Registration in Spain follows the free-movement framework, while voting, car imports and tax treaties need country-specific checks. Denmark's former income and wealth tax treaty has ceased to apply. We prepare documents and provide accompaniment in almost all of Spain; immigration lawyers provide legal advice.

Your country at a glance

Sweden

  • Free movement: no visa or work permit needed
  • Documents legalised with the Hague Apostille
  • Driving licence can be exchanged for a Spanish one

Denmark

  • Free movement: no visa or work permit needed
  • Documents legalised with the Hague Apostille
  • Driving licence can be exchanged for a Spanish one

Norway

  • Free movement: no visa or work permit needed
  • Documents legalised with the Hague Apostille
  • Driving licence can be exchanged for a Spanish one

Finland

  • Free movement: no visa or work permit needed
  • Documents legalised with the Hague Apostille
  • Driving licence can be exchanged for a Spanish one

Iceland

  • Free movement: no visa or work permit needed
  • Documents legalised with the Hague Apostille
  • Driving licence can be exchanged for a Spanish one

Can you come without a visa?

For a stay of more than 3 months, choose the registration basis that matches your situation and apply for the Union citizen registration certificate. This is a registration process under free movement, rather than a residence visa application.

  • Enter Spain with a valid passport or national identity card showing your nationality. Citizens covered by this free-movement regime do not need an entry visa. Official source
  • If you will live in Spain for more than 3 months, apply in person for registration within 3 months of entering. The certificate includes your NIE, address, nationality and registration date. Official source
  • Registration depends on your circumstances: employment, self-employment, sufficient resources and health cover, study, or a qualifying family relationship. Official source
  • A family member who is neither an EU/EEA nor a Swiss citizen follows a separate procedure. Check entry requirements for their nationality and whether they qualify for the residence card of a family member of a Union citizen. Official source
  • The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC/TSE) covers medically necessary care during temporary stays. It is not the general healthcare document for a transfer of residence. The student registration rules contain a specific EHIC provision; check that your case meets it. Official source
  • Norway and Iceland belong to the EEA, not the EU. Their free-movement and Social Security coordination coverage does not make every EU citizenship right applicable. Official source

Ways to live in Spain

Employee

For someone taking employment in Spain.

Requirements

  • Provide an employer's hiring declaration or employment certificate with the required employer details.
  • A registered employment contract or evidence of Social Security registration is also accepted under the rules.
  • Use the employment basis that reflects your actual work; a NIE alone does not replace registration.

Where you apply: In person at the Foreigners' Office or competent Police station in the province where you will live. Apply within 3 months of entering Spain if the stay will exceed 3 months.

Official source

Self-employed worker

For someone carrying on a genuine self-employed activity in Spain.

Requirements

  • Provide evidence that you work for yourself.
  • Accepted evidence includes registration in the economic activities census, the commercial register where appropriate, or the relevant Social Security scheme.
  • Plan the tax and Social Security registrations for your activity before choosing this basis.

Where you apply: In person at the Foreigners' Office or competent Police station in the province where you will live. Apply within 3 months of entering Spain if the stay will exceed 3 months.

Official source

Sufficient resources

For someone living on savings, investment income or other resources without working in Spain.

Requirements

  • Prove sufficient resources for yourself and the family members moving with you.
  • Hold public or private health insurance providing cover in Spain equivalent to the Spanish National Health System during residence.
  • Resources are assessed individually, taking account of your personal and family circumstances.

Income required: Sufficient resources under the rules in force; no universal euro amount is quoted here.

Where you apply: In person at the Foreigners' Office or competent Police station in the province where you will live. Apply within 3 months of entering Spain if the stay will exceed 3 months.

Official source

Student

For someone enrolled at a recognised or publicly funded educational institution in Spain.

Requirements

  • Provide evidence of enrolment, including vocational education where applicable.
  • Provide comprehensive health cover. An EHIC is accepted for this registration requirement only if its validity and entitlement meet the student-specific rule.
  • Declare that you have sufficient resources for yourself and your family.

Income required: A declaration of sufficient resources under the rules in force.

Where you apply: In person at the Foreigners' Office or competent Police station in the province where you will live. Apply within 3 months of entering Spain if the stay will exceed 3 months.

Official source

Qualifying family member

For a citizen covered by free movement joining or accompanying another qualifying EU/EEA or Swiss citizen in Spain.

Requirements

  • Prove the qualifying relationship and, where required, dependency, and show that the sponsoring citizen meets the relevant residence conditions.
  • For student sponsors the family scope is narrower; have the exact relationship checked.
  • EU/EEA and Swiss applicants use registration. Other qualifying relatives may need the Union family residence card, requested within 3 months of entry. If the sponsor is Spanish, ask the lawyer to identify the applicable regime.

Where you apply: In person at the Foreigners' Office or competent Police station in the province where you will live. Apply within 3 months of entering Spain if the stay will exceed 3 months.

Official source

Pensioner or retired person

For someone moving to Spain on a pension or other retirement resources.

Requirements

  • Normally prepare the sufficient-resources registration evidence, rather than a retirement visa.
  • Prove sufficient resources and healthcare cover in Spain.
  • A certificate showing healthcare entitlement at the expense of the state paying the pension can meet the healthcare condition. Ask the competent institution whether it can issue S1.

Income required: Sufficient resources under the rules in force, assessed for your household.

Where you apply: In person at the Foreigners' Office or competent Police station in the province where you will live. Apply within 3 months of entering Spain if the stay will exceed 3 months.

Official source

Posted worker or cross-border work arrangement

For an employee temporarily sent to Spain by a foreign employer; remote work needs its own assessment.

Requirements

  • Have the employer and competent institutions confirm the applicable employment and Social Security arrangements.
  • The portable A1 document certifies the applicable Social Security legislation when the coordination rules allow it. It does not replace residence registration.
  • Have the Spanish registration evidence checked before moving. Do not assume that every foreign employment contract or remote-working arrangement qualifies as a posting.

Where you apply: In person at the Foreigners' Office or competent Police station in the province where you will live. Apply within 3 months of entering Spain if the stay will exceed 3 months.

Official source

Buying a home is not a separate registration basis under this regime. You still need the evidence required for your circumstances, including resources and healthcare where applicable. Our Personal Shopper service can help with a property search; ask the lawyer to assess residence requirements separately. Official source

After you arrive

  1. Choose your registration basis

    Prepare the evidence for your situation before booking your registration appointment. Our relocation support helps organise the paperwork; immigration lawyers assess legal questions. Official source

    Deadline: Before your registration application.

  2. Register your home address: padrón

    Register with the town hall where you usually live. This is a different register from the Union citizen certificate. If you are comparing locations, see our Alicante guide. Official source

    Deadline: When you establish your usual home in the municipality.

  3. Apply for the registration certificate and NIE

    Submit EX18, your valid identity document, the official payment receipt and evidence for your registration basis. The certificate includes the NIE; our NIE support covers paperwork preparation and accompaniment. Official source

    Deadline: Within 3 months of entry if you will stay for more than 3 months.

  4. Confirm healthcare entitlement and obtain a health card

    Confirm your entitlement with INSS or the competent institution. Register S1 in Spain if that is your coverage route. Once entitlement is recognised, request the individual health card at your local health centre. Padrón alone is not a guarantee of healthcare entitlement. Official source

    Deadline: Arrange cover for your residence; request the health card after entitlement is recognised.

  5. Prepare your banking documents

    Ask your chosen bank for its identification and residence-status checklist. A bank can ask EU citizens for a passport or national identity card together with the NIE. Our banking support helps prepare the application; the bank decides whether to open the account. Official source

    Deadline: Before applying for the account.

  6. Plan your tax position

    Record your travel days, home and economic ties. Ask a tax adviser to assess residence under Spanish law and any applicable tax treaty. Official source

    Deadline: Plan before the move and review for the calendar year of arrival.

  7. Check your driving licence

    A valid EU/EEA licence is generally recognised in Spain and exchange is voluntary while it remains valid. DGT renewal rules can still apply, including to licences with unusually long or indefinite validity. Official source

    Deadline: Check before driving and before your licence expires.

  8. Decide whether to buy or bring a car

    For a car brought from another EU country, plan the Spanish ITV documents, tax formalities and DGT registration. If you buy a vehicle, keep the contract or invoice. Check any change-of-residence tax relief before relying on it. For a vehicle from outside the EU, including Switzerland, Norway or Iceland, check customs requirements separately. Free movement of people is not a customs exemption. (AEAT) Official source

    Deadline: Check the applicable registration and tax deadlines before bringing or using the vehicle.

  9. Check municipal voting registration

    For Sweden, Denmark and Finland, adult EU citizens need electoral registration and a declaration of intention to vote. Norway and Iceland follow their reciprocity agreements, with residence requirements and an application for each election. (INE) Official source

    Deadline: Check the Electoral Census Office's current deadline for the election.

Documents to prepare

  • Valid passport or national identity card showing your nationality, plus the copies requested for registration. Official source
  • Completed EX18 application and the official payment receipt required by the Police. Check the current official instructions; no fee amount is quoted here. Official source
  • For employees: hiring declaration, employment certificate, registered contract or accepted evidence of Social Security registration. Official source
  • For self-employed applicants: accepted evidence of the activity, such as the economic activities census, commercial register or relevant Social Security registration. Official source
  • For the sufficient-resources basis: evidence of savings, regular income or other resources, assessed for your personal and family circumstances. Official source
  • Health-cover evidence for your registration basis. A pensioner may use the appropriate certificate of entitlement at the expense of the pension-paying state. Official source
  • For students: enrolment, evidence of comprehensive health cover and a declaration of sufficient resources. Official source
  • For a family application: evidence of the relationship, dependency where required, and the sponsoring citizen's registration and residence conditions. Check the separate card requirements for relatives outside free movement. Official source
  • If S1 applies: the S1 document and identification and registration documents requested by INSS for its registration in Spain. Official source
  • If bringing a car: ownership or purchase documents and technical papers for the Spanish registration process. Additional customs papers may be needed depending on origin. Official source

Taxes

  • Spanish tax residence can arise if you spend more than 183 days in Spain in a calendar year, or if your main economic activities or interests are based here. Sporadic absences may count unless you prove tax residence elsewhere. Official source
  • Under the general IRPF rules, a Spanish tax resident's taxable income covers income and gains regardless of where they arise or where the payer lives. A tax treaty can affect how particular income is taxed. Official source
  • Tax residence is normally assessed for the whole calendar year. Moving part-way through a year does not by itself split the Spanish tax period. Official source
  • If two countries regard you as resident, check the applicable treaty's residence rules with a tax adviser. A registration certificate or NIE does not by itself settle that analysis. Official source
  • Spain has tax conventions with Sweden, Finland, Norway and Iceland; consult the country notes and amendments. The former Danish income and wealth tax convention ended on 1 January 2009. Have salary, pensions and investment income assessed for your country without assuming an exemption. (AEAT) (BOE) Official source
  • The vehicle registration tax (IEDMT) has a conditional change-of-residence exemption. It is not automatic and does not remove the need to check other taxes or registration requirements. Official source

Notes for Sweden

  • For Spanish registration, use a valid passport or national identity card showing your nationality. (BOE)
  • Spain–Sweden double-taxation convention (1976), with the applicable amendments: (AEAT)
  • Social Security coordination uses Regulations 883/2004 and 987/2009. Ask the competent institution whether A1 (applicable legislation) or S1 (healthcare entitlement) is appropriate; neither is issued automatically just because you move. (Seguridad Social) (A1/S1)
  • A valid EU/EEA driving licence is generally recognised; exchange is voluntary while valid, subject to DGT renewal rules. (DGT)
  • As an adult EU citizen resident in Spain, you can vote in municipal elections after electoral registration and a declaration of intention to vote. Padrón alone is insufficient. (INE)

Notes for Denmark

  • For Spanish registration, use a valid passport or national identity card showing your nationality. (BOE)
  • The former Spain–Denmark convention on income and wealth taxes ceased to be in force on 1 January 2009. Do not assume that a treaty exemption applies; ask a tax adviser to check domestic relief and your pension or income. (BOE)
  • Social Security coordination uses Regulations 883/2004 and 987/2009. Ask the competent institution whether A1 (applicable legislation) or S1 (healthcare entitlement) is appropriate; neither is issued automatically just because you move. (Seguridad Social) (A1/S1)
  • A valid EU/EEA driving licence is generally recognised; exchange is voluntary while valid, subject to DGT renewal rules. (DGT)
  • As an adult EU citizen resident in Spain, you can vote in municipal elections after electoral registration and a declaration of intention to vote. Padrón alone is insufficient. (INE)

Notes for Norway

  • For Spanish registration, use a valid passport or national identity card showing your nationality. Norway and Iceland are EEA countries, not EU members. Their citizens use the free-movement registration framework in Spain. (BOE)
  • Spain–Norway double-taxation convention (1999), with the applicable amendments: (AEAT)
  • Social Security coordination uses Regulations 883/2004 and 987/2009. Ask the competent institution whether A1 (applicable legislation) or S1 (healthcare entitlement) is appropriate; neither is issued automatically just because you move. (Seguridad Social) (A1/S1)
  • A valid EU/EEA driving licence is generally recognised; exchange is voluntary while valid, subject to DGT renewal rules. (DGT)
  • Municipal voting is governed by a reciprocity agreement, not EU citizenship. Check the residence-period requirement and apply for the electoral roll for the particular election; padrón alone is insufficient. (INE)

Notes for Finland

  • For Spanish registration, use a valid passport or national identity card showing your nationality. (BOE)
  • Spain–Finland double-taxation convention (2015), with the applicable amendments: (AEAT)
  • Social Security coordination uses Regulations 883/2004 and 987/2009. Ask the competent institution whether A1 (applicable legislation) or S1 (healthcare entitlement) is appropriate; neither is issued automatically just because you move. (Seguridad Social) (A1/S1)
  • A valid EU/EEA driving licence is generally recognised; exchange is voluntary while valid, subject to DGT renewal rules. (DGT)
  • As an adult EU citizen resident in Spain, you can vote in municipal elections after electoral registration and a declaration of intention to vote. Padrón alone is insufficient. (INE)

Notes for Iceland

  • For Spanish registration, use a valid passport or national identity card showing your nationality. Norway and Iceland are EEA countries, not EU members. Their citizens use the free-movement registration framework in Spain. (BOE)
  • Spain–Iceland double-taxation convention (2002), with the applicable amendments: (AEAT)
  • Social Security coordination uses Regulations 883/2004 and 987/2009. Ask the competent institution whether A1 (applicable legislation) or S1 (healthcare entitlement) is appropriate; neither is issued automatically just because you move. (Seguridad Social) (A1/S1)
  • A valid EU/EEA driving licence is generally recognised; exchange is voluntary while valid, subject to DGT renewal rules. (DGT)
  • Municipal voting is governed by a reciprocity agreement, not EU citizenship. Check the residence-period requirement and apply for the electoral roll for the particular election; padrón alone is insufficient. (INE)

Common mistakes

  • Applying for a residence visa when your nationality and circumstances belong under free-movement registration.
  • Treating a NIE number, the Union registration certificate and padrón as the same thing.
  • Assuming an EHIC covers a permanent move without checking your healthcare entitlement and the student-specific exception.
  • Using the sufficient-resources basis without evidence of both resources and the required healthcare cover.
  • Assuming every relative qualifies automatically, or applying the same family procedure when the sponsor is Spanish.
  • Assuming a foreign employer removes Spanish tax, Social Security or registration obligations.
  • Driving indefinitely on foreign plates or assuming that licence exchange rules are identical for every nationality.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a visa to move to Spain?

For a citizen covered by the free-movement regime described here, an entry visa is not required. A stay of more than 3 months requires registration and evidence of the applicable residence conditions. Check accompanying relatives separately.

Is the NIE the same as the registration certificate?

No. The NIE is your foreigner identification number. The Union citizen registration certificate records your registration and includes the NIE. The padrón is a separate town hall register.

Can I register without a Spanish job?

Yes, if you meet another applicable basis, such as sufficient resources with appropriate healthcare cover, study, or a qualifying family relationship. A pensioner normally prepares sufficient-resources and healthcare evidence.

Will my EHIC be enough for healthcare?

It covers medically necessary care during temporary stays, rather than a general transfer of residence. Check entitlement for your move, including S1 where applicable. Student registration has a specific EHIC rule that must be checked against your circumstances.

What if my partner is not an EU/EEA or Swiss citizen?

Check their entry requirements and whether the relationship qualifies. A qualifying relative may need the residence card of a family member of a Union citizen, with its own application and documents. A Spanish sponsor needs a separate legal assessment.

Can I keep working remotely for my current employer?

Have the employer and advisers check the employment, tax and Social Security position before moving. A1 applies only where the coordination rules allow it; remote work is not automatically a posting.

Does buying a home give me residence?

Buying a property does not create a separate registration regime here. You must still meet the residence conditions that apply to you. Property search support and legal residence advice address different steps of the move.

Can I use my driving licence and vote locally?

EU/EEA licences are generally valid subject to DGT rules. For municipal voting, Sweden, Denmark and Finland use the EU route; Norway and Iceland use reciprocity agreements and their residence and electoral registration conditions.

Official sources used on this page

General information taken from the official sources linked on this page. It is not legal advice and rules change: our partner immigration lawyers confirm your specific case.

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