Moving checklist: before you leave for Spain

Overview

This is a condensed, actionable checklist covering what to complete before you leave your home country for Spain — a companion to our narrative guide, Before you move to Spain, which explains the reasoning behind each item.

Requirements

• Relevant to anyone in the final weeks before departing for Spain

Step-by-step process

• Confirm your visa/residency route is approved (if required) or your EU registration plan is clear
• Gather and apostille/translate your key documents: birth certificate, marriage certificate if applicable, academic/professional qualifications, and criminal record certificate
• Confirm your housing plan for at least your first weeks — a temporary arrangement is fine if you haven't secured a longer-term rental yet
• Arrange health insurance covering your first period in Spain, until public healthcare registration (if applicable) is active
• Notify your home country of your move where relevant — tax residency, banking, mail forwarding, and cancelling or pausing services you won't need
• Book any pet travel or shipping/removals logistics with enough lead time for their specific requirements

Required documents

• Valid passport
• Visa/residency approval, if applicable
• Apostilled/translated civil and academic documents

Common mistakes

• Leaving document apostille and translation until the final weeks, when processing can take longer than expected
• Not arranging interim health cover for the gap between arrival and formal healthcare registration

Practical tips

• Keep a single folder (physical and digital) with every document you'll need, rather than scattering them across different places
• Cross-reference this checklist with our arrival checklist so you know what comes immediately after landing

How Tuchati can help

Tuchati can help you turn this general checklist into a personalised one based on your specific visa route, family situation and timeline.