Home internet for a short stay or trial period

Key rules

• Minimum commitment: Only accept a permanencia if you will stay at least that long, and check the contract states it clearly.
• Installation: Ask for the total cost of installation, activation and extras in writing before you order.
• Equipment: Return loaned equipment and keep the receipt.
• Cancelling: Cancel through the channel you signed up with and allow up to one month of notice.

What works for a short stay

A short stay is workable. Pick a plan with no minimum commitment, or skip a fixed line and use mobile data. The three things to watch are the minimum commitment (permanencia), installation fees and how you cancel.

Your options

• Fibre with no minimum commitment. Some operators and low-cost brands, including Digi, offer fibre without one. Installation fees and notice periods still vary, so read the terms before you order.
• Mobile data. A prepaid or postpaid SIM with a data allowance, or tethering from your phone, needs no installation at all.
• 4G/5G home router. This is a router that uses mobile data and comes with a data plan. Some operators also offer 5G home plans without long contracts.

Mobile data is the safest choice if you stay for only a month or two or if you are not sure how long you will stay.

Watch the permanencia

A permanencia can last 12 months at most. It is only valid if you get a real benefit, such as subsidised equipment or a reduced installation fee, and the contract must state it clearly. If you cancel early, the penalty must be proportional to the benefit you received, and the operator must show how it calculated it. Look for this clause before you sign. If your stay is shorter than the commitment, choose another plan.

Installation fees

Many main operators advertise free installation on new fibre lines, often with the router on loan. Others charge an installation or activation fee, which promotions often waive. Extras can cost more: a second router, Wi-Fi extenders or a technician visit outside the plan. Low-cost brands sometimes charge for the SIM or activation. Ask the operator for the current figure before you order, and ask for the total in writing.

Cancelling when you leave

Ask for the baja through the same channel you used to sign up: customer service, the app or the channel in your contract. Notice is usually short, from a few days up to one month, so start before your last week. Check first whether a permanencia penalty applies.

If you are moving to another address in Spain, ask for a traslado instead, so the service moves with you.

Return the router and any loaned equipment to a store or through the courier or collection process the operator gives you. Keep the receipt. Subsidised equipment is covered by the penalty instead of being returned.

The timeline and questions below cover the steps in order.

Timeline and deadlines

• Choose a plan with no minimum commitment, or a mobile data option: before you sign

• Check the contract for a minimum commitment (permanencia), which can last 12 months at most and must come with a real benefit: before you sign

• Check cancellation fees and equipment return terms: before you order

• Ask to cancel (baja) through the same channel you signed up with: a few days up to 1 month before you leave, depending on the operator

• Ask for a traslado if you are moving within Spain: when you know your new address

• Return the router and any loaned equipment, and keep the receipt: when you cancel, by the method the operator sets out

Frequently asked questions

Can I get home internet in Spain without a long contract?

Yes, some operators and low-cost brands such as Digi offer fibre with no minimum commitment, though installation fees and notice periods vary. Prepaid or monthly mobile data SIMs and 4G/5G home routers with a data plan are other options.

Will I pay an installation fee on a short contract?

Often not, because most main operators advertise free installation on new fibre lines, with the router on loan. Some still charge an installation or activation fee, and low-cost brands may charge for a SIM.

What happens to the router when I cancel?

You must return a router that was given on loan, at a store or through the courier or collection process the operator sets out. Keep the receipt. Subsidised equipment is instead covered in any early-cancellation penalty.

How do I cancel when I leave my rental?

Cancel through the same channel you used to sign up, such as customer service or the app. Notice is usually short, from a few days up to one month. If you are moving within Spain, ask for a traslado, which moves the service to your new address.