice before the next billing date. If you miss it, you may pay another cycle or the contract may renew.
• Annual renewals. Yearly memberships and insurance can renew automatically. Put the renewal date in your calendar.

The rules on how long a minimum commitment can last, how exit fees are calculated and whether a gym can insist on in-person cancellation depend on the contract. Ask your town hall's consumer office what applies to yours before you pay any exit fee.

When to cancel

• Leaving Spain: Give notice early enough that the last billing date falls on or just after the day you leave. Cancel services tied to your home, such as internet, electricity and water, once you know your handover date. Keep any service you will still need, such as a Spanish bank account for final bills.
• Moving within Spain: Ask each provider first whether it can transfer the service to your new address, and from which date. Internet providers may not cover the new address, so ask before you cancel anything. If a transfer is not possible, cancel and start a new contract.

Keep proof

Whatever channel you use, keep a record that the provider received your request: a stamped copy, a confirmation email, a registered letter receipt or a screenshot. Ask for the end date and any final amount in writing. Ask:

• When does the commitment end?
• What will the final bill be?
• Will you confirm in writing that the contract is cancelled?

Check your bank statements for two months after you leave. If a provider keeps charging you after a confirmed cancellation, ask the bank to return the payment and take your proof to the town hall's consumer office.

Subscription audit checklist when you move or leave

• Open your bank statements for the last 3 months and highlight every charge that repeats.

• Check the subscription lists in your phone app-store accounts and in your payment apps for charges the bank statement hides.

• Write one list of everything you found: gym, phone and internet, streaming, insurance, software, and any club or association fees.

• Add the contracts that do not show up monthly, such as annual memberships and yearly renewals.

• Mark each item as keep if it works from your new address or country and you still use it.

• Mark each item as move if the provider can transfer it to your new address, and ask them how and from which date.

• Mark each item as cancel if you will not use it after you leave, or if it only works at your old address.

• Find the notice period and any exit fee in each contract you want to cancel or move.

• Send each cancellation or move request in writing, and keep the confirmation.

• Check your next statement to confirm that cancelled charges have stopped, and dispute any that continue with your bank.