Arrival Checklist for Spain: NIE, TIE, Padrón and a Bank Account

Fee figures: catalogue of 6 October 2026.

The first weeks in Spain are mostly paperwork, and several items have legal deadlines while others only get easier if done early. This checklist covers what the Spanish regulations and the Bank of Spain say about the main steps. It is written for non-EU students who arrive on a study visa; EU citizens follow a different registration procedure, so ask the immigration office or your university. The full visa process is in the student visa guide for Spain.

1. Keep your documents valid and with you

The immigration regulation (Royal Decree 1155/2024, article 204) gives foreign nationals both the right and the duty to keep in force the documents they entered with, the one proving their identity and the one proving their situation in Spain. They must show them when authorities ask. Keep your passport, visa, insurance certificate and enrolment letter together, with copies stored separately.

2. Register at the town hall (padrón)

The law on local government (Law 7/1985, article 15) says that every person living in Spain must register in the Padrón of the municipality where they habitually reside. Article 16 gives the register two further effects worth knowing:

the data are proof of your residence and habitual address, and certificates issued from it are public documents valid for all administrative purposes
for non-EU foreigners without a long-term residence authorisation, the registration must be renewed every two years, and it can be cancelled if you do not renew it

Each town hall publishes its own list of documents and booking method, so check the website of your ayuntamiento. A rental contract or a host's declaration is the usual starting point, but the town hall decides what it accepts.

3. Understand the NIE

The NIE is the personal identity number of foreign nationals. Article 205 of the regulation says it is a single, sequential number that must appear on every document issued or processed for you, and that the police assign it ex officio when a procedure to obtain a document allowing you to stay begins. You will use it for most procedures, so copy it from your documents into a safe place once you have it.

4. Request the TIE card within one month

If you hold a visa or authorisation for a period of more than six months, article 209 gives you the right and the duty to obtain the foreigner identity card (TIE). You request it in person within one month of entering Spain, or of the authorisation being granted or taking effect. Failing to meet the TIE obligations falls under the penalty regime of the Aliens Act. The booking and documents are handled by the immigration office or police station of your province, as described in the student visa guide.

5. Open a bank account

Banks set their own conditions for ordinary accounts. As a legal fallback, Spain has the basic payment account. According to the Bank of Spain's guide:

it can be requested by anyone who legally resides in the EU, even without a fixed address, and who has no other account in Spain
it allows opening, use and closing, cash deposits and withdrawals in euros within the EU, direct debits, debit or prepaid card payments and transfers
the maximum fee is EUR 3 a month, covering 120 euro payment operations a year within the EU
it is free for people in a vulnerable situation, defined by income limits tied to the IPREM public index
a bank can refuse it if you already hold an account in Spain, or if you do not give the information it needs to meet anti-money-laundering rules. The rules do not list the exact documents, so banks sometimes ask for more than students expect

6. Health cover and housing

Your visa conditions, not this checklist, decide what insurance you must hold. The study visa guide explains what is required for the application. For rooms and residences see student housing in Spain; our catalogue lists 16 residences with monthly prices from €545 to €624.

A sensible order

Day 1: store copies of every document and note your TIE deadline (one month).
First days: register at the town hall once you have an address.
First week: book the TIE appointment and pay the fee as instructed by the immigration office.
First weeks: open your account, with the basic payment account as a backup.
Before your first renewal: check whether your padrón registration needs renewing.

Official sources

Always check current information on the official website of the university before you apply.