Moving to another part of Spain: the full checklist

Terms used

• Padrón — The padrón is the municipal register of residents; your town hall registers you there and gives you a certificate.
• Modelo 030 — The modelo 030 is the tax agency form for changing your address.
• IBI — The IBI is the yearly local property tax set by each council.
• IVTM — The IVTM is the yearly local vehicle circulation tax set by each council.
• ITP — The ITP is the regional transfer tax paid when you buy resale property.
• AJD — The AJD is a regional stamp duty on certain documents, such as new-build purchases and mortgages.
• IRPF — The IRPF is Spain's income tax, partly set by each region.
• ITV — The ITV is the compulsory periodic vehicle inspection.

Key rules

• Padrón first: Register at the new town hall before other steps, because most of them need the certificate.
• Order: The task order is a recommendation, not a legal requirement.
• Local and regional rules: Permits, local and regional taxes, health cards and school admission differ by town or region.
• Removal quotes: Get several written quotes based on an in-person or video survey.

Do the padrón first

Register at the padrón of your new town hall before anything else. Most later steps ask for the certificate it gives you. The padrón is run by each town hall, so the details are local: some give appointments, some take online applications with a digital certificate or Cl@ve, and some accept post or a citizen service office (OAC). Some hand over the certificate on the spot and others take a few days. The documents list below shows what to bring.

The order to follow

This order is a recommendation, not a legal requirement. It works because each step feeds the next.

1. Book removals. Get several written quotes, each based on an in-person or video survey. Price depends on volume, distance, floor, lift access, packing and season. Summer and month ends cost more. Small moves in a city usually cost a few hundred euros. A full three-bedroom flat locally is typically one to two thousand euros. Long-distance moves cost more. These are rough market ranges, so rely on your quotes. Ask the city council whether you need a permit to reserve street space for the truck.
2. Register at the padrón of the new town hall.
3. Foreigners: update your address with the foreigners' office (Oficina de Extranjería) or the police.
4. Update your address with the tax agency using modelo 030.
5. Update your ID or driving licence with the police and the traffic authority (DGT), and update your vehicle registration with the DGT.
6. Tell Social Security (Seguridad Social) and the health service, and get your health card (tarjeta sanitaria) in the new region.
7. Tell your bank, utilities, insurers, employer and the post office.
8. Update school registration and local taxes at the council.

What changes depending on where you move

These tasks work differently by town or region. Ask the office named for each.

• Parking and resident permits: set by each town hall.
• Local taxes: property tax (IBI), vehicle tax (IVTM) and the waste fee differ by council.
• Regional taxes: transfer tax (ITP) on resale property, stamp duty (AJD), inheritance and gift tax, income tax (IRPF) rates and deductions, and wealth tax relief differ by region. The Basque Country and Navarre have their own tax authorities.
• Vehicle inspection (ITV): stations, fees and schedules are regional. Registration and the circulation permit are national, through the DGT.
• Health card, school admission and language requirements: each region runs its own.
• Rent aid and housing programmes: these differ by region.

Where to go for the details

The tax, health, school and lease guides in this guide cover those areas in full. Use them for the details of regional taxes, health registration, school places and your new lease. For anything local, the decision block below tells you which office to ask.

Choosing between options

Who do you ask about a task that may work differently in your new area?

• Your new town hall: For the padrón, resident parking permits, the property tax (IBI), the vehicle circulation tax and the waste fee. Each council sets these itself.

• Your new region's government or tax agency: For transfer tax on resale property, stamp duty, inheritance and gift tax, income tax rates and deductions, wealth tax relief, vehicle inspection stations (ITV), your health card, school admission and rent aid.

• The national traffic authority (DGT): For vehicle registration and the circulation permit, which are national and work the same everywhere in Spain.

Ask the level that sets the rule: the town hall for local matters, the region for regional taxes, health and schools, and the DGT for vehicle registration.

Plan your move within Spain week by week

Your move, step by step

• Get several written quotes from removal firms, with an in-person or video survey: As soon as you have a moving date, and earlier if you move in summer or at the end of a month (recommended 42 days before planned arrival)

• Ask your city council whether you need a permit to reserve street space for the truck or a lift: Several days to a couple of weeks before moving day, in cities such as Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia. Your removal firm may apply for you for a fee (recommended 14 days before planned arrival)

• Book the movers and confirm the permit: Once you have compared quotes and know the permit lead time (recommended 28 days before planned arrival)

• Register at the new town hall (padrón): Promptly after moving. The law sets no number of days, but most later steps need the certificate, so do it first (earliest on planned arrival; recommended 3 days after planned arrival)

• If you are a foreigner, update your address with the foreigners' office or police: Right after you have the padrón certificate

• Update your address with the tax agency (modelo 030): After the foreigners' office or police step

• Update the address on your ID or driving licence and your vehicle registration: After the tax agency step

• Tell Social Security and the health service, and get your health card in the new region: After your ID and vehicle updates

• Tell your bank, utilities, insurers, employer and the post office: After the health step, or earlier if a bill would otherwise go to the old address

• Update your children's school and local taxes at the council (property tax and vehicle tax): Last, once everything else is changed

Check the current permit lead time and fee with your city council, and get written quotes from removal firms for current prices.

Documents you need

• Registration form (hoja padronal), the padrón application form you fill in for the new address. Your new town hall provides it.

• Your ID document, shown when you apply for the padrón registration.

• Proof of housing for the new address, shown with the registration form.

• Digital certificate or Cl@ve, only if you apply online and your new town hall allows it.

• Padrón certificate (volante or certificado de empadronamiento), issued by the new town hall after you register. Most of the later address changes need it.

Checklist

• Register at the padrón of your new town hall first, because most later steps need the certificate. Documents, online options and waiting times vary by town hall.

• If you are a foreigner, update your address with the foreigners' office or the police.

• Update your address with the tax agency using modelo 030, and read the tax guide for regional taxes that change when you move.

• Update the address on your ID or driving licence with the police and the traffic authority (DGT), and update your vehicle registration with the DGT.

• Tell Social Security and the health service, and get your health card in the new region. Health registration is run by each region, so follow the health guide.

• Tell your bank, utilities, insurers, employer and the post office about the new address.

• Update your school registration and the local taxes (property tax and vehicle tax) at the council. School admission is run by each region, so follow the school guide.

• Ask your new town hall about resident parking permits, which each municipality sets for itself.

• Sort out the lease for your new home with the help of the lease guide.

Frequently asked questions

Can I register at the new padrón online or by post?

Yes, many town halls take padrón applications online, by post or at the local citizen service office (OAC), but each council decides which channels it offers. Online applications need a digital certificate or Cl@ve. Check your new town hall's website before booking an appointment.

How long does it take to get the padrón certificate?

Some town halls give you the padrón certificate (volante or certificado de empadronamiento) straight away, and others take a few days. Processing times differ by town hall. Since most later steps need this certificate, register before anything else.

Are parking permits and local taxes the same in every town?

No, each town hall sets its own resident parking permits and local taxes, such as the property tax (IBI), the vehicle circulation tax and the waste fee. Madrid and Barcelona, for example, run their own parking zones. Ask the new council what applies to your address.

How much does a removal cost within Spain?

A studio or one-bedroom flat moved within a city typically costs a few hundred euros, and a full three-bedroom flat locally costs about one to two thousand euros. Long-distance moves cost more as distance and volume rise. Summer and month ends are dearer, and a shared load is cheaper than a dedicated truck.