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Settling in

Settling in Madrid

For a French family, Madrid has one big advantage: no visa. But the order of the steps matters: the EU citizen registration certificate and its NIE, then the empadronamiento at the town hall, which unlocks the health card and school, the Social Security number, housing near the French schools and the children's free transport card. Here is what we would have liked to know before arriving, checked against official sources.

Verified on 31 October 2026

Arrival and first steps

As EU citizens, French nationals settle freely in Spain. Beyond three months, each person registers on the central register of foreigners, and registration on the town hall padrón becomes the key to almost everything. Consular registration is done online.

Good to know

  • No visa or residence permit is required for a French national, but beyond three months each person must apply in person, within three months of arrival, for their EU citizen registration certificate at the Oficina de Extranjería or police station of their province: form EX-18, valid passport or ID card, fee 790 (code 012). The certificate is issued on the spot. Source
  • This certificate carries your NIE, the foreigner identification number assigned once and for all: it is neither a residence nor a work permit, but it is asked for everywhere (bank, lease, employment contract, taxes). It also sets the validity of your Madrid health card. Source
  • The empadronamiento, registering the whole family on the municipal residents' register, conditions everything else: the health card requires a volante de empadronamiento less than 90 days old, and free choice of doctor requires being registered in the Comunidad de Madrid. In Madrid it is done by appointment at Línea Madrid offices, or online on the e-office for a first registration. Source
  • The Social Security number (NUSS) is requested online on the Import@ss portal with the NIE or passport; for a child, the parent applies with the family record book. It is used for affiliation by the employer and for the INSS to recognise your right to healthcare. Source
  • Registering on the register of French nationals abroad is not compulsory but strongly recommended beyond six months: free and valid for 5 years, it is done online on service-public.fr with French ID, proof of residence in Spain and a recent photo; you can link your file to that of a family member already registered. Source
  • Week 1, in order: registration certificate and NIE for each adult, empadronamiento for the whole family as soon as you have a lease, Social Security number, then health cards at the centro de salud, bank account, the children's transport cards and consular registration. Keep several copies of the lease, passports and family record book: every counter will ask for them again.

Addresses

  • Consulat général de France à Madrid

    Consulate

    Calle Marqués de la Ensenada, 10, 28004 Madrid

    Near plaza de Colón (Colón metro, Recoletos commuter station), next to the Institut français. Open to the public Monday to Friday, 9am to 1.30pm, by compulsory appointment for any procedure; questions go through the France Consulaire service. The consulate does not answer visa questions.

    Website Source

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Housing: neighbourhoods and renting

French families follow the schools: Hortaleza and Conde de Orgaz for the Lycée français, La Moraleja for its Saint-Exupéry campus, Chamartín for Saint-Chaumond, Pozuelo and the west for Saint-Louis and the Molière. The market is competitive, applications move fast, and the law protects tenants well.

Good to know

  • Hortaleza is the Madrid district with the most French residents, about one in five in the capital: it is sometimes nicknamed 'little France'. The reason is simple: the Lycée français moved there at the end of the 1960s, and French shops, bookshops and clubs followed. Source
  • A residential lease is compulsorily extended, year by year, up to five years if the tenant wishes (seven if the landlord is a company); the legal deposit (fianza) is one month's rent for a home, and since the 2023 housing law agency fees are paid by the landlord. Source
  • In the Comunidad de Madrid, the landlord must lodge the fianza with the Agencia de Vivienda Social within 30 working days of signing. If you have not received proof, you can request the certificate yourself: it is also used to support the rent deduction on your tax return. Source
  • Prepare your file before viewings: employment contract or transfer letter, payslips, passport and NIE. Many landlords also ask for a bank guarantee or a few months in advance, and good flats near the schools go within days, often from spring for the September start.
  • Local pitfalls: never pay a deposit before viewing and checking the landlord's identity; make sure the lease mentions the fianza and the inventory (inventario with photos); and plan for air conditioning, essential in July and August in south-facing flats.
  • Visit the schools before signing: rush-hour drives are long towards the north (A-1, M-30) and west (A-6), and many families choose their street according to the school bus routes of the Lycée français or the Molière.

Addresses

  • Hortaleza et Conde de Orgaz

    Neighbourhood

    The neighbourhood of the Lycée français de Madrid and the Pomme d'Api preschool: houses and gated residences with pools, French bookshops and bakeries, CR Liceo Francés rugby. Calm and green, but far from the centre, so cars are still widely used.

    Source

  • La Moraleja et Alcobendas

    Neighbourhood

    To the north, around the Lycée français Saint-Exupéry campus (Camino Ancho, Alcobendas): large villas, gated communities, international schools and the private La Moraleja hospital. Rents among the highest in the region.

    Source

  • Chamartín (El Viso, Prosperidad, Nueva España)

    Neighbourhood

    The neighbourhood of the Union chrétienne de Saint-Chaumond (avenida de Alfonso XIII): family apartment blocks, El Viso's small townhouses, metro and buses to the centre, and a direct route to the Lycée français.

    Source

  • Salamanca et Chamberí

    Neighbourhood

    The smart centre, popular with French residents: large period flats, shops, the consulate and the Institut français close by. Few private gardens, but the Retiro is near; families often combine a city flat with the school bus.

    Source

  • Retiro et Ibiza

    Neighbourhood

    Around the big Retiro park: rowing boats, playgrounds and puppet theatre at the end of the street, the Niño Jesús children's hospital next door. Older flats without lifts, worth checking with a pushchair.

    Source

  • Pozuelo de Alarcón et Aravaca

    Neighbourhood

    To the west, the green suburb of the Saint-Louis des Français school (calle Portugalete): houses with gardens, international schools, commuter trains to the centre. Close to the Casa de Campo for weekends.

    Source

  • Villanueva de la Cañada, Boadilla, Majadahonda et Las Rozas

    Neighbourhood

    The far west of detached houses, around the Lycée français international Molière in Villanueva de la Cañada: space, pools, nature, but a car is essential and the commute to Madrid is longer.

    Source

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Phone and insurance

A phone line activates in minutes with your passport; a contract plan follows with the NIE. On insurance, only the car's is compulsory.

Good to know

  • For your phone, a prepaid SIM or eSIM is activated in minutes with a passport; a contract usually requires the NIE and a Spanish bank account. Family bundles combining mobiles and fibre broadband are the norm.
  • Third-party motor liability insurance is compulsory for any vehicle driven in Spain. Source
  • Tenant's home insurance is not compulsory but often required by the landlord; check that it includes family liability cover for damage caused by the children. Many families also take out private health insurance, see our Health page.

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Banking and money

A Spanish account unlocks salary, rent and the direct debits for nursery or activities. It is opened with the NIE, and Bizum then handles daily life in Madrid.

Good to know

  • To open an account, the bank checks your identity (passport or ID card) and asks for your NIE; it may also ask for proof of address or income. If you have just arrived, a non-resident account is possible, to be converted into a resident account once you have the registration certificate. Source
  • As a legal EU resident with no other account in Spain, you are entitled to a basic payment account (cuenta de pago básica), with no obligation to take out other products from the bank. Source
  • Until you have a Spanish account, your French bank card works just as it does at home: a payment or withdrawal in euros in another EU country must be charged as it would be in France. Still, check your card's terms before you leave. Source
  • Day to day, contactless cards work almost everywhere, and Bizum, the instant transfer by phone number built into the app of almost every Spanish bank, handles the rest: class collections, babysitters, sports clubs and many shops. Source
  • Since 2025, Bizum has been gradually linked to BANCOMAT in Italy and MB WAY in Portugal: you can send money by phone number from one country to another, depending on whether your bank has switched it on. Source
  • To send or receive money with France, a euro transfer is enough: since 2025, euro area banks must offer instant transfers, at the same price as a standard one, and check the payee's name before sending. French school fees can therefore be paid from your French or local account. Source
  • Your French IBAN is valid throughout the SEPA area: an employer, landlord, school or energy supplier is not allowed to refuse it because it is not local. If it happens, point to the rule; it is European law. Source
  • Keep your French account, useful for taxes, insurance and holidays back home, but tell your bank you are moving: it becomes a non-resident account and some terms may change. Check before you leave. Source

Addresses

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Setting up your home

Madrid has several IKEA stores, from the large suburban ones to the city format on calle Goya; the Las Rozas store closed in February 2026. Almost everything can be delivered. For the rest: neighbourhood supermarkets, large shopping centres and a very active second-hand market, from Wallapop to the Rastro.

Addresses

  • IKEA Goya

    Furniture and home

    Calle Goya 47, 28001 Madrid

    City store in the Salamanca district, reachable by metro.

    Website Source

  • IKEA Alcorcón

    Furniture and home

    Avenida del Ejército de Tierra 1, Polígono El Lucero, 28922 Alcorcón

    Large store south-west of Madrid.

    Website Source

  • IKEA San Sebastián de los Reyes

    Furniture and home

    Parque Comercial Mega Park, Plaza del Comercio s/n, 28703 San Sebastián de los Reyes

    Large store north of Madrid.

    Website Source

  • Mercadona

    Supermarket

    The country's largest supermarket chain, stores in every neighbourhood.

    Website Source

  • Carrefour

    Supermarket

    Hypermarkets and neighbourhood supermarkets, with delivery.

    Website Source

  • Alcampo

    Supermarket

    Hypermarkets of the Auchan group's Spanish brand, with delivery.

    Website Source

  • La Vaguada

    Shopping mall

    Shopping centre in Barrio del Pilar, in the north of the city.

    Website Source

  • Westfield Parquesur

    Shopping mall

    Avenida de Gran Bretaña s/n, 28916 Leganés

    Large shopping centre in Leganés, south of Madrid.

    Website Source

  • Madrid Xanadú

    Shopping mall

    Large shopping centre in Arroyomolinos, south-west of Madrid.

    Website Source

  • El Corte Inglés

    Appliances

    Department store: appliances, bedding, baby equipment, with delivery and installation.

    Website Source

  • MediaMarkt

    Appliances

    Appliance and electronics chain, stores and website with delivery.

    Website Source

  • Wallapop

    Second-hand

    Spain's classifieds app: furniture, pushchairs, bikes.

    Website Source

  • Vinted

    Second-hand

    Second-hand children's clothes, toys and baby equipment.

    Website Source

  • El Rastro

    Second-hand

    The big flea market in La Latina, around Ribera de Curtidores.

    Website Source

Getting around with children

Metro, EMT buses, intercity buses and Cercanías commuter trains share the Consorcio Regional de Transportes fare system, and children travel free up to age 14 with the right card. A car is still useful in the suburbs, much less in the centre.

Good to know

  • Children under 4 travel without a ticket. From 4 to 6, the free Tarjeta Transporte Público Infantil gives access to all public transport in the Comunidad de Madrid until the day the child turns 7; the free child pass is loaded onto the card just once. Source
  • From 7 to 14, free travel is maintained in 2026: the free pass is loaded onto the child's personal Tarjeta Transporte Público. For 15 to 25 year olds, the Abono Joven is half price; these measures run until 31 December 2026. Source
  • Pushchairs: on the region's urban and intercity buses, pushchairs, including doubles, are allowed; they go in the wheelchair space or on the central platform, without blocking the aisle. In the metro, not every station has a lift: check the map before you set off. Source
  • Your French licence remains valid in Spain while it is in date and exchange is voluntary; but a licence with no expiry date or valid for more than 15 years must be renewed in Spain two years after you settle, and a French-registered car must be re-registered to be driven. Source
  • Madrid applies a low-emission zone across the whole municipality, stricter in the centre: access depends on the DGT environmental label (0, ECO, C, B) given according to engine type and age. Check it before importing an older car. Source
  • Car or no car? In the centre, the metro, EMT buses and BiciMAD e-bikes are more than enough; in the north and west, where the French schools are, most families keep a car, often alongside the school bus. Cercanías trains link Pozuelo, Las Rozas, Alcobendas and Aranjuez.

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Admin: social security, taxes and the consulate

The Social Security number opens public healthcare, income tax is withheld at source and settled in spring, and the consulate remains your town hall and prefecture, without replacing the Spanish administration.

Good to know

  • The NUSS is assigned once and for all. The INSS then recognises the right to healthcare: as an affiliated, working employee you are 'asegurado', and your spouse and children under 26 living in Spain are your beneficiaries. The Comunidad de Madrid then issues each person's health card. Source
  • You become a Spanish tax resident by spending more than 183 days of the calendar year in Spain or by having your main economic interests there; residence is also presumed when your non-separated spouse and minor children live in Spain. Income tax (IRPF) is withheld at source by the employer. Source
  • The annual return is filed in spring on the Agencia Tributaria website, which offers a pre-filled draft and the campaign calendar; a joint return with the children is possible and often worthwhile when only one parent works. Source
  • The inbound expatriate regime, known as the 'Beckham law', lets qualifying employees who move to Spain be taxed mainly on Spanish-source income for the first years; it must be requested within months of affiliation and excludes some family deductions, so do the sums before opting in. Source
  • What the consulate does: passports and ID cards, civil status (births, marriages), the register of French nationals, school grants for French children in AEFE schools subject to means testing, elections, exceptional social assistance. Source
  • What it does not do: it does not pay your medical or repatriation costs, does not intervene in Spanish justice, does not handle visas, and the lists of French-speaking professionals it publishes are for information only, not exhaustive, and carry no liability. Source

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Budget: what costs more, what costs less

One item weighs heavily in Madrid: housing, especially near the French schools in the north and west. Against that, public nurseries with no tuition fees, free state school, public healthcare with nothing to pay upfront, free transport up to 14 and everyday living lighten the bill. Without precise figures, here are the orders of magnitude.

Good to know

  • Housing: clearly more expensive than in France outside Paris, and comparable to Paris in sought-after areas (Salamanca, Chamberí, La Moraleja). The houses with gardens in the west offer more space for similar rent, at the cost of a car.
  • Childcare: since September 2019, tuition is free in the Comunidad de Madrid's public escuelas infantiles for ages 0 to 3 (meals are still charged), but public places are allocated by application in spring and are scarce in some areas; private nurseries cost much more. Source
  • School: state school is free (meals and outings extra), and many schools follow the Comunidad's Spanish-English bilingual programme, with at least 30% of lessons in English; accredited French schools charge fees but far less than in London or Geneva, see our school fees page. Source
  • Transport: free for children up to 14, half-price Abono Joven for 15 to 25 year olds, and a moderately priced adult pass; on the other hand, a car in the north or west adds insurance, fuel and parking. Source
  • Health: public consultations, emergencies and hospital stays are free; for prescription medicines in the public system, working people pay 40 to 60% of the price depending on income; family private health insurance is common and affordable. Source
  • Everyday life: groceries comparable to France, slightly cheaper in the big chains; restaurants, set lunch menus and terraces clearly cheaper; national museums free at certain times; children's clothes and school supplies comparable.

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A place has closed, something has changed? Tell us: the mums of Madrid will thank you.

Sources for this page

The public pages these landmarks come from. The official website always prevails.

  1. 1 Consulat général de France à Madrid
  2. 2 Policía Nacional, certificat d'enregistrement de citoyen de l'Union
  3. 3 Comunidad de Madrid, la carte sanitaire
  4. 4 Comunidad de Madrid, dépôt des fianzas
  5. 5 BOE, Ley de Arrendamientos Urbanos (texte consolidé)
  6. 6 Consorcio Regional de Transportes de Madrid, tarifs 2026
  7. 7 DGT, venir vivre en Espagne depuis un pays de l'Union
  8. 8 Banco de España, la cuenta de pago básica

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