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Guides to moving to Spain
Each guide covers one subject, with a 30-second summary and links to official sources. 55 guides so far.
Research
Open this step →Is it right for us?
Is Spain right for you?
Who it suits, the weather in six cities, costs, language, visas since Brexit, healthcare and the pace of life.What people wish they’d known
The surprises British movers mention most: paperwork and appointments, language, heat, late hours and rents.What rules catch Brits out in Spain?
Carrying ID, drink-driving, phones and the V16 beacon, noise, drinking and smoking in public, holiday lets, cash limits and Modelo 720.Work and pay
How do I get a job in Spain?
Unemployment by region, where to look, what jobs pay and how work permits work for Britons.Will my UK qualifications be recognised?
Homologation and equivalence of degrees, regulated professions, health and teaching, documents and timelines.What’s it like to work in Spain?
Hours, summer timetables, 30 days’ holiday, 14 payments, permanent contracts, trial periods, recording hours and the right to disconnect.Is my Spanish job offer a good one?
Gross salary in 12 or 14 payments, collective agreements, the minimum wage, trial periods, contract types, relocation and the Beckham law.+ calculatorWhat are my rights at work?
Hours, holiday, public holidays, sick pay, parental leave, dismissal and severance, and where to get help.Home, family and health
How much does it cost to live in Spain?
Rent in six cities, bills, food, transport passes, eating out, IVA and a monthly budget by household.+ calculatorWhere in Spain should we live?
Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Málaga, Alicante, Palma and the Costa del Sol and Costa Blanca compared on climate, rent, language and flights.How do schools work in Spain?
State, concertada and British schools, ages and the school year, admissions, co-official languages, recognising UK qualifications and fees.Which Spanish visa do I need?
Work permits, highly qualified and Blue Card routes, the digital nomad and non-lucrative visas, students, family, fees and the 90/180 rule.How does Spanish healthcare work for Brits?
Who gets Spanish state healthcare, the S1, the Convenio Especial, private insurance for visas, prescription charges and why a GHIC isn’t enough.Making the move
Open this step →Before you fly
Do I still pay UK tax?
UK residence, the P85, split years, when Spain starts taxing you, the UK–Spain treaty, Modelo 720 and the Beckham law.Should I rent out or sell my UK home?
What letting, selling or leaving it empty means for UK tax, Spanish tax and council tax once you live in Spain.What happens to my UK pension?
The State Pension keeps rising in Spain, the S1 for healthcare, how Spain taxes private pensions and lump sums, and voluntary National Insurance.Can I bring my medicines?
How much you can bring, the permit for controlled medicines, the Schengen certificate, and getting prescriptions once you live in Spain.How do I move money from the UK?
Exchange rates, safe transfers, the €10,000 cash rule, Modelo 720, your ISAs and UK pensions, and the cash you need to rent.+ calculatorHow do I bring my dog or cat?
Microchip, rabies jab, the animal health certificate, entry points, and Spain’s rules once you arrive.How do I ship my things to Spain?
Customs since Brexit, the transfer of residence relief, what a removal costs, and bringing your UK car.Your first 30 days
Your first 30 days in Spain
What to do first, in what order, and why the order matters.+ calculatorHow much tax will I pay in Spain?
Your NIE, TIE, padrón, social security number and Cl@ve, and how Spanish income tax (IRPF) works in 2026.+ calculatorHow do I open a Spanish bank account?
Resident or non-resident accounts, the documents banks ask for, fees, online banks, IBAN rules and Bizum.How do I find a place to rent?
Where homes are listed, what landlords ask for, who pays the agent, and how price controls work in “stressed” areas.Is this rental listing genuine?
The warning signs, how to check who owns a home with a nota simple, and where to report a scam.How do deposits and rental contracts work?
The fianza and extra security, contract length, rent rises under the IRAV, bills, community fees and getting your deposit back.+ calculatorCan I drive on my UK licence?
How long a UK licence lasts once you live in Spain, swapping it without a test, the new rules, low emission zones and buying a car.Can I live in Spain without a car?
Monthly passes in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Málaga, Alicante and Palma, the 2026 fare discounts, Cercanías and high-speed trains, bikes, e-scooter rules and taxis.How do I get a SIM, internet and call home?
Getting a Spanish number, fibre broadband at home, roaming and why your number matters for Cl@ve and Bizum.Your first weeks
Your first day at work
Registration with Social Security before you start, your payslip, tax withholding and Modelo 145, the trial period and safety training.Food shopping and eating out
The supermarkets, what a shop costs, IVA on food, meal times and the menú del día, tipping, alcohol rules and tap water.How do I make friends in Spain?
How the first year usually feels, language exchanges, clubs, peñas, volunteering, school parents’ associations and keeping in touch with home.The partner at home
Whether your residence permit lets you work, family reunification, Spanish classes at official language schools, getting qualifications recognised, and building a life of your own.How do pensions work in Spain?
The Spanish state pension, counting UK and Spanish years together, your UK State Pension and S1, private pension plans, and how Spain taxes pensions.How do I build a credit history in Spain?
Why you start from scratch, the Bank of Spain’s CIRBE register, default lists such as ASNEF, credit cards, mortgages for foreigners, and paying by Bizum.Living here
Open this step →Make the most of it
How do we cope with, and enjoy, a Spanish summer?
AEMET heat warnings, heat at work, beaches and flags, jellyfish, wildfire rules on barbecues, ES-Alert and the long school holiday.What are the cooler months like, and how do we make the most of them?
Autumn storms and DANA floods, heating costs, snow and skiing in Sierra Nevada and the Pyrenees, and the autumn and winter festivals.How do public holidays and school holidays work?
National, regional and local holidays for 2026 and 2027, school calendars in the five regions, Christmas and the Three Kings, Easter, and puentes.Where can we go for a weekend away?
Short breaks from each of the six cities by train and road, national parks, paradores, and trips to Portugal, France, Gibraltar and Morocco: what documents you need as a resident.Work and money
How do I change jobs in Spain?
Resigning and your finiquito, dismissal pay, non-competes, unemployment benefit (paro), and what your residence permit allows in the first year and after.Can I freelance or start a side business?
Your permit first, then registering as self-employed (autónomo), contributions by income, the tarifa plana, quarterly VAT and tax, invoicing and Verifactu, and setting up an SL.Family and home
Should we renew our lease or move?
Automatic extensions under the LAU, rent updates and the IRAV, stressed areas, notice to leave, the landlord’s own-use rule and getting your deposit back.+ calculatorCan we buy a home in Spain?
NIE, lawyer and notary, the arras deposit, purchase taxes by region, mortgages, yearly costs, tourist lets and the stalled 100% tax plan.How do we change schools in Spain?
Mid-year places, admissions commissions, records and homologation for pupils from the UK, moving between regions and languages, and British schools.How do we find childcare, after-school care or holiday care?
Nurseries for 0 to 3 (escuelas infantiles), free places by region, the nursery tax deduction, summer camps, babysitters and au pairs, and parental leave.How do we hire a cleaner or nanny?
Employing a domestic worker directly, the 2026 minimum pay, registering with Social Security, contributions, the 2022 reforms, agencies and self-employed cleaners.Protect what you’ve built
How do we get long-term residence and citizenship?
Long-term residence after 5 years, the EU long-term status, time abroad, which years count, citizenship after 10 years, the DELE and CCSE, and why Britons usually renounce.What should we check when our insurance renews?
Private health insurance price rises and age limits, home insurance and flood cover, car insurance and your claims record, cancelling on time, and complaints.Do we need a Spanish will?
Notary wills, choosing UK law under the EU Succession Regulation, forced heirship, inheritance tax by region, deadlines and UK inheritance tax.What should I check each year on UK tax, pensions and property?
A yearly check-up: UK and Spanish returns, UK rent, pensions under the treaty, ISAs, Modelo 720 and 721, voluntary NI, voting and UK bank accounts.Moving on
Open this step →Plan your exit
How do I leave Spain, and in what order?
Notice at work, your rental contract and deposit, the padrón, your TIE, tax and social security, the car and any property, in the order they need doing.What do I need to close before I leave Spain?
Which bank account to keep, utilities, phone contracts, community fees, health insurance, your Spanish pension record and the tax returns that follow you.How do I take my pet back to the UK?
Your pet’s EU passport, rabies dates, tapeworm treatment for dogs, and approved ferry and flight routes from Spain.Back to the UK
How do we settle back into the UK?
The NHS and your S1, tax in the year you return, National Insurance, your Spanish pension, schools, university fees, your Spanish licence and renting.How do we find a home and a job back in the UK?
Renting with no recent UK history, buying and stamp duty, job hunting from Spain, Spanish criminal record certificates and qualifications.Get new guides first
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