Moving From the UK to Spain: Your Complete Checklist
This moving from the UK to Spain checklist walks you through what to do and when, from choosing a visa and gathering documents to customs relief for your belongings and the paperwork you sort out once you arrive. David Dale has moved households to Spain for over 40 years and runs a weekly UK to Spain service, so the removals and customs steps here come from doing this route week in, week out, not guesswork.
Use it as a running list. Immigration and tax rules change, so treat the detail as a starting point and confirm the current position with the Spanish consulate and, where money is involved, a qualified adviser.
Member of the British Association of Removers (BAR). All work fully insured. Our own depot in Almoradi, so the Spanish end is ours. Transfer of Residence customs paperwork handled for you.
Your Moving to Spain Timeline
The single most useful thing you can do is start early, because the visa and document steps take longest. Here is the order most moves follow.
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| 3 to 6 months before | Choose your visa route and start the application (most UK nationals now need a visa to stay beyond 90 days). Begin gathering documents that need an apostille and sworn translation. Research areas and budget. Get removal surveys and quotes. |
| 2 to 3 months before | Book your removal and confirm dates. Start your NIE (Spanish tax/ID number) application. Arrange healthcare cover or private insurance. Give notice on your UK tenancy and utilities. |
| 1 month before | Confirm packing and collection. Apply for Transfer of Residence customs relief for your belongings. Arrange pet travel. Notify HMRC, your council, bank, and GP. |
| Moving week | Final packing, read meter readings, and keep passports, visa papers and valuables with you rather than in the load. Confirm collection and delivery windows. |
| After you arrive | Register on the padrón at your town hall, apply for your TIE residence card, exchange your UK driving licence, register for healthcare, and open a Spanish bank account. |
These arrival steps follow the UK government’s guidance. For the official detail, see gov.uk’s Living in Spain guide.
Visas and Residency
Since Brexit, UK nationals can visit Spain for up to 90 days in any 180 without a visa, but living there needs a visa or residence permit arranged before you go. The non-lucrative visa is the common route for people not working in Spain, and there are separate routes for workers, students, and family reunification.
You apply from the UK before you travel, and the requirements usually include proof of income or savings, private health insurance, and a criminal record certificate. Income thresholds are revised, so check the current figure with the Spanish consulate rather than relying on an old number. Start this first, because it sets the timeline for everything else.
Documents to Gather
Spain asks for more paperwork than an intra-UK move, and much of it needs an apostille and an official Spanish translation, which takes time. A typical list includes:
- Passports valid for the whole stay
- Your visa application and supporting forms
- Birth and marriage certificates, apostilled and translated where needed
- Proof of income or savings, and private health insurance
- A criminal record certificate
- Your NIE once issued, and later your TIE residence card
- An inventory of the belongings you are shipping, for customs
Sort the apostille and translations early. It is the step people leave too late.
Paperwork After You Arrive
Several jobs can only be done once you are in Spain. Work through these in your first weeks:
- Empadronamiento. Register on the municipal register (padrón) at your local town hall. Much of the other admin depends on it.
- NIE and TIE. The NIE is your foreigner ID and tax number; the TIE is the physical residence card you apply for after arriving.
- Healthcare. Register with the local system. UK state pensioners may be able to use an S1 form; others rely on private cover or contributions. gov.uk’s Living in Spain guide explains who qualifies.
- Driving licence. You can exchange a UK licence for a Spanish one through the Spanish traffic authority (DGT). Do this within the allowed window.
- Banking. Open a Spanish bank account for utilities and local payments.
Moving Your Belongings
This is the part David Dale handles for you. For most moves to Spain the practical choice is a part load on our weekly service, where you pay for the space your goods use rather than a whole vehicle. Larger households take a dedicated vehicle. A survey, in person or by video, sets an accurate volume so your quote is fixed rather than revised on the day.
Since Brexit, your belongings are a customs import into Spain. Most people relocating their main home qualify for Transfer of Residence relief, which brings used household goods in free of duty and VAT when you meet the conditions, broadly that you are moving your main residence and have owned the goods for at least six months. It has to be arranged before your goods arrive, and your coordinator prepares the documentation as part of the service. See our removals to Spain page, and if you are shipping a smaller load, our guides to small removals to Spain and part load removals to Europe.
Pets, Cars and Specialist Items
A few things sit outside a standard household move and need their own arrangements. Pets can travel to Spain with the right health paperwork, and gov.uk’s Living in Spain guide covers the current pet rules. A car can be transported alongside your goods and then re-registered in Spain through the DGT, which is your responsibility once it arrives. Antiques, artwork and pianos are quoted separately and benefit from export wrapping.
How David Dale Helps With Your Move to Spain
We handle the removal and the customs paperwork so that part of the checklist looks after itself. David Dale runs a weekly UK to Spain service around 50 weeks of the year, with our own depot in Almoradi rather than a local agent at the Spanish end. As a member of the British Association of Removers, we work to the BAR code of practice, all work is fully insured, and one coordinator manages your move from survey to delivery, including the Transfer of Residence documentation. If your Spanish property is not ready, we hold your goods in our own secure storage.
FAQs
Yes, to live there. UK nationals can visit for up to 90 days in any 180 without a visa, but staying longer means applying for a visa or residence permit before you travel, such as the non-lucrative visa if you are not working. Requirements include proof of income, private health insurance, and a criminal record certificate. Check the current details with the Spanish consulate, as thresholds change.
Most people moving their main home to Spain qualify for Transfer of Residence relief, which removes import duty and VAT on used household goods when you meet the conditions. It must be arranged before your goods arrive. David Dale prepares the paperwork as part of the move, and you provide documents confirming your change of residence.
Four to six weeks is a comfortable lead time, and longer in summer when the Spain lanes are busiest. Because we run a weekly service, part loads can often be scheduled inside that window once your survey and volume are confirmed. Booking earlier also leaves time for the customs paperwork.
Yes. Pets can travel with the correct health documentation, and gov.uk’s Living in Spain guide sets out the current rules. A car can be transported alongside your goods and then re-registered in Spain through the DGT, which is your responsibility after it arrives.
Register on the padrón at your town hall, apply for your TIE residence card, register for healthcare, exchange your UK driving licence through the DGT, and open a Spanish bank account. The padrón registration usually comes first because other steps depend on it.
Start Your Move to Spain
Tick the biggest item off your checklist by getting the removal and customs handled by one team. Get a fixed-price quote for your move to Spain or call 01423 324 948 to talk it through with a coordinator. You can also read more on our European removals service.
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