Your month-end check: what is done and what is still open

Terms used

• Padrón — The padrón is the municipal register of residents, kept by your town hall.
• NIE — The NIE is the identification number given to foreigners in Spain.
• TIE — The TIE is the residence card issued to foreigners with a residence authorisation.
• TGSS — The TGSS is Spain's social security office, which issues your social security number.
• Tarjeta sanitaria — The tarjeta sanitaria is the health card issued by your regional health service.
• Oficina de Extranjería — The Oficina de Extranjería is the immigration office that authorises residence and handles foreigners' paperwork.

Key rules

• Padrón first: Register on the padrón first, because most other steps ask for the certificate.
• TIE request: Request the TIE within one month of the authorisation.
• Late items: Contact the handling office as soon as you spot a late item, because delays add surcharges or fines.
• Copies: Keep each original in one place, a scan in another, and note who holds each one.

Penalties, health card rules and which office issues the NIE differ by region and case, so confirm each with the office concerned.

What should be done by the end of month one

Five areas matter: address, ID, health, bank and phone. Go through them in this order, because later items often depend on earlier ones.

• Address: you are on the padrón at your town hall (Ayuntamiento) and hold the registration certificate. Do this first. Most other steps ask for it.
• ID: you have your NIE. If your route needs a residence card, the TIE has been requested. You also have your social security number from the TGSS.
• Health: you have your tarjeta sanitaria, or you have at least started it.
• Bank: your Spanish account is open and you can log in.
• Phone: your Spanish number works and is the one on your registrations.

The checklist below has the same items to tick off, and the documents list shows what proves each one.

Find the deadlines that run next for your own route

Deadlines depend on your route: work, study, family, or something else. Ask the office that handles each item. The town hall handles the padrón. The Oficina de Extranjería or the Policía Nacional handles the NIE, and which one depends on your province. The Policía Nacional issues the TIE, and you must request it within one month of the authorisation. The TGSS handles social security. The regional health service handles the health card, through your local centro de salud. Health card rules differ by region. Write each date down. The process below turns them into a dated list.

Where to keep originals and copies

Keep each original in one safe place. Keep a scanned copy in a second place, such as a secure cloud folder. Write down who holds each item: you, your employer, a gestor or a family member. If someone else holds an original, note when you get it back.

What to do with an item that is not done

Do not wait for the next month. Contact the office that handles it, and deal first with anything that unlocks other items, starting with the padrón.

• Residence card or authorisation: apply as soon as possible and explain the delay. A late TIE request risks a fine.
• Tax: file late. The surcharge rises with the delay, and interest is added after 12 months.
• Health: register at your health centre as soon as you can. Emergency care stays available. Late registration can mean paying for private care, with no cover for the time before you registered.
• School: contact the school or your regional education authority. Late enrolment is usually accepted, but your choice of place may be limited.
• Work: late social security registration is your employer's responsibility. You can report it to the Inspección de Trabajo.

Penalties and procedures depend on your case and region, so confirm each one with the office concerned.

Build your dated list of open items

• Have your situation in front of you: your citizenship group, residence status, work situation, household, retirement status and any chronic care you need.: before you start

• Collect every open item from tax, residence, health, school, work and long-term ties, using your month-end checklist.: first step

• Find each item's deadline and who sets it by asking the office that handles it: the town hall, the Oficina de Extranjería or Policía Nacional, the TGSS, the AEAT or your regional health service.: after collecting the items

• Put first what unlocks other items: the padron comes first, then your social security number, then your health card.: when ordering the list

• Order the rest by what is due first, and write the date next to each item.: after the unlocking items are placed

• Mark the fixed deadlines: the residence card (TIE) must be applied for within one month of entering Spain on a long-stay visa, and an EU citizen staying more than three months must register as a resident within three months of arriving.: within one month of entering on a long-stay visa; within three months of arriving for EU citizens

• Pick a review date, put it in your calendar and recheck the list then.: once the list is ordered

• Flag any item already late and deal with it first: for residence, apply and explain the delay; for tax, file late and pay the surcharge; for health, register at your health centre; for school, contact the school or education authority; for work, report missing registration to the Inspección de Trabajo.: if an item is already late

Documents you need

• Your padrón registration certificate from your town hall (Ayuntamiento), needed first because later steps usually depend on it.

• Your NIE (foreigner ID number), issued by the Oficina de Extranjería or the Policía Nacional, depending on your province.

• Your residence card (TIE), issued by the Policía Nacional after the Oficina de Extranjería authorises it, if your route requires one.

• Your social security number, issued by the TGSS (Spain's social security office).

• Your tarjeta sanitaria (health card), issued by your regional health service through your local centro de salud.

Month-end checklist

• Check that you are registered on the padron (the municipal register of residents) at your town hall, and keep the certificate.

• Check that you have your NIE (foreigner ID number) and that your residence card (TIE) has been requested if your route requires it; the deadline is set out in the TIE appointment article.

• Check that you have your social security number from the TGSS (Spain's social security office), either through your employer or by applying at a TGSS office.

• Check that you have your tarjeta sanitaria (health card) from your regional health service, which needs your padron registration, social security number and ID.

• Check that your Spanish bank account is open and that you can log in to it.

• Check that your Spanish phone number works and is the number on your registrations.

• Find the deadlines that run next for your own route by asking the office that handles each task: the town hall for the padron, the Oficina de Extranjería or Policía Nacional for NIE and TIE, the TGSS for social security, the AEAT (Spain's tax agency) for tax.

• Contact the office that handles any item not done this week, and add it to your dated list of open items.

• Deal with a missed deadline as soon as you can: for residence, apply and explain the delay; for tax, file late and pay the surcharge; for health, register at your health centre; for school, contact the school or education authority; for work, report missing social security registration to the Inspección de Trabajo.

What to watch out for

• Late residence card request: If you miss the deadline for your residence authorisation or TIE, you risk a fine, and an expired authorisation may need renewal or a late-filing procedure. Apply as soon as possible and include a written explanation of the delay.

• Late tax filing: A late tax filing costs a surcharge that rises with the delay, plus interest after 12 months. File late now and pay the surcharge, instead of waiting longer.

• Late health registration: If you register late at the health centre, you may pay for private care and get no cover for the time before you registered. Register at your centro de salud as soon as you can.

• Late school enrolment: Late school enrolment is usually accepted, but your choice of place may be limited. Contact the school or your regional education authority (consejería) right away.

• Late social security registration for work: If you work for an employer, registering you with social security is their job, and a late registration is their fault, not yours. Ask your employer to fix it, and if they do not, report it to the Inspección de Trabajo, the labour inspectorate.

Frequently asked questions

Which office do I go to for an item that is still open?

Each task has its own office: the town hall for the padrón, the Policía Nacional for the TIE fingerprints, the TGSS for your social security number, and the AEAT for tax. The NIE comes from the Oficina de Extranjería or the police station, depending on your province. Your health card comes from your regional health service through your local centro de salud, usually after the padrón.

What happens if I file a tax form late?

You can still file late, but you pay a surcharge (recargo por presentación extemporánea) that grows the longer you wait. Interest is added after 12 months. File as soon as you can rather than waiting.

Can I still get medical care if I have not registered for a health card?

Yes, emergency care stays available without a health card, but other care may mean paying for private treatment.