Moving to Marbella: Residency, Schools, Healthcare and Everyday Life

More and more of our clients aren't buying a holiday home — they're moving here. Families relocating for the schools and the outdoor life, remote workers, people retiring to the sun. Marbella makes it easy in many ways: English is widely spoken, there's a large international community, and the infrastructure is good. The paperwork still needs doing in the right order. Here's how.

Step 1: Residency

• EU, EEA and Swiss citizens can move freely. If you stay more than three months, apply in person for the EU registration certificate (certificado de registro).
• Everyone else, including UK citizens, needs a visa or residence permit to stay more than 90 days in 180 — for most people moving here without a Spanish job, that's the non-lucrative or digital nomad visa.

Spain's Golden Visa for property buyers ended in April 2025. We explain the current routes and income requirements in living in Spain after the Golden Visa.

Step 2: the Paperwork, in Order

1. 1NIE — your foreigner's tax number, needed for almost everything.
2. 2A Spanish bank account.
3. 3A home — bought or rented. Our buyer's guide covers buying; for renting while you search, see our long-term rentals.
4. 4Empadronamiento — registering at the town hall (the padrón). It's free, and it's the key to school places, healthcare registration and local services.
5. 5Residence card (TIE) for non-EU residents, collected in Spain once your visa is approved.
6. 6Tax — once you're tax-resident (generally after 183 days in a calendar year), you file Spanish income tax on your worldwide income. Take advice before you move: timing matters, and double-tax treaties apply.

Schools

School choice is often what decides the area. The Marbella–Estepona–Benahavís corridor has one of the widest choices of international schools in Spain, including:

• Aloha College — Nueva Andalucía (British curriculum and IB).
• Swans International School — Sierra Blanca and El Capricho (British and IB).
• British International School of Marbella — Golden Mile.
• English International College — Elviria.
• Laude San Pedro International College — San Pedro de Alcántara.
• Atalaya International School — on the Estepona–Benahavís border (bilingual and IB).
• The International School Estepona — El Paraíso.
• Plus French, Swedish and other national schools, and good Spanish state schools.

Places at the most popular schools fill early, so contact them as soon as your move is likely — and ideally before you choose your home.

Healthcare

• Working residents are covered by the public health system through social security.
• UK state pensioners can register an S1 form with the Spanish social security and access public healthcare.
• Others can join the public system through the convenio especial after a year on the padrón — about €60 a month under 65 and €157 from 65 (2026).
• Private health insurance is widely used and is required for the non-lucrative visa. Marbella has several private hospitals and many English-speaking doctors.

Getting Around

Málaga airport is about 50 km from Marbella — roughly 35–45 minutes by car on the AP-7 toll road or the A-7 — and handled more than 26 million passengers in 2025, with direct flights to most of Europe. A car is close to essential on this coast, especially in the hills. Málaga's high-speed train station connects to Madrid in under three hours.

Life Beyond the Summer

Costa Del Sol is a year-round place. Winters are mild and sunny, which is when golf, hiking in the Sierra de las Nieves, and long lunches in Benahavís come into their own. Marbella's old town and San Pedro stay lively all year, and the international community means there's always something on. Spring and autumn are, for many residents, the best seasons of all.