Essentials · 7 min
Renting in Spain as a Foreigner: How We Found Ours
We had one viewing in Paiporta and fell for the place. Then we had to convince the landlord’s insurance company that we were worth the risk.
Start here
Three ways in
01 — Paperwork
Essentials
NIE, residency, taxes, housing. The admin, in the order you'll actually meet it.
02 — Getting out
Everything Spain
Cities, coastlines and day trips we've done with the family, and what they cost.
03 — The family
Places
Three years of life here, written as it happened. Start at year one.
Latest
Older posts →
How to Import an EU Car into Spain Without a Gestor
We brought two Dutch cars to Spain and registered both ourselves, no gestor. It took a summer of appointments, Google Translate and a private parking space, and it was a lot less scary than it looked.
Toledo with Kids: Escalators, Steep Hills and a Stroller
We went to Madrid for Shakira and drove home via Toledo the next morning. Our son loved the escalators, we all loved the old town, and I learned that a stroller and Toledo’s hills don’t get along.
Port Saplaya with Kids: Valencia’s Little Venice
Port Saplaya was our very first address in Spain - a month in a temporary apartment by the beach while we chased NIE appointments. We still think of it as where it all started.
The paperwork shortcut
Every guide, in the order you need it
Checked and dated, so you know what still applies before you book an appointment.
01Renting in Spain as a Foreigner: How We Found OursUpdated Oct 202602How to Import an EU Car into Spain Without a GestorUpdated Oct 202603How to Get a Digital Certificate in Spain as a ForeignerUpdated Oct 202604Empadronamiento in Spain: Proof of Residence at the Town HallUpdated Sep 202605How to Get Your NIE in Spain: The Number and the Green CardUpdated Sep 2026
Jasper van Rijbroek
I'm a PHP and NodeJS developer who was born in Amsterdam, NL but now lives in beautiful Valencia, Spain. I work remotely full-time and enjoy blogging about everything related to this wonderful country. Let me know if you have any questions about Spain — I'd be more than happy to help!