How do I get this done?
The documents to prepare. The steps to take. The details that can trip you up.
55 free practical guides · Library expanded 1 October 2026 · Individual review dates inside
Planning & arrival
Planning & arrivalHow to build a realistic move-to-Spain plan
Turn an idea into a sequence of decisions, documents and costs you can actually act on.
Planning & arrivalHow to budget for a move to Spain
Separate qualifying for a visa, paying to move, and affording your normal life once you arrive.
Planning & arrivalHow to organise your first month in Spain
Get the sequence right without treating every nationality and visa as the same case.
Planning & arrivalHow to prepare a household emergency kit
Prepare for a power cut, evacuation or interruption to essential services, including the needs of your pets.
Planning & arrivalHow to prepare accommodation proof and Airbnb receipts
Download useful booking evidence and check what the receiving authority actually accepts.
Documents & digital access
Documents & digital accessHow to apply for an NIE number
Request the identifier you need while keeping it separate from permission to live or work in Spain.
Documents & digital accessHow to complete and pay Modelo 790 fees
Use the right code, the right fee category and a payment receipt that matches your application.
Documents & digital accessHow to complete EX-01 for non-lucrative residence
An English reading guide to the official Spanish form, with the mistakes worth catching before submission.
Documents & digital accessHow to get an FNMT digital certificate
Request, verify and install the certificate used to identify yourself in many Spanish online procedures.
Documents & digital accessHow to register for Cl@ve
Choose the registration level your procedure requires and test it before a deadline.
Documents & digital accessHow to find the right immigration portal
Know where to read requirements, book a police appointment, submit a file and receive the decision.
Arrival paperwork
Arrival paperworkHow to register on the padrón and get a certificate
Register the address where you actually live and request the right municipal proof for the next procedure.
Arrival paperworkHow to book fingerprints and collect your TIE
Move from an approved authorisation to the physical card, including digital-nomad cases and appointment problems.
Arrival paperworkHow to make a declaración de entrada
Document an arrival through another Schengen country when the declaration requirement applies to you.
Visas & renewals
Visas & renewalsHow to check your immigration application status
Track progress without confusing an online status message with a formal notification.
Visas & renewalsHow to count Schengen days and handle an overstay risk
Count the rolling allowance before booking travel and act early if you cannot leave on time.
Visas & renewalsHow to prepare a non-lucrative visa application
Build the application around your consulate’s current checklist, including the separate residence form, funds and insurance.
Visas & renewalsHow to renew non-lucrative residence
Renew the authorisation first, then replace the card. Check funds, insurance continuity and your time in Spain.
Visas & renewalsHow to apply for an autorización de regreso
Check whether you can leave and re-enter Spain while your residence documentation is being renewed or replaced.
Visas & renewalsHow to apply for long-term residence
Compare national larga duración with larga duración-UE before selecting EX-11.
Visas & renewalsHow to recover a lost long-term residence status
Separate an expired or missing card from an extinguished authorisation before starting a recovery application.
Visas & renewalsHow to organise evidence for an arraigo application
Match your circumstances to the current category and document presence without confusing it with padrón alone.
Visas & renewalsHow to plan the next step after arraigo
Check whether your next application is an extension or a change of authorisation before your current permission expires.
Visas & renewalsDigital nomad residence: what to check before moving to Spain
Turn “I work remotely” into an eligibility file: employer/client evidence, Social Security, family applications and the correct visa or residence channel.
Family & nationality
Family & nationalityHow to identify the right family-residence route
Start with the sponsor’s nationality and circumstances before choosing EX-19, EX-24 or another procedure.
Family & nationalityHow to register a pareja de hecho
Check the rules where you live, then keep the partnership registration separate from the immigration application.
Family & nationalityHow two foreign nationals can marry in Spain
Start the marriage-capacity process with the competent authority before planning the ceremony.
Family & nationalityHow to apply for Spanish nationality by residence
Check the residence period, prepare the evidence and follow approval through to civil registration.
Family & nationalityHow to check Puerto Rican citizenship-certificate requirements
Confirm the issuing procedure and the evidence Spain will accept before buying a nationality package.
Documents from abroad
Documents from abroadHow to prepare Canadian records and apostilles
Get the correct document first, then send it to the competent authentication authority before translation.
Documents from abroadHow to get an FBI check ready for a Spanish application
Keep the fingerprint check, federal apostille and translation as three separate stages.
Documents from abroadHow to request a second US passport book
Explain a genuine travel conflict while a consulate holds your passport, without assuming approval is automatic.
Housing, banking & transport
Housing, banking & transportHow to prepare for a Spanish mortgage
Compare the full borrowing cost and protect yourself before signing a purchase commitment.
Housing, banking & transportHow to choose a bank account and transfer money
Compare access, fees, regulation and the amount that actually arrives, then test the account before relying on it.
Housing, banking & transportHow to exchange or obtain a Spanish driving license
Can you keep driving, exchange your foreign license, or do you need Spanish theory and practical tests? Start with the issuing country—not your passport.
Housing, banking & transportWhat does it cost to own a passenger car in Spain?
Budget beyond the purchase price: insurance, registration, municipal tax, ITV, environmental restrictions, parking and depreciation.
Housing, banking & transportBuying privately, from a dealer or leasing a car in Spain
Compare ownership with renting and leasing, then protect yourself with vehicle checks, a written contract and the correct transfer.
Home & connectivity
Home & connectivityHow to set up electricity, water and gas in Spain
Take over a working supply, understand the bill and agree exactly how landlord reimbursement works—before the first payment is due.
Home & connectivityHow to get mobile service and home internet in Spain
Be connected when you land, keep access to your old number and bank codes, then arrange a Spanish number and reliable home internet.
Home & connectivityHow to protect and recover your rental deposit in Spain
Distinguish the statutory fianza from extra guarantees and bill advances, document the handover and settle the tenancy with evidence.
Pets & everyday life
Pets & everyday lifeHow to register and settle your pets after arriving in Spain
Your pet’s entry paperwork is only the beginning: organise a local vet, regional chip registration, municipal requirements and a safe everyday routine.
Pets & everyday lifePet insurance, allowed animals and household limits in Spain
Separate vet insurance from liability insurance, national rules from local rules, and ordinary pets from species needing special permission.
Children & education
Children & educationHow to enrol children in school after moving to Spain
Understand ages and grade levels, find the correct admissions office and move from an application to a confirmed school place.
Children & educationHow to arrange daycare and childcare in Spain
Compare nursery education, morning care, after-school care and holiday cover against your family’s real timetable and budget.
Children & educationMoving to Spain with children: your family arrival plan
Put each family member’s paperwork, school, healthcare, childcare and everyday safety into one manageable sequence.
Children & educationLanguage, learning support and settling into a Spanish school
Ask the right questions about classroom language, newcomer support, additional needs and parent communication before problems grow.
Healthcare & work
Healthcare & workHow to register an S1 for healthcare in Spain
Check who pays for your healthcare, register the entitlement and then complete the regional health-card step.
Healthcare & workHow to check your right to work as a student
Match the work permission to your actual study authorisation, course and timetable.
Healthcare & workHow to start work as an autónomo
Separate immigration permission, tax registration and Social Security registration before your first job.
Healthcare & workHow to register for public healthcare in Spain, step by step
From padrón and entitlement to your health card, assigned doctor, first appointment and repeat prescriptions: follow the route that fits your circumstances.
Healthcare & workHow to use pharmacies and continue medication in Spain
Know when to ask a pharmacist first, when to seek medical care, what prescriptions cost and how to move your medication safely.
Healthcare & workHow to get a Spanish Social Security number (NUSS)
Find or apply for your number, keep it separate from employment registration, and understand why it is not itself a health card.
Tax filing
Tax filingHow to prepare and file Modelo 303 VAT
Reconcile your invoices before entering the return and use the instructions for the correct 2026 period.
Tax filingHow to reconcile the annual Modelo 390
Check whether you must file, then reconcile the annual summary to the VAT returns already submitted.
Tax filingHow to prepare your Spanish income-tax return
Establish the correct tax regime, collect worldwide information where relevant and review the draft before filing.
The right instructions for your situation.
National rules are only part of the job. Each guide identifies where your consulate, autonomous community, municipality or personal circumstances change the process. Use the linked official instructions before submitting documents or paying a fee.
Related and repeated topics are combined into one guide, so you can follow a current sequence without piecing together older articles.