Three levels, three completely different lives
| You are… | What it means | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| A non-resident owner | You own a home but live in your own country. The most common case among our clients. | Modelo 210 every year, plus IBI and community fees. |
| Empadronado | Registered on the town hall’s register. Gives access to the health centre, school places and municipal services. | No tax effect of its own — it is a municipal registration, nothing more. |
| Tax resident | More than 183 days per calendar year here, or the centre of your economic interests here. | Spain taxes your worldwide income. Entirely different rules for returns, wealth and inheritance. |
The order that works
- NIE. Everything else requires it. How to apply.
- Tax advice before the move, not after. Continuing ties to your home country, the type of pension you have and the tax treaty decide your finances. The questions you must have answered.
- Healthcare. If you are a pensioner: apply for the S1 from your home authority before the move and register it here. If you are working, other rules apply.
- Deregister with your home authorities when you actually move.
- Registration as an EU citizen for stays over three months (non-EU citizens need a residence permit first), and then empadronamiento in your municipality.
- The practical side: bank account, electricity and water in your own name, health centre, and exchanging your driving licence when it needs renewing.
Count the days from the start. The 183-day threshold is the most common expensive surprise: many people drift over it without having thought about it and discover it the year after. If you own a home here and spend long winters — keep a diary.
If the children are coming too
Fuengirola has both the Swedish School and a choice of international schools, which in practice decides where many Scandinavian and international families settle on the coast. We have a page on how the school run shapes the choice of home: homes near the Swedish School.
We are estate agents, not lawyers or tax advisers — but we know which questions to ask and who should answer them. Get in touch and we will go through your situation.