Moving to Spain as an expat: job, contract and settling in
Local contract or posting? What expats in Spain need to know about salary, employment law, social security, taxes and the first weeks.
As an expat
The key steps for anyone moving to Spain with a job.
Paperwork we handle for you:
- NIE number (from 190 €)
- Town hall registration (Padrón) (120 €)
- Social security number (120 €)
- Bank account and Bizum (150 €)
- Health insurance (150 €)
- Health card and GP (150 €)
- Taxes and tax residency (via a gestoría)
- Deregistration back home (Abmeldung) (120 €)
- Rental flat and lease (from 150 €)
Working in Spain: 4 ways to earn your money
Remote, local job, self-employed or pension: the four ways to an income in Spain, with the figures and rules for 2026.
Applying for the NIE: How It Works in 2026
Two routes to the NIE: before the move at the Spanish consulate or in Spain at the police. With documents, fee, processing time and typical mistakes.
Finding a flat in Spain: portals, rents, deposit and traps
Rental prices for Andalusia and the Canary Islands, tenancy law in brief, what landlords ask for and how to spot a scam.
Health insurance in Spain: health card and GP
How you are covered by health insurance in Spain depends on your circumstances. All routes into the public system, the health card and co-payments.
Taxes in Spain for expats: what you need to know
When you become liable for tax in Spain, which rates apply in Andalusia and the Canary Islands, and what happens to your pension.