Your first month when your employer is relocating you

Terms used

• TIE — The TIE is the foreigner identity card, issued after you give fingerprints and a photo in person.
• Padrón — The padrón is the town hall record of where you live.
• NIE — The NIE is the tax and identity number given to foreigners in Spain.
• NUSS — The NUSS is your Social Security number, needed for employment registration.
• IBAN — The IBAN is your bank account number, which your employer needs to pay your salary.
• Beckham — The Beckham law is the special tax regime for workers who move to Spain.

Key rules

• Employer tasks: Employers usually handle the visa, TIE support and payroll registration.
• Your tasks: Padrón, housing, bank account and health cover stay with you.
• In person: You must give fingerprints and a photo, and collect your TIE, yourself.
• Beckham law: You request the special regime for inbound workers within six months of starting work or registering with Social Security.

The split in one minute

Your employer usually handles the visa, support with your TIE and payroll registration. You handle the padrón, housing, your bank account and health cover. Support varies a lot between employers, so get the split in writing in your first days. The checklist below gives you the questions to ask.

What your employer or provider usually handles

• Work visa or permit. Employers commonly sponsor it and manage the paperwork.
• Contract, Social Security registration and payroll. Employers register you with Social Security before you start work, using your passport or NIE. They can usually request your Social Security number (NUSS) for you if you don't have one.
• TIE support. They may book appointments or help with forms. Some also advise on tax, including the Beckham regime.
• Extras. Some providers also help with housing searches, school searches and bank accounts. Treat these as extras to confirm, not as a given.

What stays with you

• Fingerprints, photo and collecting your TIE. You must do these in person. Nobody can do them for you. The timeline below shows when.
• Padrón. This is your registration at the town hall. Some providers help, but it is your record. Ask whether you must go in person.
• Housing. Ask whether your employer pays for temporary housing and until when. Find out whether anyone searches for your long-term rental.
• Bank account. Most banks want you to attend. Some allow remote opening. You will need an IBAN so your employer can pay your salary.
• Health cover. Ask who arranges cover for you and your family, and from what date. Collecting any health card is up to you.
• Personal tax choices. You give your employer details such as marital status and dependants for tax withholding.

What your employer needs from you

Send your documents early, because payroll cannot start without them. The documents list below has the full set. Your employer may also ask for a padrón certificate or your address.

Beckham law

If your employer offers tax advice on the special regime for inbound workers, ask them who files the request. The request is made with modelo 149 within six months of starting work or registering with Social Security. You must not have been a Spanish tax resident in the previous five years.

Representation

Some steps, such as submitting forms or some padrón steps, can be done by a representative with a power of attorney or signed authorisation. Offices differ in what they accept, so check with the office first. Biometric steps cannot be delegated.

Timeline and deadlines

• Give your fingerprints and photo for the TIE in person: within one month of entry if you hold a visa, or of the permit grant

• Collect your TIE card in person: after your fingerprints and photo are taken

Documents you need

• Passport: your employer needs a copy for Social Security registration and payroll, and you need the original for appointments.

• NIE or DNI: needed for payroll and for registration with Social Security.

• Social Security number (NUSS): your employer can usually request it from the Social Security office if you have none.

• Proof of work authorisation: needed by your employer if you are a non-EU worker.

• Signed employment contract: needed for payroll.

• TIE (foreigner identity card): you collect it yourself in person after your fingerprints and photo are taken.

• IBAN of your bank account: your employer needs it to pay your salary.

• Personal details for tax withholding, such as marital status and dependants: you give these to your employer.

• Padrón certificate (proof of where you live, from your town hall): sometimes asked for by your employer.

• Power of attorney or signed authorisation: needed only if a representative submits forms for you.

Employer relocation: who does what

Questions for HR: who does what

• Ask HR for a written list of every first-month task they or the relocation provider will handle for you.

• Ask who books and pays for your temporary housing, and until which date.

• Ask whether HR or the provider will find your long-term rental, or whether you search on your own and they only reimburse.

• Ask who attends your residence card (TIE) appointment with you, and who books it. The deadline is explained in the first-month article for your visa type.

• Ask whether the company registers you with Social Security and gets you a Social Security number, or whether you do it yourself.

• Ask who handles your padrón registration (the town hall record of where you live), and whether you must go in person.

• Ask whether the provider helps you open a bank account, or whether you arrange it yourself.

• Ask who arranges private or public health cover for you and your family, and from what date it starts.

• Ask whether your family's permits, school places and registrations are covered, or only yours.

• Ask which costs the company pays directly and which you pay first and claim back, and what receipts you must keep.

• Ask whether the company gives you tax advice on your move, including any special tax regime for new arrivals, and who requests it.

• Ask for the name and phone number of one contact at HR or the provider to call when something goes wrong.

• Write down every task HR says is yours, with a date next to each, and start with the ones that have deadlines.

Frequently asked questions

Can someone else do my fingerprinting for the residence card?

No, you must give your fingerprints and photo for the TIE (foreigner identity card) in person at the police station or immigration office. The same goes for collecting the card. HR or a provider can book the appointment, but they cannot attend in your place.

Can a representative sign forms for me with a power of attorney?

Yes, a legal representative with a power of attorney or a signed authorisation can submit many forms for you, but offices differ in what they accept. This can include getting the NIE in some cases and some padrón steps. Ask the office first, because the in-person steps stay with you.

What does my employer need from me before payroll starts?

Your employer needs your NIE or DNI, your Social Security number, an IBAN for your salary and a copy of your passport or ID. It also needs personal details for tax withholding, such as marital status and dependants. Non-EU workers also need proof of work authorisation, and sometimes a padrón certificate or address is asked for.

Do I need to apply for the Beckham law myself?

Employers sometimes give tax advice on the Beckham regime, but check who files the request, which uses modelo 149. You must not have been a Spanish tax resident in the previous five years. The regime generally applies for the year of arrival plus five years.