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For Madrid
Your situation
EU, EEA or Swiss citizenNo visa. Register within three months and receive a certificate carrying your NIE. 6 steps Employee, non-EUA residence and work authorisation your employer files, then a visa. Includes UK citizens arriving now. 6 steps Remote worker, non-EUThe international teleworker route, for income from employers or clients outside Spain. 6 steps Living on savings or a pension, non-EUThe non-lucrative residence visa. No work of any kind, remote included. 5 steps Student, non-EUA student visa or authorisation, now with the right to work up to 30 hours a week. 6 steps Founder, non-EUThe entrepreneur route, for an innovative business assessed by ENISA. 5 steps Open a step on the roadmap to see what it involves. Rules change
Spain's immigration regulation was rewritten by Real Decreto 1155/2024, in force since 20 May 2025, and the golden visa closed in April 2025. Each provincial Oficina de Extranjería applies the rules a little differently, and the cita previa, not the paperwork, usually sets the timetable. This is a general guide, not legal advice. Confirm each step with the Ministerio de Inclusión, Seguridad Social y Migraciones before you rely on it.
Your roadmap · EU, EEA or Swiss citizen 6 steps Day 0 → to Year 5 1 Step 1: Arrive and startDay 0 + You can live and work from the first day on your passport or national ID card. If an employer, a bank or a notary needs a number before you have registered, a stand-alone NIE can be requested, but most people go straight to the registration certificate. 2 Step 2: Sign a lease and get on the padrónWeeks 1–4 + Register your address at the ayuntamiento with the lease. The padrón certificate is what the health card, school places and the registration itself are commonly asked to rest on. 3 Step 3: Book the cita previaWeeks 1–4 + Book the EU registration appointment through the national cita previa portal for your province. Slots can be weeks out, so book as soon as you know your address rather than when the three months are nearly up. 4 Step 4: Register as an EU residentWithin 3 months + Form EX-18 at the Oficina de Extranjería or a designated Policía Nacional station, with the €12 fee paid beforehand on modelo 790 código 012. Bring proof of work, self-employment, study with health cover, or sufficient means plus comprehensive health insurance. The green certificate carries your NIE and is usually issued on the spot. 5 Step 5: Social security and the health cardAfter registration + An employer registers you with the Seguridad Social; if self-employed you register as autónomo yourself. With that and the padrón you register at the centro de salud for your address. 6 Step 6: Permanent residenceYear 5 + After five years of continuous legal residence you can apply for a certificate of permanent residence, again on form EX-18. Get help with the move to Madrid → Chat with Eva