Your First 90 Days in Spain: A Guide for New Arrivals

Moving to Spain is exciting, but those first few weeks can feel like a whirlwind. A new country, unfamiliar systems, and a well-defined 90-day rule in Spain can all feel challenging to navigate at first. From handling paperwork to adapting to a new culture and daily life, there’s a lot to figure out early on.

Since your first 90 days in Spain will likely shape your long-term plans, it’s important to stay one step ahead. In this new arrivals Spain guide, you’ll find a practical, stage-by-stage checklist to help you settle in with clarity and confidence.

Before You Arrive: Plan Ahead for a Smooth Landing

Your success in Spain starts well before you even board the plane. Smart preparation, such as gathering essential documents, understanding visa timelines, and budgeting for your living expenses in Spain, makes all the difference, especially during those crucial first few months.

Your planning depends on how long you intend to stay. If you're relocating long-term or testing the waters with a short-term stay, it’s important to understand how the 90-day rule in Spain works. For non-EU citizens without a long-stay visa, the 90/180 rule applies: you can stay in the Schengen Area (including Spain) for up to 90 days within any 180-day period. That includes tourism, business, or visiting friends and family, anything that doesn’t require a residence permit.

If this rule applies to you, early planning is key. You’ll need to sort out return plans, housing, the right visa path if you're extending your stay, and all relevant paperwork.

Start preparing at least four to six months in advance. Visa documentation can take time, some may require apostilles, notarizations, or certified translations. There are also professional services that assist with immigration to Spain if you want help navigating the bureaucracy.

Once your paperwork is underway, shift your focus to financial planning. Begin by researching the cost of living in Spain and estimating your monthly expenses based on your destination, lifestyle, and length of stay. It’s wise to set a realistic budget and build a small safety net for unexpected costs during your initial adjustment period.

First Week of Your Expat Life in Spain: Landing, Registering, and Getting Set Up

Once you arrive, your first priority is to become visible in the system, for both legal and practical reasons. This is the foundation for accessing essential services and building your life in Spain.

Your first stop should be registering with the local municipality, a process called empadronamiento. This registration (known as El Padrón) proves your residence and is required to apply for your NIE, access public healthcare, enroll in education, exchange your driver’s license, and more. It’s one of the most important steps during your first week.

Next, apply for your NIE (Número de Identidad de Extranjero). This foreigner ID number is essential for practically everything, from signing a lease and opening a bank account to setting up utilities or buying a car. Without it, most administrative processes come to a halt.

Opening a Bank Account in Spain

Setting up a Spanish bank account is another early task that will make your daily life smoother, whether it’s paying rent and bills, receiving a salary, or making online purchases. Before you open one, it helps to compare what different banks offer.

Traditional banks usually have physical branches where you can get in-person help, while modern online banks often cater well to expats and offer more flexibility. In larger cities, some banks also provide English-language support and expat-friendly services.

To open a bank account in Spain, you’ll typically need your passport, NIE, and proof of address. However, specific requirements can vary slightly from one bank to another.

Setting Up Your SIM Card and Staying Connected

These days, staying connected is more than a convenience, it’s a necessity. For a smooth expat life in Spain, a local phone number is essential for receiving verification codes from banks, government offices, and service providers.

You can choose between prepaid SIM cards, perfect for short stays or flexibility, or contract plans, which typically require a longer commitment (often 12 months). Most major carriers have physical stores where you can get help in person, and some offer support in English or even have expat-targeted plans.

Once you're online and settled, getting familiar with transport in Spain for expats can make daily life much easier. Spain’s public transport system is generally affordable, reliable, and well-connected, making it a great option while you’re still adjusting or before purchasing a car.

Major cities like Madrid, Barcelona, and Valencia have extensive metro and bus systems, while smaller towns often rely on buses and regional trains. Having access to good public transport helps ease the transition into daily routines, whether it’s commuting, attending appointments, or exploring your new surroundings.

As you get more comfortable, these practical adjustments begin to give way to deeper lifestyle changes, from how you spend your weekends to how you engage with local culture and community.

Your First Month in Spain: Finding Your Footing Beyond Paperwork

Now that most of the initial paperwork is behind you, it’s time to focus on daily life, securing long-term housing, setting up utilities, and navigating key next steps like school enrollment or beginning your job search.

House Hunting: Furnished or Not?

After spending some time in short-term accommodation and getting a feel for your surroundings, it’s time to look for something more permanent. In Spain, many long-term rentals, especially outside tourist zones, come unfurnished. Understanding the differences between furnished and unfurnished properties will help you budget smartly and choose what fits your lifestyle and length of stay.

If you're planning to stay for a year or more, furnishing your home might be the more economical option in the long run. That said, furnished rentals are more common in expat-friendly areas and bigger cities. Now’s also the time to decide whether you want to live close to public transport, local markets, schools, or coworking hubs, whatever best suits your routine.

Keep in mind that most landlords require a deposit of one to two months’ rent, and long-term leases typically run for at least 12 months. To sign a lease, you'll need your NIE number and proof of income or employment, so make sure those are ready.

Once you’ve moved in, the next step is setting up essential services like water, electricity, and internet. You’ll usually need your NIE, rental contract, and bank details to get everything up and running.

One useful Spain relocation tip: some older buildings may require separate arrangements for natural gas, so it’s worth checking with your landlord or agent in advance.

If you’re moving to Spain with children, now is the time to focus on school registration. Public schools in larger cities can fill up quickly, so early planning is essential. Spain also offers private and international schools, with decisions often based on language preferences, academic approach, and budget.

For many newcomers, this is often the phase where they begin exploring job opportunities or remote work options. While it's not always urgent to land a job immediately, updating your CV, networking, and understanding the local job market can make a difference. Coworking spaces in cities like Madrid, Barcelona, and Valencia are great places to connect with other expats and digital professionals.

Common Bureaucratic Pitfalls to Avoid in Spain

Even with solid planning, Spanish bureaucracy can feel unfamiliar at first, especially when you're new to the systems and navigating immigration to Spain. The good news is that most challenges are easy to avoid with a little preparation. Here are some tips to help things go smoothly:

• Check if official translations are needed: Some documents must be translated by a sworn translator (traducción jurada) into Spanish. It’s best to confirm early which ones apply to your case.
• Always book a prior appointment: Most government services require a cita previa (appointment). Plan ahead and bring all the necessary paperwork to avoid return visits.
• Look into regional procedures: Procedures can vary depending on the region. What’s standard in Málaga might differ in Valencia or Seville, so always check local guidelines.
• Register your address early: Getting your empadronamiento (Padrón) from the town hall is a key first step. Doing it early helps everything else fall into place more easily.

Month Two in Spain: Building Routines and Starting to Belong

As your second month in Spain begins, daily life starts to feel more familiar. You’ve tackled the paperwork, found a place to live, and established some practical routines. Now, you’re beginning to get a clearer sense of what expat life in Spain will actually look and feel like. This phase is all about transitioning from settling in to actively integrating, and that starts with language.

Why Now’s the Time to Learn Spanish

For day-to-day interactions and long-term success, it’s essential to learn Spanish for expats. Now that the most urgent logistics are behind you, it’s the ideal time to focus on building language skills. Speaking Spanish helps you navigate systems, read contracts, manage errands, and opens the door to friendships, cultural participation, and greater confidence.

It also helps decode cultural nuances and integrate more naturally. Spanish customs, such as mealtimes, conversational style, or how people queue, might seem subtle, but understanding them is key to feeling you truly belong. Even basic Spanish makes it easier to follow these unspoken rules and settle into the local rhythm.

With your language skills growing, it’s time to make sure your healthcare access in Spain is sorted. The country’s public healthcare system is high-quality and widely accessible, but your eligibility depends on your visa and nationality.

To register for the public system, head to your local health center (Centro de Salud) with your empadronamiento and NIE. This registration ensures access to doctors, prescriptions, and ongoing medical support. If you're not eligible for public coverage immediately, consider a temporary private insurance plan to stay protected during the transition.

Just like healthcare, mobility is part of everyday comfort. Depending on your home country, you may be allowed to drive temporarily with your national license, or you may need an international driving permit Spain requires for short stays. For longer stays, exchanging your license for a Spanish one might be necessary, so it’s smart to check the requirements early, especially since regional traffic offices can have long wait times.

As your lifestyle stabilizes and new expenses pop up, now’s a good moment to revisit your budget. By this stage, your understanding of the cost of living in Spain is more grounded in real experience than online estimates. You’ll have a clearer view of your expenses from monthly rent, groceries, and transport to leisure costs. This makes it easier to see whether your original financial plan still holds up. Adjusting early will help you avoid surprises down the line and plan better for the months ahead.

Month Three in Spain: Planning Beyond the 90-Day Rule

As you approach the end of your first three months, one key question begins to surface: “Can I stay in Spain longer than 90 days?” Whether your stay was always meant to be temporary or you're now considering long-term relocation, this is the time to get clarity on your next steps. This means looking into your legal options, checking your visa status, and understanding what's required if you plan to stay.

Planning What Comes After Day 90

Now it’s time to reflect on your expat life in Spain and whether you want to continue your Spanish immigration journey. If you’re planning to stay, or even just considering it, evaluating your options before the 90-day mark is essential.

For non-EU citizens, this often means exploring visa options such as the non-lucrative visa or the digital nomad permit. It’s important to be aware that some of these require applying from outside of Spain, so planning ahead is crucial.

If you’re thinking about leaving and re-entering, a common question is: “After 90 days in Spain when can I return?” According to the 90/180-day rule, you can only spend 90 days within any 180-day period in the Schengen Zone. While this might offer short-term flexibility, and some travelers use this approach for brief breaks while gathering paperwork, it’s not a viable long-term strategy

If you decide to stay, this is the time to begin thinking about long-term plans, applying for residency, buying a home instead of renting, or establishing Spain as your legal base.

Whatever you decide, making a timely and informed decision ensures you have access to the full range of options and can move forward with confidence.

Your first 90 days in Spain set the foundation for everything that comes next. With the right timing and preparation, settling in gets a lot easier.