Scouting trips

It is for anyone thinking about moving to Spain, planning a trip, or already on one. If you follow it, you will turn a few days into evidence you can compare between places, and you will not pay or sign anything too early.

Start with "Do you need to test Spain before you move?" It helps you decide whether a trip is worth it, given your past holidays, family ties or earlier time in Spain. Then follow the order of the articles: length, itinerary, evidence, season, repeat visits, errands, children, budget and checks you can make before you fly.

Key rules

• Rental deposit: The legal deposit (fianza) for a residential lease is one month's rent, and extra guarantees in shorter leases can add up to two months' rent.
• Visitor stay limit: Visitors who do not need a visa can stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the whole Schengen area.
• Days per place: Plan three to five days per place for a first screen.
• Holidays: Past holidays are a weak guide to daily life, so do not treat them as a trial.
• Skip only if: Skip a scouting trip only if you recently lived in the exact place, for a year or more including a winter.
• Number of bases: Stick to two or three bases, each linked by fast train or direct flight.

Scouting trips: the whole process, step by step

• Decide whether you need to test Spain at all, and which seasons matter for your places: first, before you book anything

• Narrow your places from home using rental portals, town websites and local contacts: before you fly

• Check your visitor stay limit: visitors who do not need a visa can stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the whole Schengen area: before you book your trip

• Pick the season for each place: the off-season for coastal resorts, May-June or September-October for big cities, and avoid August for normal city life: when you set trip dates

• If you have school-age children, check your region's school calendar and admission window: admission usually runs in spring, often March-April; the school year starts in early-to-mid September and ends in the second half of June

• Set the trip length and the number of places, planning three to five days per place: when you build the itinerary

• Plan errands and viewings around shop and office hours, and around August closures if you travel then: while you plan each day

• Collect the same observations in every place so you can compare them: during the trip

• Do not pay a deposit or sign a reservation or arras contract; a rental fianza is one month's rent, with extra guarantees of up to two months' rent in shorter leases: during the trip and until a lawyer has checked the property

• Plan two or three visits across different seasons, including the hardest season for the place: before you commit to buy or sign a long lease

• Move to a trial stay of one to three months if the place is strongly seasonal, you need reliable internet, children need school placement, or you have ongoing health needs: when a short trip is not enough, ideally in the hardest season

• Compare the places and decide, ideally renting for 6-12 months before you buy: after the last visit

Documents you may need

Identity and residence

• Padrón certificate showing your residential address — Turning a scouting trip into evidence you can compare
• Passport — What to do on a scouting trip, and what not to sign
• A written reason for applying for the NIE — What to do on a scouting trip, and what not to sign
• NIE: needed by many banks to open an account as a non-resident — What to do on a scouting trip, and what not to sign
• Proof of residence — What to do on a scouting trip, and what not to sign

The home and the lease

• Proof of address for the school admission application — Scouting Spain with children: school visits and family fit
• Rental contract or the owner's consent for your address — What to do on a scouting trip, and what not to sign

Other documents

• Tarjeta sanitaria — Turning a scouting trip into evidence you can compare
• Form EX-15 — What to do on a scouting trip, and what not to sign

Scouting trips: questions that cross several articles

Does a past holiday in Spain tell me what living there is like?

No, a past holiday predicts daily life poorly, because holidays happen in peak season, in tourist districts and without work or paperwork. Winter visits and stays in ordinary residential areas show much more. Read "Do you need to test Spain before you move?" and "What time of year should you scout Spain?".

When is a short trip not enough and I need a longer trial stay?

A short trip is not enough when the place is strongly seasonal, you work remotely, children need school placement, or you have ongoing health needs. A trial stay of one to three months in the hardest season is then worth it. Read "One trip, repeat visits or a longer stay?" next.

How should I plan my days around Spanish opening hours and August closures?

Plan errands for the morning and late afternoon, because many small shops and offices close for a long afternoon break, and lunch runs about 14:00 to 16:00. In August many small shops and professional offices close for two to four weeks, while tourist areas are at their busiest. See "How many places can you scout in one trip?" and "What to do on a scouting trip, and what not to sign".

Which months show realistic life in the places I am considering?

It depends on the type of place: November-February for coastal resorts, May-June or September-October for big cities, and a July-August visit to test heat in the south. Strongly seasonal resort, island and mountain towns can be very quiet in the off-season.

How many days should I spend in each place?

Spend three to five days per place for a first screen, so you see a weekday, a weekend and a late evening. Seeing fewer places for longer is better than many places quickly. Read "How long should a scouting trip to Spain be?" and "How many places can you scout in one trip?".