Moving to Spain
Moving abroad is certainly challenging, and may seem overwhelming. To help manage the stress and confusion of moving to Spain, I created a guide to break down each step of the process in an easy and comprehensible way.
What to Bring
The first challenge after getting accepted into a language assistant program and successfully processing your student visa is simply knowing what to pack for your move abroad. You’ll of course need to bring clothes, medications, and personal items such as laptops. If you’re taking any medication that will need to be refilled in Spain, ask your doctor to give you a prescription stating the name of the drug and its components so that it will be easy for a local doctor to find and prescribe you a Spanish equivalent. You will also need enough money to cover you in September since most teach abroad programs do not begin paying until October. That means you’ll explicitly need sufficient funds to see you comfortably through the first couple of weeks.
Beyond the absolute essentials, what else should you bring? My recommendation is as little as possible. Spanish stores are not drastically different from American ones, and you can find almost anything you need right here in Spain. Of course, not everything is the same, so my advice is to pack only the things that you can’t live without before moving to Spain.
For information on how to process your student visa, see my previous article.
Joining Groups
Undeniably, one of the best resources for language assistants are Facebook groups. These groups provide important information, general advice, and housing opportunities. There are groups for each individual teach abroad program, as well as a general group for Madrid, Auxiliares de Conversación en Madrid. Apart from these, there are a plethora of groups for expats, students, and more. Join as many as you like and start making friends before you arrive in Spain.
Bank Account
Right after moving to Spain, one of your top priorities should be opening a bank account. Signing up for a bank account in Spain is a fairly simple process. In theory, you should only need your passport and some money to do this. However, many banks refuse to give foreigners an account without a physical identity card. Be prepared to be turned away by the first bank you walk into. By all means, ask fellow language assistants who they bank with and start there. It is important to open a bank account as soon as possible because you will need one to rent an apartment or room.
Housing
After you have opened a bank account, your foremost concern is probably where you’re going to live. One of the best ways to secure a room is by being a part of the language assistant groups on Facebook, where many available rooms and apartments are posted. If you prefer to complete this process on your own, two of the best websites to use are Idealista and Fotocasa. You can also seek out a local rental agency and ask about the apartments they have for rent. Keep in mind that many agencies and landlords do not speak English, so you may need to ask someone to help you contact them.

Empadronamiento: Registering Your Residence
Registering your residence is absolutely essential for most government services. As soon as you have an apartment, visit your local ayuntamiento (town hall) to register. To complete this process, you’ll need proof of your identity (your passport), proof that you live at your address (signed contract or bill in your name), and a signed and completed copy of the registration form.
Due to the pandemic, most ayuntamientos now require an appointment to process the empadronamiento, so check your ayuntamiento’s website or call beforehand. You can look for appointments in Madrid on the City Council website.
Cell Phone and Internet
Depending on your living situation, you may need to set up your phone and Internet service. To do this, you’ll need proof of your identity (your passport), a bank account, and sometimes proof of residency (an empadronamiento from the step above). With these three things, you should be able to sign up for a cellphone and/or Internet plan with ease. Unfortunately, as with the banks, some companies refuse their services to foreigners without a physical identity card. As before, I recommend asking fellow language assistants about their experiences before choosing.
Public Health Card
Although most language assistant programs provide private health insurance, it is important to obtain public health insurance, as well. Some of the benefits of public health care include lower prescription costs and temporary paid leave from work for a medical reason, such as surgery or serious illness.
Getting your public health card is overall quite simple. Call a local health center and ask them which particular center you should go to. Centers are assigned by zones, so your official health center may not be the one closest to your apartment. Then, drop by your assigned center with your passport or identity card (NIE/TIE), an empadronamiento issued in the last three months, and proof that you are eligible for public health care. To prove you’re eligible, complete the Health Application and print it.
Processing Your Visa
Finally, you’ll need to finish processing your visa. You will be granted 90 days from the start of your program to process your physical card. In order to do this, you will need to complete the EX-17 form, pay the modelo 790 código 012 tax, provide a 2X2 inch photo (these can be done at a photobooth, found at many metro stops). Bring copies of all your important documents to the government office your appointment is located at, including the photo and visa pages of your passport, empadronamiento, and the EX-17 form you filled out.
Before you go, you will need an appointment. You can book one here on the Spanish government website.
Just One More Step…
After submitting your documents, you’ll be asked for your fingerprints and given a paper called a resguardo stating that you are approved for a physical NIE/TIE and can come to pick it up after 30-45 days. Do not lose this paper. Make copies of it as soon as you can, because you need it to pick up your physical card.
After the 30-45 days pass, make another appointment using the website above in the same government center where you did your fingerprints. Bring the paper given to you at the previous appointment along with your passport. After standing in line for somewhere between five minutes and three hours, you’ll submit the paper and receive your physical identity card! With that, you’re done, and you are an official resident of Spain for the rest of the academic year.
In Conclusion
The above steps and processes needed to live comfortably and legally in Spain may seem daunting, so my advice is to take care of them one at a time. Complete just one or two tasks each day rather than attempt to tackle all of them at once. If it becomes overwhelming, remember that moving to Spain is not unlike moving to another city in your own country. Mentally framing the obstacles as familiar ones can help manage stress.
Most important of all, remember that you are not alone. Don’t be afraid to ask for advice or help from other language assistants, friends, or the administration of whichever language program you are part of.
Use this checklist to help organize yourself. Good luck.
Moving to Spain To-Do List
- Join groups on Facebook
- Find housing
- Bank Account
- Bring:
- Passport
- Money to open account with
- Bring:
- Empadronamiento (Registry of residency)
- Bring:
- Passport
- A bill in your name at your address or a signed rental contract
- The completed form
- Bring:
- Cell Phone and Internet Service
- Bring:
- Passport
- Bank account information
- Empadronamiento (sometimes requested)
- Bring:
- Public Health Card
- Bring:
- Passport, NIE or TIE
- Proof that you are eligible for public health care
- An empadronamiento issued in the last 3 months
- Bring:
- Visa
- Step 1: Fingerprints
- Bring:
- 2 copies EX-17 form
- Tax 790 012 paid
- Passport and copy
- Empadronamiento and copy
- 2X2 in photo
- Step 2: Picking up the visa:
- Bring:
- Resguardo
- Passport
- Bring:
29 Comments. Leave new
This would be quite the adventure. I don’t think I’d ever want to live there, but I’d certainly enjoy visiting!
My best friend’s son is hoping to move to Spain to complete his Masters Degree. I will definitely share this article with her. Great tips!
Oh wow, I bet this is such an adventure for people. This sounds like an amazing guide for people heading on this journey as well.
This sounds like a dream to pack up and move to Spain! So beautiful!
This post is really informative. Thanks for sharing this guide.
We visited Spain a year ago. I would have never guessed how much I would fall in love with it. In the past I might have skipped over your post, now I read with great interest. Who knows what might happen?
Great job on this post. People who are planning to move there will definitely love this article.
This is a great guide for moving to Spain. There are so many things to take care of once you arrived. Join the network there and ask the past language assistants can help a lot with the moving process.
Moving to another country seems like such an ambitious thing to do. You offer up some very helpful information.
Wow it’s pretty much detailed. I love it! this is the starter pack to Spain. While reading this post I’m getting excited already. It feels like I’ll be leaving tommorow lol. I’ll be keeping this information if we ever plan to visit Spain.
What an adventure it would be to move to another country! I would love to do it, even for just a year.
This is so interesting and good to know, one of my dreams is to move and live in Spain at least one year.
What a great guide for those moving to Spain. I wish I could spend some time in Spain.
Thank you so much for these tips. This is exactly what I was looking for!
That sounds absolutely awesome! That’s a great comprehensive list that I would love to refer to.
Wow, I think being part of Facebook groups is very helpful, based on your blog. It seems to be a major resource place. Are there risks to them or are they strictly monitored by the admins?
wow! This info is so complete. There is everything that a person needs when moving to Spain! Thanks a lot!
This is sounds great tips for people who want to move to Spain. Very informative and details. I think the first thing to do to find a facebook group is really important. Because from the group we can get many information from the expert.
It would be such a neat experience to be able to work in Spain. This is certainly a helpful guide.
It is nice to know that moving to Spain is something that can be accomplished with effort. I have been to other countries but i give you credit for moving your whole life abroad.
So much great information! I can kind of relate because I moved across the world to Canada from Europe two years ago. So scary but the best decision I’ve ever made!
I know so many who have moved to Spain and this post would have been helpful for them. While anything like this is out for me, I definitely have a few students to pass this along to. Thank you for all the helpful information!
Thank you for the guide…Spain is such a very lovely and beautiful country…this guide will help us a lot.
This is a really nice guide to anyone who’s planning to move in Spain. Great job
This would be such a helpful guide for those who want to move to Spain. Great post!
This is really useful post for those who want to move to spain. I have a friend in Valencia, may be some time will visit.
This sounds like a bunch of items to do. I was shocked that you needed a local bank to handle monetary transactions now that most banks can handle virtual transactions. Same goes for cell service since most carriers are equipped for overseas travel. Thank you for sharing.
This post of yours is so helpful and got an idea for those who will move out. Very informative post it will help me too. Thanks for sharing it.
These are really great and useful tips. I’ve been through this two years ago when we were moving to the UK so I know how confusing all this can be. So many things you need to think about.