BEFORE LEAVING THE UK |
| Hand in your notice at work and make sure you receive a P45 form (depending on your contract). |
| Get estimates from removal companies about moving your belongings to Spain (or putting some into storage) |
| Organise separate transport for any particularly valuable or delicate belongings, |
If unemployed, contact the Department of Work & Pensions at the UK Pensions Service to
apply for an E303 which will entitle you to jobseeker’s allowance for up to three months from INEM (Instituto Nacional de Empleo). |
| Register your change of address with the overseas branch of the Department of Health and you will be sent an application form for a Spanish national health card. |
| Arrange transport to your new home, making sure you don’t exceed the weight limits for your luggage (book as early as possible for cheaper flights) Contact the council to bring council tax payments up to date and to inform them of changes to your address for the electoral register (as a British citizen, you are still entitled to vote in general elections, even if living abroad). |
| Give notice to your landlord (if renting) and retrieve your deposit |
| Notify people of your new address in Spain: bank, passport office, DVLA for driving licences and car registration details, pension company, any insurance brokers |
| Cancel accounts with gas, electric, water, phone, contents insurance, TV licence, doctor, dentist. Request any refunds and arrange for bills to be sent to your new address in Spain. Arrange disconnection if need be |
| Arrange for mail to be redirected to your Spanish address |
| CHILDREN |
| Arrange Spanish lessons for the children |
| Contact local schools (either Spanish or international) and arrange visits to help you decide which is best |
| Enrol your child in whichever school you’ve chosen for them (as early before you go as possible). You usually require a copy of the child’s birth certificate or passport, copies of parent’s passports, proof of residence, immunisation records, two passport-sized photos and any exam certificates or school reports |
| Make sure you include any dependants (children of under 16) on your application for a Spanish social security card so that the whole family can be eligible for free healthcare |
| ANIMALS |
| Microchip your pets with your new details in Spain.& If they are already microchipped, ask your vet to update your address and contact details |
| Get up-to-date vaccinations for rabies, a clear blood test and PETS1 and PETS5 certificates, all organised with your vet (blood tests have to be done at least 6 weeks before rabies jab is given) |
| Organise transport, preferably with a specialist animal transporter |
| CARS & MOTORING |
| Contact the DVLA to update your address on your driving licence and car registration form |
| If taking your British registered car with you, get a certificate of permanent export (V561) from the DVLA |
| Contact your car insurance company to make sure the policy covers the car being driven in Spain (is there a time limit?). Update your policy as necessary |
| Consider getting separate car insurance and breakdown cover through a Spanish company |
| Buy a separate set of bulbs, spare tyres, tyre-changing tools and two warning triangles (with codes E9 and 27RO3) to keep in the boot of the car. It is illegal not to carry these when driving |
| Get a road worthiness certificate (ITV or inspecció n técnica vehiculos)by contacting the RACE (Spanish equivalent of RAC or AA) |
| Register your car with the Spanish traffic department (jefatura provincial de tráfico) |
| Pay your Spanish road tax at the local town hall |
| Register for Spanish plates with the jefatura provincial de tráfico |
| LOOKING FOR A PROPERTY |
| Narrow down your search to a region, area or town in Spain. Read as much as you can. visit our Towns of Spain section, |
| If you’ve decided where you want to live in Spain, start getting property details from estate agents |
| Consider renting a property in your chosen area to get to know it better or to spend longer looking for properties |
| Arrange to go on a viewing trip (either independently or with an estate agent) and view as many properties as possible while there |
| If you find a house you like, arrange a second viewing at a different time of day to see if the neighbourhood is any quieter, busier, noisier or scruffier |
| Find an English-speaking Spanish solicitor who will represent you and instruct you throughout the process |
| Put down a deposit (usually 1 or 2% of the purchase price) |
| Instruct your solicitor to make initial checks on the property (are the vendors the legal owners? is there any development planned on nearby land? is the house in habitable condition? are there any outstanding debts on the property?) |
| Confirm you have funds to complete the purchase (confirmation of a mortgage or remortgage, or a bank manager letter confirming you have money in your account) |
| Sign the private contract (contrato de compraventa) with the vendor once the solicitor’s initial checks are complete |
| Instruct your solicitor to check the title deeds and make arrangements to remedy any problems |
| Arrange for the final contract of sale/purchase (escritura) to be translated and checked by your solicitor. Once the notario has prepared the escritura document |
| Meet in the town hall on the completion date to sign the final contract of purchase (escritura) with your legal representative, the vendor, their legal representative, the notary and a representative of the lender (if applicable) |
| Appoint a power of attorney to sign the escritura on your behalf if you can’t attend |
| You are now the legal owners of the property and will receive the keys to your property. You should ask your solicitor to contact the Land Registry to get a certificate of ownership. |
| MONEY AND BANKING |
| Inform the UK inspector of taxes at your local HMRC (Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs) office that you are moving abroad by filling in form P85 |
| If self-employed, check with an accountant to see if you are due a tax refund for the period between the start of the British tax year (5 April) and your departure date |
| Set up a Spanish bank account. You can do this in the UK through a British bank that has branches in Spain (such as Barclays or HSBC) |
| Check if your pension scheme provider will pay contributions into your Spanish bank account |
| Make your annual tax return in Spain with a form bought from a tabaco (tobacconist’s shop) between 1 May and 20 June (Spanish tax year runs from 1 January to 31 December). Submit your form to the district tax office |
| ONCE IN SPAIN |
| Apply for your foreign resident’s number of NIE (numero de identificación de extranjeros) at the local comisaría (police station). All residents or visitors need an NIE in order to buy or sell property, work and pay taxes, apply for benefits, sign up for utility bills and IBI (equivalent of council tax). This can take up to six weeks |
| Retirees (and those of “independent means”) must apply for a residence card. Fill in an application form (available from a comisaría police station or downloaded from www.mir.es and take it to the comisaría with your passport, NIE card, proof of residence, marriage (or divorce) certificates), four passport sized photographs, a medical certificate from your doctor and details of health insurance |
| Inform the UK Pensions Service of your new address (you can still continue to receive UK state pension payments while in Spain) |
| Get a telephone installed (or organise to have the line transferred to your name) by visiting the local Telefónica office with your NIE, residence card or passport, your property deeds (escritura) and other proof of address or contact
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who will arrange Internet and telephone even if there are none available |
| Contact the electricity supplier to arranger for the account to be transferred to your name (or choose from those available to get electricity connected) |
| Register with social security ( in order to get signed up to a local GP) by taking your E111 form (or E106 or E121) to the local INSS office with passports and birth certificates for all the family, marriage or divorce certificates, proof of residence and NIE number. Up to eight weeks later you will receive your social security card (tarjeta sanitaria), a list of local doctors and hospitals plus information about services and charges |
| If self-employed, register with the INSS (Instituto Nacional de la Seguridad Social) to sort out social security payments for free healthcare |
| Consider taking out separate health insurance as not all treatment in Spain is free |
| Revise your will to take account of your new Spanish assets (property, car, funds in Spanish bank accounts). Do this with a Spanish solicitor who will advise you on the complexities of Spanish inheritance tax law |
| If you haven’t done so already, open a Spanish bank account. You will need to take proof of ID, proof of address and your NIE card along to your chosen bank) |
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