Moving within Spain: transferring utilities, phone and internet

Terms used

• Traslado — A traslado is a request to move an existing service to your new address, often done as one request.
• Permanencia — The permanencia is a minimum-stay period in a phone or internet contract, with a penalty if you leave early.
• Baja — A baja is the cancellation of a service or contract.
• Alta — An alta is the opening of a new service or supply at an address.
• Cambio de titular — A cambio de titular is a change of the contract holder, with the supply and its conditions staying as they are.
• CUPS — The CUPS is the unique code of an electricity supply point, tied to the address.
• Boletín — The boletín is the electrical certificate showing a home's installation is up to date, needed for some new supplies.
• Cédula de habitabilidad — The cédula de habitabilidad is the first-occupancy licence confirming a home is fit to live in.

Key rules

• Water and gas: They never transfer, so you cancel at the old home and open a new contract at the new one.
• Internet lead time: Order the traslado 2-4 weeks before you move so the line works on moving day.
• No coverage: Get the operator's no-coverage answer in writing before asking to cancel without a penalty.
• Overlap: Keep the old internet line until the new one works, because a short overlap costs less than a gap.

The short answer

Only internet and phone can really be moved. Electricity is usually closed and reopened, often as one request. Water and gas are always cancelled at the old home and opened at the new one. Start with internet, because it takes longest.

Internet and phone: ask for a traslado

A traslado is a request to move your line to the new address. Most big operators offer it by phone, app or customer area. You give the new address, and the operator checks coverage there (fibre, radio or ADSL).

• A technician visit is usually needed. It typically happens within one to three weeks.
• Ask for the traslado or a new installation 2-4 weeks before the move, so the line works on moving day.
• Many operators charge nothing if the same technology is available. Some charge an installation or technician fee.
• Ask for fees and lead times in writing before you confirm.

Watch the permanencia

The permanencia is a minimum-stay period. If you leave early, you pay a penalty. A traslado can reset it: if an operator waives a fee, it may attach a new permanencia. Ask before you accept.

If the operator cannot give you the same service at the new address, you can usually cancel without penalty. No single rule covers this, but operators generally waive the penalty because they cannot deliver what you contracted. To claim it:

1. Request the traslado.
2. Get the refusal or no-coverage answer in writing (an email, a burofax or the customer service reference).
3. Ask for a baja (cancellation) without penalty.

If they still charge you, complain to the operator's customer service first. Then go to the Oficina de Atención al Usuario de Telecomunicaciones and your consumer office.

Electricity: traslado, change of holder or new alta

Your contract is tied to the supply point (CUPS) and the address, so it cannot physically move. What you do depends on the new home:

• Same retailer, new home: ask for a traslado. Many retailers cancel the old contract and open the new one in a single request. They may keep your tariff if they still offer it.
• New home already has active electricity: a change of holder (cambio de titular) is enough. Contracted power and tariff stay the same unless you change them.
• New home has no active supply, or it was cut long ago: you need a new alta. The distributor may have to connect it, possibly with fees. You may also need an up-to-date electrical certificate (boletín).

You can change the contracted power with your retailer. Expect fees and limits on how often.

Water and gas: close and reopen

Neither transfers.

• Water: ask the local water company for a baja with a final meter reading at the old home. Ask for an alta or change of holder at the new one. Have your ID and the property title or rental contract ready. Some companies also want the cédula de habitabilidad and a deposit.
• Gas: ask your retailer for a baja with a technician visit at the old home and a new contract at the new one. The new home may need an inspection if the supply is closed, or a safety check (revisión) by the distributor.

Allow one to two weeks for each step. Fees and procedures vary by town and distributor, so ask your provider.

Avoid paying twice or losing service

• Give notice on the old services to match your last day at the old home.
• Switch electricity and gas on the handover date, with a meter reading.
• Keep the old internet running until the new line works. A few days of overlap is normal and cheaper than a gap.
• Keep your bank account active until the final bills are settled.

The decision, timeline, documents, checklist, warnings and FAQ below cover the detail of each step.

Choosing between options

How should you move your electricity to the new home?

• Ask your retailer for a traslado: Use this when the new home has its own supply point. Your electricity contract cannot move, so the retailer cancels the old one and sets up a new one, often keeping your tariff if they offer it.

• Change the holder (cambio de titular): Use this when the new home already has an active supply.

• Ask for a new alta: Use this when the new home has no active supply, or the supply has been cut for a long time. The distributor may need to connect it, with possible fees, and you may need an up-to-date electrical certificate (boletín).

Your electricity contract is tied to the address and cannot be moved. Check whether the new home has an active supply: if it does, change the holder; if it does not, ask for a new alta.

Timeline and deadlines

• Wait for the internet technician visit at the new home: usually within 1 to 3 weeks of your request

• Start the water baja and alta, and the gas baja and new contract: allow 1 to 2 weeks for each step

• Keep the old internet line running until the new one works: until the new line is active, with a few days of overlap

• Give notice to end the old services to match your last day at the old home: so the end date is your last day there

• Switch electricity and gas with a meter reading: on the handover date

• Cancel water at the old home and register it at the new address: at the handover

• Keep your bank account active until the final bills are settled: after the move, until the last bill is paid

Documents you need

• Your ID, for the water alta or change of holder at the new address.

• The property title or your rental contract for the new home, for the water company.

• The cédula de habitabilidad (first-occupancy licence) for the new home, which some water companies also ask for.

• An up-to-date electrical certificate (boletín) for the new home, needed if it has no active electricity supply or the supply has been cut for a long time.

• The operator's written refusal or no-coverage answer (an email, a burofax or the customer service reference), to ask for a baja without penalty.

Checklist

• Ask your internet operator for a traslado and give the new address.

• Ask the operator to confirm in writing whether the new address has coverage, whether there is an installation fee and whether a new permanencia applies.

• Check with the gas distributor whether the new home needs an inspection or a safety check (revisión).

• Line up the dates of the water and gas steps so that neither service has a gap.

• Get the operator's refusal or no-coverage answer in writing if it cannot serve the new address, then ask for a baja without penalty.

What to watch out for

• Water and gas do not transfer: Neither water nor gas moves with you, so each one is cancelled at the old home and opened at the new one. If you start late, you can arrive at a home without one of them. Start both steps early and allow one to two weeks for each.

• A waived fee can bring a new permanencia: Some operators waive the installation fee for the move but attach a new minimum-term commitment (permanencia) to it. Ask in writing whether a new permanencia comes with the traslado before you accept it.

• A penalty charged for no coverage: If the operator cannot serve the new address, it may still try to charge a penalty for leaving early. Get the refusal or no-coverage answer in writing, ask for a baja without penalty, and claim if they charge anyway.

• Cutting the old internet too soon: If you end the old line before the new one works, you are left without internet. Keep the old line until the new one is active.

Frequently asked questions

Can you cancel internet without a penalty if the new address has no coverage?

Yes, you can usually cancel without a penalty if the operator cannot give you the same service at the new address. Ask for their no-coverage answer in writing before you request the cancellation. The other option is to keep the service at the old address until you move.

How long does the internet technician visit take to arrange?

The technician visit usually happens within one to three weeks of your traslado request. It is usually needed to install the line at the new home. Ask whether an installation fee applies, because some operators charge one.

Where do you complain if the operator charges a penalty anyway?

Start with a claim to the operator's customer service, and keep the reference they give you. If they still charge, take the claim to the telecoms user office (the Oficina de Atención al Usuario de Telecomunicaciones), then to the consumer office.