The Checklist

From decision to a Spanish TIE in 34 boxes.

Six phases. Roughly nine weeks if you keep moving. Progress saves automatically in your browser, so you can close this tab and come back later. Print or save as PDF when you want to take it offline.

Your progress
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I.Week 1 · Decide & prepare

Decide & prepare.

Confirm the visa fits your situation, pick a route, and rough out a timeline.

  • Remote employee of a non-Spanish company, OR freelancer with Spanish-client revenue under 20%. Not for retirees (use Non-Lucrative) or Spanish-client-only freelancers (cuenta propia).
  • Pull 12 months of pay stubs or invoices. If you're close to the line, weight recent months — most consulates care about consistency over the prior 3–6 months.
  • Consular = 1-year visa, file in your country. UGE = 3-year residence permit, file from inside Spain on a Schengen tourist stamp. Side-by-side comparison →
  • DIY is fine if you're organised; budget +EUR 1,500–3,500 for a lawyer who handles the in-Spain UGE filing on your behalf. See our directory.
II.Weeks 2–3 · Documents

Gather documents.

The slow paperwork — criminal record, degree, and insurance — should go first. Some take 4–8 weeks to clear.

  • FBI Identity History (US), ACRO Police Certificate (UK), RCMP (Canada). 4–8 weeks. Order from any country you've lived in for 6+ months in the past 2 years.
  • Original diploma, transcripts. If using experience instead — gather signed reference letters covering 3+ years in your field.
  • Must explicitly authorise remote work from Spain, confirm your role, contract type, salary, and start date. Signed by HR or a director on company letterhead.
  • Certificate of incorporation or equivalent. Confirms the company has existed for at least 12 months. For freelancers — show 1+ year of contracts with the same client(s).
  • Full coverage in Spain, no co-pays, no deductibles, no waiting periods. Travel insurance does not qualify. SafetyWing, Cigna Global, Sanitas, DKV Mundicare, and Adeslas all issue compliant policies.
  • Show consistent income at or above EUR 2,762/mo. Highlight payments from foreign sources. PDFs are fine.
  • Form A1 (EU), US Certificate of Coverage (USA). Covers you under your home-country social security for up to 2 years; otherwise plan to register with Spanish Seguridad Social on arrival.
  • CVS, Walgreens, Boots, or a local photo studio. Spain's spec matches the standard EU biometric size.
  • If yours expires sooner, renew it before applying. Renewing while a visa is in process is a documented headache.
  • Standard Spanish form, available from your consulate or your lawyer. Declares that you've not been convicted in the past 5 years across any country.
III.Week 4 · Apostille & translate

Apostille & translate.

Apostille first. Then translate. If you reverse the order, the apostille goes on the translation, which Spain rejects.

  • US: FBI checks go to the US Department of State. UK: ACRO certificates go to the FCDO Legalisation Office. Canada: Global Affairs Canada (post-2024). 1–4 weeks depending on country.
  • Goes through the state Secretary of State (US public universities) or Department of State (US federal). UK: same FCDO Legalisation Office. Canada: GAC.
  • For each accompanying spouse, child, or dependent ascendant. Same apostille office that handles your criminal record.
  • Only translators on the official Lista de Traductores Jurados (published by Spain's Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores) qualify. Budget EUR 200–600 for the standard document set.
IV.Week 5 · Submit

Submit your application.

The book-an-appointment week. Confirm everything before you arrive.

  • Consulate slots can be 4–8 weeks out — book the moment your apostilles return. UGE filings go through the certificado digital portal, often via a lawyer.
  • Black ink, block capitals, no abbreviations. Sign every page where indicated.
  • Consulate visa: EUR 73–94. UGE residence permit: EUR 73–80. Most consulates require a money order or cashier's check; check your specific consulate's rules.
  • Originals + 2 photocopies of each, in the order the consulate requests. Bring a folder with tabs. The presenter who's organised gets through faster.
  • Save the receipt in two places. The file number is what you'll use to check status with the consulate or UGE.
V.Weeks 6–8 · While you wait

While you wait.

20 working days is the legal target. Use the wait productively.

  • EUR-area IBAN, holds USD/GBP/EUR, real exchange rate. Sign up. You'll use this to receive foreign income before your Spanish bank opens.
  • Install before you board. Have working data the moment you land. Browse Airalo.
  • Long-term rentals usually require a Spanish bank account and an NIE. Start with 1–4 weeks on Airbnb / Spotahome / Idealista (mid-term) until your local paperwork is in place.
  • If they request supplementary documents, the clock pauses until you respond. Don't sit on a request — it's the single most common cause of "stuck" applications.
VI.Weeks 8–9 · Arrive & register

Arrive & register.

The 30-day clock starts the moment you land (consular) or the moment your UGE resolution is issued (in-Spain).

  • For consular applicants, fly into Spain within the visa window printed on the visa sticker. Save your boarding pass — some Extranjería offices request proof of arrival date.
  • Online at the cita previa portal. Choose "Toma de huellas" (fingerprints). Slots are scarce in Madrid and Barcelona — refresh during morning hours.
  • EUR ~16–18. Pay online or at any Spanish bank. Bring the stamped receipt to your fingerprint appointment.
  • Bring passport, NIE assignment letter (or visa sticker showing your NIE), Modelo 790 receipt, 2 photos. Quick — usually under 20 minutes inside.
  • Register your Spanish address — required for almost every administrative interaction going forward. Bring rental contract (or a letter from your landlord) and passport. Usually free.
  • BBVA, Santander, CaixaBank, and online challengers like N26 or Bnext. Bring NIE assignment, padron certificate, and proof of income. Most will open the account same-day.
  • SMS notifies you when ready. Bring your passport. Card is valid for the residence permit period (1 year consular, 3 years UGE). Beckham Law deadline: file Modelo 149 within 6 months of starting Spanish work to opt into the 24% flat tax. Read more →
Resources.

Where to actually get what's on the list.

The official sources for the four pieces of paperwork most people ask about: criminal-record checks, apostilles, sworn translation, and Spain-compliant private health insurance. Bookmark this page; you'll come back.

Criminal record / background check — by country

Required for every adult applicant. Order from the country you currently live in and any country you've lived in for more than 6 months in the past 2 years. Allow 4–8 weeks.

  • USA — FBI Identity History Summary Check (e-FBI). Apply via fbi.gov/services/cjis/identity-history-summary-checks. ~$18 USD. 3–5 business days for the digital copy; weeks for paper.
  • UK — ACRO Police Certificate. Apply via acro.police.uk. £55–£105. Standard 10 working days; premium service ~2.
  • Canada — RCMP Certified Criminal Record Check. Apply via rcmp-grc.gc.ca. CAD ~25–60 (provincial fingerprint fee plus federal). Allow 4–6 weeks.
  • Australia — AFP National Police Check. Apply via afp.gov.au. AUD 42–93. 5–15 business days.
  • Ireland — Garda Vetting / certificate of character via garda.ie.
  • New Zealand — Ministry of Justice criminal record check via justice.govt.nz. Free; 20 working days.
  • South Africa — SAPS Police Clearance Certificate via saps.gov.za.
  • Germany — Führungszeugnis via the Bundesamt für Justiz at bundesjustizamt.de.
  • Other countries — your country's national police, ministry of justice, or interior ministry typically issues an equivalent. Search "[country] police clearance certificate apostille."

Apostille (Hague Convention)

Spain accepts the Hague Apostille. Apostille the original document (criminal record, university degree, marriage / birth certificate). Do not translate first; the apostille goes on the original.

  • USA — federal documents (FBI checks, etc.): US Department of State Authentications Office. travel.state.gov/authentications. ~$20 per doc. Mail-in 6–8 weeks.
  • USA — state documents (state-issued degrees, etc.): each state's Secretary of State. Look up "Secretary of State [your state] apostille."
  • UK — FCDO Legalisation Office. gov.uk/get-document-legalised. £30 standard, £75 premium next-day.
  • Canada — Global Affairs Canada (post-11 Jan 2024 Hague accession). international.gc.ca. Free. 15–20 business days.
  • Australia — DFAT Authentications and Apostilles. dfat.gov.au. AUD ~95 per doc.
  • Ireland — Department of Foreign Affairs Authentications Office. dfa.ie/document-authentication.
  • New Zealand — DIA Authentication Unit. dia.govt.nz/Apostille-Service.

Sworn translation (Spain-accredited traductor jurado)

Only translators on Spain's official MAEC list are accepted. Translate after apostilling — the apostille becomes part of the document being translated.

  • The official list — Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores, Lista oficial de Traductores-Intérpretes Jurados. exteriores.gob.es/Traductores-Jurados. Browseable PDF directory by language and city.
  • Typical cost — EUR 60–150 per page; full DNV document set (criminal record + degree + employer letter) usually EUR 200–600.
  • Turnaround — 3–10 business days for standard work; rush available at premium.
  • Verification — every sworn translation comes with the translator's certification, stamp, and signature. Without those three things, Spanish consulates and the UGE will reject it.

Spain-compliant private health insurance

Required: full medical coverage in Spain, no co-payments, no deductibles, no waiting periods. Travel insurance does not qualify. Spanish insurers and a handful of international providers issue compliant policies.

  • SafetyWing — Remote Health · the most popular DNV-compliant policy among international nomads. Online enrolment in minutes. safetywing.com (affiliate link — we may earn a small commission).
  • Cigna Global · longstanding international expat insurer with Spain-specific DNV-compliant tiers. cignaglobal.com.
  • Sanitas · Spanish insurer (Bupa subsidiary). DNV-compliant Mas Salud Plus policies. sanitas.es.
  • Adeslas · the largest Spanish private insurer. SegurCaixa Adeslas Plena policies are DNV-compliant. segurcaixaadeslas.es.
  • DKV Mundicare · German-Spanish insurer with English-friendly intake. dkvseguros.com.
  • Mapfre Salud · large Spanish insurer; check that the policy is "sin copagos" (no co-payments). mapfre.es.
Last reminder. Every link above goes to the official source. Avoid third-party "expediters" charging EUR 200+ on top of the EUR 30 government fee — they're rarely faster than the official channel and aren't sanctioned by Spanish authorities. The exception is your sworn translator and your immigration lawyer; both are legitimate paid roles.

Printed from spainsdigitalnomadvisa.com/checklist on —. Always verify current requirements with the Spanish consulate covering your jurisdiction.