Use these guides when you need a plain-English starting point before choosing the city page, official portal, calculator, or Ask Guiri workflow that matches your situation.
Quick answer
Official apps and phone shortcuts worth setting up when you move to Spain: Cl@ve, Mi Carpeta Ciudadana, AEAT, miDGT, AlertCops, and regional health apps.
Who this is for
Digital survival kit
Documents to have ready
- Cl@ve or certificado digital for logging in to government portals.
- Mi Carpeta Ciudadana for checking many personal government records in one place.
- AEAT app or AEAT Sede for tax notices, filings, and appointments.
Where to start
Register for Cl@ve - Punto de Acceso General
Timing
The most useful apps for a new resident are the boring ones: identity, appointments, taxes, driving, health, and safety. Set those up before you need them, because a Spanish letter often gives you days, not weeks, to respond.
Common mistake
Create a folder with passport scans, NIE or TIE, padrón certificate, rental contract, tasa receipts, and appointment confirmations. Keep originals safe and avoid sending full ID documents through social apps unless you trust the recipient.
Check the source before you act
Use this page to prepare the file for essential apps, then confirm current forms, appointment categories, fees, and account instructions on the official source listed here.
- Save receipts, confirmations, registry numbers, and downloaded PDFs.
- Use Ask Guiri when the next step depends on your own document, address, status, deadline, or portal error.
Start with government access, not lifestyle apps
The most useful apps for a new resident are the boring ones: identity, appointments, taxes, driving, health, and safety. Set those up before you need them, because a Spanish letter often gives you days, not weeks, to respond.
- Cl@ve or certificado digital for logging in to government portals.
- Mi Carpeta Ciudadana for checking many personal government records in one place.
- AEAT app or AEAT Sede for tax notices, filings, and appointments.
- miDGT if you drive or need Spanish traffic-office access.
- AlertCops for contacting Spanish police and security services from your phone.
Save portals as phone shortcuts
Some important services are still better as web portals than native apps. Add the official page to your phone home screen so you can find it quickly when a letter mentions a sede electronica, justificante, certificado, or cita previa.
- Your city hall padrón page.
- Your regional health-service portal or app.
- The national cita previa portal for TIE appointments.
- The FNMT certificate page if you plan to use a digital certificate.
Do not wait until you receive a letter
The friction is usually identity setup: SMS confirmation, office registration, certificate installation, or password recovery. Doing that in advance makes later paperwork much less stressful.
Keep a small folder on your phone
Create a folder with passport scans, NIE or TIE, padrón certificate, rental contract, tasa receipts, and appointment confirmations. Keep originals safe and avoid sending full ID documents through social apps unless you trust the recipient.