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Wednesday, December 16, 2009

The Formal Requirements of Moving to Spain

If you wish to live in Spain, you will need to ensure that you are legally entitled to do so. Citizens of the European Union are able to move to other EU countries unrestricted, as long as they are able to support themselves financially. If you are not an EU citizen but wish to live in Spain you may need a visa.

EU Citizens
If you are an EU citizen, you are entitled to live and work in Spain. Upon arrival you will need to present a passport or an ID card to prove your identity. If you will be staying for more than three months, you are required to register at the Central Registration Office for Foreigners (the 'Registro Central de extranjeros'), located in your local immigration bureau. If there is no immigration bureau in your area, you are able to register at the police station.

Non-EU Citizens
If you are not a citizen of an EU country, you will need a visa to live, work or study in Spain. Your spouse and any dependants will also need visas if they wish to accompany you. These visas are available at Spanish consulates around the world. You will need to apply for a visa before travelling to Spain, and usually in person to prove your identity. There are different types of visa, including ones for business, study and tourism. For each visa you will require documents to prove the purpose of your trip.

The European Union / The EU
The European Union represents the political and economic unification of its twenty-seven member states. Each member must abide by certain rules and conditions to continue to qualify as an EU state. One of the main benefits of the EU is that it enables free movement of its citizens from one member state to another. This means, for example, that a British citizen is free to live and work in Germany or Spain. The twenty-seven member states are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom

Understanding the Rental Terms

The rental contract should include:


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Date and place where contract is created and signed
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Details of the landlord
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Details of the tenant
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Details of property being rented, including location, size and layout
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Length of the rental term
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Rent payable to landlord by tenant
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Signature of both landlord and tenant



The rental term may be any length up to five years. When the agreed term is shorter, the tenant can extend the contract to last five years if they wish to do so. If they choose not to extend the term they must give at least one month's notice that they do wish to terminate the contract as agreed. After five years, the rental agreement can be further extended for terms of up to three years.

The tenant is required to pay rent to the landlord in exchange for living at the property. The rent can be negotiated by both parties, and will usually be paid in the last or the first week of the month. The landlord should send the tenant a receipt to show that the rent has been paid, in order to avoid any future disagreements. Once the initial rental term is over, the rent will typically be renegotiated to take increases in inflation into account. Some landlords will increase rent annually, after the initial rental term, in line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

Repairs on the property are the landlord's responsibility, and will typically be done once the rental term has come to an end. Should urgent repairs be necessary, the landlord must inform the tenant in advance that there will be building work; if this disruption lasts longer than twenty days the landlord must reduce the rent that month. The tenant can make small repairs, especially if these are needed to fix damage caused by general wear and tear. Should the tenant wish to make large-scale alterations to the property, they will need the landlord's consent.