Choosing your arrival airport and splitting your luggage

Key rules

• Documents: Keep passport, visa papers, medication and valuables in your hand luggage, never in a checked bag or shipment.
• Airport: Choose the airport nearest your first address, and weigh the onward journey against the flight price.
• Baggage allowance: Check your own fare's baggage allowance and buy extra weight online before you travel.
• Food from outside the EU: Check customs rules before packing food, especially meat and dairy.

Airline baggage allowances, airport connections and customs food rules change, so confirm them with your airline and Spanish customs before you travel.

Pick the airport that fits your first week, not the cheapest flight

Choose the airport closest to the city where you will sleep your first night. A cheap flight into a distant airport often costs more once you add a long train, bus or taxi ride with heavy bags.

Ask yourself three things:

• Where is your first address? Land in the nearest big airport to it.
• Do you need a connection? Direct flights from your home country usually go to the largest airports. Smaller airports often need a change of plane, which raises the risk of lost bags.
• How will you get from the airport to your door? With several large bags, a taxi or pre-booked transfer is easier than public transport.

Madrid, Barcelona, Málaga, Valencia and Palma all take international flights. How well each connects onward by train, bus or domestic flight differs. Check current options for your exact route before you book.

Split your belongings into three groups

Hand luggage: what you cannot replace or need on day one.

• Passport and other identity papers
• Visa or residence paperwork, and the originals of any documents you will need for appointments
• Medication, with the prescription
• Phone, laptop, chargers
• Keys, bank cards and some cash
• One change of clothes and basic toiletries

Checked bags: what you need in your first weeks.

• Clothes for the season you arrive in
• Everyday shoes and basic kitchen or bedroom items you will not buy straight away
• Work equipment you need right away

Shipment: what you can live without for several weeks.

• Furniture, books, off-season clothes, bulky items and sentimental things
• Anything that would cost more in excess baggage fees than in freight

Shipments take time to arrive and clear customs, so plan to manage without them for a while. Never put documents or valuables in a shipment.

Check your airline's baggage rules before you pack

Airlines set their own limits on bag size, weight and number of bags, and these differ between fares. Read your fare's allowance, and price excess baggage online in advance. It is usually cheaper than paying at the airport. Ask the airline whether it offers any allowance for people relocating.

Food and liquids

Rules on bringing food and liquids into Spain from outside the EU are strict, especially for meat, dairy and other animal products. Check the current rules with the Spanish customs authority before you pack food. Liquids in hand luggage are also limited at airport security, so pack larger amounts in checked bags.

A simple way to decide

If an item is needed within the first few days or cannot be replaced, carry it. If you need it within a few weeks and it is reasonably light, check it. If it is bulky or can wait, ship it.