First-year budget for a couple with two incomes

Key rules

• Fianza: The legal fianza is one month's rent.
• Extra guarantee: Any extra guarantee a landlord asks for is capped at two months' rent.
• First pay: Expect to wait 2 to 6 weeks for your first salary after starting a job.
• Second income: Count the second income as zero for at least three to six months.

Do not count on both incomes from day one

Budget as if only one income exists at the start. The rent and deposit are due when you sign. The second salary may come months later, or not at all in the first half-year.

What you pay on signing day

Add up everything the landlord wants before you hand over any money. The legal fianza is one month's rent. Landlords often ask for more on top, and newcomers without a Spanish work history are asked for extra months fairly often. An extra guarantee can be extra months of rent or a bank guarantee (aval) from your bank. Any extra guarantee is capped at two months' rent.

Ask the landlord early what they want: extra months, proof of income, or a guarantor. Treat the deposit and any extra guarantee as one cash amount due at once. This applies to long-term home rentals, not seasonal or room rentals, which can differ.

When the first salary arrives

Even the partner who starts first will not be paid straight away. Expect 2 to 6 weeks before the first pay, and sometimes longer. If you start mid-month, the first payslip is usually prorated, so it is smaller than a full month. Most employers pay monthly, near the end of the month or in the first days of the next.

So your savings must cover rent, bills, food and transport for the whole gap, not just the move.

When the second income may start

Plan the second income as zero for at least three to six months. Finding work can take longer, depending on Spanish level, sector and region. Having qualifications recognised is another common delay.

A partner who is not an EU citizen usually needs work authorisation before starting paid work, and must be registered with Social Security before the first day. Allow time for this. Some family members of certain residents, such as highly qualified workers, may have work rights from the start. Ask the office handling your own residence application whether this applies to you.

Shared and separate costs

Split your budget into two lists:

• Shared: rent, utilities, internet, food, household items, and the deposit and guarantee.
• Separate: each person's phone, transport, personal spending, and any costs of job hunting or paperwork.

Pay the shared list from savings and the first income. Treat the second income, once it starts, as extra cushion first, and raise your spending only after a few full payslips.

Pay in 12 or 14 instalments

Many contracts pay in 12 or 14 instalments, with extra payments in summer and December. If your pay is in 14, your regular monthly pay is lower than the yearly figure divided by 12. Budget on the monthly amount, and treat the extra payments as a bonus for taxes, trips or rebuilding savings.

The timeline, documents, checklist and FAQ below cover the order of steps and what to bring.

Timeline and deadlines

• Pay the deposit and any extra guarantee for the shared home: on the day you sign the lease

• Start the first job; the first payslip is usually prorated: paid at the end of the start month or the following month

• Live on savings until the first salary arrives: 2 to 6 weeks after the first partner starts work

• Expect the second income to begin: commonly three to six months after arriving, sometimes longer

Documents you need

• Proof of income, such as payslips or an employment contract, which the landlord may ask for from the partner who already works.

• A bank guarantee (aval) issued by your bank, if the landlord asks for an extra guarantee instead of extra months of deposit.

• A work authorisation for a partner who is not an EU citizen, needed before that partner can start paid work.

Checklist

• Ask the landlord before you sign whether they want extra months of guarantee, proof of income or a guarantor.

• Add up the deposit and any extra guarantee as one cash amount due on signing day.

• Check whether your partner needs a work authorisation and Social Security registration before starting a job.

• Keep enough savings to cover the shared rent and bills while the first salary is still to come.

Check the current guarantee amounts with the landlord and your partner's work rights with the immigration office.

Frequently asked questions

How long can it take my partner to find a job after arriving?

A newly arrived partner usually needs three to six months to find work, and sometimes longer. Spanish level, sector and region make the biggest difference. Plan your first months as if only one income is coming in.

Does my partner need a work permit before starting a job?

A partner who is not an EU citizen needs a work authorisation before starting, and must be registered with Social Security before the first day. Family members of some residents, such as highly qualified workers, may have the right to work from the start. Ask the immigration office which applies to you.

Will a landlord ask us for more guarantee because we are foreigners?

Yes, landlords often ask foreign tenants without a Spanish employment history for extra months of guarantee. Some also ask for proof of income or a guarantor. Ask what they want before you agree on the rent, so both of you know the cash needed on signing day.

Will we get extra pay in summer and December?

Yes, if the contract pays in 14 instalments, you get extra payments in summer and December. Many contracts spread the same yearly pay over 12 instalments instead. Check which one each of you has before you plan your monthly budget.