Moving, documents, and setup
Paperwork, identity numbers, belongings, pets, utilities and the first weeks.
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The essential topics in moving, documents, and setup, one from each section where there is one. Read these first.
Identity numbers and local registration
Spanish ID numbers and the right order
You will know what each Spanish ID number and card is, which ones you need, and in what order to get them.
Documents, appointments, translations, and apostilles
Planning your documents for Spain
You will know exactly which documents to collect, whether each needs an apostille or sworn translation, and how to sequence the work so nothing expires before filing day.
Belongings, shipping, and pets
Shipping your belongings to Spain
You will know what is worth shipping, how to compare modes and movers, what it really costs, and how to time a shipment so it does not arrive before you can receive it.
Utilities, phone, internet, and services
Starting utilities in your name
You will know what to set up first, what each supplier needs from you and how to get contracts into your name even without a NIE, bank account or cooperative landlord.
Driving, vehicles, and transport
Driving licence validity and exchange
You will know whether you can drive legally today, what deadline applies, and the exact route: exchange, exam or learning from scratch.
First month operational setup
Leaving home checklist for Spain
You will know what to close, carry, book and prepare before you leave, and by when.
Identity numbers and local registration
Helps you get the identity numbers and registrations everything else needs.
Get the identity numbers, local registration and digital identity everything else depends on, in the right order: NIE, padron and Cl@ve or a digital certificate.
Spanish ID numbers and the right order
You will know what each Spanish ID number and card is, which ones you need, and in what order to get them.
The Spanish ID numbers you will meet and what each is for · Foreigner number (NIE) or residence card (TIE): which goes on which form? · The right order for your NIE, address registration and digital ID
Getting your NIE
You will know whether you need an NIE, which route to take and how to handle its paperwork.
Do you need an NIE, and when? · What to expect when you apply for your NIE in Spain · Getting an NIE before you move, from a consulate or in Spain
Registering your address (empadronamiento)
You will be able to register your address with your town hall even when your housing is informal, temporary or unusual.
What registering your address (empadronamiento) is and why Spain needs it · Must you register your address, whatever your immigration status? · How to register your address at the town hall (ayuntamiento)
Keeping your address registration current
You will keep your registration valid and get the right certificate when an office asks for it.
Which address certificate (certificado de empadronamiento) do you need? · Updating your address registration when you move within Spain · Does the address registration renewal rule (renovacion padronal) apply to you?
Digital ID (Cl@ve) and certificates
You will know which digital ID you need, how to get it and how to keep it working.
The digital ID options in Spain and what each one does · Do you need an online login (Cl@ve), a certificate or both? · Registering for your online login (Cl@ve) as a foreigner
Keeping your personal data consistent
You will avoid rejections caused by mismatched details and know whom to contact to correct a record.
Keeping your name identical on every Spanish record · Filling Spanish forms with one surname or several given names · Updating your records after a name change or new passport
Documents, appointments, translations, and apostilles
Helps you prepare usable documents and get through appointments.
Make documents usable and get through Spanish offices: gathering documents, apostilles, sworn translation, notaries and powers of attorney, cita previa, online filing and electronic notices, paperwork help and fixing…
Planning your documents for Spain
You will know exactly which documents to collect, whether each needs an apostille or sworn translation, and how to sequence the work so nothing expires before filing day.
Which documents to gather before you leave for Spain · How old can your paperwork be for Spanish offices? · Does this document need an apostille, a translation, or both?
Getting key documents from home
You will know how to order the right version of key home-country documents and what to do when one is lost or cannot be issued.
Getting a police certificate that Spain will accept · Which version of your birth or marriage certificate to order · Replacing a lost or stolen document before or after arrival
Apostilles and legalisation
You will know which route applies to your documents, where to get it, and what to do when a Spanish office refuses it.
What an apostille is and when Spain requires one · Where to get an apostille in your home country · Apostille routes for US, UK, Canadian, Australian and Latin American documents
Sworn translations
You will know whether you need a sworn translation, who may make it, what it costs and in what order to do it.
When Spain requires a sworn translation · Finding an official sworn translator (traductor jurado) · What a sworn translation costs and how long it takes
Notaries and powers of attorney
You will know when you need a notary, what it costs, how to give someone power to act for you and how to control it.
What a Spanish notary (notario) does and when you need one · What a Spanish notary actually costs · Getting certified copies of your documents in Spain
Booking appointments (cita previa)
You will know how to find the right office, secure an appointment, arrive prepared and protect yourself when slots run out.
Finding the right office and procedure for your cita previa · How cita previa works and what to do when no slots appear · Booking cita previa for your whole family
Filing online and from abroad
You will know which channel to file through, how to submit and prove it, and what to do when the technology fails.
How Spain's online offices (sede electrónica) work · Submitting an online filing and keeping your receipt · Fixing AutoFirma, browser and certificate problems
Official notices and deadlines
You will know how notices reach you, how to avoid missing them and how to read deadlines.
How electronic notifications (DEHú) work and whether you must use them · What happens if you miss an electronic notice · Receiving paper notices from Spanish authorities (notificación por Correos)
Fixing rejected filings
You will know what a notice means, how to respond, and how to fix or avoid rejection.
What the terms in a Spanish administrative notice mean · Responding to a correction request (requerimiento de subsanación) · The most common reasons Spanish offices reject a filing
Choosing paperwork help
You will know whether to hire help, whom, how to vet them and how to authorise them safely.
Choosing between a paperwork agent (gestor), a lawyer and an adviser · How to vet a paperwork agent (gestor) or lawyer before hiring · What paperwork help costs and what the fee includes
Civil registry and certificates
You will know how the civil registry works and how to register events and obtain certificates.
How the Spanish civil registry (Registro Civil) works · Registering a foreign marriage or birth in Spain · Registering your child's birth in Spain
Belongings, shipping, and pets
Helps you move belongings and pets to Spain and keep pets legal.
Move household goods and pets to Spain and keep a pet legally: shipping, customs relief, insurance and claims, pet entry, ownership rules and vet care.
Shipping your belongings to Spain
You will know what is worth shipping, how to compare modes and movers, what it really costs, and how to time a shipment so it does not arrive before you can receive it.
What to ship to Spain and what to rebuy there · Will your appliances and electronics work in Spain? · Container, shared load, air or road: choosing how to ship
Customs relief and import rules
You will know whether your belongings can enter Spain without duties or IVA, what to file and when, what happens without relief, and how to fix customs holds.
Bringing your furniture to Spain without customs duty (menaje) · Do you qualify for duty-free import of your belongings? · How your visa or residence status affects customs relief
Delivery day, insurance and claims
You will know how delivery works in Spanish buildings, what to check and sign, whether to insure, and how to make a claim that survives.
Getting furniture into a Spanish building · What to check and sign on delivery day · Do you need insurance for your shipment?
Bringing a pet to Spain
You will know which documents and tests your pet needs from your country, in what order, how to travel, and what happens if paperwork is wrong.
What your pet needs to enter Spain · Bringing a pet to Spain from another EU country · Bringing a pet to Spain from the UK
Pet registration and legal duties
You will know what Spain legally requires of a pet owner, how to register, and what happens if something goes wrong.
Registering your pet in Spain after you arrive · What Spain's 2023 animal-welfare law requires of dog owners · Licence for a potentially dangerous dog
Everyday life with a pet
You will know where your pet can go, how buildings and neighbours affect pet ownership, what a pet costs, and how to travel or arrange care.
Taking your dog on trains, beaches and into public places · Can your building's owners' community limit pets? · Travelling from Spain with your pet
Vet care and pet health
You will know how vet care works in Spain, what routine care your pet needs here, which local diseases to prevent and what to do in an emergency.
Finding a vet in Spain and how vet care works · Routine vaccines and preventive care for pets in Spain · Pet health risks in Spain: leishmaniasis, ticks, heat and more
Utilities, phone, internet, and services
Helps you get utilities, phone and internet working and keep bills under control.
Get every household utility and connection working and keep it under control: what to set up first, electricity, gas, water, phone, internet, problems, closing services and waste rules.
Starting utilities in your name
You will know what to set up first, what each supplier needs from you and how to get contracts into your name even without a NIE, bank account or cooperative landlord.
Which utilities to set up first when you arrive in Spain · What to arrange for utilities before you land in Spain · Documents and ID Spanish suppliers ask for when you sign up
Electricity contracts and tariffs
You will understand who is who in the Spanish electricity market and be able to choose a tariff, power level and supplier without overpaying or being misled.
Who to call about electricity: distributor or supplier (comercializadora) · Choosing between the regulated tariff (PVPC) and a free-market price · Peak, flat and valley hours (punta, llano, valle) and cheap power
Energy discounts and aid (bono social)
You will know whether you may qualify for the bono social or other energy aid and how to apply.
Are you eligible for the social energy discount (bono social) · Social energy discount (bono social) for foreign residents and recent arrivals · Applying for and renewing the social energy discount (bono social)
Water supply and bills
You will know how to open a water contract with your local provider, read the bill and handle quality or leak worries.
Getting water connected or into your name (contrato de agua) · Water connection and the habitability certificate (cédula de habitabilidad) · How Spanish water bills are structured and how often you pay
Gas and butane bottles
You will know whether you need gas, how to contract piped gas or buy bottles and how to stay safe and compliant.
Piped natural gas: checking, starting or transferring a contract · Gas inspections (revisión) and what to do if you smell gas · Butane bottles (bombonas): buying, replacing and what they cost
Rural and off-grid supplies
You will understand what rural water and power really involve and how to plan them.
Wells (pozos), water rights and legal rural water in Spain · Water by tanker, cisterns and storage tanks in rural homes · Connecting a rural plot to the electricity grid
Mobile phone and SIM
You will get a working Spanish number, choose a fair plan and avoid lock-in.
Choosing between prepaid, contract and low-cost mobile plans in Spain · Network owners versus virtual operators (MVNOs) and coverage in your area · Getting a working Spanish SIM in your first days without a NIE
Home internet and TV
You will know which connection suits you, whether it is available at your address and how to get it installed and working.
Home internet options in Spain from fibre to satellite · Checking fibre at your address and getting building consent · Installing home internet: timing, technician visit and costs
Utility problems and cut-offs
You will know who to contact when supply fails, what happens if bills go unpaid and how to challenge a wrong bill.
Who to contact when the power or water goes out · Preparing your home for a blackout · Can your supply be cut off for unpaid bills and reconnected
Closing and moving utilities
You will close or move services cleanly, avoid penalties and recover deposits.
Closing electricity, water, gas and internet when you move out · Moving within Spain: transferring utilities, phone and internet · Cancelling Spanish services before you leave the country
Waste collection and recycling
You will dispose of waste correctly, avoid fines and understand the waste tax.
How rubbish collection works in Spain (containers, hours, bags) · Recycling bins and sorting rules by colour · The municipal waste tax (tasa de basuras) and who pays it
Utility costs and bill control
You will budget utilities realistically and keep your bills under control.
What utilities typically cost per month in Spain · Everyday habits that cut energy and water bills · How utility rules and taxes differ by region and island
Driving, vehicles, and transport
Helps you drive and get around legally in Spain.
Stay mobile legally: licence validity and exchange, buying or importing a car, insurance, ownership duties, road rules and fines, city driving, public transport and two-wheelers.
Driving licence validity and exchange
You will know whether you can drive legally today, what deadline applies, and the exact route: exchange, exam or learning from scratch.
Can you drive in Spain on your foreign licence? · Which countries can exchange their licence for a Spanish one? · Why exchange can be refused if you passed your test after moving
Buying and selling a car
You will buy a car in Spain with the right papers, the right checks and no inherited debts, and know how to pay for and later dispose of it.
Should you buy a new, nearly new (km0), used or dealer car? · What a foreigner needs to buy and register a car in Spain · Buying a used car privately and transferring ownership
Importing your car to Spain
You will know whether to bring your car, what it will cost and how to register it legally.
How long you can keep foreign plates in Spain · Import your car or sell it and buy in Spain? · Registering a car from another EU country in Spain
Car insurance in Spain
You will get legal cover at a fair price and know how claims, lapses and renewals work.
Getting legally insured to drive in Spain as a newcomer · Choosing your car insurance cover level (terceros or todo riesgo) · What sets your Spanish car insurance price
Car ownership duties and running costs
You will keep your car legal year after year and know the routine costs and rules.
Spain's roadworthiness test (ITV) and what happens if you fail · The annual circulation tax (IVTM) and why it differs by town · Your car's papers and keeping DGT records up to date
Road rules, police checks and fines
You will drive within Spanish rules and know exactly what to do when a fine or police check happens.
Spanish road rules that differ from your home country · Speed limits and speed cameras in Spain · Alcohol and drug limits and roadside tests
Accidents and breakdowns
You will know the first ten minutes after an accident or breakdown and how to follow through on claims.
What to do at the scene of a car accident in Spain · Amicable accident statement or police report: which do you need? · Claims after an accident: injuries, uninsured drivers and hit-and-run
City driving, low-emission zones and parking
You will know where your car can go, where it can park and which local rule applies.
Can your car enter a Spanish city centre (low-emission zone, ZBE)? · Getting your environmental label (distintivo ambiental) · Low-emission zones with foreign plates or no label
Public transport and getting around
You will get around your city and between cities cheaply and confidently without a car.
Using Metro, buses and Cercanias (commuter rail) in Madrid · Using metro, buses and Rodalies (commuter rail) in Barcelona · Using Metrovalencia, EMT buses and Cercanias in Valencia
Bikes, scooters and motorbikes
You will use a two-wheeler legally and safely in Spain.
Which licence you need for a moped, 125cc or larger motorbike · Buying, registering and insuring a motorbike or scooter · Riding and parking a motorbike in Spanish cities
Do you need a car in Spain?
You will decide whether to own a car and how to bridge your first weeks.
Do you actually need a car in Spain? · What owning a car in Spain really costs per year · Living car-light with rental, carsharing, taxis and trains
First month operational setup
Helps you sequence the move from leaving home to an operational first month.
Bridge leaving home and the first weeks in Spain in the right order: the departure checklist, arrival at the border and the dependency map of first-month tasks. It sequences and links; each task's how-to belongs to its…
Leaving home checklist for Spain
You will know what to close, carry, book and prepare before you leave, and by when.
What you can finish before you land in Spain · Your countdown: 3 months, 1 month and 1 week before leaving · Which home accounts, leases and registrations to close or keep
Arriving at the Spanish border
You will know what to expect and carry at the border for your passport and situation.
Arriving in Spain as an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen · Arriving at Spanish passport control with a long-stay visa · Arriving visa-free: your 90 days and what to plan next
Your first week in Spain
You will know what to do on day one and in week one and what safely waits.
Getting from a Spanish airport to your first address · Your first 24 hours in Spain · Your first week in Spain: what must happen and what can wait
Task order and deadlines
You will know what unlocks what and which deadlines are running.
What has to come first in Spain, and what does not · The deadlines that start running when you arrive in Spain · Where the NIE and registering your address (empadronamiento) fit
First month by your situation
You will see the order and extra steps that apply to your own profile.
Your first month in Spain as an EU citizen · Your first month in Spain on a work, residency or nomad visa · Your first month if you arrived as a visitor planning to settle
When the first month goes wrong
You will know how to recover and keep procedures on track.
If you lose your passport or visa documents in Spain · Luggage lost or delayed on arrival in Spain · The most common first-month mistakes newcomers make in Spain
Related subjects
Questions in moving, documents, and setup usually lead into these.
Immigration and residency
Visas, residence permits, the route that fits you, and keeping your status.
Housing and where to live
Choosing where to live, renting safely, buying, and settling into a home.
Healthcare and insurance
Public and private care, health cover, and insurance for your life in Spain.
Need certainty before you act?
For important relocation decisions, speak with a qualified human specialist.
Always verify important information with the relevant official authority or a qualified adviser before acting. This website uses large language models together with various public data sources, official government documents and other established sources. Due to the amount of data on this website, some information might be wrong. Information may also be incomplete or outdated.