Setting up your Spanish phone number: ID, lock-in and where to update it

Terms used

• Permanencia — The permanencia is a minimum-term clause in a phone contract, with a penalty if you leave before it ends.
• NIE — The NIE is the foreigner identification number used for most official and contract dealings in Spain.
• IBAN — The IBAN is your bank account number, needed for direct debit.
• Cl@ve — Cl@ve is Spain's digital ID system for logging in to public services.
• Agencia Tributaria — The Agencia Tributaria is Spain's tax agency.
• Seguridad Social — Seguridad Social is Spain's social security system, which covers contributions and health registration.
• Cita previa — A cita previa is a prior appointment, required by many public offices.

Key rules

• Prepaid SIM: A prepaid SIM needs valid ID but no Spanish address or bank account, and it has no lock-in.
• Lock-in limit: A lock-in clause can last at most 12 months, and you must be offered a contract without one.
• Foreign number: A foreign mobile number cannot be ported to a Spanish operator, so keep the foreign SIM or eSIM active if you need its codes.
• Update order: Update your bank and digital ID first, then health and appointments, and everything else last.

Start with a prepaid SIM if you have just arrived

A prepaid SIM is the easiest way to get a Spanish number. You need a valid passport, NIE or other valid ID. It must be registered in your name, whether you buy in a shop or online. Online buyers are usually verified by video or an ID photo. You need no Spanish address and no bank account.

A contract is harder to get at first. Expect to need your NIE or passport, a Spanish bank account with an IBAN for direct debit, and a Spanish address for billing or fibre installation. Some operators accept a passport alone, or a foreign card, for mobile-only lines. Each operator sets its own checks, so ask the one you choose before you go.

Lock-in and cancelling

Prepaid: there is no lock-in and no penalty. To leave, stop topping up. Two things to watch: the operator can disable a line after a long time without top-ups, and money left in a billing period is not always refunded.

Contract: many mobile-only plans have no lock-in. Bundles with fibre often carry a loyalty period (permanencia), usually 6 to 12 months, and sometimes longer if the deal includes subsidised equipment or installation. A permanencia can last at most 12 months, and you must be offered a contract without one. It is only allowed if you get a real benefit, such as a subsidy or discount. The penalty for leaving early must be in the contract and should shrink as the period runs.

To cancel, use the channels the operator sets. If you signed up online, you must be able to cancel online. Use a route that leaves proof, such as email, your customer area or a burofax, and keep the reference number. Cancelling usually takes effect at the end of the billing period or within a few days. A final invoice follows with any pending charges, handset instalments or penalty.

If you want to keep your Spanish number when you switch operators, ask the new operator for portability instead of cancelling. The new operator handles the cancellation. If you cancel without porting, the number is lost.

Where to update your new number, in order

Update the places that send you security codes first, so you are not locked out.

1. Your Spanish bank (app, branch or online banking).
2. Cl@ve or your digital certificate, and your profile with the Agencia Tributaria.
3. Seguridad Social, and your regional health service (its app or your health centre) for appointments and prescriptions.
4. Appointment (cita previa) systems, such as extranjería and the DGT.
5. Utilities, insurers, delivery apps and your employer.

Each body has its own route: an online profile change, a branch visit or a phone call.

Keeping your old number for foreign codes

A foreign mobile number cannot be ported to a Spanish operator. If you need its codes, keep the foreign SIM or eSIM active.

• Use a dual-SIM phone, or an eSIM, so both lines work together.
• Ask your home operator about a cheap retention plan, or top up now and then so the number does not expire. Check that your plan lets you keep the line while abroad.
• Roaming is cheap inside the EU/EEA, but fair-use limits apply on longer stays. Non-EU operators usually charge more.
• Where you can, move foreign accounts to an authenticator app, so you depend less on the old number.

Keep the foreign line until your Spanish number is confirmed with your bank and ID services.

The checklist, documents and warnings below cover the same steps in short form.

Choosing between options

Should you start with a prepaid SIM or a monthly contract?

• Prepaid SIM: You have just arrived with only a passport or NIE, no Spanish address or bank account yet, and want no lock-in or cancellation penalty.

• Monthly contract without lock-in: You have an NIE or passport and a Spanish bank account with an IBAN, and want a regular plan you can leave at any time.

• Contract with lock-in, often bundled with fibre: You have a Spanish bank account and address, and accept a commitment of up to 12 months for a discount or subsidy.

• Keep your foreign SIM or eSIM alongside: You need codes from foreign banks or apps, since a foreign number cannot be ported to a Spanish operator.

If you lack a Spanish bank account or address, start with prepaid. Switch to a contract once you have them, and keep your foreign SIM active as long as you need its codes.

Timeline and deadlines

• Prepaid SIM: stop topping up whenever you want to leave, with no penalty: any time, with no lock-in

• Any consumer contract: the lock-in cannot be longer than the legal limit, and you must be offered a version without it: at most 12 months

• Leaving a contract early: give notice by the operator's channels and expect a penalty that shrinks as the lock-in runs down: before the lock-in ends

Documents you need

• A valid passport, NIE or other valid ID, needed for any prepaid SIM, in a shop or online

• A passport or NIE for a monthly contract; some operators accept a passport only for mobile-only lines

• A Spanish bank account with an IBAN for direct debit, needed for a contract but not for a prepaid SIM

• A Spanish address for billing, or for fibre installation if the contract includes fibre; a prepaid SIM needs none

Checklist

• For a contract, have your NIE or passport, a Spanish bank account with an IBAN and a Spanish address ready.

• Check the contract for a lock-in period and ask for a version without one; prepaid has no lock-in and no penalty.

• Update your number first with your Spanish bank, then with Cl@ve or your digital certificate and the AEAT (Spain's tax agency) profile.

• Update your number next with Seguridad Social and your regional health service, then with appointment systems such as extranjería and the DGT.

• Keep your foreign SIM or eSIM active until the Spanish number is confirmed with your bank and ID services.

• Put your foreign SIM in a dual-SIM phone or use an eSIM, and check your home plan lets you keep the line.

• To leave a contract, cancel through a channel that leaves proof, keep the reference number and ask for written confirmation.

What to watch out for

• Early exit penalty: Leaving a contract with a lock-in early can bring a penalty, and a final invoice can add handset instalments. Read the lock-in length and penalty before signing, and choose a version without a lock-in if you may leave soon.

• Lock-in tied to a benefit: A lock-in is only allowed in exchange for a real benefit such as a discount or subsidy, and the clause must state its length and penalty. If the contract has no clear benefit or penalty wording, ask the operator to explain it in writing.

• Prepaid line can be disabled: A prepaid line can be disabled after a long time with no top-ups, and you lose the number. Top up now and then and check the operator's terms.

• Locked out of codes: If you drop your old number before your bank and ID services have the new one, you may not receive security codes. Update your bank first, then Cl@ve and the AEAT profile, and keep the old number until all are confirmed.

• No refund mid-period: Cancelling in the middle of a billing period does not always bring a refund. Time your cancellation for the end of the billing period.

Frequently asked questions

How do I cancel a Spanish mobile contract without losing my number?

Ask your new operator to port your number instead of cancelling, because the new operator cancels the old line for you. If you cancel on your own without porting, the number is lost and the SIM stops working. Final charges such as handset instalments can still appear on a last invoice.

How should I ask my operator to cancel a contract?

Use the same channel you signed up with, such as phone, email or your online customer area, and choose one that leaves proof.

Can I switch my foreign number to a Spanish operator?

No, a foreign number cannot be ported to a Spanish operator, because porting only works between operators in the same country. Keep the foreign SIM or eSIM active, for example in a dual-SIM phone, if you still need its codes.