Setting up mobile, internet and electricity in Spain: process, documents, pitfalls

In short: For electricity, water and internet in Spain you mainly need three things: your NIE, an IBAN and your rental contract. For electricity you only choose the supplier, the grid is fixed. Fibre and mobile are cheap and quickly connected, with bundles from 13 € a month (as of August 2026).

In what order should you go about it?

The order follows from the documents: without an NIE and a bank account you won’t get far with any utility. A phone with a Spanish number, on the other hand, helps you from day one, because landlords, authorities and delivery services reach you that way.

1. Prepaid SIM on day one

   You can get a prepaid card in the provider’s shop by showing your passport or ID card. In Spain every SIM card has to be registered to a person. Thanks to EU roaming your old number keeps working for now, but it isn’t meant as a permanent solution.

2. NIE and bank account

   For contracts with monthly direct debit, providers ask for the NIE and an IBAN. A Spanish bank account makes everything easier.

3. Sign the rental contract and clarify the meters

   Ask the landlord whose name electricity and water are in. Either the contracts stay with them and you reimburse the bills, or you take them over in your name.

4. Take over electricity and water

   With the CUPS number, NIE, IBAN and rental contract, you apply for a change of contract holder with the electricity supplier and with the municipal water company.

5. Order fibre

   Check on the provider’s website with your exact address whether they have fibre there. A technician installs the connection and router in the flat.

6. Switch your mobile contract

   Once the internet is running, a fibre and mobile bundle is usually worth it. You can keep your prepaid number (portabilidad).

Electricity: grid operator versus supplier

The Spanish electricity market separates two roles, and if you mix them up, you’ll call the wrong company.

• Grid operator (distribuidora): owns the line and the meter. It is tied to your area, you can’t choose it. In Andalusia and the Canary Islands it is mostly e-distribución from the Endesa group. It is responsible for power cuts or a faulty meter.
• Supplier (comercializadora): you sign the contract with them, and they send the bill. You choose them freely and can switch.

Every connection has a fixed ID number, the CUPS. It starts with ES and is on every old bill. Ask the landlord or previous tenant for a bill, and you’ll have the CUPS, the current supplier and the contracted power (potencia) at a glance.

Take over the contract or get a new connection?

If the electricity in the flat is on, a change of contract holder (cambio de titular) is enough. This is usually done quickly by phone or online. If the connection has been cancelled for a long time or the flat is new, you need a new connection (alta nueva). This involves connection fees, and the supplier may ask for an electrical inspection certificate (Boletín eléctrico, also called CIE), issued by a licensed electrician. Clarify before moving in who pays for it.

Regulated tariff or free market?

You have two options, and the difference is bigger than the advertising suggests.

2026 shows how much the regulated tariff fluctuates: for a model household (4.6 kW, 3,500 kWh a year), the monthly bill according to Papernest was 68.32 € in June and 87.50 € in September. Since 1 June 2026, 21 % VAT (IVA) and 5.11 % electricity tax apply again. In the Canary Islands the island tax IGIC applies instead of IVA; the rate your supplier charges is shown on the bill.

The most neutral way to compare offers is the comparison tool of the competition authority CNMC (comparador.cnmc.gob.es). Low-income households can apply for the social tariff Bono Social, a discount on the electricity bill. It is only available on the regulated tariff and only for your main residence; the requirements are on bonosocial.gob.es.

Water and gas

Water is supplied by your municipality’s water company, you have no choice. In Granada it’s Emasagra, in Málaga Emasa, in Seville Emasesa, in Las Palmas Emalsa, in Santa Cruz de Tenerife Emmasa. For the contract you need your NIE, rental contract or title deed (Escritura) and IBAN, sometimes also the meter reading. Billing is usually every two months. In many rented flats the water contract stays with the landlord.

There is only a natural gas network in parts of Andalusia, and none for households in the Canary Islands. Many flats use the orange butane gas bottle (bombona) for cooking and hot water. You swap it at the petrol station or have it delivered; the maximum price is regulated by the state.

Fibre and landline internet

Spain has one of the densest fibre networks in Europe. According to the Ministry for Digital Transformation, fibre to the home (FTTH) reaches 95.92 % of households, and gigabit connections in rural areas 86.01 % (data as of June 2025). So even in small towns you can usually work from home. Still, check it for the exact address before you sign a rental contract.

The prices from the Xataka Móvil tariff comparison change often; take them as a rough guide.

The big brands Movistar, Orange and Vodafone are more expensive and advertise promotional prices that go up after a few months. Their second brands (O2 belongs to Movistar, Lowi to Vodafone, Simyo to Orange) use the same networks at lower prices.

Mobile: prepaid or contract?

Mobile phone plans are cheap in Spain, and almost all tariffs can be cancelled monthly. Prices from the tariff comparison of February 2026:

• Digi: 5 GB for 3 €, 25 GB for 5 €, 50 GB with unlimited calls for 7 €
• Simyo: 8 GB for 3.50 €, 50 GB for 6 €
• O2: 50 GB for 7 €
• Lowi: 15 GB for 5 €, 50 GB for 8 €
• Pepephone: 20 GB for 7 €
• Prepaid with Movistar, Orange or Vodafone: 60 GB for 10 € per 28 days

A Spanish number is more than a convenience. Banks, authorities and the Cl@ve login system send codes by SMS, and the payment app Bizum is linked to a Spanish mobile number.

Typical pitfalls

Most problems don’t arise when you sign up, but from the small print and old contracts.

• Previous tenant’s contract: read the meter on the day you move in and take a photo. Otherwise you may end up paying for someone else’s consumption.
• Add-on services with electricity: free market suppliers like to sell maintenance packages and insurance along with the contract. They are optional; say clearly on the phone that you don’t want them, and check the first bill.
• Door-to-door sales reps: don’t sign anything and don’t hand over a bill with your CUPS. With the CUPS and an ID number, a change of supplier can be initiated.
• Promotional internet prices: look at the price after the promotion and the minimum term (3 or 12 months). If you cancel earlier, you usually pay a pro rata amount.
• Digi prices: the 10 € only applies on their own network. Outside it, the tariff is more expensive.
• Landlord keeps the contracts: that’s convenient, but ask to see the bills and set out in the rental contract how costs are billed.
• Moving out: cancel or transfer electricity, water and internet, and return the router. Otherwise the direct debits keep running.

Electricity and water bills in your name are useful, by the way: many town halls accept them as additional proof of residence for the Padrón (registration at the town hall). You can work out how these items fit into your monthly budget under Cost of living in Spain.

Frequently asked questions