The deadlines that start running when you arrive in Spain

Terms used

• TIE — The TIE is the residence card for foreigners, which you must apply for after entering Spain on a long-stay visa.
• NIE — The NIE is the foreigner's identification number used for tax, work and official paperwork in Spain.
• Cita previa — A cita previa is an appointment you must book in advance to be seen at many Spanish government offices.
• Oficina de Extranjería — The Oficina de Extranjería is the immigration office that handles foreigners' registration and residence paperwork.
• Padrón — The padrón is the register of residents kept by your town hall; its certificate proves your address.

Key rules

• TIE: Visa holders must apply for the residence card within one month of entering.
• EU registration: EU citizens staying more than three months must register as residents within three months of arriving.
• Tax count: The 183 days are counted over the calendar year, not from your arrival date.
• School: Children arriving mid-year can still be enrolled outside the normal spring application period.

Which deadlines apply to you

Which clocks start depends on how you enter. Visa holders have the TIE deadline. EU citizens have the registration deadline. Everyone has the tax day count, and families with children have school enrolment. The calculator below works out your dates from your entry date.

Residence card (TIE) if you entered on a long-stay visa

You must apply for the TIE within one month of entering Spain. The clock starts on the entry date recorded or stamped at the border, as long as your visa is valid. For some authorizations, the month runs from the start of the authorization or from its notification, as your visa and resolution say. If your visa is valid for less time than your authorization, the visa's validity applies. This applies to visas that lead to a residence authorization longer than six months.

Fingerprint appointments can be hard to get, so book as soon as you arrive.

EU registration if you are an EU citizen

If you will stay more than three months, you must register as a resident within three months of arriving. You get a registration certificate that includes your NIE. Book a cita previa at the Oficina de Extranjería or a police station. Then submit form EX-18 with your passport, proof of work, self-employment, sufficient means plus health cover, or student status, and pay the fee (tasa). Offices vary in what they ask for, so check yours.

Family members of EU citizens who are not EU nationals get a residence card instead.

Signing up on the municipal padrón is a separate step with its own office.

Tax residence: the 183-day count

There is no clock that starts on your arrival day. The count covers the calendar year, 1 January to 31 December. You are tax resident if you spend more than 183 days in Spain in that year.

• Short trips abroad still count as days in Spain, unless you prove tax residence in another country with a certificate from that country.
• You are also resident if the centre of your economic activities or interests is in Spain.
• Spain is presumed to be your home if your spouse and dependent minor children usually live here, unless you prove otherwise.

Tax treaties can override these domestic rules. Special regimes have their own conditions.

School enrolment for children

Schooling is compulsory from age 6 to 16. Ages 3 to 6 are free but not compulsory.

The ordinary application period is usually in spring, roughly March to May for the following September. Each region sets its own dates.

If your child arrives mid-year, you can still enrol them outside the period. The regional education authority or a local admissions commission assigns a place in a school with vacancies. This normally takes days to a few weeks. Schools usually ask for the padrón certificate, passport or ID, vaccination records and previous school records. Missing papers or no Spanish do not legally block enrolment, and many regions run language support classes. Check dates and procedure with your regional education department.

Timeline and deadlines

• Apply for your residence card (TIE) if you entered on a long-stay visa: within one month of entering Spain (latest 30 days after entry date)

• Register as a resident if you are an EU citizen staying more than three months: within three months of arriving (latest 90 days after entry date)

• Enrol a school-age child who arrives mid-year: as soon as you arrive; a place usually takes days to a few weeks

• Apply in the ordinary school admission period for the next September: usually March to May, set by each region

• Reach the end of the tax residence count: 31 December, when the days in Spain over the calendar year are added up

Documents you need

• Passport: needed for EU registration at the Oficina de Extranjería or police station, and for school enrolment (or an ID).

• Form EX-18, the EU registration application form, submitted with your passport and the fee (tasa) if you are an EU citizen staying more than three months.

• Proof of work, self-employment, sufficient means plus health cover, or student status: one of these supports EU registration, which gives you a registration certificate that includes your NIE.

• Padrón certificate from your town hall, which schools usually ask for when enrolling a child.

• Vaccination records and previous school records for your child, which schools usually ask for at enrolment.

• Certificate of tax residence from another country, which you need if you want absence days not to count as days in Spain in the 183-day test.

Calculate your first-month deadlines from your entry date

Work it out

What you enter

• Day of the month you entered Spain (day): The entry stamp in your passport or your travel records.
• Month you entered Spain (1 to 12) (month): The entry stamp in your passport or your travel records.
• Days you have spent in Spain so far this calendar year (days): Your passport stamps, travel tickets and booking records.

Figures used

• Months to apply for the residence card (TIE) after entering on a long-stay visa: 1 month (as of 2026)
• Months to register as an EU citizen staying more than three months: 3 months (as of 2026)
• Tax residence limit: more than this many days in the calendar year: 183 days (as of 2026)
• Months in a year: 12 months

Worked example (with Day of the month you entered Spain 20 day, Month you entered Spain (1 to 12) 10 month, Year you entered Spain 2,026 year, Days you have spent in Spain so far this calendar year 120 days)

When the sum misleads

• Use the TIE dates only if you entered on a long-stay visa leading to a residence permit of more than six months. Use the EU dates only if you are an EU citizen staying more than three months.
• Month deadlines run date to date. If the due date lands on a weekend or public holiday, it moves to the next working day. If the due month is shorter than your entry day, the deadline is the last day of that month.
• If your visa starts after the day you entered, count the TIE month from the visa start date instead: enter that date above.
• The 183-day count runs from 1 January to 31 December, not from your arrival.
• Spain can also treat you as tax resident if your main work or economic interests are there, or if your spouse and young children live there, even with fewer than 183 days.

Frequently asked questions

Can my child start school if we arrive in the middle of the school year?

Yes, children arriving mid-year can enrol out of the normal period, and the regional education authority assigns a place in a school with vacancies.

Does my residence card deadline change if my visa is shorter than my authorization?

Yes, if your visa is valid for less time than the authorization, the visa validity applies. For some authorizations the month runs from the start or notification of the authorization instead. Book your fingerprint appointment early, as slots can be hard to get.