Moving from Spain to Portugal or Andorra

Terms used

• NIF — The NIF is the tax number. In Portugal you need one in practice to register as an EU citizen.
• Padrón — The padrón is the register of residents kept by your Spanish town hall.
• AEAT — The AEAT is Spain's tax agency.
• IBI — The IBI is the yearly local property tax paid by owners in Spain.
• Modelo 210 — The Modelo 210 is the Spanish income tax return filed by non-residents.
• NIE — The NIE is the foreigner identification number used for Spanish paperwork and taxes.
• TIE — The TIE is the physical residence card issued to non-EU foreigners in Spain.

Key rules

• Andorra: Andorra is not an EU member and has no free access, so everyone must apply for residence.
• Portugal, EU citizens: You must register at the town hall within 30 days after your first 3 months.
• Portugal, non-EU: A Spanish residence permit gives you no right to live or work in Portugal.
• Spanish nationals: Moving to Andorra does not end Spanish tax residence for the year of the move and the next four years.

The short answer

Neither country is a simple move. Portugal and Andorra both still need formal registration or authorisation. Portugal is in the EU, so EU citizens register rather than ask permission. Andorra is not an EU member and has no free access: everyone applies for residence.

Moving to Portugal as an EU citizen

You can stay in Portugal freely for 3 months. After that, register at the local town hall (Câmara Municipal) within 30 days. You receive an EU citizen registration certificate, which stays valid indefinitely. Permanent residence follows after 5 years.

You will need your passport or ID, proof of means or work (a contract, proof of self-employment or student enrolment), health insurance or EHIC where relevant, and proof of address such as a lease. In practice you also need a NIF, the Portuguese tax number, so get it before you go to the town hall. Town halls differ in what they ask for, so check with yours first.

Moving to Portugal as a non-EU resident of Spain

Your Spanish permit does not let you live or work in Portugal. You can visit for up to 90 days in any 180. To live there, apply for a visa at a Portuguese consulate, then for a residence permit. Common routes are the D7 (passive income), D8 (digital nomad), D2 (entrepreneur), D3 (highly qualified work), a work visa or family reunification.

If you are a long-term resident of Spain, you may have a separate right to apply for residence in another EU country. Ask the Portuguese consulate whether it applies to you. Portuguese routes have changed recently, so check the current rules with the consulate and the Portuguese immigration agency, AIMA.

Moving to Andorra

You apply to the Andorran immigration department, not in Spain. The main routes are:

• Passive residence (no work): a minimum investment in Andorran assets, historically around 400,000 euros, of which 50,000 euros is a deposit with the national guarantee body. You also need private health insurance, proof of housing, and at least 90 days a year in Andorra.
• Work residence: a job offer and employer authorisation, under annual quotas.
• Self-employed residence: an approved activity plan and licence.
• Other routes: entrepreneur, scientific, sporting or artistic professional, and highly qualified or active-investment routes. These need a business plan and sometimes capital.

Every applicant needs a clean criminal record and enough means. Amounts and quotas change, so confirm them with Andorran immigration before you commit money.

From Spain you will mainly collect paperwork. Ask the Spanish Ministry of Justice for a criminal record certificate, with an apostille or legalisation as Andorra requires. You may also be asked for Spanish birth or marriage certificates. The documents list below has the full set.

Tax residence

You stop being a Spanish tax resident if you spend fewer than 183 days a year in Spain and have no centre of economic interests there. If you are a Spanish national moving to a tax haven such as Andorra, you stay taxed as a Spanish resident for the year of the move and the next four years. Where Spain and Portugal or Andorra both claim you, the tax treaty decides. Get individual tax advice before you move.

Spanish ties to close or keep

• Padrón: cancel your registration at your Spanish town hall.
• Tax agency: tell the AEAT about your new tax address and residence.
• Health coverage: cancel or move your Seguridad Social coverage and return the health card. Pensioners may use an S1 form to be covered abroad.
• Rented home: give your landlord notice under your lease and cancel utilities and community fees.
• Bank accounts: they can stay open, but tell the bank your new tax residence. Your accounts may be reclassified as non-resident.
• Property you keep: you still pay IBI and file Modelo 210 for non-residents, including on rental income. Wealth tax can also apply to Spanish assets.
• NIE: it stays valid, and many people keep it.
• Vehicles and pensions: settle vehicle registration and tax, and review your pension and Social Security contributions.
• Non-EU foreigners: also tell the Foreigners Office about your permit and keep the TIE expiry date in mind.

The decision, timeline, checklist and FAQ below help you sequence all of this.

Choosing between options

Should you keep or cancel each Spanish tie when you move?

• Keep it and tell the right office: Fits your bank accounts, your NIE, and any property you keep: tell the bank your new tax residence and keep paying Spanish property tax and filing non-resident tax.

• Cancel it: Fits Seguridad Social health coverage, your tarjeta sanitaria, the padrón registration, a rented home and its utilities, which you end on leaving.

Keep what is still tied to Spanish assets or income, and cancel what depends on living in Spain.

Timeline and deadlines

• Stay in Portugal freely as an EU citizen: for the first 3 months

• Register at the Portuguese town hall (Câmara Municipal) to get the EU citizen registration certificate: within 30 days after the first 3 months

• Apply for a Portuguese visa through a Portuguese consulate if you are a non-EU resident of Spain: before you move, as stays without it are limited to 90 days in any 180 days

• Apply for Andorra residence with Andorran immigration: before you move

Documents you need

• Valid passport or ID card, needed for the Portuguese town hall registration and the Andorra application.

• Proof of means or employment for Portugal: a work contract, proof of self-employment or student enrolment.

• Health insurance or EHIC where relevant, for the Portuguese registration.

• Proof of address in Portugal, such as a lease.

• NIF, the Portuguese tax number, needed in practice for the Portuguese registration.

• Spanish criminal record certificate from the Ministry of Justice, with an apostille or legalisation as Andorra requires, for the Andorra application.

• Proof of means, housing in Andorra and Andorran health insurance (CASS or private) for the Andorra application.

• Spanish birth or marriage certificates, if Andorra asks for them.

Checklist

• Register at the Portuguese town hall within 30 days after your first 3 months if you are an EU citizen.

• Apply for a Portuguese visa at a consulate, such as the D7 or D8, if you are a non-EU resident of Spain.

• Apply for Andorran residence with the Andorran immigration department, as Andorra is not an EU member with free access.

• Tell the AEAT, Spain's tax agency, about your change of tax residence.

Frequently asked questions

Does a Spanish residence permit let me live in Portugal?

No, a Spanish residence permit does not let you live or work in Portugal, only stay up to 90 days in any 180 days. To live there you need a Portuguese residence permit, applied for through a Portuguese consulate with a visa such as the D7 passive income visa or the D8 digital nomad visa.

Do I need a NIF to register in Portugal as an EU citizen?

Yes, in practice you need a NIF, the Portuguese tax number, to register at the town hall. Get it before you go, because it is also asked for with a lease and other paperwork.

Where do I apply for residence in Andorra?

You apply to the Andorran immigration department, not in Spain. Andorra is not in the EU, so being a Spanish resident gives you no free access.

Do Spanish nationals stop paying Spanish tax when they move to Andorra?

No, Spanish nationals moving to a tax haven such as Andorra stay taxed as Spanish residents for the year of the move and the next four years. Other people lose Spanish tax residence if they spend fewer than 183 days a year in Spain and have no centre of economic interests there.

Can I keep my Spanish bank account after moving?

Yes, you can keep your Spanish bank account, but you must tell the bank your new tax residence. The bank reports it to the tax authorities and may reclassify the account as non-resident.