Which hard limits should rule out a region early?

Key rules

• Order: Remove places that fail a hard limit before you compare lifestyle, cost or climate.
• Permit: Your card or resolution states any territory and activity limit, so read it before you shortlist.
• Filing: You file with the immigration office of the province where you live or work.
• School register: The school register shows authorisation only, not fees, quality or free places.

Start with the limits, not the lifestyle

Cross off places that fail a hard limit first. Only then compare cost, climate and atmosphere. A lovely town is no use if your permit does not allow you to work there or your child's school does not exist nearby.

A hard limit is something you cannot change or work around. Five matter most: your permit, your income source, schools, language and specialist care.

Permit conditions

Whether your permit ties you to a place depends on the type.

• Employee permits (work for a Spanish employer): the first authorisation can be limited to a geographic area and to an occupation or sector. It is often a province or an autonomous community. The limit is usually lifted at first renewal or after a set period. With long-term residence, you can work anywhere in Spain in any sector.
• Self-employed permits: these can be limited by territory and activity at first.
• Non-lucrative residence, golden visa, digital nomad and highly qualified worker permits (including the EU Blue Card): these generally have no territorial limit on where you live.

Read the limit written on your card or resolution and rule out any province or region it does not cover. The rules were reworked in 2025, so do not rely on what a friend with an older permit was told.

None of this applies to EU citizens or to family members of EU citizens who hold an EU residence card.

Income source

Your income must fit the place. If you work for a Spanish employer, the job has to be in the area your permit allows. If you work remotely or live on savings, you usually have more freedom, but check that the permit type does not limit where you live.

Where you file

Residence is not tied to a region, but your application goes to the Oficina de Extranjería of the province where you live or work. Choose the province before you file.

Language

Spanish works everywhere. Several regions have a second official language:

• Catalan in Catalonia and the Balearic Islands
• Valencian in the Valencian Community
• Galician in Galicia
• Basque in the Basque Country and in the Basque-speaking and mixed zones of Navarre
• Aranese in the Val d'Aran, in Catalonia

Other communities use Spanish only. In co-official regions, schools use the language both for teaching and as a subject. You can deal with regional offices in either language, and public signs are bilingual. Central State offices use Spanish only. The effect on schools and public jobs varies by community, and the rules are often challenged in court. If you have children or want a public-sector job, ask the regional education department how the language applies.

Decide how much of a second language your family can handle. If the answer is "none", that may rule out some regions.

Schools

If your child needs a foreign curriculum (British, German, French, American or Swiss), look it up by province and town in the state register of schools. Each region's education department also publishes its own school directory. Associations of British, French and German schools list their members too.

The register shows only that a school is legally authorised. It does not show quality, fees or free places. Check the curriculum, accreditation and admissions page of each school you like.

Specialist care

For a complex or rare condition, search the Ministerio de Sanidad list of national reference units (CSUR) by condition. It shows which hospitals, in which regions, are designated. Designations are renewed from time to time, so confirm the unit is currently accredited. For rare diseases, also look at European reference network hospitals.

If your regional health service refers you to a reference unit in another region, the cost is covered through a national fund. This applies to public-system users.

For ordinary specialist care, search your regional health service's hospital and service directory. You can also ask the hospital's patient service office.

Then cross off

Use the checklist below, remove every place that fails a point, and compare only what is left.

Hard-limits checklist before you shortlist a place

Hard limits to check for each place

• Read the territory and activity limits on your permit or resolution, and rule out any province or region it does not cover. Employee and self-employed permits can be limited at first, and the limit usually lifts at renewal.

• Check that your income source fits the place.

• Look up whether the region has a co-official language (Catalan, Valencian, Galician or Basque), and note how much it is used in schools and local administration.

• Search the state register of schools by province and town to find foreign-curriculum schools.

• For ordinary specialist care, search the regional health service's hospital and service directory, or ask the hospital's Atención al Paciente office.

• Cross off any place that fails a point above before you compare lifestyle, cost or climate.

Frequently asked questions

Will my permit stop me moving to another region later?

Only some permits stop you, mainly a first employee permit, which is often limited to a province or region and a job type. That limit usually falls away at first renewal. Non-lucrative, golden visa, digital nomad and highly qualified worker permits generally have no territorial limit on where you live.

Does a co-official language mean I must speak it?

No, Spanish is valid everywhere and is the only language of the central State administration. In Catalonia, the Balearics, Valencia, Galicia, the Basque Country and parts of Navarre, schools also teach in the regional language, and you can deal with regional offices in either language.

What if my child needs a specialist hospital in another region?

Your regional health service can refer you to a national reference unit in another region for complex or rare conditions, and the cost is covered through a state cohesion fund. For rare diseases, also check European Reference Network member hospitals.

Does the school register tell me if a foreign school has places?

No, the school register does not show places. It only shows that a school is legally authorised. Fees and quality are not listed either, so use the school's own admissions page and check its curriculum and accreditation.