Skip to content
How to Spain
ES
Menu

Living in Spain (2026): Arrival Admin and Renting

Jules

Editor

Updated: October 2026 | Found helpful by 3 others

Arrival admin in Spain runs as a chain: padron registration is free, a non-EU TIE card costs EUR 16.08 and needs fingerprints within one month of entry, and an EU registration certificate costs EUR 12, as of October 2026. For renting, Real Decreto-ley 29/2026 (in force since 8 October 2026) keeps agency fees with the landlord and caps extra cash guarantees at two months on top of the one-month fianza.

Jump to section

In What Order Do You Do Arrival Admin in Spain?

Passport and visa or EU status, then address evidence, then padron where required, then NIE and TIE or EU registration, then NUSS and health entitlement, then the regional health card, then digital identity, then online municipal, DGT and AEAT services. This is an operational sequence, not a legal order: an FNMT certificate can often come before the TIE, and some workers get a NUSS before the padron.

  1. Passport and visa, or proof of EU status
  2. Address evidence, then empadronamiento where required
  3. NIE and TIE (non-EU) or the EU registration certificate
  4. Social security number (NUSS) and health entitlement
  5. Regional health card
  6. Cl@ve or an FNMT digital certificate, then online municipal, DGT and AEAT services
Illustration of a house with a key, a map pin, and a landmark spire, for housing, costs, and settling into life in Spain.
Housing, costs, and daily life: settling into Spain.

Which Procedures, Fees and Deadlines Apply?

Arrival procedures in Spain with 2026 fees (Orden PJC/617/2025, DGT, FNMT). Processing times are not guaranteed by any office.
ProcedureWho issues itDeadlineFee 2026Key caveat
Address registrationEmpadronamiento (alta en el padron)Each ayuntamiento (town hall); INE coordinates the municipal registersNo national day deadline foundRegistration is free; the local certificate tariff was not capturedNon-EU nationals without long-term residence generally confirm their registration every 2 years (LBRL art. 16, RD 1690/1986 art. 54 bis).
EU registration certificateCertificado de registro de ciudadano de la UnionPolicia Nacional / Oficinas de ExtranjeriaApply within 3 months of entryEUR 12.00 on the EU line; check the generated formThe rules are national; appointment supply varies by province.
Standalone NIENIE (Numero de Identidad de Extranjero)Spanish consulate, or Policia Nacional / Extranjeria in SpainNo deadline: applied for when neededEUR 9.84A NIE is often printed automatically on the TIE or EU certificate, so a separate application may not be needed.
Foreigner identity card (fingerprints)TIE (Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero), toma de huellasPolicia NacionalWithin 1 month of entry or of the grantEUR 16.08 initial, EUR 19.30 renewal, EUR 21.87 long-termA student stay and residence are legally different statuses, even though both can lead to a TIE.
Tax number and census registrationNIF, alta censal (modelos 030/036)Agencia Tributaria (AEAT)No deadline: needed before the taxable actFreeCheck your NIE status before paying anyone for a separate Spanish tax number.
Social security numberNUSS / NAF (numero de afiliacion)Tesoreria General de la Seguridad Social (TGSS)No separate deadline capturedFreeA NUSS is not a work permit.
Regional health cardTarjeta sanitaria (TSI in Catalonia, SIP in Valencia)The regional health service: SERMAS, CatSalut, GVA, SAS, SCS and othersNo deadlineFreeCatalonia's uninsured-access route and Madrid's DASE route have their own padron-history conditions.
Driving-licence exchangeCanje del permiso de conducirDireccion General de Trafico (DGT), provincial traffic officesNot stated on the DGT exchange page; check the issuing country's DGT pageEUR 28.87 without tests, EUR 94.05 with tests for specified categoriesThe licence must normally predate Spanish residence; check the issuing country's DGT page, since agreements can be suspended.
Cl@ve government loginCl@ve (PIN and Permanente)SGAD, with AEAT as a registration officeVoluntaryFreeOne mobile number per identity; the access level differs by route.
FNMT personal digital certificateCertificado digital de persona fisicaFNMT-RCMVoluntaryFree for adults and emancipated minors who hold a DNI or NIECan unlock online services before the TIE exists where NIE evidence is accepted; AEAT census status matters.

How Do Regions Differ?

Immigration law, the SMI and the LAU are national. The padron channel, the health card and part of the rental administration are local or regional.

RegionPadronHealth card
MadridAny OAC for padron appointments; Aravaca and El Pardo require a citaSERMAS card; the DASE route for specified uninsured or irregular situations requires padron history Source
Catalonia (Barcelona)Empadronament at an OAC; idCAT Mobil, Cl@ve or certificate options onlineCatSalut issues the TSI; the uninsured route has continuous-padron and income conditions, and some cards need annual renewal Source
Comunitat ValencianaMunicipal padronGVA SIP card at the assigned health centre; +Salut uses SIP credentials Source
AndalusiaMunicipal padronFirst SAS card request in person at the centro de salud, with padron and entitlement evidence Source
Canary IslandsMunicipal padron; also used for resident travel discountsSCS card plus padron and entitlement Source

What Are the Rental Rules After October 2026?

The controlling sources are the consolidated LAU and Real Decreto-ley 29/2026. Guides written before October 2026 that say a tenant always pays the agency fee on seasonal lets are out of date.

Agency and contract costs
Landlord-side management and contract-formalisation costs (gastos de gestion inmobiliaria y de formalizacion del contrato) cannot be passed to the tenant directly or indirectly under any concept (LAU art. 20.2 as amended by RDL 29/2026). Seasonal and temporary-housing contracts signed before 8 Oct 2026 keep their previous regime until their agreed term ends. BOE: Real Decreto-ley 29/2026
Legal deposit (fianza)
One month's rent for housing, two months for non-housing use. This is the tenant's legal deposit, separate from any additional guarantee. BOE: Ley 29/1994 de Arrendamientos Urbanos (consolidated)
Additional guarantees
Additional guarantees for habitual housing are capped at two months' rent for contracts of up to five years (seven if the landlord is a legal person), and at one month for temporary rentals. A tenant can never be required to take out rent-default insurance (LAU art. 36.5 as amended by RDL 29/2026). BOE: Real Decreto-ley 29/2026
Regional deposit duty
Landlords may have a separate duty to lodge the fianza with a regional body. This is the landlord's administrative duty, not an extra tenant payment. BOE: Ley 29/1994 de Arrendamientos Urbanos (consolidated)
Andalusia administrative deposit
Andalusia abolished the landlord's administrative deposit duty for new contracts from 24 January 2026. The tenant's LAU fianza still applies, and legacy contracts keep their administration. AVRA (Agencia de Vivienda y Rehabilitacion de Andalucia)
Duration and notice
Minimum-extension, withdrawal and notice rules for habitual housing depend on the landlord type and the contract. They do not apply mechanically to every room or seasonal agreement. BOE: Ley 29/1994 de Arrendamientos Urbanos (consolidated)
Stressed areas and SERPAVI
Declared stressed areas (zonas tensionadas) and large-holder rules depend on the region and the property. SERPAVI is the official rent reference, not a listing site. MIVAU: SERPAVI rent reference system

RDL 26/2026: Derogated by Congress on 2 October 2026; not used as authority.

Which Step Fits Your Situation?

Worked scenarios, October 2026. Winners are processes, not paid products.
#SituationBest answerRunner-upWhyRuled out
B3Non-EU resident with visa, no NIE yetUse NIE printed on visa/authorisation, then EX-17 within one monthStandalone EX-15 only if no NIE existsAvoids duplicate identifier request"NIE grants residence": false
B4Non-EU newcomer waiting for TIEFNMT using NIE evidence and accepted identity accreditationCl@ve office registrationDigital certificate can unlock services before card collectionWaiting for TIE as universal prerequisite: not established
B5Newcomer without own leaseHost authorisation + host ID/address proof + own ID, per municipalityUtility/title alternative where acceptedAddresses actual residence without inventing a tenancyFalse contract/address: legal and continuity risk
B6Non-EU resident approaching 2 years on padrónMunicipal confirmation before baja de oficioRe-register after deletionPreserves continuous address historyAssuming EU/long-term exemption applies: status mismatch
B7First employee without NUSSEmployer alta; self-request via Import@ss/TGSS if neededINSS health entitlement firstNUSS precedes contribution recordTreating NUSS as work permission: false
E6Landlord demands agency management fee in covered rentalWritten challenge citing current LAU/RDL 29/2026Walk away and report/documentDirect/indirect pass-through is the legal issuePaying because an old blog calls it customary

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I do first after arriving in Spain?

Spain has no single legal order, but the usual sequence is: address evidence, then empadronamiento (padron) where required, then the NIE and TIE or the EU registration certificate, then the social security number (NUSS) and health entitlement, then the regional health card, then a Cl@ve login or FNMT digital certificate. An FNMT certificate can often come before the TIE.

How much does the padron cost in Spain?

Registering on the padron (empadronamiento) is free at the ayuntamiento as of October 2026. Some towns charge for certificates; that local tariff was not captured here. Non-EU nationals without long-term residence generally have to confirm their registration every 2 years.

Can I register on the padron without my own rental contract in Spain?

Yes, in principle: municipalities accept alternatives such as the written authorisation of the person you live with, plus their ID and proof of address, together with your own ID. Which documents are accepted is set by each ayuntamiento, so check your city's current checklist. Never use a false contract or address.

Who pays the rental agency fee in Spain after October 2026?

The landlord. Since Real Decreto-ley 29/2026 came into force on 8 October 2026, landlord-side management and contract-formalisation costs cannot be passed to the tenant directly or indirectly under any concept. Seasonal contracts signed before that date keep their previous regime until their agreed term ends.

How much deposit can a Spanish landlord ask for?

The legal deposit (fianza) is one month's rent for housing. For habitual housing, additional guarantees are capped at two months' rent for contracts of up to five years (seven with a company landlord) and one month for temporary rentals, and a tenant can never be required to take out rent-default insurance, as of October 2026.

Sources

Change log

Updated

  • Published: arrival admin and renting hub with the 2026 procedure and fee table