Your family's first months

It is for anyone thinking about, planning or carrying out a move to Spain, and for the whole household, not just the person doing the paperwork. You will know what to expect, how to share the load and how to rebuild support in the first months.

Start with "Getting your family through the first weeks in Spain". It covers how to prioritise, divide tasks and protect everyone's wellbeing while things are still chaotic. From there, move to whichever article fits your situation:

• Why each of you hits a low at a different time
• Splitting the admin without losing family time
• The call from school when you have no one to call
• Rebuilding the support network you did not know you had
• Your family's first summer, Christmas and school holidays in Spain

Setting up utilities, accounts and other practical tasks, detailed family timetables and making friends are covered elsewhere.

Key rules

• TIE appointment: If you are a non-EU national staying over six months, you must apply for your TIE in person within one month of entry or of your permit starting.
• When to seek help: Ordinary adjustment signs in a child usually ease within a few weeks to a few months, so seek help from the teacher or pediatrician if they last beyond 2-3 months or get worse.
• Padrón: Register at the town hall in your first weeks, because the health card and school place depend on it.
• Mismatch: Family members hit lows at different times, and this is normal, not a fault.
• TIE fingerprints: You must attend the first TIE application and fingerprinting in person; only later renewals can often be delegated.
• Authorisation: A representative needs your signed written authorisation and ID copies, and each office may ask for more.

Your family's first months: the whole process, step by step

• Book your TIE appointment (non-EU nationals). Read: Getting your family through the first weeks in Spain: As soon as you arrive; apply in person within one month of entry or of your permit starting

• Register at your town hall (padrón), which unlocks the health card and a school place. Read: Getting your family through the first weeks in Spain: Within the first weeks

• Decide who handles which paperwork, and whether a gestor can help. Read: Splitting the admin without losing family time: In the first weeks, before appointments pile up

• Apply for your child's school place through the regional education office. Read: Getting your family through the first weeks in Spain: Straight away if you arrive mid-year; a place is usually assigned within days to a few weeks

• Give the school two working phone numbers and a plan for who picks up a sick child. Read: The call from school when you have no one to call: When you enrol your child

• Start building a local support network. Read: Rebuilding the support network you did not know you had: During the first months

• Plan the first school holidays, set by your region. Read: Your family's first summer, Christmas and school holidays in Spain: Before the first break: Christmas runs from about 22 or 23 December to 6 or 7 January, summer from late June to September

• Watch how each family member is coping, and ask the teacher or pediatrician for help if signs last. Read: Why each of you hits a low at a different time: If signs last beyond 2-3 months or get worse

Documents you may need

Identity and residence

• Passport or ID for each parent and each child — Getting your family through the first weeks in Spain
• Padrón certificate — Getting your family through the first weeks in Spain
• Your visa or residence authorisation — Getting your family through the first weeks in Spain
• Copies of your passport or ID and your representative's ID — Splitting the admin without losing family time
• Photo ID for each authorised person — The call from school when you have no one to call
• Proof of residence status — Getting your family through the first weeks in Spain

Other documents

• Written authorisation signed — Splitting the admin without losing family time, The call from school when you have no one to call
• Child's birth certificate for the school place application — Getting your family through the first weeks in Spain
• Previous school records or reports — Getting your family through the first weeks in Spain
• Signed pickup authorisation — The call from school when you have no one to call
• Electronic power of representation — Splitting the admin without losing family time

Each article lists the other documents it asks for, where you need them.

Your family's first months: questions that cross several articles

How long will I wait for a TIE or padrón appointment?

Waits vary by province: padrón appointments are usually a few days to a few weeks, and TIE appointments from one week to several weeks or months in busy cities. Book your TIE early, because you must apply within one month.

Can a gestor or representative handle my family's paperwork for me?

Yes, for much of it, but the first TIE application and fingerprinting must be done in person. NIE, tax and school steps can use a representative with a signed authorisation, and padrón sometimes can.

Do I need a sworn translation for my child's school documents?

Often yes for formal steps: birth certificates and previous school records may need a sworn translation (traducción jurada), and sometimes an apostille. Documents in Spanish need none. Confirm with the education office, and read Getting your family through the first weeks in Spain.

What happens if my child falls ill at school when I have no one nearby?

The school phones you or your listed emergency contacts and expects pickup within about an hour for fever, vomiting or diarrhoea. Give two working numbers and name someone who can collect your child. Read The call from school when you have no one to call.