Moving to Spain in 2027: The Complete Guide

Moving to Spain takes more planning than most people expect. For non-EU citizens, about six months of preparation is realistic. This guide walks through every stage in the order you’ll need it, with a checklist for each step.

Before you decide

Start with your visa route, because it shapes everything else. Retirees and people living on savings usually use the non-lucrative visa, remote workers the digital nomad visa, and there are also work, student and family routes. EU citizens skip the visa and register after arriving. Then set a budget covering moving costs, deposits, insurance and three months of living costs, and choose where to live by cost, climate, schools and flights home.

Paperwork before you go

Order your birth, marriage and criminal record certificates, get them apostilled and translated, and buy visa-compliant health insurance with no co-payments or waiting periods. Apply at the Spanish consulate for where you live, allowing up to three months. Meanwhile, plan pets, shipping and a low-fee way to move money.

Your first month

Book temporary housing for a month or two so you can view flats in person. In your first week, register on the padrón: it unlocks almost everything else. Book your police fingerprint appointment straight away and get your TIE within a month. Open a bank account and get a Spanish SIM, because you’ll need both for rent, utilities and appointments.

Settling in

If you’ll work, get your social security number, then register for your health card. Find out when you become tax resident, and check whether the Beckham Law applies to you.

Plan around appointments

Appointments take time, so expect waits and plan around them. Work through one checklist at a time rather than trying to do everything at once.

Start with the master moving to Spain checklist and tick things off as you go.