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Moving in Spain: the checklist

The general list plus what comes on top in this country: deadlines, offices and customs.

58 tasks · General checklist

Contracts and authorities

17 weeks before
Check the notice period: 30 days, at the earliest after six months
Urban Leases Act (LAU), art. 11: terminable after six months with 30 days' notice; the contract may provide compensation for leaving early.
14 weeks before
Send written notice with proof of delivery (burofax)
A burofax with acknowledgement of receipt is the usual proof.
13 weeks before
Arrange viewings for the next tenant
11 weeks before
Sign the new lease
10 weeks before
Pay the fianza (one month's rent) and the first month's rent
LAU art. 36: one month's rent as fianza, additional guarantees at most two more; the landlord lodges the fianza with the regional government.
9 weeks before
Arrange the handover date for the old flat
6 weeks before
Cancel internet and TV contracts
6 weeks before
Book a van for the cellar and small items
4 weeks before
Book time off for moving day
3 weeks before
Draw up the list of address changes
2 weeks before
Adjust or take out home insurance (seguro de hogar)
Not required by law, but often demanded in the contract.
7 days before
Cancel the standing order for the old rent

Packing and decluttering

5 weeks before
Get moving boxes
5 weeks before
Get packing material
4 weeks before
Set a decluttering day per room
3 weeks before
Move the cellar and attic ahead of time
2 weeks before
Pack seasonal and rarely used things
10 days before
Pack the workspace
5 days before
Pack the kitchen, defrost the fridge
2 days before
Pack the first-night box
2 days before
Keep the toolbox separate

Old home

9 weeks before
Declutter: sell, give away, dispose
6 weeks before
Clear out the cellar and attic
4 weeks before
Book a bulky waste collection
7 days before
Factory-reset the smart home devices
1 day before
Read and photograph the meters
7 days after
Clean the old place for the handover
10 days after
Sign the handover protocol, count the keys
4 weeks after
Track the return of the fianza
Within one month of returning the keys (LAU art. 36.4), then default interest applies.

New home

9 weeks before
Record the inventory and condition at the key handover with photos
Have both parties sign it as an annex to the contract.
6 weeks before
Book the electrician and tradespeople
6 weeks before
Check mounting points: shower rail, lamps, curtains
4 weeks before
Order the internet connection
4 weeks before
Decide what to buy new
2 weeks before
Draw a furniture plan per room, take measurements
7 days before
Test the internet connection
7 days before
Electricity and gas: take over or sign a new contract (cambio de titular)
Homes without an active supply need the installation certificate (boletín/CIE); allow lead time.
1 day after
Record and report defects on moving in
3 days after
Label the doorbell and letterbox
7 days after
Set the smart home up again
7 days after
Meet the community president and the porter, ask for the house rules
Clarify the community's moving rules (lift, hours) beforehand.

Moving day

13 weeks before
Fix the moving date
9 weeks before
Book the moving company
2 weeks before
Apply to the town hall for a reserved space for the removal van
A chargeable no-parking reservation, one to two weeks ahead depending on the city.
2 weeks before
Reserve the lift at both addresses
10 days before
Arrange care for children and pets
3 days before
Move the plants separately
3 days before
Plan bikes and bulky items separately
On moving day
Food and drink for the helpers
On moving day
Final walk-through of the old flat

After the move

3 days after
Register on the padrón at the new town hall (empadronamiento)
Mandatory with every change of residence (Law 7/1985, art. 15); needed for school, the health card and taxes. Bring the lease and ID, appointments are often online.
7 days after
Set up mail forwarding with Correos
correos.es; one to twelve months.
10 days after
Apply for a school place through the regional education department
The padrón registration is required; outside the deadlines the schooling commission assigns a place.
2 weeks after
Tell the bank, employer and insurers
2 weeks after
Update subscriptions and delivery services
2 weeks after
Change the address on your DNI, driving licence and vehicle (DGT)
DNI: appointment with the Policía Nacional; licence and vehicle: sede.dgt.gob.es, free and mandatory.
2 weeks after
Change your tax address with the Agencia Tributaria (form 030)
Mandatory when the domicilio fiscal changes; online with Cl@ve.
2 weeks after
Transfer your health card (tarjeta sanitaria) to the new health centre
At the health centre, with the padrón registration.

In the app: when setting up the move or under Tasks → Template. Everything can be deselected; a template is a suggestion.

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The checklists in this guide are compiled with care, but without guarantee of completeness or currency. Deadlines and responsibilities change. The information of the respective authority or contracting party is authoritative.