Moving to Spain as an American: Your 90-Day Countdown

Build your Spain countdown

Most move-to-Spain guides give you a checklist and leave the timing to you. We start from the other end. Pick the date you want to be living in Spain, then count backward to today. What comes out is a plan grouped by phase, with each phase pointing at the Spainguru guide or tool that carries the detail.

Before you plan a single step, set your expectation. A full move from the US, especially on the non-lucrative visa, usually runs 6 to 12 months. Documents, apostilles and consulate appointments eat most of that. The 90 days this page is named for are the last stretch, when housing, money and shipping come together. Treat those 90 days as the sprint at the end of a longer plan, not as the time it takes to get an NLV.

How to use this countdown

Start with your target arrival date and work backward through the four phases below: 6 to 12 months out, 3 to 6 months out, the final 0 to 3 months, and the weeks after you arrive. The final 90 days focus on preparing your departure, while visa applications, apostilles and financial planning usually need to begin much earlier. These are the same four stages Spainguru uses, so this plan and the full checklist line up.

If you’re less than 90 days out

If your date is close and you do not yet have a visa issued, be honest with yourself: the realistic move is to push the date. You cannot rush an apostille or a consulate slot. Use the phases below to see what is genuinely finishable in the time left, and move the target if the paperwork says so.

If you haven’t picked a visa yet

Then that is step one, and it is below. If you are still deciding between countries, it is worth weighing Spain against Portugal before you commit, since the visa and tax routes differ. Come back and work through the countdown once Spain is settled.

The four phases of a move to Spain

Here is the shape of the whole move, with realistic durations and the one delay that most often bites in each phase. For the step-by-step version, Spainguru keeps the full four-stage moving checklist with 30 steps across these same four stages.

6-12 months out

Choose your visa, start tax planning, draft a budget and join the Spainguru community (225,000+ members across 30+ Facebook groups). The common delay here is indecision on the visa, which pushes everything else back. Decide early.

3-6 months out

Gather and apostille your documents, line up visa-compliant health insurance and file your visa application. Apostilles and sworn translations are the usual bottleneck, and consulate appointments can be booked months ahead, so start both as soon as your documents exist.

The final 90 days (0-3 months)

Transfer money, arrange temporary housing, sort your phone or eSIM and plan pet transport. The trap is leaving housing and flights until the visa is in hand; by then slots and prices have moved. Line up the pieces so you can act the day your visa is issued.

Your first 30 days in Spain

Register on the padrón, book your TIE appointment, open a Spanish bank account and register for healthcare. Appointment scarcity is the recurring problem, and there is more on handling it below.

Pick your visa first: it sets your whole timeline

US citizens can enter Spain visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period, with a passport valid for at least three months beyond departure (U.S. Department of State). Anything longer needs a national visa or residence permit, which is what moving to Spain means. That choice drives the length of your countdown.

Two border notes for 2026. Since 12 October 2025, US travelers entering for short stays go through the EU’s Entry/Exit System, with fingerprints and a facial image taken at the border; holders of long-stay visas and residence permits are generally excluded (U.S. Embassy Madrid). ETIAS is not yet in operation, so no travel authorization is required of US citizens yet (European Commission).

Non-lucrative (retirement) visa

The NLV is the route most American retirees use, because it is built on passive income and does not allow work in Spain. You show about 400% of IPREM for the main applicant, roughly €2,400 a month (about €28,800 a year) in 2026, plus about 100% of IPREM, roughly €600 a month, for each dependent. Amounts vary by consulate, so confirm yours. For the live figures, the per-consulate differences and real approval stories, see how the non-lucrative visa works for retirees.

Digital nomad visa

If you work remotely for employers or clients outside Spain, the digital nomad visa fits better than the NLV. The income rule is tied to a multiple of Spain’s minimum wage (around 200% of the SMI), and the exact euro figure moves, so check the current number on Spainguru rather than trusting a fixed amount you read elsewhere.

Consulate differences for US applicants

Your assigned Spanish consulate depends on where you live in the US, and requirements vary between them. Document lists, insurance wording, proof-of-funds formats and wait times all differ. Plan around your specific consulate, not a generic checklist.

The 90-day sprint: what actually has to happen

This is the stretch the page is named for. By now your visa route is set and your documents are moving. Here is what fills the final weeks.

Documents and apostilles

Expect an FBI background check with an apostille, sworn translations into Spanish, and a medical certificate. These have the longest and least predictable lead times, so they start early and land here.

Health insurance that passes

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Non-lucrative visa applicants generally need comprehensive private health insurance with no copays (sin copagos) before filing. Requirements differ for other routes: some digital nomad applicants may be covered through Spanish Social Security, so check your specific permit before buying a policy. For the NLV, indicative prices run roughly €60 to €120 a month for applicants under 50, and more with age. Get a visa-compliant policy with no copays in place before your appointment, and if you want to shop around, compare carriers that meet consulate rules.

Travel and digital-nomad plans (SafetyWing, Visitors Coverage and similar) do not meet the requirements of a Spanish residence visa, so do not buy one for your application. The policy has to be a Spanish-valid, full-coverage plan with no copays.

Money, housing and pets

Move your proof-of-funds money and plan the currency transfer, book temporary housing for your first weeks, lock in flights and arrange pet transport if you are bringing animals. Keep copies of everything you file, because you will need some of it again for the TIE appointment after you arrive.

Budget your move (one-time costs plus monthly life)

Keep two numbers separate: the one-time cost of moving and the monthly cost of living once you are there.

One-time move costs

These include shipping or selling belongings, flights, pet transport, apostilles and translations, the first months’ rent and deposit, and insurance paid upfront. They vary widely by how much you bring and where you land.

Monthly retirement budget

Costs swing enormously by city, so one national average will mislead you. A single person can live comfortably on a modest budget in many mid-size cities, while Madrid and Barcelona run tighter. Use the Spain City Finder (33 cities) and real community budgets rather than a single figure. Can you live on $2,000 a month? In many places yes; in the big two it is harder.

How much to show for the visa

The NLV income floor, about €2,400 a month, is a minimum you must demonstrate, not a lifestyle budget. Showing the minimum does not mean living on the minimum. Plan your real spending separately from the number the consulate wants to see.

Your US loose ends: taxes, Social Security, mail

Moving does not close your US obligations. Here is what follows you, and the guide that goes deeper: how US and Spanish taxes fit together.

Filing US taxes from Spain

US citizens generally remain subject to US tax reporting rules after moving abroad, depending on their income and filing status, and many still file a US federal return on worldwide income. The Foreign Earned Income Exclusion is up to $132,900 per qualifying person for 2026 (up from $130,000 for 2025) and covers earned income only, not pensions or Social Security. Together with the Foreign Tax Credit it often prevents double taxation (IRS). You may also owe an FBAR if the combined balance of your foreign accounts tops $10,000 at any point in the year (IRS).

Social Security and pensions

Spain has a social security agreement with the US and sits on the SSA’s Country List 1, so the SSA keeps paying eligible beneficiaries living in Spain regardless of how long they stay, and can deposit directly (Social Security Administration). That is a large part of why the NLV works as a retirement visa for Americans.

When you become a Spanish tax resident

You generally become a Spanish tax resident after more than 183 days in a calendar year, or if your main center of economic interests is in Spain. Residents file Modelo 720 if the foreign assets in any one category (bank accounts, securities, real estate) exceed €50,000. The Beckham Law’s 24% flat rate exists, but it is aimed at relocating workers, so NLV retirees generally do not qualify for it. Do not assume it applies to a retirement move.

After you land: the first 30 days

The settling-in paperwork has a usual order, and doing it out of order can cost you time.

Padrón and TIE

Register with your local town hall (empadronamiento, the padrón) once you have suitable proof of address; it feeds almost everything after it. Then request your TIE, the physical residence card, within the applicable deadline, normally one month after entering Spain for new non-lucrative residents. Book appointments early: availability varies by province, and the community shares which offices have slots and how to get them.

Banking and healthcare

Open a Spanish bank account and sort out your healthcare. The order is flexible and depends on your permit, so check what applies to you. For the people who handle each step, from gestor to bank to insurer, use our directory of vetted providers for each step.

Frequently asked questions

Disclaimer: general information for people planning to move to Spain — not tax, legal, financial or immigration advice. Visa requirements and thresholds change and depend on your situation; confirm with the Spanish consulate, the relevant authority or a qualified professional before acting.