Moving to the Costa Del Sol to work in iGaming

This guide is for people moving to the Costa Del Sol for a job in online gambling. It starts with where to live, then covers paperwork, banking, tax, visas, cars, schools and transport.

Not every chapter applies to everyone. Read the ones you need and skip the rest.

Which town?

Start with where you will work. That decides your commute, and your commute decides the town.

• You work in a Málaga office. Look at Málaga, Torremolinos, Benalmádena and Fuengirola. All four are on the C-1 train line into Málaga city centre.
• You work in Marbella. Look at Marbella, San Pedro de Alcántara, La Cala de Mijas and Estepona. There is no train to Marbella, so think about how you will get to the office.
• You work in Gibraltar. Look at Estepona, Manilva, Sotogrande and La Línea, the Spanish town at the border. See also our Gibraltar page.
• You work from home. You can live anywhere on the coast.

Every town has its own page in our area guides.

Paperwork

• Registration certificate and NIE (EU, EEA and Swiss citizens). If you will live in Spain for more than three months, you must register in person within three months of arriving. You do this at the Oficina de Extranjería in Málaga or at a Policía Nacional station. The certificate is issued on the spot and shows your NIE, your foreigner identity number. The Policía Nacional’s registration certificate page lists what to bring. Book the appointment (cita previa) on the government appointment system for Málaga province.
• TIE (non-EU citizens). You need a residence authorisation first (see the visas chapter below). You then apply in person at the Policía Nacional for a TIE, the identity card for foreigners. Ask your lawyer about the deadline.
• Padrón. This is the town hall’s register of residents. You register at the town hall (ayuntamiento) of the town where you live most of the year. The padrón certificate is your proof of address. You need it for the health card and for school admission.
• Social security number (NUSS). You need one to work. If you are being hired, your employer must request it. Otherwise request it online through Import@ss, the Seguridad Social portal.
• Health card. In Andalucía it is called the tarjeta sanitaria. Apply at your local health centre with the form, your ID, the Social Security document showing your entitlement, and your padrón certificate. See the Junta de Andalucía’s health card page.

Bank account

Most banks will open an account for non-residents, so you do not have to be a resident first. Requirements vary by bank. Ask the branch what it needs before you go.

Tax, in brief

This is a short summary, not advice.

• Tax residency. You are tax resident in Spain if you spend more than 183 days here in a calendar year, or if the main base of your economic interests is here. There is no split year.
• The Beckham law. Spain has an optional tax regime for people who move here for work, known as the Beckham law. Not everyone qualifies. The deadline to apply is six months from the start date shown in your Spanish Social Security registration, and it is strict.

Our sister guide, Working in online gambling in Spain, explains both in more detail. Ask a tax adviser about your own case, and do it early.

Self-employed (autónomo)

Freelancers and consultants register as autónomo with Social Security. You pay a monthly contribution based on your net income bracket. First-time autónomos can usually get a reduced flat rate for the first 12 months. Check the current figure with the Seguridad Social or a gestor.

It is a running joke among the self-employed here that the system drains them with fees and taxes. It is also a great way to stay in Spain while consulting on several projects at once.

The sister guide covers registration, quarterly returns and invoicing clients abroad.

Visas if you are not an EU citizen

• Digital nomad visa. Spain has a residence route for international remote workers, created by the Startups Law (Ley 28/2022). Check the current income and other conditions with the Unidad de Grandes Empresas (UGE) or an immigration lawyer.
• Highly qualified professional permit. This covers the EU Blue Card and a national permit. You or your employer can apply through the UGE.
• Golden visa. This used to be popular with British buyers, who could get Spanish residency by buying a property. It is no longer offered. Spain abolished the investor visa with effect from 3 April 2025.

Driving licence and car

• EU and EEA licences are valid in Spain while in date. Exchanging one is voluntary. If yours has no expiry date, or runs for more than 15 years, you must renew it in Spain after two years as a resident.
• Non-EU licences are valid for six months after you become resident. After that you need an exchange, where Spain has an agreement with your country (it has one with the UK), or a Spanish licence. See the DGT pages on foreign licences.
• Bringing your car. A car you bring because you are moving home can be exempt from registration tax. You claim with form 06 before registering it in Spain. Check the conditions and time limits with a gestor.

Schools

There are public schools, concertados (private schools with public funding) and fully private schools, including the international ones.

• Public and concertado schools share one admission process. The ordinary window is in March for the year starting in September. For 2026/27 it ran from 1 to 31 March 2026. Confirm next year’s dates with the Junta de Andalucía.
• If you arrive outside the window, the provincial education office places your child in a publicly funded school with vacancies.
• Private schools run their own admissions and fees.

Getting around

• Airport. Málaga-Costa del Sol handled more than 26.7 million passengers in 2025, its record year.
• Train. The C-1 Cercanías line runs from Málaga city centre to Fuengirola. It stops at María Zambrano (the high-speed station) and the airport. Airport to Fuengirola takes about 34 minutes. See the Renfe Cercanías Málaga page.
• No train to Marbella or Estepona. The line ends at Fuengirola. A coastal rail link is reported to be under study, with nothing approved.

Need a gestor or a lawyer?

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