Spain is the rare country where the paperwork has its own vocabulary: NIE, TIE, padrón, cita previa, gestoría. Learn five words, and a lot of doors open. Skip them, and you’ll spend your first summer in waiting rooms instead of on a terrace.
This guide covers the practical first 90 days: permits, numbers, flat, bank, health and costs. It’s general information as of September 2026, not tax or legal advice. For the tax side (Beckham, wealth tax, company rates) see our Spain country guide.
Which permit fits you#
| Route | Who it’s for | Key requirement (as of 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| EU registration (certificado de registro) | EU/EEA and Swiss citizens | Apply within 3 months of entry at the foreigners’ office or police; work, self-employment or sufficient means plus health cover; fee €12 |
| Digital nomad (international telework) | Non-EU remote employees and freelancers | €2,849 a month gross (200% of the minimum wage), plus 75% of the minimum wage for a partner and 25% per child; degree or 3 years’ experience; at least 3 months with the employer or clients; Spanish clients up to 20% of your work |
| Non-lucrative residence | Non-EU savers, pensioners, investors | €28,800 a year (400% of IPREM) plus €7,200 per dependant; private health insurance; no work in Spain or remotely |
| Entrepreneur | Innovative business projects | Favourable report from ENISA on the business plan |
| Highly qualified or other work routes | Employees with a Spanish job | Contract with a Spanish employer; salary and qualification rules |
| Golden visa | – | Abolished on 3 April 2025; existing permits can be renewed |
The digital nomad route comes in two flavours: a one-year visa from a consulate abroad, or a three-year residence authorization applied for inside Spain with the Large Companies Unit (UGE). The non-lucrative residence starts with one year and is renewed from there. Comparing nomad visas across countries? See our digital nomad visa guide.
Your first 90 days#
From consulate to keys in Valencia
Before you go: pick the route and the region
Decide how you’ll qualify and where you’ll live. The region matters for tax: it sets part of your income tax, and all of wealth and inheritance tax. If you’re leaving Germany, work through our leaving Germany checklist first.
Before you go: documents and the NIE
Collect apostilled certificates, criminal records for the countries you lived in, proof of income and health insurance. Non-Spanish documents need a sworn translation (traducción jurada). Non-EU visa applicants file at the consulate; you can also request an NIE (foreigner identification number) there or at a police foreigners’ office in Spain.
Week 1: short-let and padrón
Book a furnished place for the first month and register at the town hall’s padrón (empadronamiento) with your lease or the owner’s authorization. The padrón certificate is the proof of address that half of Spanish admin asks for.
Week 1: mobile and bank
Movistar, Vodafone, Orange and DIGI are the main operators; prepaid SIMs need your passport. With an NIE, a Spanish bank account is straightforward; without one, some banks open a non-resident account first.
Month 1: TIE or EU registration
Visa holders apply for their TIE (foreigner identity card) within one month of entry: book a cita previa at the police, bring form EX-17 and the fee (€16.08 for a first card as of 2026), give fingerprints and collect the card weeks later. EU citizens file form EX-18 for the registration certificate within three months of entry; it’s issued on the spot and costs €12.
Month 1: social security and the Beckham clock
Employees are registered by their employer; freelancers register as autónomos with the social security and the tax office (Modelo 036 or 037). First-time autónomos can get a reduced flat-rate contribution for their first year; check the current amount. Whatever your route: the day your social security registration starts, the six-month deadline for Beckham’s Modelo 149 starts too.
Month 1: health
With social security registration you get access to the public system and a health card (tarjeta sanitaria) from your region. Non-lucrative and most visa routes require private health insurance without co-payments anyway; keep it until the public card arrives.
Month 1 to 3: the long-term flat
With NIE, padrón, bank and payslips or invoices you’re a credible tenant. See the flat-hunting section below.
Month 3: Beckham decision
If you qualify, file Modelo 149 now, not in month five. Under the regime you pay 24% on Spanish work income up to €600,000 and most foreign income isn’t taxed in Spain, for the year of arrival and five more.
Month 3: driving licence and schools
EU licences stay valid. Non-EU licences can be used for six months after you become resident; after that you exchange them if Spain has an agreement with the issuing country, or take the Spanish test. International schools in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and on the Costa del Sol fill up early.
Finding a flat#
Rents are our estimate as of September 2026 for long-term, unfurnished-to-furnished flats in decent central areas; they’re not official statistics. Listings on the big portals often ask more than what leases are finally signed for, and in declared stressed areas rent rules can apply.
| City | 1-bedroom | 2–3 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|
| Madrid | €1,200–1,700 | €1,700–2,800 |
| Barcelona | €1,200–1,700 | €1,700–2,700 |
| Málaga | €1,000–1,400 | €1,300–2,100 |
| Valencia | €900–1,300 | €1,200–1,900 |
| Smaller cities (Zaragoza, Murcia, Granada) | €600–900 | €800–1,300 |
- Lease law. Long-term housing leases run under the LAU: the tenant can stay up to five years (seven if the landlord is a company), even if the contract says one year.
- Deposit. The legal deposit (fianza) is one month’s rent; landlords may ask for up to two more months as an additional guarantee. Many regions require the fianza to be lodged with a public body.
- Agency fees. Since the 2023 housing law, the landlord pays the agent’s fees for residential leases. Don’t pay a “management fee” as a tenant.
- Guarantees. Without Spanish payslips, expect requests for rent insurance, a bank guarantee or several months upfront.
- Scams. The owner who’s “abroad” and wants a deposit before a viewing is a classic in Barcelona and Madrid. No money before you’ve seen the flat and the owner’s identity.
What it costs per month#
Estimate as of September 2026, based on our own research and typical asking prices; not official statistics. Single in a 1-bedroom, couple in a 2-bedroom. No car, no school fees.
| Item | Single | Couple |
|---|---|---|
| Rent (Madrid) | €1,200–1,700 | €1,700–2,500 |
| Utilities (electricity, water, gas) | €90–160 | €130–220 |
| Mobile and internet | €30–50 | €45–70 |
| Groceries | €250–380 | €450–650 |
| Private health insurance | €50–120 | €100–240 |
| Public transport | €20–60 | €40–120 |
| Eating out and other | €250–450 | €400–750 |
| Total, Madrid | €1,890–2,920 | €2,865–4,550 |
| Total, Valencia or Málaga | €1,590–2,620 | €2,365–4,050 |
The cheaper-city total swaps in the lower rents from the flat table and leaves the rest roughly the same. Air conditioning in Seville or Valencia in August will move the utilities line.
Documents to bring#
What goes in the folder
Tick them off – your progress is saved in this browser only.
EU citizens can use their ID; non-EU applicants need a passport valid for the whole visa period.
Birth and marriage certificates, children’s birth certificates, with sworn translations into Spanish.
For non-EU routes: from the countries you lived in during the last five years, apostilled and translated.
Payslips, contracts, invoices and bank statements (nomad route); savings and passive income statements (non-lucrative).
For the nomad route: confirmation that remote work is allowed, and proof the relationship has existed for at least three months.
A degree or three years of relevant professional experience for the nomad route.
Full cover without co-payments, valid in Spain, for visa routes and until the public card arrives.
Lease or owner’s authorization for the padrón, then the padrón certificate itself.
Plus an international driving permit if it’s a non-EU licence.
Common traps#
Where Spain moves go wrong
Missing the Beckham window.
Modelo 149 is due within six months of your social security start. Late means normal rates up to 47% or more, for years.
Working on a non-lucrative permit.
No work means no work, remote included. Renewals look at your activity.
No padrón.
Without the town hall registration, public health, school places and some permits stall.
Chasing a cita previa for weeks.
Police appointments for TIE and NIE can be scarce in big cities. Check early and often, or use a gestoría.
Forgetting Modelo 720.
Regular tax residents with more than €50,000 in foreign accounts, securities or property per category must report them by 31 March. Beckham taxpayers are exempt.
Staying tax resident at home.
Spain taxes you from 183 days or when your economic centre is there; your old country may still claim you.
Taxes and days#
You’re Spanish tax resident with more than 183 days in a calendar year, or if your main business or economic interests are in Spain; a spouse and minor children living in Spain create a presumption. Once resident, you’re taxed on worldwide income at up to 47% or more, depending on the region, unless the Beckham regime applies. Our tax residency guide covers the tie-breakers with your old country, and taxes when moving abroad the year-of-move pitfalls.
This guide is general information, not tax or legal advice. Want route, region and Beckham planned together? Book a strategy session, or compare Spain with Portugal and others in the Jurisdiction Finder.
FAQ#
Do EU citizens need a visa to move to Spain?
No. You can move and work straight away. If you stay longer than three months, apply for the registration certificate within three months of entry; it costs €12 and is issued on the spot.
What’s the difference between NIE and TIE?
The NIE is your foreigner identification number and never changes. The TIE is the physical card that non-EU residents get with it; EU citizens get a registration certificate showing their NIE instead.
How much income do I need for the digital nomad visa?
€2,849 a month gross in 2026, which is 200% of the minimum wage. A partner adds 75% of the minimum wage and each child 25%.
Can I apply for the nomad permit from inside Spain?
Yes, if you’re legally in Spain. The residence authorization is filed with the Large Companies Unit and is granted for three years; from a consulate abroad you get a one-year visa first.
Does the Beckham regime cover my foreign dividends?
Under the regime, foreign investment income is generally not taxed in Spain; Spanish dividends, interest and gains pay 19–28%. Details and eligibility are on our Spain page.
Do I need a gestoría?
Not legally, but most newcomers use one for autónomo registration, quarterly returns and appointments. It’s usually money well spent.
Sources#
- Policía Nacional – EU citizen registration certificate
- Policía Nacional – TIE for initial or renewed residence
- Policía Nacional – immigration fees (tasa 790 012)
- Ministry of Economy (PRIE) – international teleworkers
- Ministry of Inclusion – initial non-lucrative residence (Hoja 6)
- BOE – Royal Decree 126/2026, minimum wage for 2026
- BOE – Organic Law 1/2025 (end of the golden visa)
- BOE – Urban Leases Act (LAU), consolidated
- Agencia Tributaria – Modelo 149 (special regime for inbound workers)
- Agencia Tributaria – deadline for opting into the special regime
- PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries – Spain, special regime
