# What is the order for moving to spain? Visa, Apartment and then Empadronamiento?



## surfca (Mar 6, 2014)

Okay so I have read alot of the faqs but I am still confused.
Waiting on approval for my residency Visa. Consulate was not willing to accept a hotel address for where my Family and I will be living. (They almost had a heart attack when I explained our first option - that we would road trip through Spain first til we found a town we liked and settle there). I explained I won't rent an apartment til I am there but they still want me to find a temporary apartment address in the meantime in the city I wish to live in for the year and call them with it to update my application. So we went to the visitors bureau, went through our wish list with the lovely Spanish ladies and picked San Sebastian. Booked a hotel since and put it on the application since we have no friends or relatives in the region who can vouch for us or provide an address. 
So how does this all work? I thought that I would receive my Visa, get there, stay at the hotel, and in the meantime pound the pavement and lease an apartment after I see it in person. Then apply for empadronamiento. Am I wrong? I get there point that they don't want us homeless in Spain, but neither do we!


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

surfca said:


> Okay so I have read alot of the faqs but I am still confused.
> Waiting on approval for my residency Visa. Consulate was not willing to accept a hotel address for where my Family and I will be living. (They almost had a heart attack when I explained our first option - that we would road trip through Spain first til we found a town we liked and settle there). I explained I won't rent an apartment til I am there but they still want me to find a temporary apartment address in the meantime in the city I wish to live in for the year and call them with it to update my application. So we went to the visitors bureau, went through our wish list with the lovely Spanish ladies and picked San Sebastian. Booked a hotel since and put it on the application since we have no friends or relatives in the region who can vouch for us or provide an address.
> So how does this all work? I thought that I would receive my Visa, get there, stay at the hotel, and in the meantime pound the pavement and lease an apartment after I see it in person. Then apply for empadronamiento. Am I wrong? I get there point that they don't want us homeless in Spain, but neither do we!


I suppose if they insist on an address you'll have to find an apartment & give them that address - you can always move later - but you don't/can't register on the padrón until you're living here

which visa have you applied for, out of interest?


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## surfca (Mar 6, 2014)

We applied for the non lucrativa. Not too excited leasing a long term apartment sight unseen, not to mention it is not easy. Have attempted to contact apartments for lease from idealista but once I explain we are out of the country still, I get a sorry, not available. Contacted some local realtors to help me ind a short term 1-3 month apartment with no luck either.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

surfca said:


> We applied for the non lucrativa. Not too excited leasing a long term apartment sight unseen, not to mention it is not easy. Have attempted to contact apartments for lease from idealista but once I explain we are out of the country still, I get a sorry, not available. Contacted some local realtors to help me ind a short term 1-3 month apartment with no luck either.


that's pretty common I'm afraid

most agents won't deal with anyone until they are standing in their office

even if you do take a long (6 month+) let, you can still leave as long as you give a month notice. There might be some penalty, but not a huge amount


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## Sueños Españoles (Oct 4, 2013)

surfca said:


> We applied for the non lucrativa. Not too excited leasing a long term apartment sight unseen, not to mention it is not easy. Have attempted to contact apartments for lease from idealista but once I explain we are out of the country still, I get a sorry, not available. Contacted some local realtors to help me ind a short term 1-3 month apartment with no luck either.


I found our rental by reaching out to a bunch of listings on homeaway.com and explaining I was looking for a long-term lease. Received several positive responses and ended up signing with one of them. They may be a little pricier than those listed on idealista, but got the job done for us and I was able to submit the lease for the visa application.


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