The order that matters
Each step unlocks the next: visa → NIE → accommodation → empadronamiento → TIE → healthcare → autónomo/tax. Work through the phases below and tap any step for the full guide.
1. Before you move
- ✓Choose and apply for your visa →Non-EU: Digital Nomad or Non-Lucrative Visa.
- ✓Get your NIE number →Your foreigner ID — needed for almost everything.
- ✓Arrange visa health insurance →Full private cover, no co-pays, no waiting periods.
- ✓Open a bank account →A digital account (Revolut/Wise/N26) opens in minutes before you fly.
- ✓Sort your pets' paperwork →Microchip, rabies and health certificate are time-sensitive.
2. Your first week
- ✓Find somewhere to live →Short-term first, then a long-term contract.
- ✓Get a Spanish SIM / eSIM →Land connected, then get a local number.
- ✓Register on the padrón (empadronamiento) →Unlocks your TIE, healthcare and more.
- ✓Book your TIE appointment (non-EU) →Within 30 days of arrival — fingerprints & card.
3. Your first month
- ✓Set up utilities →Electricity, water and internet into your name.
- ✓Register for healthcare →Public tarjeta sanitaria and/or a private clinic.
- ✓Exchange your driving licence →Within 6 months of residency (UK: no test).
- ✓Register as autónomo (if freelancing) →Hacienda + Seguridad Social; check the Beckham Law.
- ✓Sort tax residency & the Beckham Law →Apply within 6 months of registering — don't miss it.
- ✓Buying, not renting? →Budget ~10–13% of costs and consider a mortgage.
Frequently asked questions
What do I need to do first when moving to Spain?▼
Before you arrive: sort your visa (if non-EU), get your NIE, arrange visa-compliant health insurance, and open a digital bank account. Once you land, prioritise empadronamiento and your TIE, then healthcare registration.
What's the right order to do Spanish bureaucracy?▼
Roughly: visa → NIE → find accommodation → empadronamiento → TIE (non-EU) → tarjeta sanitaria / healthcare → autónomo (if freelancing) → driving licence exchange. Many steps depend on the previous one, which is why order matters.
How long does it take to get set up in Spain?▼
Plan for 1–3 months. The visa can take weeks to months beforehand; once in Spain, empadronamiento and TIE appointments are the usual bottleneck due to cita previa availability. A gestor can speed things up.
Do I need a gestor to move to Spain?▼
Not strictly, but many expats use one. A gestor books the hard-to-get appointments (cita previa) and handles NIE, TIE, empadronamiento and autónomo paperwork in Spanish — saving weeks of frustration.
General guidance for orientation; procedures and timings vary by region and change over time.