Everything Americans need to move to Spain, in the right order
Sourced and dated guides on visas, housing, banking, healthcare and taxes, written for U.S. citizens. When reading is not enough, the Spain Navigator turns them into your own plan.
401(k) and IRA in Spain: How Withdrawals and Rollovers Are Taxed
Once you are a Spanish tax resident, the treaty hands your 401(k) and IRA withdrawals to Spain. The United States taxes you anyway and credits the Spanish tax; rollovers and Roths follow other rules.
The residence card deadline runs from your entry into Spain. How to sequence the TIE appointment, the padrón and your address in the first weeks.
The costly mistakes after a move to Spain come from rules that apply on a date. Eight of them, from tax residency to the padrón, with the official rule and the fix.
The FBI check, its apostille, the medical certificate and your U.S. accounts, sequenced so nothing expires before your consulate appointment.
Keep a U.S. account, get your broker's policy for customers abroad before any address changes, and open the Spanish account knowing why the FATCA question comes up at the counter.
Featured
View all
Browse by topic
Your whole move to Spain with the Spain Navigator
Months of scattered forums, replaced by one app that knows where you are today and tells you what to do next.
- Every step ordered, sourced and dated: no more guessing
- Adapts to your situation, family, region and timeline
- Trackers, templates and a document vault in one place
Latest
View all
401(k) and IRA in Spain: How Withdrawals and Rollovers Are Taxed
Once you are a Spanish tax resident, the treaty hands your 401(k) and IRA withdrawals to Spain. The United States taxes you anyway and credits the Spanish tax; rollovers and Roths follow other rules.
Your First Month in Spain: The TIE Clock and What to Do Around It
The residence card deadline runs from your entry into Spain. How to sequence the TIE appointment, the padrón and your address in the first weeks.
8 Mistakes Americans Make When Moving to Spain, and the Fix for Each
The costly mistakes after a move to Spain come from rules that apply on a date. Eight of them, from tax residency to the padrón, with the official rule and the fix.
Moving to Spain From the US: The Checklist, in the Right Order
The FBI check, its apostille, the medical certificate and your U.S. accounts, sequenced so nothing expires before your consulate appointment.
How to Prepare Your U.S. Finances Before Moving to Spain
Keep a U.S. account, get your broker's policy for customers abroad before any address changes, and open the Spanish account knowing why the FATCA question comes up at the counter.
Selling Your US Home After Moving to Spain: Section 121 and IRPF
Sell before you become a Spanish tax resident and only the IRS looks at the gain. Sell after, and Spain taxes it too, with a credit for the U.S. tax. The order of the dates decides the bill.