Spainbase is an independent guide to moving to Spain. It exists because the information needed to make this decision is scattered across government PDFs, consulate pages that contradict each other, and forum threads written years ago under rules that have since changed.
What is here
Seven visa routes, covered in full, with the income each one requires and how that requirement changes when you bring a partner or children. Ten cities profiled on the things that actually decide where a family can live: rent, school admission, the regional language of the classroom, and what a normal month costs. Guides to healthcare, tax, banking, schooling and the sequence of arrival admin that has to happen in a particular order.
How the figures are checked
Every threshold on this site traces back to a primary source, usually the Boletín Oficial del Estado or the Ministerio de Inclusión. Where a number cannot be sourced, and there are several, consular fees and real processing times among them, we say so rather than publishing a confident guess.
Spanish income requirements move each February when the minimum wage is set, so anything derived from it changes with it. The figures here are current for 2026.
What this is not
It is not legal advice, and it is not a relocation agency. Nobody here files paperwork on your behalf. For the decisions that carry real money, an immigration lawyer or a Spanish accountant is worth what they charge.
Who writes it
Spainbase is written and maintained by a family who moved to Spain and went through every step of this themselves, which is why the awkward parts are in here alongside the official ones.