Everything in the app, by city

30 min at the office · weeks for the cita

How-tos

What to bring, how long it takes, what it costs, and which provider we would pick.

Get your NIE (and TIE)

The foreigner ID number everything else in Spain hangs off.

€9.84 (tasa 790-012) · €16+ for TIE

20 min at the OAC

The free town-hall registration that gets you on the list for healthcare and schools.

Free

Get a Spanish SIM card

Working number and data in 15 minutes. Passport is all you need.

€10 to 20

Get a T-mobilitat transit card

15 min to order · 3 to 10 days to install

Metro, bus, tram, and Rodalies on one contactless card.

€4.50 card + €21 to 40/mo

Open a Spanish bank account

45 min

For rent, salary, and the Bizum payments everyone assumes you have.

Free at most banks (with conditions)

20 min at the CAP

Your Catalan health card. Public GP, hospital, and prescriptions.

Free

Set up home internet

Fibre is everywhere and fast. Pick the right contract length.

€25 to 40/mo

Exchange your driving licence

1 hour at the DGT

EU licences barely need anything. Non-EU depends on the country list.

€28.87

20 min at the office

EU/EEA citizens: the green certificate you need after 90 days.

€12

Sign a lease (without getting burned)

1 to 4 weeks of hunting

Fianza, aval, and the temporada trap. Keys in hand with your rights intact.

3 to 4 months' rent upfront

Get your social security number (NUSS)

10 min online · days for the reply

Needed before your first day of work. And your employer can usually do it for you.

Free

Set up electricity, water & gas

1 hour total · 1 to 5 days activation

CUPS codes, the cambio de titularidad, and why the previous tenant's contract is your friend.

€80 to 140/mo combined

Set up Bizum

5 min

How Spain actually pays. By phone number, instantly, from your bank's own app.

Free

1 to 2 hours with a gestor

The double registration that lets you invoice from Spain. And the €80 first-year quota.

~€80/mo first year (tarifa plana) · then €200 to 590/mo

Know what to do in case of an accident

One number for everything, a second one for when it's not urgent.

Free

Handle a car crash, step by step

Most fender-benders settle on the spot. Know when that's not enough.

Free (your time only)

Editorial guides

Longer reads on housing, healthcare, visas, lifestyle picks, and the rest.

Living

Your first 72 hours in Barcelona

Land, get connected, dodge the pickpockets, and book the one appointment everything else waits on.

5 min read · Reviewed 11 June 2026

Bureaucracy & Visas

NIE and TIE in Barcelona, step by step

The foreigner ID number and residence card every expat needs. And how to win the cita previa game.

4 min read · Reviewed 20 June 2026

Housing

Renting in Barcelona without getting burned

How the market really works, what the fianza and aval mean, and where the scams hide.

3 min read · Reviewed 11 June 2026

Healthcare

Healthcare in Barcelona: CatSalut and private

How Catalonia’s public system works, who qualifies, and the private cover most expats add.

3 min read · Reviewed 11 June 2026

Living

Best neighbourhoods for digital nomads

Gràcia to Poblenou compared on rent, noise, Wi-Fi, and how far you are from the beach.

3 min read · Reviewed 11 June 2026

Bureaucracy & Visas

Which Spanish visa do you actually need?

Digital nomad, non-lucrative, work or student. The overview, and the rare good news about applying from inside Spain.

6 min read · Reviewed 20 June 2026

Bureaucracy & Visas

Taxes in Spain: the expat basics

The Beckham regime, what autónomos really pay, and the foreign-asset form with the scary fines.

6 min read · Reviewed 11 June 2026

Avoiding scams

Scams and traps to avoid in Barcelona

Rental fraud, illegal agency fees, and the street scams that target newcomers. Know these before you sign or pay anyone.

6 min read · Reviewed 12 June 2026

Essentials

How to behave in Barcelona

Catalan vs Spanish, late dinners, and pickpocket habits.

5 min read · Reviewed 20 June 2026

Compare & choose

Bank accounts

A Spanish IBAN for rent, nómina and direct debits.

4 banks · Checked June 2026

Home internet

Gigabit fibre is cheap here. Watch the contract lock-in, not the speed.

4 providers · Checked June 2026

Co-living & flexible stays

Furnished places to land for your first weeks, before you commit to a 12-month lease.

4 options · Checked June 2026

Gym memberships

Municipal pools to boutique studios. The Barcelona spread.

4 gyms · Checked June 2026

Private hospitals & clinics

Where to actually get seen this week, the private hospitals expats use, and the free public option.

4 options · Checked June 2026

Health & travel insurance

What actually covers you as a newcomer. And what just looks cheap.

4 plans · Checked June 2026

Where to live

Six barrios ranked on rent, noise, and beach access, filter by what matters to you.

6 areas · Checked June 2026

Mobile providers

A working number and data. Prepaid or monthly.

4 providers · Checked June 2026

Berlin

10 min at the office · days–weeks for the slot

How-tos

What to bring, how long it takes, what it costs, and which provider we would pick.

The keystone document the rest of German bureaucracy hangs off.

Free

Get your residence permit (Aufenthaltstitel)

1 appointment · weeks for the card

The card non-EU citizens live on, Blue Card, work, freelance or study.

€100 to 147

Get a German SIM card

15 to 30 min

A local number for two-factor codes, deliveries and every signup.

€8 to 25/mo

Get around, the Deutschlandticket

10 min

One €58 pass for every U-Bahn, S-Bahn, tram and bus in the country.

€58/mo

Find and sign a flat

Weeks of searching · 1 day to sign

Win Berlin's brutal housing race with a complete application folder.

Up to 3 months' cold rent deposit

Open a blocked account (Sperrkonto)

1 to 2 weeks to open

The proof-of-funds account many visas require before you arrive.

~€11,904/yr blocked + setup fee

Get your tax ID (Steuer-ID)

5 min · arrives 1 to 3 weeks after Anmeldung

The 11-digit number your employer needs to pay you properly.

Free

Open a German bank account

15 min (digital) – 1 hour (branch)

A local IBAN for rent, salary and the SEPA direct debits that run life here.

€0 to 10/mo

30 min to apply · days to confirm

Mandatory from day one, and proof is required for your residence permit.

~14.6% of gross (GKV) or from €250/mo (PKV)

Get your SCHUFA credit report

Minutes (paid) – up to 2 weeks (free)

The credit score landlords ask for before handing over a flat.

Free (annual) or €30 (instant)

Set up home internet

15 min to order · 1 to 4 weeks to install

Order the day you sign, the install is the famously slow part.

€25 to 50/mo

Set up electricity (Strom)

20 min

Pick your own power provider, and dodge the pricey default tariff.

€40 to 80/mo (1-bed)

Sort the Rundfunkbeitrag (broadcast fee)

1 to 2 hours of forms · weeks for the Steuernummer

The €18.36/month household fee you can't dodge, but can sometimes reduce.

€18.36/mo per household

The tax-office signup that turns you into a legal Freiberufler.

Free to register

Know what to do in case of an accident

Two numbers, and one of them isn't 112.

Free

Handle a car crash, step by step

Most Bagatellschäden settle on the spot. Know when that's not enough.

Free (your time only)

Editorial guides

Longer reads on housing, healthcare, visas, lifestyle picks, and the rest.

Living

Your first 72 hours in Berlin

Land, find your feet, and start the paperwork chain in the right order, before jet lag and the Bürgeramt conspire against you.

6 min read · Reviewed 11 June 2026

Bureaucracy & Visas

The Anmeldung, explained

The address registration that the rest of German bureaucracy hangs off, and how to actually get the appointment.

5 min read · Reviewed 10 June 2026

Bureaucracy & Visas

Which German visa or permit do you need?

Blue Card, work permit, freelancer, job-seeker or student, the lanes, and the ones you can switch into from inside Germany.

7 min read · Reviewed 11 June 2026

Living

Where to live in Berlin

A quick tour of the central Kieze, who each one suits, and where to point a first lease.

6 min read · Reviewed 9 June 2026

Housing

Renting in Berlin without losing your mind

The tightest housing market in Germany, how the application game works, and the documents that win flats.

7 min read · Reviewed 10 June 2026

Bureaucracy & Visas

Taxes for newcomers

Tax classes, the Steuer-ID, what gets deducted, and why filing a return usually pays you back.

6 min read · Reviewed 8 June 2026

Healthcare

Healthcare & insurance in Berlin

Public vs private, how to find an English-speaking doctor, and what to do when it's urgent.

6 min read · Reviewed 9 June 2026

Avoiding scams

Common scams & rip-offs

From fake flat listings to appointment touts, the traps that target newcomers, and how to sidestep them.

5 min read · Reviewed 8 June 2026

Essentials

How to behave in Berlin

Direct talk, Ruhezeit, Pfand, and why rules matter here.

5 min read · Reviewed 20 June 2026

Compare & choose

Bank accounts

A German IBAN for rent, salary and SEPA direct debits.

4 banks · Checked June 2026

Home internet

Fibre and cable for the flat, and the famous install wait.

4 providers · Checked June 2026

Co-living & flexible stays

Furnished places to land for your first weeks, before you fight for an unfurnished long-term flat.

4 options · Checked June 2026

Gyms & fitness

From €20 budget chains to one pass that opens every door.

4 memberships · Checked June 2026

Hospitals & English-speaking clinics

Where to actually get seen, the big hospitals, plus how to find English-speaking care fast.

4 options · Checked June 2026

Health insurance

Public (GKV) or private (PKV), the choice that's hard to undo.

4 insurers · Checked June 2026

Where to live

Six Kieze ranked on rent, noise, and how connected they are, filter by what matters to you.

6 areas · Checked June 2026

SIM cards & mobile plans

A German number for two-factor codes, deliveries, and every signup.

4 plans · Checked June 2026

Dubai

30 to 60 min · card in 2 to 5 days

How-tos

What to bring, how long it takes, what it costs, and which provider we would pick.

Get your residence visa & Emirates ID

1 to 3 weeks end to end

The document pair everything else in Dubai hangs off.

AED 1,500 to 4,000 (often employer-paid)

Get a UAE SIM card

10 to 20 min

A working number in 10 minutes. Even at the airport.

AED 50 to 125

Get a Nol card

5 min

Metro, tram, buses, and water taxis. One tap-everything card.

AED 25 (incl. AED 19 credit)

Open a UAE bank account

For salary via WPS, rent cheques, and everything the apps can't do.

Free (with salary transfer)

Sort your health insurance

1 to 3 days to compare and buy

Cover is legally required in Dubai. And tied to your visa.

AED 700 to 6,000+/yr

15 min online · same day

The RTA registration that makes your lease officially exist.

AED 120 to 220

Set up DEWA (electricity & water)

10 min online · power same day

Ten minutes online once you have your Ejari number.

AED 130 activation + AED 2,000/4,000 deposit

Set up home internet

15 min to order · 2 to 7 days to install

Your building decides the provider. The rest is easy.

AED 300 to 400/mo

Convert your driving licence

1 hour at RTA (direct swap)

~50 countries swap directly. Everyone else goes to driving school.

AED 870 approx

Find a flat and sign the lease

1 to 3 weeks of hunting

Cheques, the RERA calculator, and the chiller question. Keys without surprises.

~15% of annual rent in fees + deposits

Get a freelance permit (sponsor yourself)

1 to 3 weeks end to end

The permits that turn "remote worker on a visit visa" into a legal Dubai resident with clients.

AED 7,500 to 20,000/yr depending on route

Know what to do in case of an accident

Save these three numbers before you need any of them.

Free

Handle a car crash, step by step

Dubai's rule is simple once you know it, move for minor, freeze for serious.

Free (your time only)

Editorial guides

Longer reads on housing, healthcare, visas, lifestyle picks, and the rest.

Living

Your first 72 hours in Dubai

Land, get connected, learn the cheque-and-chiller vocabulary, and let the visa machine start turning.

5 min read · Reviewed 11 June 2026

Bureaucracy & Visas

Residence visa and Emirates ID, explained

The two documents everything else in Dubai hangs off. And the routes to get them, employed or not.

4 min read · Reviewed 11 June 2026

Housing

Renting in Dubai and the Ejari system

Cheques, agent fees, DEWA, and why your tenancy has to be registered to count.

3 min read · Reviewed 20 June 2026

Healthcare

Health insurance in Dubai is mandatory

Why you legally need cover, what employers provide, and how to top it up.

3 min read · Reviewed 11 June 2026

Living

Where to live in Dubai as a newcomer

Marina, JVC, Downtown or the older neighbourhoods. Compared on rent, commute and life.

3 min read · Reviewed 11 June 2026

Bureaucracy & Visas

Dubai taxes: zero isn't the whole story

No income tax, yes. But home-country rules, the new corporate tax, and the pension you're not building all need a plan.

6 min read · Reviewed 11 June 2026

Avoiding scams

Scams and traps to avoid in Dubai

Rental fraud, fake job offers, and the fees that catch newcomers. Verify Ejari and RERA before you pay anyone a dirham.

6 min read · Reviewed 12 June 2026

Essentials

How to behave in Dubai

Dress, public conduct, Ramadan, alcohol, and local law.

6 min read · Reviewed 20 June 2026

Compare & choose

Bank accounts

You need a chequebook for rent. Choose accordingly.

4 banks · Checked June 2026

Home internet

Your building picks the provider. You pick the plan.

4 providers · Checked June 2026

Co-living & flexible stays

Furnished places to land for your first weeks, before you commit to an annual lease and cheques.

4 options · Checked June 2026

Gym memberships

From AED 99 big-box gyms to AED 1,000 clubs with ice baths.

4 gyms · Checked June 2026

Private hospitals & clinics

Where to actually get seen, the hospital groups expats use, ranked on network tier and English-speaking care.

4 options · Checked June 2026

Health insurance

Cover is mandatory in Dubai. Here's what each tier actually buys.

4 plans · Checked June 2026

Where to live

Seven areas ranked on annual rent, commute, and daily life, filter by what matters to you.

7 areas · Checked June 2026

Mobile providers

Two networks, three brands. And tourist SIMs at the airport.

4 providers · Checked June 2026

Lisbon

How-tos

What to bring, how long it takes, what it costs, and which provider we would pick.

Get a Portuguese SIM card

20 min

Working number, mobile data, no contract. In 20 minutes.

€10 to 15

Buy a Navegante transit card

15 min to order · 5 to 15 days to install

Unlimited metro, bus, tram, and ferries for €40/month.

€7 card + €40/mo

Get your NIF (tax ID)

30 to 60 min

Free, takes 30 min. You need it for almost everything else.

Free (DIY) · €70 to 150 (rep)

Open a Portuguese bank account

45 min

For salary, rent, and the bills nobody pays in cash anymore.

Free at Activobank

20 min at the centre

Your public health number. Free GP, hospital, prescriptions.

Free

Set up home internet

Fibre is cheap and fast. The hard part is the install date.

€30 to 45/mo

Exchange your driving licence

1 hour at IMT

EU licences are easy. Non-EU is a longer story.

€30

Get your residence permit

Weeks (visa first) · 1 AIMA visit

The título de residência. What lets non-EU citizens stay legally.

€170 approx

20 min at the câmara

EU/EEA citizens: the Certificado de Registo you get after 90 days.

€15

Sign a lease (without getting scammed)

1 to 4 weeks of hunting

From "this one looks nice" to keys in hand, paperwork intact.

2 to 5 months' rent upfront

Get your social security number (NISS)

10 min online · 1 to 2 weeks wait

Needed the moment you work in Portugal. Employed or freelance.

Free

Set up electricity, water & gas

1 hour total · 1 to 5 days activation

The day-one chores after you sign. Most are 20 minutes online.

€60 to 120/mo combined

Set up MB Way

10 min

How Portugal actually pays. By phone number, instantly, for free.

Free

30 min online (once you have portal access)

The official switch that lets you invoice from Portugal. Recibos verdes and all.

Free (DIY) · €50 to 150/mo with an accountant

Know what to do in case of an accident

One number to save tonight, four steps to remember if it ever rings true.

Free

Handle a car crash, step by step

Most fender-benders settle on the spot. Know when that's not enough.

Free (your time only)

Editorial guides

Longer reads on housing, healthcare, visas, lifestyle picks, and the rest.

Living

Your first 72 hours in Lisbon

Land, get connected, get moving, and book the one errand everything else waits on.

5 min read · Reviewed 11 June 2026

Bureaucracy & Visas

How to get your NIF in Lisbon

The tax ID number every expat needs. Three ways, in person and online.

5 min read · Reviewed 11 June 2026

Housing

Renting in Lisbon without losing your mind

The expat playbook for finding a flat in a market that wasn't built for newcomers.

6 min read · Reviewed 11 June 2026

Healthcare

Healthcare 101: SNS, private, and insurance

How the public/private split actually works, and which combo most expats land on.

6 min read · Reviewed 11 June 2026

Living

Best neighbourhoods for digital nomads

Six districts compared on rent, Wi-Fi, walkability, and how loud Saturday night gets.

5 min read · Reviewed 11 June 2026

Bureaucracy & Visas

Which visa do you actually need?

D7, D8, work, student. The overview of Portugal's visa routes, and the one most people should take.

6 min read · Reviewed 11 June 2026

Bureaucracy & Visas

Taxes for expats: the honest basics

When Portugal starts taxing you, what happened to NHR, and why freelancers need an accountant more than a coworking desk.

6 min read · Reviewed 11 June 2026

Avoiding scams

Scams and traps to avoid in Lisbon

The rip-offs, shortcuts, and "too good to be true" listings that catch newcomers in their first month. Read this before you pay anyone.

6 min read · Reviewed 12 June 2026

Schooling

Schooling in Lisbon: public, private, and international

Three real paths, very different price tags, and a clock that starts ticking the moment you decide to move.

7 min read · Reviewed 19 June 2026

Lifestyle

Your first weekend in Lisbon. What should you visit?

A Saturday-to-Sunday route for newcomers: Alfama, the riverfront, LX Factory, the coast if the sun's out, and a neighbourhood worth eating in.

6 min read · Reviewed 19 June 2026

Essentials

How to behave in Lisbon

Greetings, tipping, queues, and staying street-smart.

5 min read · Reviewed 20 June 2026

Compare & choose

Bank accounts

A Portuguese IBAN for rent, salary and direct debits.

4 banks · Checked June 2026

Home internet

Fibre is cheap and fast. The install date is the hard part.

4 providers · Checked June 2026

Co-living & flexible stays

Furnished places to land for your first weeks, before you commit to a 12-month lease.

4 options · Checked June 2026

Gym memberships

From €25 budget chains to clubs with rooftop pools.

4 gyms · Checked June 2026

Private hospitals & clinics

Where to actually get seen this week, the private networks expats lean on, and the free public option.

4 options · Checked June 2026

Health & travel insurance

What actually covers you as a newcomer. And what just looks cheap.

4 plans · Checked June 2026

Where to live

Seven districts ranked on rent, vibe, and noise, filter by what matters to you.

7 areas · Checked June 2026

Mobile providers

A working number and data. Prepaid or monthly.

4 providers · Checked June 2026

Schools: public, private, and international

What it actually costs and teaches, school by school.

7 schools · Checked June 2026

Mallorca

30 min at the office · weeks for the cita

How-tos

What to bring, how long it takes, what it costs, and which provider we would pick.

Get your NIE (and TIE)

The foreigner ID number everything else in Spain hangs off.

€9.84 (tasa 790-012) · €16+ for TIE

20 min at the OAC

The free town-hall registration that gets you on the list for healthcare and schools.

Free

Get a Spanish SIM card

Working number and data in 15 minutes. Passport is all you need.

€10 to 20

Get a TIB transit card

20 min at the centre de salut

EMT city buses, TIB intercity buses, metro and train on one card.

Free card + pay per trip

Open a Spanish bank account

45 min

For rent, salary, and the Bizum payments everyone assumes you have.

Free at most banks (with conditions)

Your Balearic health card. Public GP, hospital, and prescriptions.

Free

Set up home internet

15 min to order · 3 to 10 days to install

Fibre is everywhere and fast. Pick the right contract length.

€25 to 40/mo

Exchange your driving licence

1 hour at the DGT

EU licences barely need anything. Non-EU depends on the country list.

€28.87

20 min at the office

EU/EEA citizens: the green certificate you need after 90 days.

€12

Sign a lease (without getting burned)

1 to 4 weeks of hunting

Fianza, aval, and the temporada trap. Keys in hand with your rights intact.

3 to 4 months' rent upfront

Get your social security number (NUSS)

10 min online · days for the reply

Needed before your first day of work. And your employer can usually do it for you.

Free

Set up electricity, water & gas

1 hour total · 1 to 5 days activation

CUPS codes, the cambio de titularidad, and why the previous tenant's contract is your friend.

€80 to 140/mo combined

Set up Bizum

5 min

How Spain actually pays. By phone number, instantly, from your bank's own app.

Free

1 to 2 hours with a gestor

The double registration that lets you invoice from Spain. And the €80 first-year quota.

~€80/mo first year (tarifa plana) · then €200 to 590/mo

Know what to do in case of an accident

One number for everything, a second one for when it's not urgent.

Free

Handle a car crash, step by step