Moving to Spain: removals, budget and paperwork

Planning a move to Spain? Between choosing a city, setting a budget, shipping your belongings and dealing with the paperwork, it is best to plan the project in stages. The steps also depend on your nationality, your work situation and who is moving with you.

This guide brings together the questions to deal with before you leave and after you arrive: why move, how much to budget, how to choose a removals company and which formalities to prepare for. For a wider view of life in the country, see also our guide Living in Spain.

Why move to Spain?

Spain attracts people with very different plans: a change of lifestyle, a job opportunity, remote work, being closer to family or retirement. Cities, coasts, islands and inland areas do not offer the same climate, the same services or the same job prospects.

To compare destinations and what daily life is really like, start with our guide on Living in Spain. It goes further into housing, the cost of living, work and paperwork.

Moving to Spain to work or work remotely

Before choosing a city, compare the job offers with your sector, your languages and your experience. If you keep a remote job, check your employer's conditions in advance, as well as social security and tax questions. Our guide Working in Spain sets out the options to look at.

Moving to Spain with your family

A family move is planned around everyone's routine: children's ages, school, childcare, access to healthcare, housing and daily journeys. Contact the schools you are considering, including international and British schools, to ask about places, teaching languages, term dates and the documents required. Our guide to the school system in Spain will help you compare the options.

The choice of city should also take the adults' needs into account: work, transport, being near an airport or having services in English. To explore different lifestyles, see our guides on how to live in Valencia, live in Alicante and live in the Canary Islands.

Retiring to Spain

To prepare a move in retirement, look at how close healthcare is, how accessible the home is, transport, the climate and how often you will travel back home. Also check your health cover and your tax situation before you set your departure date. Our guide to retiring in Spain and our guide to health cover for retirees complete these pointers.

How much should you budget to move to Spain?

Plan two separate budgets: the cost of shipping your belongings and the costs of settling in. There is no standard price for a removal to Spain; it depends on the addresses, the volume, the time of year and the services.

Estimating the cost of the removal

The price of a removal to Spain depends first on the volume to move and the distance. The starting point and destination, transport by road or by sea, access to the homes (floor, lift, parking) and the services chosen (packing, dismantling, storage) also affect the quote. From outside the EU, such as the UK or the US, also allow for customs formalities on your belongings.

To picture these volumes, Déménagement24 suggests a rough rule: divide the living area of a normally furnished home by two. That gives about 10 to 15 m³ for a studio of 20 to 30 m², 20 to 25 m³ for a one-bedroom flat of 40 to 50 m² and 30 to 35 m³ for a two-bedroom flat of 60 to 70 m² (living room and two bedrooms). So 30 to 35 m³ is closer to a two-bedroom flat than to a studio. The furniture, the number of boxes and having a cellar or garage can change this estimate.

Groupage means sharing a lorry with other customers. It can lower the cost if your dates are flexible, but delivery may take longer. Ask for at least three detailed quotes based on the same inventory and compare the services included. A lower price may not include packing, storage or enough insurance cover. Also ask how the company handles a late delivery or a home it cannot access, and who pays any parking or furniture lift costs.

Budgeting for settling in

On top of the removal quote, add the costs of leaving and arriving: travel for the family, temporary accommodation, the rental deposit, the first month's rent, furnishing the home, any translations, paperwork fees and childcare or school costs. Keep a margin for the first few months, when some costs are still hard to predict.

Comparing the cost of living and rents

To compare everyday costs, here are Numbeo figures checked in October 2026, with neighbouring France as a European benchmark. These crowd-sourced figures are national averages: they do not predict the budget of a specific city or household. Our article Cost of living in Spain vs the UK: what is really cheaper gives more points of comparison.‍

Numbeo data for Spain · Numbeo data for France.

Your housing budget will depend on your plans: whether you buy or rent, the area and the size you are looking for. At first, you may want to rent while you choose your city and lifestyle.

How do you choose a removals company?

Moving yourself or hiring a professional

The choice is a question of volume, of distance, of the time you have and of the services you need.

• Moving yourself can work if you have few belongings and can drive a van. Also budget for fuel, tolls, accommodation, loading and unloading. For an island destination, check the sea crossing separately.
• Hiring a professional may suit you better for a large volume, a long journey, or if you need packing, dismantling, storage or delivery upstairs. Check that the quote covers the whole journey to your new home.

Comparing quotes and checking the company

Ask for at least three written quotes, based on the same inventory and the same addresses, then compare:

• The total price and its breakdown: transport, handling, packing, dismantling, storage, delivery, parking and any access or furniture lift costs.
• The scope of the service: volume agreed, addresses, dates, stated delivery times and services included or charged as extras.
• Insurance: compensation limits, exclusions, excess, declared value of your belongings and the procedure if something is damaged.
• The contract terms: deposit, payment schedule, cancellation, date changes and possible extra charges.
• How the transport is organised: the name of the company that will carry out the move, any subcontracting, a contact you can reach and the plan if there is a delay or access problem.

If you are bringing your car, treat it separately from the furniture: re-registration, ITV inspection, any taxes and insurance. The Spanish DGT sets out the steps for vehicles coming from the EU (what to check before you leave is covered in the section on vehicles).

What should you do before you leave?

Before you leave: tell the relevant bodies and prepare your documents

Update your address with the relevant bodies in your home country: tax office, health insurer or health service, pension provider, bank, employer, insurers, utility companies and services linked to your home. A change of address abroad does not necessarily update all your accounts automatically. Check your own government's guidance on who to tell.

Gather your identity documents, civil status certificates, proof of income and employment, school records and any useful medical records. Check with each authority whether it needs an original, a recent or a translated document.

Bringing your car and re-registering it in Spain

If you are settling in Spain for the long term with a car registered abroad, plan to re-register it in Spain. According to Your Europe, your normal residence is generally the country where you live, work or have your family for more than 185 days a year. A temporary stay without a change of residence may follow other rules; students who come only to study are in principle exempt. Check your case before you leave with the Spanish DGT and Your Europe.

For a car coming from another EU country, the DGT procedure usually involves these steps:

1. Gather the car's papers. Bring the original registration certificate and proof of ownership. The DGT also asks for the European Certificate of Conformity (CoC) or an equivalent document; if you no longer have it, ask the manufacturer for a duplicate or ask about a reduced technical data sheet.
2. Pass the Spanish ITV. Take the car to an approved ITV station to get its Spanish technical data sheet. Before the appointment, check which conformity documents your model needs.
3. Check the taxes and any exemptions. The DGT asks for proof of payment, exemption or non-liability for the registration tax, which depends mainly on CO₂ emissions, and for the municipal road tax (IVTM). If you already owned the car before moving from an EU country, the DGT says that the taxes linked to buying it do not have to be paid; you still need to check the registration taxes.
4. Apply for registration with the DGT. Once approved, you get the Spanish registration number and the vehicle registration document; you then need to have the plates made and take out compulsory insurance.

So budget for the ITV, any CoC or reduced data sheet fees, the applicable taxes, the DGT procedure and the plates. The amounts depend on the car, its emissions and the municipality. The DGT states that once the car is in Spain, you cannot drive it until it is registered; green temporary plates, valid for two months and renewable during the procedure, can be requested with valid insurance. Also deregister the car for export in the country where it is registered.

If your car comes from outside the EU, for example from the UK or the US, different customs and tax rules apply. A relief for transfer of residence may apply under certain conditions, including at least twelve months' prior residence outside the EU and at least six months' use of the car in your former country; check with the Spanish Tax Agency before you ship it.

What should you do when you arrive in Spain?

Check the residence formalities for your nationality

• EU citizens (from Germany, the Netherlands or Ireland, for example): you do not need a visa to move to Spain.
• Stays of more than three months: in principle, you must apply for a registration certificate within three months of arriving, in person and by appointment, at the relevant foreigners' office or police station. The documents depend on your situation: employment, self-employment, studies, or sufficient resources and health cover. The certificate shows your NIE. See Your Europe on registering after three months and the procedure on the Spanish government website.
• Non-EU nationals (from the UK or the US, for example): a visa or permit may be needed before you leave, depending on your nationality and the purpose of your stay; British and American citizens need one to live in Spain beyond 90 days. See our guide to the different types of visa for Spain and the information from the Spanish consulate in your country.

Registering on the padrón and getting your NIE

• The padrón: once you have an address, register on the municipal register of the town where you usually live. The town hall will tell you which documents it accepts; bring proof of address, such as a rental contract, a title deed or authorisation from the owner. For an EU citizen, the padrón does not replace the registration certificate. See the official information on registering on the municipal register.
• The NIE: this identification number is needed for many banking, property and work procedures. It is neither a residence permit nor proof of residence. The details are explained by the Spanish consulate in your country and in our guides How to get your NIE and residence card.

The NIE is an identification number needed for many procedures, for example some banking, property or work procedures. On its own, it is neither a residence permit nor proof of residence: applying for an NIE at a consulate does not give you the right to settle in Spain. The details are explained by the Spanish consulate in your country and in our guide How to get your NIE. Depending on your nationality and situation, other residence steps may be needed; our guide to the residence card gives more detail.

Opening a bank account

• Check which documents are needed before booking an appointment: they vary by bank and by your status. Ask whether the bank accepts non-residents and whether it requires ID, an NIE, proof of address, proof of income or a tax residence certificate.
• Compare the fees for account keeping, cards and international transfers. An NIE alone does not guarantee that a bank will open an account for you.

Sorting out your health cover, work and tax

• Health: your rights depend on your status and on which country is responsible for your social security cover. The European Health Insurance Card (or the UK GHIC) covers temporary stays; it does not replace setting up your cover when you settle for the long term.
• Work and social security: if you work in Spain, check your registration as an employee or self-employed person with your employer or the relevant body.
• Retirement: some retirees whose state pension is paid by an EU country or the UK can get an S1 form from their home country and register it in Spain.
• Tax: if you work remotely for a foreign employer, have several sources of income or receive a pension, check what your tax residence means for you and your filing obligations before you leave.

See the rules on Your Europe on health cover in the host country and our guide to social security in Spain.

Tax residence is a separate question from the right of residence. How long you stay and where your main economic interests are can both count. See the criteria of the Spanish Tax Agency and our guide on the status of tax resident in Spain. If you have income, work or property in two countries, have your situation checked against the double taxation treaty between Spain and your country of residence.