Spainguru

Spainguru: resources and advice for moving to Spain

Spainguru is an online platform aimed at people planning to relocate or retire in Spain. It brings together guides, interactive tools, and a network of vetted professionals to support the migration process, from choosing the right visa to settling in the country. The site presents itself as a free resource hub, with access to a step-by-step checklist, a city comparator, cost and tax estimators, and informative webinars.

Visas, residency, and citizenship

The platform covers the main migration routes to Spain. These include the digital nomad visa, the non-lucrative visa, the student visa, work permits, and long-term residency. It also addresses categories such as social, employment, family, and training-based residency (arraigo), as well as family reunification and legal unions (marriage, common-law partnership, and stable partnership). Regarding nationality, it includes information on Spanish citizenship and a two-year citizenship route, plus a specific section on citizenship for Puerto Ricans.

Legal and administrative services

The site provides guidance on procedures such as obtaining the NIE, TIE, and empadronamiento (municipal registration), document apostille, and sworn translation. To this end, it connects users with immigration lawyers, gestores, and sworn translators. The legal advice section is complemented by guides on finding a lawyer in Spain and information on checking the lote number.

Finance, taxes, and banking

In the financial area, Spainguru offers resources on taxes for expats, including the Beckham Law, and on financial planning. It also facilitates access to tax experts, gestores, and financial advisors, and covers opening bank accounts, international transfers, and mortgages in Spain.

Health, logistics, and daily life

The platform addresses taking out health insurance and obtaining the medical certificate, as well as relocation services, moving, shipping goods, pet transport, eSIM and SIM cards, and driving in Spain. In the education section, it includes resources for learning Spanish. For daily life, it covers topics such as the cost of living, climate, the expat community, and finding housing.

Interactive tools and community

Cities and regions

Spainguru publishes guides to more than 30 Spanish cities and regions, including Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Alicante, Málaga, Seville, Granada, Jerez, Bilbao, San Sebastián, A Coruña, Mallorca, and Tenerife. These guides compare cost of living, climate, and expat community size, and are complemented by a city finder and a destinations map.

Editorial content and first-hand experience

The platform's blog includes articles on specific procedures, such as the declaration of singleness for Americans, changing address with the IRS, transporting pets from the United States, keeping your US phone number in Spain, and managing residency, bank accounts, and inheritance after the death of a spouse. It also features first-person experiences of applying for the non-lucrative visa at consulates in Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, and New York.