Moving to Spain step by step
The whole path from the first decision to citizenship, split into four phases. Each phase links to detailed guides: requirements, documents, timelines and common mistakes.
Choose a status and check the requirements
The first decision is the most expensive one: the type of residence permit drives timelines, documents, the right to work and your taxes. Work out which status fits your case, and check the income threshold before anything else.
Collect the documents and file
Most refusals come down to paperwork rather than the merits: expired certificates, a missing apostille, the wrong kind of translation. This is also where you decide between filing at a consulate or from inside Spain through the UGE.
First steps after you arrive
A visa in your passport is not yet residency. In Spain you still need the card itself, registration at your address and a bank account. The order matters: several of these steps depend on each other.
Empadronamiento and opening a bank account: pages in progress.
Living here: taxes, renewals, permanent residence
The process does not end with the move. Tax residency arrives with its own filings, and the card has to be renewed on time. After five years permanent residence opens up, and citizenship after that.
