Tjitske
¡Hola! I am Tjitske Leemburg.
In 2024, we took the leap and moved to sunny Spain. It was a grand adventure, as we moved as a true "family clan": my husband, son, daughter-in-law, and at the time, three grandchildren (we’ve since welcomed a fourth!). Our daughter, her partner, and their son still live in the Netherlands, but our guest room is always ready, and thanks to FaceTime, we stay closely involved in each other's lives.
From Outsourcing to Doing It Ourselves
In the early stages of our emigration, we did what many people do: we outsourced everything. But soon, something didn’t feel right. If we truly wanted to integrate, speak the language, and feel at home, we had to understand the process ourselves.
I’ll be honest: it wasn’t always easy. The Spanish administrative jungle is dense, and the rules sometimes seem to have a life of their own. After a lot of research and the occasional grey hair from frustration, we finally mastered it. We cracked the code of Spanish bureaucracy.
Why Easy to Spain?
We don’t want to keep that knowledge to ourselves. I wanted others to have a smoother landing than we did. That’s why we founded Easy to Spain. Instead of handing everything over to others, we help you do it yourself.
We have transformed our experiences into clear, step-by-step modules. This allows you to stay in control of your own emigration, learn how the system works, and save on expensive intermediaries—all while having the peace of mind that it’s being done correctly.
Our mission? To make your emigration process smoother, so you can start enjoying what really matters sooner: a beautiful Spanish life with your family.
NLV Renewal and Permanent Residency in Spain 2026
The Non Lucrative Visa is one of the most reliable long term routes into Spain for non EU nationals living on passive income, particularly retirees from the UK, US, Canada, and Australia. The first wave of NLV holders are now well into their renewal cycle, and the regulations around how the renewal works in 2026 reward applicants who plan ahead. The NLV is not a single five year permit; it runs in three stages over five years, with each stage testing whether you are still genuinely living in Spain on passive income. After the fifth year you become eligible for long term residency, which removes the income test for good. This blog walks through how each renewal works, what authorities actually check, and what the path to permanent residency looks like.
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Digital Nomad Visa Renewal in Spain
The Spanish Digital Nomad Visa was launched in 2023 under the Startup Law, and the first wave of approvals from late 2023 and 2024 are now approaching their first renewal moment. The visa is valid for an initial period of three years (for the in Spain route) or one year (for the consulate route, which then converts to a residence permit valid for three years). Most holders will face their first renewal decision somewhere between late 2026 and 2027. This blog walks through what the renewal actually entails, what proof you need to provide, what changes versus your original application, and what the renewal sets up for the longer term path to permanent residency in Spain.
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Autónomo Real Income System 2026
Since January 2023, Spanish autónomos have paid social security contributions based on their real net income, not on a base they freely chose. The reform was phased in over a transition period and is now fully in force for 2026. The system uses 15 income brackets, each with its own monthly contribution amount. You estimate your annual net income at the start of the year, the system charges you the corresponding bracket each month, and at year end the Agencia Tributaria data is reconciled against what you paid. Over or underestimate and you owe a balancing payment, or you get a refund. This page explains how the brackets actually work in 2026, how to estimate without burning yourself, when and how to adjust mid year, and what the year end regularización looks like.
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Seguridad Social Spain: Self Employed vs Employee Compared
If you are moving to Spain and starting work here, one of the first big decisions you face is whether to set up as an employee or as a self employed worker (autónomo). The Spanish Seguridad Social treats these two paths very differently. Contribution rates, benefits, sick leave coverage, pension accrual, healthcare access and even how you file taxes all change based on which regime you fall under. Both regimes work fine and both give you full access to Spanish public healthcare, but the costs and protections diverge substantially. This guide compares them side by side so you can decide which path actually fits your situation.
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First 30 Days in Spain
You have landed in Spain. The visa is approved (or you are an EU citizen and you walked straight through passport control). Your suitcases are unpacked, the apartment is yours for the first month, and now you face the part that no one talks about much: the actual administrative settling in. The first 30 days in Spain are the most important of your whole move. The order in which you do things matters, because each step is the key that unlocks the next. Empadronamiento before NIE/TIE. NIE before bank account upgrade. NIE before Certificado Digital. Certificado Digital before tax filing. Get the order wrong and you waste weeks bouncing between offices. This guide walks you through exactly what to do in week 1, week 2, week 3, and week 4, based on what we have seen work for hundreds of people.
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Digital Certificate vs Cl@ve
When you start interacting with Spanish government portals, two names keep appearing: the Certificado Digital and Cl@ve. Both are digital identity systems that let you access the Agencia Tributaria, the Seguridad Social, the DGT, and dozens of other government platforms. On the surface, they look like two paths to the same destination. In reality, they are not equal, and for foreign residents in Spain, the difference matters. The Certificado Digital works everywhere, all the time, for everything. Cl@ve works in some places, some of the time, for some things. This blog explains why the Certificado Digital is the only identity tool we recommend, and why Cl@ve is not the shortcut it appears to be.
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Making a Will in Spain
Moving to Spain is a dream come true. You think about the warm evenings, the Spanish classes, and your new house. What you think about less? Death. Yet sorting out your inheritance is one of the most important steps you take when you cross the border. Especially in a blended family like ours. In this blog, we explain why we explicitly chose a will under Dutch inheritance law, drawn up at a Spanish notary, and why that choice could be crucial for you too, regardless of which EU country you come from.
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Moving to Spain From the UK
Before 31 December 2020, British citizens could move to Spain freely under EU free movement rules. Walk off the plane, register at the Policía Nacional, and you were a legal resident. That era ended with Brexit. Since 1 January 2021, British citizens are treated as non EU nationals for immigration purposes. You need a visa to live in Spain for more than 90 days within a 180 day period. You need a TIE (biometric residence card) instead of the green card that EU citizens receive. And you need to choose which visa route fits your situation before you start the process. For most British citizens moving to Spain in 2026, the choice comes down to three options: the Digital Nomad Visa, the Non-Lucrative Visa, or (for a shrinking group) the Withdrawal Agreement protections.
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Moving to Spain as a Non EU Citizen
If you are a non EU citizen planning to move to Spain, the first question is not where to live or how much it costs. It is which visa you need. Spain offers multiple residence routes for non EU nationals, but three cover the vast majority of profiles: the Digital Nomad Visa via the in-Spain route, the Digital Nomad Visa via the consular route, and the Non-Lucrative Visa (NLV). Each has a different purpose, different eligibility requirements, and different consequences for your tax situation, your ability to work, and how long you wait before you can call Spain home. This blog compares all three so you can make the right choice before you start the paperwork.
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Digital Nomad Visa Spain: Who Qualifies and Is It Worth It
Spain introduced the Digital Nomad Visa in January 2023 as part of the Ley de Startups (Ley 28/2022), and in the two years since, it has become one of the most popular residence permits in Europe for remote workers. The appeal is straightforward: live in Spain legally, work remotely for a foreign employer or clients, and pay a 24% flat tax rate instead of the progressive rates that can reach 47%. Add in access to public healthcare, a pathway to permanent residency, and the ability to bring your family, and the package looks genuinely compelling. But the Digital Nomad Visa is not for everyone. It has specific eligibility requirements, meaningful costs, and trade offs that are worth understanding before you commit. This blog covers who actually qualifies, what the two application routes look like, and whether the visa is worth the effort for different profiles.
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How to Apply for the Digital Nomad Visa While in Spain
There is a version of the Digital Nomad Visa application process that most people do not discover until they start digging into the details. The standard story is that you apply at a Spanish consulate in your home country, wait weeks for a decision, then fly to Spain with a one year visa that you later convert into a residence permit. That works, but there is a better route for anyone who can enter Spain without a visa: apply directly from inside Spain through the UGE-CE (Unidad de Grandes Empresas y Colectivos Estratégicos) in Madrid, skip the consulate entirely, and receive a three year residence permit from day one. No visa sticker, no conversion process, no second application. This is the route that most eligible applicants now choose, and this blog explains how it actually works.
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Empadronamiento Denial Lorca experience
Moving to Spain: the dream of sun, tapas, and a relaxed life. But before you sit down with that first sangria on your own terrace, you have to face a formidable opponent: Spanish bureaucracy. The empadronamiento, the municipal registration, sounds so simple. You go to the town hall, show where you live, and you are done. At least, that is what we thought. Our journey through Spanish paperwork was a lesson in patience, perseverance, and the importance of that very last photocopy. This is our story, from the frustrations in Dénia to the hilarious (but long) afternoon at the town hall in Lorca.
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Banking in Spain
If you are used to online banking where everything happens in a few clicks, you probably expect Spain to be a step backwards. More paperwork, longer waits, less control. We thought exactly the same. But after two years of living here, our opinion has changed. Not because the Spanish system is better on paper, but because it gave us back something we had slowly lost: human contact.
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Convenio Especial Spain: Public Healthcare Without a Job
There is a gap in Spain's healthcare system that catches a surprising number of people. You have moved to Spain. You are not employed. You are not self employed. You are not a pensioner with an S1 form from your home country. Maybe you retired early. Maybe you live on savings or investment income. Maybe your partner works but you do not. In any of these situations, you do not automatically qualify for public healthcare through the Seguridad Social. The Convenio Especial is the mechanism that fills this gap. It is a voluntary agreement with the Seguridad Social that gives you access to the full public healthcare system for a monthly fee. It is not well known, not heavily promoted, and not always easy to navigate, but for the people who need it, it is one of the most cost effective ways to get comprehensive healthcare coverage in Spain.
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Apply for a NIE in Spain or From Abroad
The NIE (Número de Identificación de Extranjero) is the number you need before almost anything else in Spain. No NIE, no bank account. No NIE, no rental contract in your name. No NIE, no registering for utilities, signing a property purchase, or starting a job. There are two ways to get it: walk into a Policía Nacional office in Spain with a cita previa, or apply through a Spanish consulate in your home country before you move. Both routes use the same form (EX-15), but the experience, the timeline, and the practical considerations are very different. This blog compares the two so you can choose the route that fits your situation.
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Autónomo and Seguridad Social
Registering with the Seguridad Social is the second half of becoming autónomo in Spain. The first half is registering with the Agencia Tributaria (Hacienda) through Modelo 036. The second half is registering with the TGSS (Tesorería General de la Seguridad Social) under the RETA scheme (Régimen Especial de Trabajadores Autónomos). This is the registration that activates your healthcare, starts building your pension, and determines how much you pay every month in social security contributions. It is also the registration that most people find confusing, because the cuota system changed fundamentally in 2023 and many online resources still describe the old flat rate system.
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Starting a Job in Spain: Your Seguridad Social Sorted
When you accept a job in Spain, a clock starts ticking. Your employer must register you with the Seguridad Social before your first working day. No registration, no legal employment. But while your employer carries the bulk of the administrative weight, there are things only you can do, and things you should verify are actually done. Too many people assume the employer handles everything and then discover weeks later that their health card was never activated, or worse, that their contributions were never paid. This blog explains who does what, in what order, and what to check so nothing falls through the cracks.
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10 Tips for Moving to Spain from Outside the EU
Moving to Spain from outside the EU is absolutely possible, but the process is more complex than for EU citizens. You need a visa before you arrive, a residency card after you land, and a clear understanding of the rules around healthcare, tax, and driving. This guide covers the 10 most important things to get right, in the right order.
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Empadronamiento Spain
The Padrón Municipal Spain's official municipal address registration, is the first step in almost every bureaucratic process in the country. Without a valid Padrón certificate you won't get far: no Green NIE, no TIE, no driving licence exchange, no access to healthcare.
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Autónomo or SL in Spain
When you decide to work for yourself in Spain, one of the first questions is whether to register as autónomo or to set up a Sociedad Limitada (SL). The answer depends on how much you earn, how much risk you are willing to carry personally, and how much administrative overhead you can stomach. We have been through both. Tjitske, one of our co founders, started as an autónomo when she first moved to Spain, using Xolo to handle her bookkeeping and quarterly filings. When the three of us decided to build Easy to Spain together, we formed an SL. That transition gave us a front row seat to the real differences between the two structures, and they are not always what the internet tells you.
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IBI in Spain: How the Annual Property Tax Works
You have the keys in your hand, you are standing on the terrace of your new Spanish home, and somewhere in the summer an envelope drops through the door with the letters IBI on it. At least, that is the version you find on Google. In reality there is a sizeable group of owners who will never see that envelope, because no postman actually reaches their address. Welcome to the Impuesto sobre Bienes Inmuebles, the annual property tax every owner in Spain pays. Whether you bought an apartment in Valencia, a casa in a village, or a finca up in the hills, IBI comes back every year. The principle has not changed in 2026, but plenty of new owners still hit the same three surprises. They sometimes receive two bills instead of one, because rural land is split between rústico and urbano. They discover that the previous owner is still on the hook for year one. And they find out that at many rural addresses the post simply is not delivered, which means an assessment can quietly pile up for years. This blog walks through all of it calmly, so you are not caught out.
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Cita previa Spain 2026
You’re trying to book a cita previa for your NIE, TIE or huellas and it just won’t work. The page loads slowly, throws an error or keeps showing the same message: „en este momento no hay citas disponibles.” You’re not imagining it. Through the summer of 2026, the appointment systems at extranjería and the Policía Nacional are under extraordinary pressure. Here’s what’s behind it and how to actually get a slot.
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Exchanging Your EU Driving Licence in Spain
As an EU citizen, you can drive in Spain on your home country licence for as long as it remains valid. That sounds simple enough, and for most people it is, at first. But once you register as a resident in Spain, your situation changes in ways that are easy to overlook. Those who wait too long can end up facing a serious problem at exactly the wrong moment.
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Becoming an Autonomo in Spain
An Autonomo is the Spanish equivalent of a sole trader or freelancer. To work as an Autonomo in Spain you must register with the Agencia Tributaria (Hacienda) and the Seguridad Social. You pay a monthly social contribution, known as the Cuota de Autonomo, which is now based on your expected income. You also file quarterly tax returns for VAT (IVA) and income tax (IRPF). As a new Autonomo you can benefit from the so-called Tarifa Plana, a heavily reduced starter rate. The system requires discipline and planning but also offers real freedom. This guide helps you through every step.
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Moving to Spain After Brexit
Brexit changed the rules for British citizens moving to Spain. Here's what you now need from the TIE card to health insurance and what no longer applies.
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