Before you start

Passport, for a prepaid SIM
NIE and a Spanish bank account, for a contract
An unlocked or eSIM-capable handset
A Spanish address, for fibre installation

Step-by-step

1
Buy a prepaid SIM on your passport on arrival
Available at the airport, phone shops and supermarkets. Registration against your passport is required by law and takes a few minutes at the counter. A Spanish number in your first hour unlocks bank verification and appointment systems.
In personWho: YouDay 1
2
Wait for the NIE before taking a contract
Contract tariffs need a NIE and usually a Spanish IBAN for the direct debit. They are considerably better value than prepaid and typically bundle mobile with fibre, but there is no way to shortcut the identity requirement.
In personWho: You
3
Bundle fibre with mobile, which is how Spain prices it
Spanish operators price convergent bundles aggressively, and mobile alone is poor value by comparison. Fibre coverage in Valencia is excellent and speeds are high by European standards, so the bundle is usually the right answer rather than a compromise.
OnlineWho: You
4
Consider the low-cost operators seriously
The virtual operators reselling the main networks are substantially cheaper and use the same masts. For a newcomer without a credit history they are also more willing to take a customer on a passport plus NIE without extensive checks.
OnlineWho: You
5
Keep your number when you switch
Portability between Spanish operators is a legal right and the process is handled by the receiving operator within a short statutory period. Never cancel first — you lose the number.
OnlineWho: You
6
Arrange fibre installation as soon as you have an address
Installation usually needs a technician visit and can take one to three weeks. In older buildings in Ciutat Vella and El Cabanyal, getting fibre into the property may depend on the building's existing risers, so ask what is already installed before assuming.
OnlineWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Passport, for prepaid registration
NIE and Spanish IBAN, for a contract
Proof of address, for fibre

Things most newcomers don’t know

There is no anonymous SIM in Spain, unlike the UK.

Every Spanish SIM must be registered against an identity document at activation. A passport is enough for prepaid, so this is not a barrier — but arriving expecting to buy a SIM from a supermarket shelf and use it immediately, as you can in Britain, means an unexpected counter visit with documents in hand.

Source: Ministerio para la Transformación Digital

The NIE, not the money, is what gates a good tariff.

Contract plans are far better value than prepaid and almost always bundle fibre, but they require a NIE and usually a Spanish IBAN for the direct debit. There is no premium you can pay to skip this. Plan on several weeks of prepaid while the residency paperwork completes, and treat that cost as part of the move.

Source: community-reported

Spanish fibre is genuinely excellent and cheap, which surprises people.

Spain has among the highest full-fibre coverage in Europe, well ahead of Germany or the UK, because the incumbent and its competitors overbuilt aggressively. Symmetric gigabit connections are ordinary and inexpensive. For remote workers this is one of the strongest and least advertised practical arguments for the country.

Source: Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y la Competencia

Older buildings are the exception to the fibre story.

Getting fibre into a nineteenth-century building in Ciutat Vella or a traditional house in El Cabanyal depends on the risers and sometimes on the building community's agreement. Two flats on the same street can have very different options. Ask what is already installed in the property before signing a lease if a fast symmetric connection is load-bearing for your work.

Source: community-reported

Common mistakes to avoid

Expecting to buy an anonymous SIM as in the UK.
Signing a long contract before you have a NIE and being pushed onto a worse tariff.
Buying mobile alone when Spain prices convergent bundles far better.
Cancelling your old service before porting the number.
Assuming fibre is available in an old-town building without checking the risers.

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