Moving to Spain: the whole move, in the right order
Most of what goes wrong in a move to Spain goes wrong in the ordering: people buy before they have rented, arrive before they have planned their tax, and pick an area before they have a school place. This page sets out the order that works, and links our full guide on each step.
Start with the route, not the removal van
Since Brexit, a UK citizen needs a residency route to live in Spain. The main ones: the non-lucrative visa, for people who can live on pensions, savings or other passive income and will not work here; the digital nomad visa, for people employed by or billing clients outside Spain; and work routes for those employed by a Spanish business. Each has income and healthcare requirements, and each starts from outside Spain, so the application belongs at the top of the timeline, not the bottom.
If the plan is part-time (winters here, summers in the UK), you may not need residency at all: the 90/180 rule allows 90 days in any rolling 180 in the Schengen area, which fits many second-home patterns. Count the days honestly; the rule is enforced.
Full guides: Moving to Spain from the UK, step by step and retiring to Spain from the UK
Rent first, through a summer and a winter
The Costa del Sol in August and the Costa del Sol in January are different places: the crowds, the noise, the opening hours, the light. Rent in the area you think you want, stay through both seasons, and only then buy. A year of rent is cheap insurance against buying in the wrong place, and it gives you an address for the paperwork that follows (the padrón, the bank, the school applications).
Full guide: the step-by-step guide
Do the tax groundwork while you are still UK-resident
Spanish tax residency usually arrives with the 183rd day in a calendar year, and once it does, Spain taxes your worldwide income and expects your foreign assets declared. The decisions worth the most (when to realise gains, what to do with UK wrappers, when exactly to cross) have to be taken before you become resident, not after. Allow months for this, not weeks, and take regulated advice on your own position.
The full picture is on our money and tax page; start with the Beckham Law if you are moving for work.
Healthcare: S1, private cover or the Convenio Especial
UK state pensioners bring an S1 form, which registers them in the Spanish state system with the UK covering the cost. Working-age movers generally need private cover, which the residency visas require in any case; premiums here are lower than most people expect. After a year registered on the padrón, the Convenio Especial offers a paid subscription into the state system regardless of history.
Full guide: retiring to Spain, including the healthcare options
Moving with children: the school place decides the address
International school places around Marbella are scarce in the popular year groups, and the waiting lists are real. Apply early, visit in term time, and treat a confirmed place as the thing that decides where you live, not the other way round. British, IB and Spanish state curricula each suit different plans; the right answer depends on how long you expect to stay.
Full guide: International schools in Marbella
Working for yourself once you are here
If you will freelance or run a business, Spain's self-employment regime (the autónomo system) has its own registrations, monthly social security cuota and quarterly filings. It is manageable with a gestor, and far easier set up correctly from the start than fixed later.
Full guide: Working as an autónomo after moving to Marbella
The practical layer: paperwork and pets
The NIE comes first (you will need it for almost everything, and you can get it from the UK by Power of Attorney). The padrón registration at your town hall follows once you have an address. And if a dog is coming with you, the timed run of microchip, rabies vaccination, 21-day wait and Animal Health Certificate needs planning around the travel date.
Full guides: getting your NIE and taking your dog to Spain from the UK
When the time comes to buy
The purchase itself (costs, checks, mortgages, the notary) is its own subject, with its own order of steps. It is covered end to end on our buying a home page, and choosing where to buy is covered on areas and lifestyle.
All our moving to spain guides
- Moving to Spain International schools in Marbella: how to choose, and when to apply When to apply to international schools in Marbella, how British, IB and Spanish curricula compare, and why a confirmed place should decide where you buy.
- Moving to Spain Moving to Spain from the UK: a step-by-step guide for 2026 A step-by-step guide to moving to Spain from the UK in 2026: rent through two seasons, settle your tax while UK-resident, then buy on the Costa del Sol.
- Moving to Spain Taking your dog to Spain from the UK: the rules and the paperwork Taking a dog to Spain from the UK means a timed run of microchip, rabies jab and Animal Health Certificate, plus Andalucía registration on arrival.
- Moving to Spain Spain's Golden Visa has ended: what non-EU buyers can do instead Spain abolished the Golden Visa in April 2025. For non-EU buyers, the property and the right to live in Spain are now two separate applications.
- Moving to Spain Retiring to Spain from the UK: a practical guide to retiring in Marbella How to retire to Spain from the UK: the non-lucrative visa, S1 and private healthcare, pensions and tax, the 90/180 rule, and where to live near Marbella.
- Moving to Spain Working as an autónomo after moving to Marbella: a practical guide How to register and work as an autónomo in Spain after moving to Marbella: the steps, the 2026 cuota bands, quarterly filings and common mistakes.
Common questions
Can UK citizens still move to Spain after Brexit?
Yes, with a visa. UK citizens no longer have an automatic right to live in Spain, so a move runs through a residency route: the non-lucrative visa for people living on pensions or savings, the digital nomad visa for remote workers, or a work route. Without residency, the 90/180 rule caps time in the Schengen area at 90 days in any 180.
Should I rent or buy first when moving to Marbella?
Rent first, through a summer and a winter, in the area you think you want. August and January on the Costa del Sol are different places, and a year of renting tests the commute, the schools run and the neighbourhood before you commit to a purchase.
When do I become a Spanish tax resident?
Broadly, when you spend more than 183 days in Spain in a calendar year, or when your main economic interests or your spouse and dependent children are here. Residency is decided for the whole calendar year, which is why the timing of the move matters: settle your tax position while you are still UK-resident.
How does healthcare work for UK movers?
UK state pensioners can register an S1 form, which gives access to Spanish state healthcare with the UK covering the cost. Everyone else typically needs private cover (the residency visas require it), and after a year on the padrón the Convenio Especial offers a paid route into the state system.
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