Guides for Spain

Practical guides checked against official sources. Filter by topic to find what you need next.

Showing 27 of 27

ArrivalLocal guide Your first 30 days in Barcelona: a step-by-step planA prioritised plan for your first month in Barcelona: police appointments for the TIE or EU certificate, padró registration, social security number, bank account, transport pass, CatSalut health card and a long-term flat, with the deadlines that matter and where to get free help.Spread over about four weeks; most steps need one appointment or online form
ArrivalLocal guide Your first 30 days in Madrid: a step-by-step planA prioritised plan for your first month in Madrid: police appointments for the TIE or EU certificate, padrón registration, social security number, bank account, transport card, health card and a long-term flat, with the deadlines that matter and where to get free help.Spread over about four weeks; most steps need one appointment or online form
MovingMoving to Spain: an overview for newcomersThe big picture of moving to Spain: which authorities you will deal with, how the route differs for EU and non-EU citizens, the documents to prepare before you leave (apostilles and sworn translations), the order of your first formalities, and where to find free official help.About 30 minutes to read; preparation usually takes several months
RegistrationLocal guide Registering in the Barcelona padró (empadronament)Step-by-step registration in Barcelona's municipal register: booking an OAC appointment, the online and 010 phone routes, the documents accepted as proof of address for tenants and room renters, what to do without a contract, and the renewal rules.About 30 minutes at the office once you have an appointment; about seven days online
RegistrationLocal guide Registering in the Madrid padrón (empadronamiento)How to register at your address in the city of Madrid: booking a Línea Madrid appointment or applying online, the identity documents for EU and non-EU residents, the six-month lease rule, authorisations for room renters, what to do without documents, and the two-year renewal.One appointment at a citizen service office, plus waiting for the appointment; the city has up to three months to decide
RegistrationEmpadronamiento: registering with your town hall in SpainWhat the municipal register (padrón) is, why it is both a duty and the key to public health care, school places and immigration procedures, what you need to register, and the two-year renewal rule for non-EU residents.One appointment or online application; confirmation in Barcelona takes about seven days online
RegistrationNIE and TIE in Spain: your foreigner number and identity cardWhat the foreigner identity number (NIE) is, how it differs from the EU registration certificate and the TIE card, who needs which, and how to apply, book police appointments and pay the 2026 fees.About an hour to prepare forms and fees; appointments can take weeks to obtain
Residence and visasEU registration certificate in Spain (the green NIE)How EU, EEA and Swiss citizens register as residents in Spain within three months: who qualifies, which documents prove work, study or sufficient means, booking the police appointment, the 2026 fee and what family members from outside the EU must do.One appointment of under an hour; finding an appointment can take several weeks
Residence and visasVisas and residence permits for Spain, including the digital nomad permitAn overview of the main routes for non-EU nationals to live in Spain: work and highly qualified permits, the international telework ("digital nomad") permit, study, non-lucrative residence, family routes and job search, with 2026 income thresholds, durations and renewals under the 2025 immigration regulation.Several weeks to several months, depending on the route and the consulate
HousingLocal guide Finding a flat to rent in BarcelonaA practical route to renting in Barcelona's tight market: realistic budgets (new leases averaged about €1,153 a month in Q3 2025), temporary housing first, what landlords ask for, how rent caps and the INCASÒL deposit work, the agency-fee rule, and how to avoid rental scams.Often several weeks to a few months
HousingLocal guide Finding a flat to rent in MadridA practical route to renting in Madrid's expensive market: asking rents by district in 2026, temporary housing that works for the padrón, what landlords ask for, deposits lodged with the Community of Madrid, the new national limits on guarantees and fees, free advice and how to avoid scams.Often several weeks to a few months
HousingTenant rights in Spain, with the Catalan rules for BarcelonaThe core rules of Spain's Urban Leases Act for people renting a home: minimum duration of five (or seven) years, a one-month deposit, at most two months of extra guarantees, agency fees paid by the landlord, rent update limits, Catalonia's rent caps and deposit register, and the October 2026 decree-laws.About 30 minutes to read before you sign a lease
JobsFinding a job in SpainHow the Spanish job market works for newcomers: public employment services (SEPE and, in Catalonia, the SOC), private and online channels, networking, CV and interview customs, the role of Spanish and Catalan, getting a foreign degree recognised (€166.50 fee in 2026) and the permit question for non-EU citizens.Ongoing; plan several hours a week, often for months
EmploymentYour rights as an employee in SpainThe basics of Spanish employment law for newcomers: the 2026 minimum wage (€1,221 a month in 14 payments), the 40-hour week, at least 30 calendar days of paid holiday, two extra payments a year, trial periods, 19 weeks of birth leave, dismissal compensation and where to get help.About 20 minutes to read; keep it for reference
MoneyLocal guide Cost of living in Madrid – what to budget for in 2026What life in Madrid costs in 2026, from sourced figures: asking rents by district, deposits and guarantees, the 2026 minimum wage, transport passes from €10 to €32.70 a month in the city, free public nursery places and the city's waste fee, with tips for building a realistic budget.About 30 minutes to draft a first budget with this guide
TaxesIncome tax in Spain for newcomers: residence, IRPF, the annual return and the Beckham regimeWhen you become tax resident in Spain, how income tax (IRPF) is withheld and declared, who must file the annual return (April to June), the 2025 filing thresholds, the foreign assets declaration (Modelo 720) and the special regime for people moving to Spain (Modelo 149).Under an hour for a simple return using the draft; longer with foreign income or self-employment
BankingOpening a bank account in SpainWhy you need a Spanish (or SEPA) account, what banks usually ask for, your legal right to a basic payment account with fees capped at €3 a month, free accounts for people in vulnerable situations, and what to do if a bank refuses you.Under an hour in a branch or online, once you have your documents
InsuranceGetting your Spanish social security number (NUSS)What the social security number is, when you need it, how to request it online through Import@ss with a selfie and your ID if you have no digital certificate, the difference between the number and being registered (alta), and how it connects to your health card.About 20 minutes online; requests without a digital certificate need identity verification first
HealthcareLocal guide Getting a health card and a family doctor in MadridHow public health care works in the Community of Madrid: who is entitled, how to request the health card (tarjeta sanitaria) at your health centre, choosing your family doctor, booking appointments online or in the app, seeing a specialist and where to go out of hours.About 20 minutes at the health centre or online; the card arrives about three to four weeks after validation
HealthcareLocal guide Getting your CatSalut health card (TSI) in BarcelonaHow to request your first individual health card (TSI) from CatSalut in Barcelona: the padró requirement, when Social Security has already recognised your entitlement, applying online or at your CAP, the provisional CIP code, and adding babies and family members.About 20 minutes to apply; the physical card arrives by post later
HealthcareSpain's public health system and the tarjeta sanitariaHow access to Spain's National Health System works for newcomers: who is entitled (workers, family members, residents), the role of Social Security and the regional health services, the health card, private insurance for visas, and the special agreement at €60 a month for people without cover.Usually a few days to a few weeks after you are registered in the padrón and with Social Security
SchoolsLocal guide Schools and childcare in Madrid – admissions, mid-year places and nurseriesHow to get a place in a Madrid nursery or school: the Community of Madrid's spring admission process, how points are awarded, applying after the deadline through the school placement service (SAE), the city's own nursery network, free public 0-3 schooling and the bilingual programme.A few hours to research and apply; places are allocated over several weeks
SchoolsFamily life and schools in Spain, with Barcelona specificsHow schooling works for children who move to Spain: compulsory education from 6 to 16, free public and subsidised schools, pre-registration in spring and placement for children arriving mid-year, nursery schools from four months, Catalan as the main language at school in Barcelona, and 19 weeks of birth leave.An afternoon to understand the system; school applications take several weeks
LanguageLearning Spanish and CatalanWhy language matters in Spain and especially in bilingual Catalonia, where to learn affordably (free Catalan courses from the CPNL, official Spanish courses at the public language schools), and the official exams you may need, including DELE A2 and the CCSE test for Spanish nationality.Ongoing; plan several hours a week for at least a year to reach everyday fluency
TransportLocal guide Public transport in Barcelona and 2026 faresHow Barcelona's integrated transport system works (metro, bus, tram, FGC and Rodalies trains), the T-mobilitat card, 2026 prices for the T-usual (€22.80 a month for zone 1), T-casual (€13.00 for 10 trips) and T-jove (€45.50 for 90 days), the T-16 for children, getting to the airport, and Bicing.About 15 minutes to set up a T-mobilitat card or app
TransportLocal guide Public transport in Madrid – cards, passes and 2026 faresHow Madrid's integrated transport system works: the personal transport card (which needs a recent padrón certificate), the 30-day pass from €32.70 in zone A, the €10 youth pass, single and 10-trip tickets, the airport supplement and where to get help.About 15 minutes online to order a personal card (delivered in about a week); immediate at an office with an appointment
EmergenciesEmergency and helpline numbers in SpainThe numbers to save on your first day in Spain: 112 for all emergencies, the police (091, 062), the 016 gender-violence line, the 024 suicide crisis line and, in Catalonia, 061 Salut Respon, plus what changed in Barcelona when 112 replaced 092 and 080.Five minutes to save the numbers in your phone