Moving to Spain from Germany: Registration, Health, Tax, Work
Vathanakone Prakosay · Updated on
In short: Moving to Spain from Germany is a move within the EU. German citizens can stay up to 3 months without registering as a resident. After that, you register in person in the Central Register of Foreigners and in your town's Padrón.
What do you need to know before moving to Spain from Germany?
German citizens move under EU free movement rules, so the topics that matter are the registration deadlines, health cover and tax residence. Your Europe states that EU citizens can stay up to 3 months without registering as a resident (last checked 14.10.2026).
Spain ranks among the three most common destinations for Germans who leave the country. The Federal Statistical Office counts about 9,700 departures to Spain in 2025 (Zahl der Woche No. 24, 09.06.2026). At the start of 2025, a little over 131,800 Germans lived there (press release N031, 11.05.2026).
This guide follows the usual order of steps. Each section ends with a pointer to the rule behind it, so you can check the source yourself.
Which documents do you need to enter Spain?
You enter with a passport or an identity card. According to the German Federal Foreign Office (25.10.2026), such documents may have expired for up to one year. The temporary identity card is the exception and must still be valid.
Anyone carrying cash of 10,000 euros or more must declare it when entering or leaving. The Foreign Office page says nothing about length of stay or residence permits and refers readers to the Spanish missions.
When do you have to register in Spain?
You register if you stay longer than 3 months. The Royal Decree 240/2007 (Art. 7) sets a deadline of 3 months after arrival for your entry in the Central Register of Foreigners. You apply in person at the foreigners' office of the province or, if that is not possible, at the competent police station.
The certificate lists your name, nationality, address, NIE and the date of entry. It is issued immediately. Your Europe adds that the fee may not exceed the price of a national identity card (last checked 01.07.2026). If you skip the registration, a fine is possible, but you cannot be expelled for that reason alone.
The decree names three groups for a stay beyond 3 months: workers and self-employed people, people with sufficient resources and comprehensive health insurance, and students. It sets no fixed amount for sufficient resources. The consolidated text on the BOE website dates from 2015 and carries no legal weight, as the site itself states.
What is the Padrón and do you have to join it?
The Padrón is the municipal register of residents. Law 7/1985 requires everyone who lives in Spain to enter their name in the Padrón of the town where they usually live (text as of 03.10.2026). If you live in several towns, you register where you spend most of the year.
For foreigners, the entry does not prove legal residence. The law asks for name, sex, address, nationality, date and place of birth and an identity number. For EU citizens, the identity number is the NIE from the central register certificate, or else the number of a passport or identity card. EURES lists a rental contract or an electricity or water bill as proof of address (06.06.2026).
What is the NIE?
The NIE is a foreigner identification number. According to the Spanish consulate in London, it is personal, unique and exclusive (01.01.2026). It grants no right of residence and does not prove that you live in Spain.
EU citizens can identify themselves with their national identity card when they apply. For tax purposes, the tax agency issues the NIF. If you have no NIE, you request the NIF from the tax office, and for tax matters it usually equals the DNI or NIE (updated 15.12.2025).
How does health cover work in Spain?
Spanish law guarantees health protection to Spaniards and to foreigners who reside there. Public funding applies, among other cases, to people with legal and habitual residence who have no obligation to prove other compulsory insurance (Law 16/2003, Art. 3, consolidated text of 30.07.2018). EU coordination rules stay untouched.
Your Europe explains that the responsible country depends on your economic status and your place of residence, not on your nationality (last checked 19.08.2026). Pensioners who draw a pension only from Germany ask for an S1 form in Germany and register it in Spain, provided they are entitled to treatment in Germany. The German pension insurance notes that people with only a German pension generally stay in the German statutory scheme for pensioners (02.06.2026).
The European Health Insurance Card covers temporary visits only. In Spain it works in public facilities, and private treatment is not refunded. For the first weeks, the Foreign Office recommends travel health insurance with repatriation cover. Costs may have to be paid before you leave the hospital.
Where do you pay tax after the move?
You are tax resident in Spain if you stay more than 183 days in a calendar year or if your centre of economic interests is there. The status covers the whole year, and short absences count unless you prove residence elsewhere (Spanish tax agency, updated 21.07.2026).
Germany and Spain signed a double taxation agreement in Madrid on 03.02.2011. It has applied since 18.10.2012. If both countries treat you as a resident, the agreement checks four criteria in this order: permanent home, centre of vital interests, habitual abode, nationality. Should the question stay open, the tax authorities agree on a solution (Art. 4).
Non-residents pay 19% if they live in an EU country and 24% otherwise, according to EURES (06.06.2026). An employment income from Spain is exempt if all three conditions hold: a stay of at most 183 days, an employer outside Spain and no Spanish permanent establishment bearing the cost.
How are pensions taxed?
Article 17 of the agreement lets the country of residence tax pensions. For payments under a country's social security law, the paying state may tax on top, up to 5% of the gross amount for events between 01.01.2015 and 31.12.2029 and up to 10% from 01.01.2030. The event that starts the pension decides, not the payment year.
German pensions are paid abroad, and recipients must prove each year that they are alive (German pension insurance, 02.06.2026). Spain raises its standard retirement age from 65 to 67. For 2026, the German pension insurance brochure gives 66 years and 10 months (9/2025).
How do you rent or buy a home?
EU citizens have the same rights as locals when they buy or sell property in another EU country (Your Europe, last checked 12.06.2026). Banks may ask for a tax number of the country before granting a loan.
For rentals, the urban lease law lets the parties choose the length freely. If a lease runs under 5 years (7 years with a company as landlord), it renews every year up to that minimum. The tenant can stop the renewal with at least 30 days' notice (Art. 9, text as of 07.10.2026). A BOE note states that Article 10 changes from 15.11.2026 under Royal Decree-law 28/2026. Parliament has yet to confirm the decree, so treat the rules as valid for October 2026 only.
Can you work in Spain without a permit?
Yes. EU citizens may work in any EU country as employees or self-employed people without a work permit, although the right to stay depends on conditions (Your Europe, last checked 14.10.2026). You may stay 3 months to look for a job.
EURES calls Spanish essential for working in Spain. The 2026 minimum wage is 1,221 euros gross per month, paid in 14 instalments. Annual leave is at least 30 calendar days. A probation period lasts up to 6 months for qualified technicians and 2 months for other workers. Employee contributions are about 6 to 7% of the monthly pay.
Regulated professions need recognition before you practise. Authorities may ask for documents, proof of language skills and chamber membership (Your Europe, 13.08.2026).
What do you need to bring?
- A valid passport or identity card.
- A document for your group if you stay beyond 3 months: proof of work, of self-employment, of health insurance and support for pensioners, or of enrolment for students.
- Proof of address for the Padrón, such as a rental contract or a utility bill.
- The central register certificate with your NIE.
Your Europe describes these documents for EU countries in general after the first 3 months (last checked 01.07.2026). Ask the foreigners' office for the current list.
Key rules at a glance
| Topic | Rule | Source, date |
|---|---|---|
| Stay up to 3 months | no registration as a resident | Your Europe, 14.10.2026 |
| Stay over 3 months | central register entry within 3 months | Royal Decree 240/2007 |
| Padrón | mandatory for everyone living in Spain | Law 7/1985, 03.10.2026 |
| Cash | declare from 10,000 euros | Foreign Office, 25.10.2026 |
| Tax residence | more than 183 days or centre of interests | Tax agency, 21.07.2026 |
| Minimum wage 2026 | 1,221 euros gross, 14 payments | EURES, 06.06.2026 |
What should you do in Germany before leaving?
Anyone who moves out of a home in Germany must deregister under the registration rules. A German second home is possible only if the main home stays in Germany (Foreign Office, undated). The Foreign Office also recommends listing yourself in the ELEFAND crisis list.
If you ever move the other way, the guide to moving to Germany explains the rules there. It is followed by pages on how to register your address in Germany and how health insurance works when moving to Germany. For other destinations, see the Countries overview.
Frequently asked questions
Do Germans need a visa for Spain?
German citizens move under EU rules and can stay up to 3 months without registering as a resident (Your Europe, last checked 14.10.2026).
When must I register in Spain?
If you stay longer than 3 months, you enter the Central Register of Foreigners within 3 months after arrival (Royal Decree 240/2007, Art. 7).
Is the Padrón mandatory?
Yes. Everyone who lives in Spain must enter the Padrón of their town (Law 7/1985, text as of 03.10.2026).
Does the European Health Insurance Card cover a move?
No. It covers temporary visits only (EURES, 06.06.2026). Residents follow the rules of the Spanish system.
When am I tax resident in Spain?
After more than 183 days in a calendar year or if your centre of economic interests is in Spain (Spanish tax agency, 21.07.2026).
Can I work in Spain without a work permit?
Yes, EU citizens do not need a work permit (Your Europe, last checked 14.10.2026).
Sources
- Your Europe: Residence rights, 2026 (As of: last checked 14.10.2026)
- German Federal Foreign Office: Spain travel and safety advice, 2026 (As of: 25.10.2026)
- BOE: Royal Decree 240/2007, 2007 (As of: consolidated, last change 09.11.2015)
- BOE: Law 7/1985 (Padrón), 2026 (As of: text as of 03.10.2026)
- BOE: Germany-Spain double taxation agreement, 2012 (As of: BOE 30.07.2012)
- EURES: Living and working conditions in Spain, 2026 (As of: 06.06.2026)
- Your Europe: Health insurance cover when living abroad, 2026 (As of: last checked 19.08.2026)
- BOE: Law 16/2003 as amended by RDL 7/2018, 2018 (As of: consolidated 30.07.2018)
- German pension insurance: Pensions abroad, 2026 (As of: 02.06.2026)
- Federal Statistical Office: Zahl der Woche No. 24, 2026 (As of: 09.06.2026)
General information, not legal advice. Rules change: check the linked official pages before you act.
Author: Vathanakone Prakosay · Updated on October 25, 2026
