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Tuchati

Planning Your Move

Before you move to Spain

The key decisions and preparation to sort out while you're still in your home country.

Last reviewed: 2026-06-15Serious preparation — document gathering, visa application if required, and initial housing research — typically takes 2-4 months before a planned move date.

This guide is not yet verified by Tuchati's editorial review — treat it as a helpful starting point, not a final legal answer.

Overview

The groundwork you do before leaving your home country makes the biggest difference to how smooth your move to Spain feels. This guide covers what to decide and prepare in advance, before you touch down.

Requirements

  • Relevant to anyone planning a move to Spain, regardless of visa category or nationality

Step-by-step process

  • Confirm your legal route into Spain first — EU/EEA citizens register differently from non-EU citizens, who generally need a visa arranged before travelling; see our guides on moving as an EU citizen and moving as a non-EU citizen for the specifics
  • Start gathering key documents early — birth/marriage certificates, academic and professional qualifications, and criminal record checks often need official translation and an apostille, which takes time
  • Research housing options in your target city, even if you don't finalise anything until you arrive — understanding typical rental requirements (see our Housing guides) helps you budget and plan realistically
  • Sort out banking and healthcare cover for your first weeks — many people arrive with international health insurance and open a Spanish bank account shortly after arrival
  • Book your appointment-dependent procedures (visa application, if required) as early as consulate availability allows, since these are often the real bottleneck

Required documents

  • Valid passport
  • Birth/marriage certificates and academic qualifications, apostilled and translated where required
  • Proof of funds or income, depending on your visa route

Common mistakes

  • Leaving document translation and apostille until the last minute, when it can take weeks depending on the document and country of origin
  • Assuming your visa route is the same as someone else's — EU and non-EU citizens follow genuinely different processes

Practical tips

  • Make a document checklist tailored to your specific visa route as early as possible — see our essential documents checklist
  • If you're moving with family or pets, their preparation timelines (school research, pet travel requirements) often run in parallel and need their own lead time

How Tuchati can help

Every move looks different depending on your nationality, family situation and goals. Tuchati can help you build a personalised pre-departure plan rather than following a generic checklist.

Before you move to Spain — Help Centre — Tuchati