Settling in Altea

1. Why the order matters

Spanish administration builds one step on the next. No NIE, no bank account; no bank account, no direct debit for electricity and water; no town-hall registration, no health card; no registration certificate, no EU residence certificate. Each step is simple on its own. The difficulty lies entirely in doing them in the right order.

The chain below is the route that works for most people. If you already have parts of it, join further down.

2. The chain

1. Apply for the NIEThe foreigner identification number opens everything else: purchases, accounts, contracts, tax. It is issued by the national police station in Benidorm, by appointment. Immigration office
2. Secure a homePurchase or rental. Before buying, a land registry extract and the cédula urbanística are worth the money — they show what is permitted on the plot. Planning office
3. Register at the town hallThe empadronamiento. It underpins the health card, a school place, voting rights and the EU registration certificate. From here on, nothing works without it. Town hall
4. Open a bank accountWith NIE and passport. Without registration you will be offered a non-resident account, which costs more — hence the order.
5. Transfer electricity and waterAfter a purchase the contracts often stay in the previous owner’s name. Transfer them, set up the direct debit, check the meter reading. Water · Electricity
6. Health card (SIP)With the registration certificate and proof of cover, at the health centre. EU pensioners need form S1 from their home scheme. Health and support
7. Digital certificateFrom here everything gets easier: applications, decisions and deadlines run online. Identity checks are done in Altea at Suma or the town hall. Digital certificate
8. EU registration certificateBeyond three months’ stay: the green document, with registration, health insurance and proof of means. Immigration office
9. Taxes and chargesProperty tax and refuse charges run through Suma — set up a direct debit and you will never miss a deadline. Suma

3. What runs alongside

Not everything hangs on the chain. These can be slotted in at any point:

• Mobile contract — possible with the NIE, often earlier with a passport
• Home and liability insurance — the building is usually covered by the owners’ association; the contents are yours to arrange
• Vehicle — exchanging your licence and re-registering the car have deadlines of their own. Car and traffic
• School enrolment — deadlines follow the school year, not your move. School

4. The most common mistakes

• Documents without copies — original and photocopy are expected almost everywhere. Without the copy the appointment ends with nothing done.
• Changing your address in one place only — the register, Suma, the water company and your bank each hold their own. Bills go to the one they hold.
• Waiting for a letter — many deadlines run from publication, not from delivery. If nothing arrives, you have to ask.
• Letting an appointment lapse — at the immigration office the next one can be weeks away. Cancel and rebook rather than not turning up.
• Foreign documents without an apostille — birth and marriage certificates need a sworn translation and, depending on the country, an apostille. Sorting that out in advance saves weeks.

5. What to carry

• Passport or identity card, original and copy
• NIE, once you have it
• A registration certificate less than three months old
• A Spanish mobile number for appointment confirmations
• A folder with everything already done — Spanish offices like to see proof of earlier steps

One practical habit: photograph every document the moment you receive it. Losing a certificate usually means losing the weeks it took to obtain.

6. When it stalls

Almost nothing has to be done in person by you. A gestoría — an administrative agent — will handle applications for a fee and knows the routes. It is worth it for inheritance, company formation, complicated residence questions, and whenever a deadline is running.

For emergencies see Police and emergency services; for hardship, Health and support.