Moving to Spain: A Step-by-Step Checklist (2026)

Planning a move to the Costa del Sol? This guide is for international buyers who want a clear, ordered plan. You will get every step, in the right order, with timings, costs, and the documents you need.

Moving abroad sounds romantic, until you are buried in paperwork. The fear is real: visas, the language, doing it all from far away. So we have turned the whole move into a simple checklist by time. Follow it, and the process feels far less scary.

Quick answer: Plan for about 4 to 6 months if you need a visa. The order matters: choose your visa, gather and legalise documents, get your NIE, then on arrival do the padrón, bank, healthcare, and TIE. Note the old Golden Visa ended in April 2025, so the main routes now are the Non-Lucrative Visa and the Digital Nomad Visa.

Here is the move at a glance:

• 4-6 months, start to finish
• 90 day limit without a visa
• 30 days to apply for the TIE
• 183 days = Spanish tax resident

The big picture: how long does it take?

Plan for about 4 to 6 months from start to finish, if you need a visa. Much of that time is spent gathering and legalising documents. So start early.

The order matters a lot. Some steps unlock others. For example, you need your NIE (your Spanish ID number) before you can open a bank account or buy a home. Do things out of order, and you will hit walls.

To keep it simple, we have split the move into phases. Work through them in order.

6 to 12 months before: plan and prepare

This is the dreaming and planning stage. Get the big decisions right now.

• Choose your visa route. EU citizens just register on arrival. Non-EU citizens need a visa for stays over 90 days. The main options are the Non-Lucrative Visa (NLV, for retirees and passive income) and the Digital Nomad Visa (DNV, for remote workers). Note: the old Golden Visa ended in April 2025, so it is no longer an option.
• Pick your area. Visit the Costa del Sol if you can. Try a town in winter, not just summer, to see real life off-season.
• Set your budget. Work out what you can spend on a home, plus monthly living costs.
• Start learning Spanish. Even basic words help a lot. Begin now, so you are not starting from zero on arrival.

Bonus tip: Visit in low season (January or February). The coast is beautiful in summer, but you want to know how a town feels when the tourists have gone home. This tells you the truth about year-round life.

3 to 6 months before: visa and documents

This phase is all about paperwork. It is slow, so do not leave it late.

• Gather your documents. You will likely need a birth certificate, marriage certificate, criminal record check, and proof of funds.
• Get them apostilled. An apostille is an official stamp that proves a document is genuine. Most key documents need one.
• Get sworn translations. Many documents must also be translated into Spanish by an official "sworn" translator. This is a separate step from the apostille.
• Sort your health insurance. For most non-EU visas, you must show private Spanish health insurance with no co-payments. EU pensioners use the S1 form instead.
• Apply for your visa. Book your appointment at the Spanish consulate in your home country. Submit your full file.

Warning: Apostilles and translations take time, sometimes weeks. Documents like the criminal record check also expire fast. Start this phase early, and do the steps in order: get the document, apostille it, then translate it.

1 to 3 months before: home, money, and the move

Now the move gets real. You sort your home, your money, and the logistics.

• Apply for your NIE. This is your foreigner ID and tax number. You need it to rent, buy, open a bank, and set up bills. You can often get it at a Spanish consulate before you move, which saves time later.
• Decide: rent first or buy? Many people rent for 6 to 12 months first, to get to know an area before buying. This is wise. But if you have already chosen your spot, you can buy a new-build before or soon after you arrive.
• Book your move. Get quotes from international removal firms. Or, if you are travelling light, plan to buy furniture here.
• Plan your money transfer. Moving money from outside the eurozone? Use a specialist currency service, not just your bank. Bank exchange rates often hide poor value.

This is where we come in. At Spain Developments, we are a buyer's agent for new-build homes on the Costa del Sol. We work only for you, never the seller or developer. We help you find the right property, check the real costs, and avoid common traps. We can also connect you to trusted partners for your visa, healthcare, and the move itself, people who speak your language.

Bonus tip: Spain's rental market moves fast. In busy areas, good long-term flats are gone within days. Set up alerts on Idealista (Spain's main property site) and be ready to act quickly.

Your first 2 weeks in Spain

You have arrived. These first steps unlock daily life. Do them in this order.

1. Register on the padrón. Go to your local town hall (the empadronamiento). This registers your address and is the key to almost everything else: healthcare, schools, and residency paperwork.
2. Open a Spanish bank account. You need this for rent, bills, and taxes, which are mostly paid by direct debit. Bring your passport, NIE, and proof of income.
3. Get a Spanish SIM card. A local mobile number makes booking appointments and daily life much easier.
4. Start your TIE process (if non-EU). The TIE is your physical residency card. Apply within 30 days of arrival, at the immigration office or a police station. Bring your padrón, passport, visa, photos, and the right form.

Bonus tip: Bring lots of photocopies of every document, plus passport photos. Spanish offices love copies. Having them ready saves you many wasted trips.

Weeks 2 to 6 in Spain

With the basics done, you settle in.

• Register for healthcare. Take your padrón, NIE, and social security details to your local health centre to get your health card. EU pensioners register their S1 here.
• Enrol your children in school. International schools teach in English. Public schools are free. Bring your padrón and your child's records. (Apply early; popular schools fill up.)
• Set up your utilities. Arrange electricity, water, and internet in your name.
• Settle into your home. If you shipped a container, this is when it usually arrives.

Don't forget: pets, driving, and tax

Three things people often overlook. Plan for them early.

Bringing a pet

• Microchip and up-to-date rabies vaccine
• Official vet health certificate, dated close to travel
• Start 3 months before; the timing rules are strict

Driving

• EU licences are generally fine to use
• Non-EU (incl. UK) may need to exchange the licence in the first months
• Check the current rule for your country first

Tax

• Over 183 days a year = Spanish tax resident
• You declare worldwide income to the Hacienda
• Get advice early if you have income or property abroad

Warning: Tax is the step people get wrong most. The 183-day rule is strict. If you plan to live here most of the year, speak to a tax adviser before you move, not after.

The documents you will need

Keep a folder, digital and paper, with copies of all of these.

Identity and visa

• Valid passport (and copies)
• Visa (if non-EU)
• Passport photos
• Your NIE, once you have it

Legalised and supporting

• Birth certificate (apostilled and translated)
• Marriage certificate, if relevant (apostilled and translated)
• Criminal record check (apostilled and translated)
• Proof of funds or income
• Private health insurance certificate (for non-EU visas)
• Pet documents, if you have pets

Bonus tip: Make two folders, one on your phone or cloud, one on paper. You will be asked for these documents again and again. Having them ready turns a stressful day into an easy one.

Common questions

How long does it take to move to Spain? Plan for 4 to 6 months if you need a visa. Most of that time is spent gathering and legalising documents, so start early.

What is the first thing to do when I arrive? Register on the padrón at your town hall. It unlocks healthcare, schools, and your residency card.

Do I need an NIE before I buy property? Yes. You need an NIE to buy a home, open a bank account, and sign a rental contract. Get it as early as you can.

Can I do all this from abroad? A lot of it, yes. You apply for your visa, and often your NIE, at a Spanish consulate before you move. The rest you do in your first weeks here.

Should I rent or buy first? Many people rent for 6 to 12 months to learn an area first. But if you know where you want to live, buying a new-build can make sense from the start.

In short

Moving to the Costa del Sol is very doable when you break it into steps. Plan early, get your documents apostilled and translated, then work through each phase in order: visa, NIE, padrón, bank, healthcare. The paperwork is real, but thousands of people do it every year.

When you are ready to find your new-build home, Spain Developments is here to guide you, and to connect you to trusted partners for every other part of the move. Get in touch for a friendly, no-pressure chat.