Before you start

A visa or residence authorisation appropriate to your situation, granted before travel for most non-EU nationals
A passport valid well beyond the intended stay
Proof of address in Palma — a rental contract, a utility bill or a signed owner's authorisation
Passport photographs to Spanish specification and the paid Modelo 790 tax form

Step-by-step

1
Obtain the NIE number
The Número de Identidad de Extranjero is the foundational identifier and everything downstream needs it. If you arrived on a residence visa the number is normally assigned as part of that process; otherwise apply through the Oficina de Extranjería in Palma or a Spanish consulate before travelling.
In personWho: YouBefore or immediately on arrival
2
Secure a first address with a real contract
You cannot register on the padrón without documentary proof of address, and in Palma that is the hard part rather than the paperwork. A short-term let with a proper written contract, or a signed and dated authorisation from a property owner, is what the ajuntament accepts. An informal arrangement that saves money but produces no document will cost you months of blocked procedures.
In personWho: YouWeek 1
3
Register on the padrón at the Ajuntament de Palma
Take your passport and the address document to your appointment. The certificate is required for your TIE, the Balearic health card, school places and the licence exchange — and it is the basis on which airlines and ferry operators verify the 75% resident discount, so it starts paying for itself immediately.
In personWho: YouWeek 1–2
4
Book the TIE appointment as early as the queue allows
There is a limited window after entering Spain to apply for the physical residence card, and appointment availability is the binding constraint rather than the documents. Start checking for slots before everything else is assembled.
OnlineWho: YouWithin the first month
5
Attend the TIE appointment with fingerprints taken
Bring the completed Modelo EX-17, the paid Modelo 790 code 012, passport photographs, your passport with copies of every used page, the padrón certificate and your residence authorisation. Fingerprints are taken at the appointment and the card is collected several weeks later.
In personWho: You
6
Register with social security and get a NUSS
Employment triggers registration by your employer. If you are self-employed you register as autónomo on the income-based contribution scale, with a reduced starter rate for new registrations. The social security number is what converts into healthcare entitlement — the TIE alone does not.
In personWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Passport and photocopies of every used page
Residence visa or authorisation
Certificat d'empadronament from the Ajuntament de Palma
Modelo EX-17 for the TIE and the paid Modelo 790 code 012
Passport photographs to Spanish specification — white background, 32×26 mm
Rental contract or signed owner's authorisation

Things most newcomers don’t know

The padrón is worth money here, not just paperwork.

Registered Balearic residents receive a 75% discount on flights and ferries to the peninsula and between the islands, and the entitlement is verified against the municipal register. For anyone who travels to the mainland for work, family or medical appointments, that discount is worth more per year than every other administrative step combined. It also compounds the reason to register immediately rather than to wait for a permanent flat.

Source: Govern de les Illes Balears

The address problem and the padrón problem are the same problem in Palma.

You cannot register without proof of address, and Palma has the third most expensive rental market of any Spanish capital, with supply that collapses further in summer. The practical answer is to pay for a formal short-term let with a written contract for the first month rather than take a cheaper informal arrangement — the document is what you are buying, and without it the TIE, the health card, the school place and the travel discount all stall together.

Source: Ajuntament de Palma

Spain rewrote its immigration regulation in 2025, and older guidance is unreliable.

Real Decreto 1155/2024 replaced the long-standing 2011 reglamento de extranjería and took effect in May 2025, reshaping the arraigo routes, student work rights, family reunification and several evidence requirements. Much of the expat advice online — including material that was accurate for a decade — describes the previous system. Check anything about arraigo or a change of status against the current text before relying on it.

Source: Ministerio de Inclusión, Seguridad Social y Migraciones

The digital nomad visa carries a tax election with a hard deadline.

Spain's startups law created a teleworking residence route and extended the impatriate regime — the Beckham Law — to arrivals under it, taxing Spanish employment income at a flat rate rather than the progressive scale for a limited number of years. The election must be made within a strict window after social security registration and is not easily undone. It favours higher earners, and in the Balearics it interacts with a wealth tax that only bites above three million euros — a combination worth modelling rather than guessing.

Source: Agencia Tributaria

Common mistakes to avoid

Taking an informal first rental that produces no document you can use for the padrón.
Delaying the padrón and losing months of the 75% resident travel discount along with everything else.
Relying on pre-2025 guidance about arraigo and status changes, which the new reglamento superseded.
Assuming the NIE alone gives you healthcare — social security registration is a separate step.
Missing the strict window to elect the impatriate tax regime.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.

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