Who We Are
Spain Living Guide explains Spanish bureaucracy in English. Tax, residency, property, healthcare and the paperwork underneath all of it, written for people who are moving here or already living here and who keep running into the same problem: what they need is scattered across government portals, outdated forum threads, and pages that quietly contradict one another.
It is an independent site with a single author. Nobody pays to appear in it, and nothing on it is written by anyone else.
About the Author
Daniel Aznar is a Spanish engineer based in Valencia, and the founder and sole author of this site. He is not a lawyer, a tax adviser, a gestor or an immigration consultant, and every article says so plainly.
The site began as his own research. Registering on the padrón, obtaining a NIE, getting a health card, dealing with the Agencia Tributaria, working out which forms actually applied to him — each of those meant reading the underlying regulation because the English-language summaries were either vague, out of date, or confidently wrong. Spain Living Guide is that research, organised so the next person does not have to repeat it.
An engineering background is not a legal qualification, and this site never pretends otherwise. What it does bring is a habit that turns out to matter a great deal here: going to the primary text, checking the number against the source that issued it, and saying so when the sources disagree instead of picking one and presenting it as settled.
You can view his professional profile on LinkedIn.
What We Can Show You That Most Guides Cannot
Most English-language writing about Spanish administration is written at a distance, from the same handful of official summaries. It tells you a procedure exists. It rarely tells you what the room looks like, which counter to go to, or what the document you are waiting for actually contains.
Where an article describes a procedure the author has been through himself, it says so, and it shows the evidence: photographs and screenshots of his own real documents, with names, numbers and identifying codes obscured. His actual Valencian SIP health card. The regional appointment-booking screen as it appears when you use it. The Agencia Tributaria’s filing interface. These are not stock images, and they are not illustrations of the process — they are the process.
Two caveats we state openly. First, one person’s experience at one office on one date is not a guarantee of yours. Second, the author has not personally been through every procedure the site covers — inheritance, off-plan purchase and non-lucrative visas among them — and where that is the case the article rests entirely on sourced research and does not claim otherwise. We would rather mark the boundary than blur it.
Our Mission
To make Spanish administration legible to people who do not speak the language of it — and to make every claim checkable. Relocating means piecing together information scattered across government portals, forums and inconsistent advice. We organise that in one place and always point back to the official source, so that you are never asked to take our word for anything that matters.
We publish guides covering taxation, healthcare, real estate, legal residency, financial planning, and the practical logistics of settling in Spain.
Editorial Standards
- Sourced, not invented. Every rate, threshold, deadline and legal requirement links to the body that issued it: the Agencia Tributaria, the Boletín Oficial del Estado, the Seguridad Social, the Ministry of Health, the DGT, the AEMPS, the Banco de España, the CNMV, a regional tax authority, or a foreign counterpart such as HMRC or the IRS. How many sources an article carries depends on how much of the subject is actually governed by published rules: a guide to declaring foreign assets cites fifteen, while one explaining a single administrative procedure may rest on two or three. What does not vary is the rule that every figure has a source behind it. If we cannot source a claim, we remove it rather than soften it.
- Dated verification, not a vague promise. Each article ends with a note saying when its figures were last checked, against which sources, and which parts are most likely to move. That note is the reason you can tell whether the page you are reading is still safe to act on.
- When sources disagree, we say so. Spanish administrative law is fragmented enough that official sources sometimes contradict each other on a date or a figure. We tell you there is a dispute, explain why it exists, and point you to the authority that decides it. A reader who knows a number is contested is better informed than one given a clean figure with a one-in-four chance of being right.
- Named, not generic. We write CaixaBank, BBVA, Openbank and Wise rather than “Spanish banks”; article 42 bis of Royal Decree 1065/2007 rather than “the regulations”. Vagueness is usually a sign the writer did not check.
- Honest about who we are. We do not claim credentials we do not hold. This is an independent research and information site, not a law firm, tax practice, or financial advisory.
- Corrected when wrong. Where we find an error in something already published, we fix it rather than leaving it in place, and we would rather remove an article entirely than leave weak or unreliable content on the site. If you spot one, tell us and we will check it against the source.
What We Cover
Our content focuses on practical guidance for expatriates and international relocators, including but not limited to:
Taxation and Financial Planning
- Personal income tax (IRPF) for foreign residents
- Double taxation treaties between Spain, the US, and the UK
- Cryptocurrency, staking, and Web3 taxation and reporting
- Wealth tax, gift tax, and inheritance planning
- Registering as an autónomo or setting up a company (SL)
- Digital nomad visa tax implications and the Beckham Law
Property and Housing
- Renting a home as a foreigner: contracts, deposits, and common scams
- Property purchase taxes (ITP, IVA, AJD) and notary costs
- Annual ownership taxes: IBI, plusvalía municipal, and IRNR
- Understanding Spanish coastal law (Ley de Costas)
- Regional price variations and legal pitfalls to avoid
Healthcare
- Public healthcare access and how the convenio especial works
- Private health insurance, including cover that meets visa requirements
- Transferring prescriptions and accessing medications
Legal Residency and Immigration
- Visa options (Digital Nomad, Non-Lucrative, Entrepreneur, Golden Visa alternatives)
- NIE, TIE, and empadronamiento: the three documents every foreigner needs
- Tax residency requirements
- Foreign asset reporting obligations (Modelo 720, Modelo 721, DAC8)
Practical Logistics and Daily Life
- Exchanging a foreign driving licence
- Compulsory car insurance and the penalties for going without
- Pensions and totalization of contributions across several countries
- Cost of living comparisons by region
- International schools and family relocation
- Moving pets, vehicles, and belongings to Spain
Who Should Read Our Content
Our articles are designed for:
- English-speaking expatriates considering a move to Spain or already living there
- Individuals seeking to understand taxation, estate planning, and residency options
- Remote workers and digital nomads evaluating relocation options
- Families planning international moves and seeking information on schools, healthcare, and lifestyle costs
- Anyone seeking well-sourced, free information about international relocation and expatriate life
What We Are Not
We are not a law firm, accounting firm, financial advisory service, real estate agency, immigration consultancy, or medical service provider. Our content is educational and informational only. It does not constitute legal, tax, medical, investment, or immigration advice.
Before making significant financial or legal decisions, readers should always consult qualified professionals licensed in their jurisdiction. International relocation involves complex personal, financial, and legal considerations that vary by individual circumstances. What applies to one person may not apply to another.
Advertising and Monetization
This website is supported by display advertising. We do not currently use affiliate links anywhere on the site. If that ever changes, we will say so here and disclose any such link clearly at the point where it appears.
Our commitment is to maintain editorial independence and provide unbiased information regardless of advertising relationships.
We will never:
- Accept payments to promote specific lawyers, real estate agents, or service providers
- Write misleading or exaggerated claims to drive clicks
- Recommend services we have not verified
- Allow advertising to compromise the accuracy or usefulness of our content
Contact and Feedback
We welcome feedback, corrections, and suggestions from our readers. If you notice an error in any article, have additional information to share, or have ideas for topics we should cover, please reach out through the contact form on our website.
- Founder & Author: Daniel Aznar
- Contact Email: spainlivingguide@gmail.com
Disclaimer
The information on this website is educational and informational only. It is not legal, tax, financial, medical, immigration or real estate advice, and reading it creates no advisory relationship. Laws, tax codes, visa policies and healthcare rules change frequently and differ by region and by individual circumstances, so before acting on anything here you should consult a professional qualified in the relevant field and jurisdiction.
Our full position, including why regional and municipal rules diverge, how far a first-hand account goes, and the limits of our liability, is set out on the Disclaimer page. See also our Terms of Use, Privacy Policy, Cookies Policy and Legal Notice.
Last Updated: August 2026