OFFICIAL RESOURCES & CREDITS

Go to the source.

Use the authority responsible for your situation and location. Start nationally, then check the regional service and your municipality.

National sources reviewed 28 September 2026

Practical orientationThis is an independent guide, not a government service or individual legal, tax or medical advice. Requirements can change. Confirm your circumstances with the responsible authority or a qualified adviser.

Residence and work

Migraciones · Residence and work routesStart with your current status and find the relevant authorization.Migraciones · Application information sheetsRequirements, documents and procedures for specific residence routes.Policía Nacional · EU registrationEU, EEA and Swiss registration, documents, forms and fees.Public administration · EU residence registrationRegistration evidence for workers, students and people living on their own resources.UGE · International remote workersOfficial remote-worker requirements and family documentation.Exteriores · Find your Spanish consulateFind the office responsible for your current country and address.

Housing and money

BOE · Urban Tenancy ActConsolidated rental law, including articles 20 and 36.Agencia Tributaria · Tax residence in SpainResidence criteria, economic interests and treaty rules for dual residence.Importass · Self-employment guideContributions, obligations and changes to your self-employed status.

Healthcare, education and pets

Sanidad · Regional health servicesHow regional services form the national system, including INGESA in Ceuta and Melilla.Your Europe · Healthcare when living abroadWhich country is responsible for coverage and when an S1 may apply.Educagob · Spain’s education systemNational education overview and how the system operates across regions.Educagob · School access and admissionAdmission principles and joining from a foreign education system.MAPA · Bringing dogs, cats and ferrets to SpainSelect your departure country and check documents, identification and entry arrangements.

Regional and local services

Public administration · Regional government directoryOfficial portals for the autonomous communities and cities.Public administration · Find your town hallFind the municipality responsible for your address and local procedures.

National information and local details

The national guides provide a planning framework. Use the map and regional directory to find the official authority for your chosen location. The circumstances of a particular household, municipal services and regional procedures still need checking.

The first five city guides cover Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Zaragoza and Sevilla, selected by municipality population in the INE Annual Population Census, 1 January 2025. Their local service links were checked on 28 September 2026. The additional Valencia topic chapters retain their own research dates.

Map credits

Regional boundaries: Instituto Geográfico Nacional (IGN), distributed by geoBoundaries, Spain ADM1. Dataset boundary year: 2017. Dataset and source metadata. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.

The boundaries have been generalized and projected for this guide. The Canary Islands, Ceuta and Melilla appear as insets at different scales. The city insets show the main city areas, excluding other Spanish territories grouped with them in the source dataset. The map is for orientation, not navigation or a legal boundary determination. Reference: IGN political map of Spain.

Photography

Sevilla rooftops: Henrique Ferreira / Unsplash. Unsplash License.

La Concha Bay, Donostia / San Sebastián: Kent Wang / Wikimedia Commons. CC BY-SA 4.0. Displayed with a responsive crop; any adaptation of this photograph remains available under the same license.

Madrid street café: NuKi Chikhladze / Unsplash. Unsplash License.

Barcelona skyline from Park Güell: Chris Koerner / Wikimedia Commons. CC BY 2.0. Displayed with a responsive crop.

Zaragoza, Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar and the Ebro: Jiuguang Wang / Wikimedia Commons. CC BY-SA 3.0 Spain. Displayed with a responsive crop; any adaptation of this photograph remains available under the same license.

Valencia: “Valencia Blue” by K Λ X I I I / Wikimedia Commons. Licensed under CC BY 2.0. Displayed with a responsive crop. Photograph taken in 2007.

Mercado Central, Valencia: Diego Delso, delso.photo. CC BY-SA 3.0. Resized and displayed with responsive crops; adaptations retain the same licence.

Valenbisi, Valencia: Steven Lek / Wikimedia Commons. CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized and displayed with responsive crops; adaptations retain the same licence.

El Cabanyal, Valencia: Enric / Wikimedia Commons. CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized and displayed with responsive crops; adaptations retain the same licence.

In Spain We Trust logo supplied by the brand owner. Photography is displayed with responsive crops to fit different screens.

How-to guide photography

These editorial photographs illustrate each topic. They do not depict official Spanish forms or prove a person’s immigration status.

How to apply for an NIE number: Scott Graham / Unsplash. Unsplash License. Cropped and resized.

How to complete and pay Modelo 790 fees: rupixen / Unsplash. Unsplash License. Cropped and resized.

How to complete EX-01 for non-lucrative residence: Cytonn Photography / Unsplash. Unsplash License. Cropped and resized.

How to get an FNMT digital certificate: Kaitlyn Baker / Unsplash. Unsplash License. Cropped and resized.

How to register for Cl@ve: Jonas Leupe / Unsplash. Unsplash License. Cropped and resized.

How to find the right immigration portal: Glenn Carstens-Peters / Unsplash. Unsplash License. Cropped and resized.

How to book fingerprints and collect your TIE: Gabrielle Henderson / Unsplash. Unsplash License. Cropped and resized.

How to make a declaración de entrada: Nick Fewings / Unsplash. Unsplash License. Cropped and resized.

How to check your immigration application status: Burst / Unsplash. Unsplash License. Cropped and resized.

How to count Schengen days and handle an overstay risk: Eric Rothermel / Unsplash. Unsplash License. Cropped and resized.

How to prepare a non-lucrative visa application: Kit (formerly ConvertKit) / Unsplash. Unsplash License. Cropped and resized.

How to renew non-lucrative residence: Romain Dancre / Unsplash. Unsplash License. Cropped and resized.

How to apply for an autorización de regreso: Nicole Geri / Unsplash. Unsplash License. Cropped and resized.

How to apply for long-term residence: Beatriz Pérez Moya / Unsplash. Unsplash License. Cropped and resized.

How to recover a lost long-term residence status: Maksym Kaharlytskyi / Unsplash. Unsplash License. Cropped and resized.

How to organise evidence for an arraigo application: Alexander Grey / Unsplash. Unsplash License. Cropped and resized.

How to plan the next step after arraigo: Towfiqu barbhuiya / Unsplash. Unsplash License. Cropped and resized.

How to prepare Canadian records and apostilles: Leon Seibert / Unsplash. Unsplash License. Cropped and resized.

How to get an FBI check ready for a Spanish application: George Prentzas / Unsplash. Unsplash License. Cropped and resized.

How to request a second US passport book: Kelly Sikkema / Unsplash. Unsplash License. Cropped and resized.

How to build a realistic move-to-Spain plan: Marissa Grootes / Unsplash. Unsplash License. Cropped and resized.

How to budget for a move to Spain: Cht Gsml / Unsplash. Unsplash License. Cropped and resized.

How to organise your first month in Spain: Covene / Unsplash. Unsplash License. Cropped and resized.

How to prepare a household emergency kit: Kristine Wook / Unsplash. Unsplash License. Cropped and resized.

How to register on the padrón and get a certificate: Jakub Żerdzicki / Unsplash. Unsplash License. Cropped and resized.

How to identify the right family-residence route: Eugene Chystiakov / Unsplash. Unsplash License. Cropped and resized.

How to register a pareja de hecho: Scott Broome / Unsplash. Unsplash License. Cropped and resized.

How two foreign nationals can marry in Spain: Easy Weddings Denmark / Unsplash. Unsplash License. Cropped and resized.

How to apply for Spanish nationality by residence: Max Harlynking / Unsplash. Unsplash License. Cropped and resized.

How to check Puerto Rican citizenship-certificate requirements: Luis Santiago / Unsplash. Unsplash License. Cropped and resized.

How to prepare accommodation proof and Airbnb receipts: Taylor Beach / Unsplash. Unsplash License. Cropped and resized.

How to prepare for a Spanish mortgage: Jakub Żerdzicki / Unsplash. Unsplash License. Cropped and resized.

How to choose a bank account and transfer money: SumUp / Unsplash. Unsplash License. Cropped and resized.

How to exchange or obtain a Spanish driving license: Daniela Cuevas / Unsplash. Unsplash License. Cropped and resized.

How to register an S1 for healthcare in Spain: Marcelo Leal / Unsplash. Unsplash License. Cropped and resized.

How to check your right to work as a student: Yen Vu / Unsplash. Unsplash License. Cropped and resized.

How to start work as an autónomo: Sebastian Monroy / Unsplash. Unsplash License. Cropped and resized.

How to prepare and file Modelo 303 VAT: Towfiqu barbhuiya / Unsplash. Unsplash License. Cropped and resized.

How to reconcile the annual Modelo 390: Cht Gsml / Unsplash. Unsplash License. Cropped and resized.

How to prepare your Spanish income-tax return: Cht Gsml / Unsplash. Unsplash License. Cropped and resized.

How-to guide directory: Jess Bailey / Unsplash. Unsplash License. Cropped and resized.

How to set up electricity, water and gas in Spain: Jon Moore / Unsplash. Unsplash License. Cropped and resized.

How to get mobile service and home internet in Spain: Compare Fibre / Unsplash. Unsplash License. Cropped and resized.

How to register for public healthcare in Spain, step by step: smallbox / Unsplash. Unsplash License. Cropped and resized.

How to use pharmacies and continue medication in Spain: Árpád Czapp / Unsplash. Unsplash License. Cropped and resized.

How to register and settle your pets after arriving in Spain: Anya Prygunova / Unsplash. Unsplash License. Cropped and resized.

Pet insurance, allowed animals and household limits in Spain: Kari Shea / Unsplash. Unsplash License. Cropped and resized.

What does it cost to own a passenger car in Spain?: Kelly Sikkema / Unsplash. Unsplash License. Cropped and resized.

Buying privately, from a dealer or leasing a car in Spain: Roland Denes / Unsplash. Unsplash License. Cropped and resized.

How to enrol children in school after moving to Spain: Ivan Aleksic / Unsplash. Unsplash License. Cropped and resized.

How to arrange daycare and childcare in Spain: Vanessa Bucceri / Unsplash. Unsplash License. Cropped and resized.

Moving to Spain with children: your family arrival plan: Michal Balog / Unsplash. Unsplash License. Cropped and resized.

Language, learning support and settling into a Spanish school: Annie Spratt / Unsplash. Unsplash License. Cropped and resized.

How to get a Spanish Social Security number (NUSS): Anastassia Anufrieva / Unsplash. Unsplash License. Cropped and resized.

How to protect and recover your rental deposit in Spain: Maria Ziegler / Unsplash. Unsplash License. Cropped and resized.

Digital nomad residence: what to check before moving to Spain: Kristin Wilson / Unsplash. Unsplash License. Cropped and resized.

Additional site photography

Moving boxes and houseplants in a bright room: Dina Badamshina / Unsplash. Unsplash License. Resized and displayed with responsive crops.

The Roman Bridge and Mosque-Cathedral in Córdoba: Abdullah Habib / Unsplash. Unsplash License. Resized and displayed with responsive crops.

Plaza de España in Seville at sunset: Molly Lowney / Unsplash. Unsplash License. Resized and displayed with responsive crops.

Valladolid City Hall in Plaza Mayor: Fernando Santander / Unsplash. Unsplash License. Resized and displayed with responsive crops.

A calculator and planner for working through figures: Iryna Tysiak / Unsplash. Unsplash License. Resized and displayed with responsive crops.

Coffee and churros outside a café in Pizarra, Spain: Elvira Blumfelde / Unsplash. Unsplash License. Resized and displayed with responsive crops.

A bright kitchen and dining area in a Spanish home: Frames For Your Heart / Unsplash. Unsplash License. Resized and displayed with responsive crops.

A sheltered bay on Spain’s Costa Brava: Andréa Villiers / Unsplash. Unsplash License. Resized and displayed with responsive crops.

A traveller holding an open passport: Agus Dietrich / Unsplash. Unsplash License. Resized and displayed with responsive crops.

A doctor wearing a stethoscope at a consultation desk: Vitaly Gariev / Unsplash. Unsplash License. Resized and displayed with responsive crops.

A calendar for planning important dates: Maddi Bazzocco / Unsplash. Unsplash License. Resized and displayed with responsive crops.

Two people comparing routes on a paper map: sayan Nath / Unsplash. Unsplash License. Resized and displayed with responsive crops.