Your first week in Spain — the checklist every Erasmus student needs

Your first week in Spain will feel chaotic. You'll be jet-lagged, your Spanish will fail you at the worst moments, and every administrative office will be closed exactly when you're free.

This is the order of operations that actually works. Don't skip steps. Don't try to do it all on day one. And don't believe the friend who tells you "I never did the empadronamiento" — they had problems later, they just didn't tell you.

Day 1 — survive

The only things that matter on the day you arrive:

• Get a Spanish SIM card. Vodafone, Orange and Movistar all sell prepaid SIMs at the airport for €10–€15. You can switch to a cheaper plan (Lowi, Simyo, Pepephone) once you settle. Without a Spanish number, every appointment system below will fail you.
• Check into your accommodation and photograph the room. Walls, floor, mattress, appliances, every existing scratch. This is your fianza-recovery insurance.
• Quick supermarket run. Water, bread, fruit, coffee. You'll be too tired tomorrow if you don't.
• Sleep. The paperwork will not move faster if you start at 7 PM on day one.

Day 2–3 — empadronamiento appointment

The first piece of Spanish paperwork is the empadronamiento — registering at your city's ayuntamiento (city hall) as a resident at your address. It's free, it takes 10 minutes once you're in the chair, but getting the appointment can take 1–3 weeks depending on the city.

Book it on day 2 or 3 from the city hall website. In big cities (Madrid, Barcelona), book the first morning slot you can find — afternoon slots cancel constantly.

You'll need:

• Passport (and a photocopy)
• Rental contract OR signed authorisation from the flat owner that you live there
• Your university enrolment proof if available

You'll walk out with a volante de empadronamiento, which is required for most things below.

Day 3–5 — NIE / TIE appointment

If you're an EU student, you can apply for the green NIE certificate at any time — but you'll need it for almost any long-term Spanish contract.

If you're a non-EU student, you have 30 days from arrival to apply for the TIE (foreigner identity card) at the Oficina de Extranjería or designated police station. This is non-negotiable for visa-holders.

The appointment system (cita previa) is famously broken. Realistic expectations:

• Appointments open and disappear within minutes in big cities
• Refresh the sede.administracionespublicas.gob.es page repeatedly across multiple offices
• If you genuinely can't get one within your visa deadline, document the attempts — that's your legal defence
• Some cities have services that book the appointment for you (~€25); not glamorous but legal and effective

Bring:

• Passport + photocopy
• Empadronamiento certificate
• University enrolment proof
• Proof of finances (bank statement or grant letter)
• Health insurance proof
• Filled-in form EX-18 (EU) or EX-17 (non-EU) — download from the same site
• Cash for the tax (around €10 for EU, €16 for non-EU)

Day 4–6 — university paperwork

Your home university already sent you a Learning Agreement. Your host university in Spain needs to sign and stamp it.

This requires going to the International Relations / Erasmus office of your faculty in person. Office hours are short (often 10–13h only). Email them on day 1 to schedule the visit; otherwise you'll lose a day showing up at the wrong time.

While you're there, ask for:

• Your student ID card (sometimes immediate, sometimes 2 weeks)
• Login credentials for the university platform (Moodle, Sigma, whatever — it's never working on first try)
• The course calendar — Spanish semesters start later and end later than most European universities
• A certificate of enrolment in Spanish; you'll need it for the bank and TIE

Day 5–7 — Spanish bank account

Once you have the NIE certificate (or the request receipt), open a Spanish bank account. Why bother when Revolut exists?

• Some Spanish landlords still only accept domestic SEPA transfers without fees
• Direct debit (domiciliación) is how Spaniards pay utilities, gym, phone — and some services refuse foreign IBANs
• The student grant in some cases is paid only to a Spanish IBAN

Best options for students:

• BBVA Cuenta Online — fully digital, free for under-29s, no NIE in some cases
• Santander Cuenta Online 1|2|3 — similar
• CaixaBank Día a Día — common, has English-speaking branches in tourist cities
• Imagin (CaixaBank) — mobile-first, designed for under-30s

You'll need: NIE certificate (or receipt), passport, empadronamiento, university enrolment proof, sometimes a justificante of address.

If it's slow: Revolut, N26 or Wise work for the first month with a non-Spanish IBAN. Most landlords accept SEPA from those now.

Day 6–7 — transport pass

The cheapest thing on this list and the one that pays back fastest.

• Madrid: Abono Joven (€20/month, under-26) — pick up at metro stations or estancos
• Barcelona: T-jove (€40 for 90 days, under-25)
• Valencia: Bono Joven (~€30/month, under-30)
• Sevilla, Granada, Bilbao, Málaga: city-specific cards, all available at estancos or main transport hubs

Most cards require a photo and the empadronamiento. Apply early in the week so you have it by the time classes start.

Day 7 — the things people forget

By the end of week 1, also handle:

• EHIC card (EU students) — make sure you brought it. If you forgot, your home country's website can ship a replacement to your Spanish address.
• Non-EU students: print your private health insurance policy; the university often re-asks for it.
• Find your nearest centro de salud (health centre). You don't want to look it up while sick.
• Map your route to campus in actual traffic and walking conditions. The Google estimate is often optimistic by 20%.
• Join the Erasmus WhatsApp / Telegram groups of your university and city. This is where 80% of social life happens.

The Spanish bureaucracy survival rules

Three rules that will save your sanity throughout your year:

1. Always carry a photocopy of everything. Every office will ask for it. Make 5 copies of your passport and 5 of every certificate you get. There's a fotocopiadora near every government building.
2. Bring a Spanish-speaking friend if your Spanish is rough. Forms are in Spanish, the staff sometimes don't speak English, and one missing form means a wasted morning.
3. Don't believe "you only need this one thing." Bring everything, every time. The cost of bringing too much paperwork is zero. The cost of going home and rebooking is a week.

By the end of week 1 you should have: empadronamiento certificate, NIE/TIE request submitted, university paperwork signed, transport card, Spanish SIM, and either a Spanish bank account in motion or a digital alternative.

Week 2 is for catching your breath and starting to actually live here.

If you're still finalising your flat, browse verified Erasmus rooms across Spain on GoMate — every landlord is checked and the contract is in clear English alongside the Spanish original.