Your first week in Spain

This topic is for anyone considering, planning or carrying out a move to Spain. By the end, you will know what to do on day one and in week one, and what can wait.

Start with "Your first week in Spain: what must happen and what can wait". It shows which tasks are time-critical and which can slip, so you can stop worrying about the rest.

From there, the other pages cover each part of the week:

• Getting from the airport to your first address.
• Handling keys, food, cash and rest in your first 24 hours.
• Getting by without a Spanish number, account or contract.
• Booking long-lead appointments early.
• Setting your first-week order for your situation, including citizenship, children or ongoing treatment.

Key rules

• Cash declaration: If you carry more than 10,000 euros in cash, you must declare it when entering or leaving Spain.
• Madrid taxi fare: A taxi between Madrid-Barajas and any address inside the M-30 ring road costs a fixed 33 euros, luggage included.
• Residence card: If you enter Spain on a long-stay visa, you must apply for the residence card (TIE) within one month of entering or of your authorization starting.
• EU registration: EU, EEA and Swiss citizens staying more than three months must register and get the registration certificate showing their NIE, but not before the three months.
• Padrón: Registering on the padrón has no fixed legal deadline after arrival, but you need proof of address and some town halls require an appointment.
• Keys: Confirm with your host or agent how you get the keys before you land, especially if you arrive late.

Your first week in Spain: the whole process, step by step

• Get from the airport to your first address: On the day you arrive (recommended on entry date)

• Collect your keys, settle in, sort food, cash and connectivity: In your first 24 hours; check-in for short stays usually runs from about 15:00 to 20:00 or later, and long-term rentals hand over keys once the deposit and first month are paid (recommended on entry date)

• Declare cash if you carry more than 10,000 euros: When you enter or leave Spain (recommended on entry date)

• Book your long-wait appointments, starting with the residence card fingerprint appointment if you need it: Straight away in week one, because free slots can be weeks or months away in big cities (earliest on entry date; latest 7 days after entry date)

• Register on the padrón (town hall residents' register) with proof of address and your passport or ID: Usually possible in week one; there is no fixed legal deadline, but some town halls need an appointment that can add days or weeks (earliest 1 days after entry date; latest 14 days after entry date)

• If you entered on a long-stay visa, apply for your residence card (TIE) in person with fingerprints: Within one month of entering or of your authorization starting (latest 30 days after entry date)

• If you are an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen staying longer, register and get your registration certificate showing your NIE: Once you pass three months in Spain, but not before (earliest 90 days after entry date)

• Apply for the health card and enrol children in school: After the padrón is done; health also needs your social security number, and school places are allocated in set periods

• Open a bank account, get a Spanish SIM, put utilities in your name and exchange your driving licence: Can wait beyond week one; a non-EU driving licence is generally exchanged within six months of becoming resident

Documents you may need

Identity and residence

• Passport
• Padrón certificate — Setting your first-week order for your situation
• Registration certificate showing your NIE — Your first week in Spain: what must happen and what can wait
• Host's letter with a copy of their ID and the property deed — Getting by in week one without a Spanish number, account or contract

The home and the lease

• Proof of address — Your first week in Spain: what must happen and what can wait, Setting your first-week order for your situation
• Short-term rental contract or hotel or Airbnb booking — Getting by in week one without a Spanish number, account or contract

Other documents

• Form EX-18 — Your first week in Spain: what must happen and what can wait, Setting your first-week order for your situation
• Fee form Modelo 790 código 012 — Your first week in Spain: what must happen and what can wait, Setting your first-week order for your situation
• Printed cita confirmation with its confirmation code — The appointments to book in your first week
• Vaccination and school records for children — Setting your first-week order for your situation
• Utility bill in your name — Getting by in week one without a Spanish number, account or contract

Each article lists the other documents it asks for, where you need them.

Your first week in Spain: questions that cross several articles

Which first-week tasks cannot wait beyond the first weeks?

Only two tasks have a hard clock: the residence card (TIE) within one month for long-stay visa holders, and EU registration once you pass three months. Healthcare, a bank account, a SIM and a driving licence exchange can usually wait longer.

Does the order of my first-week tasks change if I am an EU citizen?

Yes, EU, EEA and Swiss citizens skip the visa and fingerprint step and register for a certificate with an NIE after three months instead. The padrón usually comes first for everyone. Read "Setting your first-week order for your situation" and "The appointments to book in your first week".

Why should I book appointments before I have finished settling in?

Police appointments for fingerprints have often had no free slots for weeks or months in big cities, so the one-month residence card clock can run out while you wait. Padrón appointments tend to come sooner.

What can I do in week one if I have no bank account, Spanish number or contract yet?

Yes, you can get by in week one, because those items usually depend on later steps such as the padrón or your residence card. Plan phone, money and proof of lodging around that gap. Read "Getting by in week one without a Spanish number, account or contract" and "Your first 24 hours in Spain".