Moving to Spain from the US: legal steps, costs and first 90 days

Short answer: yes. You can move to Spain from the US. The legal path depends on why you’re moving: retiring with no Spanish income, buying property, working, or joining family. The rest of this article explains which permit fits most Americans, the paperwork and fees you’ll actually meet, what to get done in your first 90 days, and the practical costs that push your budget up or down.

1. Which visa or permit you actually need (pick a path)

Most Americans moving long term use one of three routes:

• Non‑lucrative visa (retirees/private means), for people who will live in Spain but won’t work for a Spanish employer. You apply at the Spanish consulate in the US. Expect to show a year’s worth of private health insurance with no wait periods and bank statements proving you can support yourself.
• Golden Visa (residence by investment), buy real estate worth at least €500,000 (single or in multiple properties) and you qualify for a residency permit with relatively quick processing and the right to work.
• Work or digital‑nomad visas, if you plan to work for a Spanish employer, or under one of the new remote‑work visas. These require contracts or proof of remote contracting and social security arrangements.

Which one is best for a typical US retiree? For most people I advise the non‑lucrative visa: you don’t need €500k, it’s straightforward to prepare the documents, and it was created for this exact purpose. The golden visa makes sense if you already plan to invest in property and want mobility for family and faster renewal rules.

How the main residence options compare (approximate figures)

Route	Key requirement	Typical upfront cash	Processing time (typical)
Non‑lucrative visa	Proof of sufficient funds + private health insurance	Common guideline: €25,000–€35,000 for one person (see consulate)	2–4 months at consulate (varies)
Golden Visa	Minimum €500,000 in qualifying real estate	€500,000 purchase + 10–13% purchase costs	6–12 weeks (fast if documents ready)
Work / digital nomad	Employment contract or remote‑work evidence	No fixed threshold; depends on salary/contract	Varies by region and workload

Notes on the figures above: consulates publish different bank‑balance rules. The “€25k–€35k” for a non‑lucrative visa is a commonly used guideline for a single applicant’s annual means; some consulates expect more, some accept less if you have steady pension payments. Always check the Spanish consulate website for the state (exteriores.gob.es) that covers your US address before you book medicals or translations.

2. Documents you must prepare before you leave (and where they trip people up)

Two rules that save time: get documents apostilled in the US and translated into Spanish by a sworn translator (traductor jurado). Do that before you hand anything to a consulate.

Commonly required documents (check your consulate):

• Valid passport (at least 1–2 blank pages and usually valid for 1 year beyond entry).
• Visa application form (often printed from the consulate site; some consulates use form EX‑01 for long‑stay visas).
• Criminal record certificate from the FBI (apostilled and translated).
• Full medical certificate showing you don’t have contagious diseases (see our note on medical certificates: /en/visas-legal/medical-certificate-spain-visa).
• Proof of funds: bank statements, pension letters or investment statements (recent months, original and translated).
• Private health insurance policy (no co‑payments for many consulates; cover must begin on entry date).
• Marriage and birth certificates for family members (apostilled and translated).

Things that commonly cause delays:

• Certificates not apostilled or translated. The consulate will often reject the file rather than ask for fixes.
• Medical certificates written with the wrong wording. Use the sample wording your consulate publishes.
• Bank letters not clearly showing liquid assets or regular pension payments.

3. The arrival checklist: first 30–90 days in Spain (practical order)

Your first three months are paperwork‑heavy. Here’s the order I’d follow; it’s what saved me time.

1. Get your empadronamiento (padrón), register at the town hall where you live. This takes 10–30 minutes with your passport and rental contract. You’ll need the padrón to access local discounts, health registration, and some bureaucratic appointments.
2. Apply for your NIE (Número de Identidad de Extranjero), the foreigner identity number. You’ll use this for banking, taxes and property. Sometimes you get a paper NIE at a police station; other times you apply with form 790/012. Check the local extranjería or police website for the exact booking link. If you have a long‑stay visa, you’ll usually then book an appointment to get the TIE (residence card).
3. Book the TIE appointment, within 30 days of arrival you must apply for the Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero (TIE). This involves form EX‑17/EX‑23 or the online equivalent depending on the province, fingerprints and a small fee (commonly paid via Modelo 790). The police give you a temporary paper certificate until the card is ready.
4. Open a Spanish bank account, most banks will open an account with passport and NIE. Some still accept temporary NIE receipts. Expect to be asked about source of funds; bring your pension statements.
5. Health: private policy then public access, unless you’re immediately eligible for public healthcare (e.g. through work or social security contributions), you must have the private policy you used for your visa. Once resident and registered for social security you can apply for public coverage; rules differ by region.
6. Arrange a gestor for tax and residency renewals, you don’t have to, but most people do. A local gestor saves time with the Agencia Tributaria and with renewals. See our guide on finding a gestor: /en/finance-tax/gestor-tax-advisor-spain.

Timing and real waits: the padrón and bank are immediate. NIE and TIE appointments can take weeks or months depending on the province — in Madrid and Barcelona waits can be long. Don’t assume instant service. Book everything the day you arrive and follow the appointment confirmation emails carefully.

4. Money, taxes and the realistic costs that matter

Costs fall into three buckets: (A) visa and application costs, (B) moving and living costs in Spain, and (C) property purchase taxes and fees if you buy.

A. Visa & administration (examples)

• Consulate visa fee: commonly €80–€160 per adult (varies by consulate and visa type).
• Translations and apostilles: budget €200–€800 depending on how many documents and whether you pay for rush service.
• TIE card fee and forms: commonly a small administrative fee (approx. €10–€20) plus any gestor fee for filing.

B. Moving & first‑year living costs

• Monthly living: coastal towns vary widely, expect €1,400–€2,500 for comfortable living for two (rent, utilities, groceries). Cities like Madrid and Barcelona are at the top end.
• Private health insurance: for retirees expect roughly €90–€200 per person per month depending on age and pre‑existing conditions (prices jump with age and conditions).
• Flights and shipping: a one‑way container or shipping plus storage can be €3,000–€8,000 depending on volume. Flights one way per person vary seasonally.

C. Buying property (if that’s your plan)

• Purchase taxes: 6–10% transfer tax on resale homes (depends on region), 10% VAT on new builds. Expect notary, land registry and lawyer fees of another 1–2%.
• Estate agent fees: normally charged to the seller, but in some coastal bargains you’ll find buyer costs to negotiate.
• Golden Visa threshold: €500,000 minimum property investment.

What drives these costs up? Age and health (insurance premiums), region (Balearics and Costa del Sol are costlier), how quickly you want residency (rush translation and gestor fees), and whether you buy. If you’re price‑sensitive: pick smaller cities or inland towns and rent the first year—rent is your single biggest control lever.

Taxes to watch:

• You become a Spanish tax resident if you spend more than 183 days in Spain in a calendar year or if your economic interests are centred here. As a resident, Spain taxes worldwide income. The US‑Spain tax treaty and the US foreign tax credit reduce double taxation, and check with a gestor. See Agencia Tributaria for details: agenciatributaria.es.
• Pensions: how your US Social Security or private pensions are taxed depends on the treaty and whether you are a tax resident. Talk to a tax professional before you cross the line into residency.

Want a second opinion on tax residency? Read our guide to getting a gestor: /en/finance-tax/gestor-tax-advisor-spain.

Practical traps and how to avoid them

Three that bite people:

• Assuming tourist entry + switching to residency is easy. Some consulates insist you apply for the appropriate visa from the US; others allow certain switches inside Spain. Don’t rely on luck.
• Thinking public healthcare starts on day one. It usually doesn’t for non‑contributory residents; you’ll need that private policy for the first months or year.
• Buying before you have spent time in the area. Rent a year first. People who buy immediately often regret the micro location, not the purchase itself.

If you’re buying, read a nota simple on a property before you sign (it flags debts and ownership). We have a short guide to that: /en/housing/nota-simple-spain-property-check. If you’re unsure about renting first, see our notes on short‑term rentals: /en/housing/short-term-rental-first-months-spain.

Questions worth asking a lawyer, gestor or broker

If you’re paying for professional help, bring these questions to the first meeting. They force practical answers and quickly show whether the adviser knows your situation.

• Exactly which consulate or extranjería office will handle my file, and do you know their current appointment wait times?
• For my visa type, what exact wording must the medical certificate and criminal record certificate include? Will you check the draft before I apostille and translate?
• How do you handle tax residency: what steps will you take to minimise double taxation between Spain and the US?
• If I buy property, what are the full expected closing costs (transfer tax, notary, registry, legal fees) for this region and price band?
• What are your fees, billing structure and what exactly is included (appointments, paperwork, tax filings)?
• If my visa is rejected, what are the usual grounds and do you help with reapplying or appeals? (See our guide on reapplying after a rejection: /en/visas-legal/spain-visa-after-rejection-reapply.)
• What’s your local network — translator, notary, bank contact, real‑estate lawyer — and can you introduce me?
• How will you protect me against fraud in property and rentals? (Ask for a checklist.)

Bring copies of your passport, draft bank statements, pension letters and any property adverts you’re considering. Good advisers will spot missing pieces immediately.

FAQ

Can I move to Spain on a tourist visa and convert to residence afterwards?

Usually not reliably. Some visa routes must be applied for at the Spanish consulate in your home country (the non‑lucrative visa, for example). A few people successfully change status from within Spain, but the rules and practice vary by consulate and region. Don’t bet your move on the exception; check the consulate that covers your US state.

How long does the non‑lucrative visa take?

Processing at the consulate commonly takes 2–4 months once you submit a complete file. That increases if you need extra documents, translations, or the consulate has a backlog. Start the medical and FBI checks early — those are the longest lead items.

Do I need private health insurance, and what should it cover?

Yes—if you’re applying for a non‑lucrative visa you must show private health insurance valid in Spain with no waiting periods and sufficient coverage. The policy must begin on your entry date. If you later register for public healthcare, you can switch, but that depends on your social security status. For specifics see the consulate checklist or our medical‑certificate guide: /en/visas-legal/medical-certificate-spain-visa.

Can I buy property before getting residency?

Yes. Non‑residents can buy property in Spain. But be cautious—buying before you’ve lived in the area risks choosing the wrong location, and purchase costs add 10–13% on top of the price. Take a nota simple on the property and use an independent lawyer; our guide to property checks is here: /en/housing/nota-simple-spain-property-check.

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If you want, I can spell out a document list tailored to the Spanish consulate that serves your US state and estimate the timelines you'll face there. Tell me which state you live in and which visa you plan to apply for: non‑lucrative, golden, or another route.