A relocation specialist runs the practical side of a move to Spain: the home, the school, the first weeks. Lawyers and tax advisors do the rest, and Expatronus has all of them. Updated October 2026.
This guide is for anyone who has seen "relocation services" on a quote or a company website and wondered what they would be paying for. By the end you will know what a relocation specialist usually handles, where their work stops and a lawyer, gestor or tax advisor takes over, and what to ask before you hire one.
What is in a relocation service?
A relocation specialist helps you set up a life in a new place. The work is practical: finding somewhere to live, finding a school, learning how the neighbourhood works, and getting the household running in the first weeks.
- Orientation: time spent seeing neighbourhoods, transport, shops and the places you will use every week.
- Home search: understanding what you need, arranging viewings with agents and landlords, and helping you read the offer.
- School search: shortlisting schools, arranging visits and explaining how admissions work in that area.
- Settling in: the errands of the first weeks, such as utilities, a phone line, a bank appointment or a doctor's surgery.
- Departure management: closing things down when you leave again.
Firms in Spain build their offers from the same pieces. Some sell them one by one, others as a package, and some add extras like temporary housing, furniture rental or language classes. When a company says "relocation", these are the services it most likely means.
Who does what in a move to Spain?
Most moves involve more than one professional. This is the general picture. A specialist confirms where the line falls in your case.
- Relocation specialist: the home search, the school search, orientation and the first weeks of settling in. Usually the one who keeps the practical side in order. Not the person who gives legal or tax advice.
- Gestor (gestor administrativo): administrative procedures with public bodies, filed on your behalf. Sometimes the one who books and attends the registrations. Not a lawyer.
- Immigration lawyer (abogado de extranjería): which visa or residence route fits, the application file, and what happens after a refusal. The only one of the four who gives legal advice.
- Tax advisor (asesor fiscal): tax residence, what to declare and how your income in two countries is treated. Not the person who finds your flat.
Some offices offer two or three of these under one roof. That can work well, as long as you know which person does which part.
Where does a relocation specialist's job stop?
So a relocation specialist can tell you what a visa process looks like in general, help you gather and organise documents, and walk you to an appointment. The question "which route am I on, and will my file hold up?" belongs to a lawyer. The question "where am I tax resident?" belongs to a tax advisor. A good relocation specialist says this early and tells you who they hand those questions to.
Is a relocation specialist regulated in Spain?
So you check a relocation specialist yourself: what they have done, who they work with, and what the contract says. No colegio does that part for you.
When is a relocation specialist worth it?
It depends on how much of the practical side you want to hand over. The people who most often hire one:
- Families with children, where the school and the home have to fit together and the move has a fixed start date.
- Employees relocating for a job, often with a package paid by the employer.
- People moving to a city they have never lived in, who want a local to show them which neighbourhoods suit them.
- Anyone short of time or Spanish, who would rather pay for the first weeks of errands than lose them.
Others skip it. A single remote worker who has visited the city several times may only need a lawyer for the route and a gestor for the registrations. Many people hire a relocation specialist for one service, such as the home search, and do the rest themselves.
How does a relocation specialist work with the lawyer, gestor and tax advisor?
In a well run move, the four roles pass work to each other. A common shape:
- Before the move: the lawyer confirms the route and builds the file. The relocation specialist starts on neighbourhoods and schools, because the city and the home affect the paperwork that follows.
- Around arrival: the relocation specialist secures the home and the school place. The gestor, or sometimes the relocation firm, handles the town hall registration and other appointments.
- In the first year: the tax advisor looks at residence and what to declare. The relocation specialist is usually finished by then.
Some relocation firms say a partner lawyer reviews the visa side. That arrangement can work well. Ask for the lawyer's name and colegio, and whether you will speak to them directly or only through the firm.
What should I prepare for the first call?
A relocation specialist needs a picture of your household more than your paperwork. Write it on one page:
- Who is moving: adults, children with their ages and school years, pets.
- Where and when: the city, the areas you have heard of, and the date you hope to arrive.
- The home you want: rent or buy, size, budget range, and what you will not compromise on.
- The school you want: public, concerted or private, the language of teaching, and anything a child needs support with.
- What is already done: your visa stage, any Spanish number you already hold, and whether a lawyer is already on your file.
What should I ask before I hire one?
- Which of the core services do you provide yourselves, and which do you pass to partners?
- Who will I deal with day to day, and are they based in my city?
- Do you act as an estate agent too, and if so, who pays you on a rental or a purchase?
- Who handles the visa and tax questions, and are they qualified lawyers or tax advisors?
- What exactly is in the quote, what is extra, and what happens if the home search runs longer than planned?
- Is everything we agree written into the contract?
Put the same list to two or three firms. The answers to the partner questions usually show the difference between them faster than the price.
How do relocation specialists charge?
Pricing is set out in a few common ways: a fixed package that bundles several services, a price per service (a home search, a school search, an orientation day), or an hourly rate for settling in errands. Employers sometimes pay a relocation firm directly for their staff. We do not quote amounts because they vary by city, by firm and by what you ask for. Ask for the quote in writing and line by line.
How do I compare relocation specialists and the other professionals?
Frequently asked questions
Is a relocation specialist the same as a relocation lawyer?
No. A relocation specialist handles the practical side of the move. Legal advice in Spain is reserved to lawyers, so the visa route and anything that goes wrong with it is a lawyer's job. Some firms offer both, through different people.
Can a relocation specialist apply for my visa?
They can help you gather documents and keep the process in order. Whether they can file for you depends on the procedure and on who is qualified to act, so ask who signs and who is responsible for the file.
Do I need a relocation specialist if I already have a gestor?
Not always. A gestor handles procedures with public bodies. A relocation specialist handles the home, the school and the first weeks. If you only need the procedures, the gestor may be enough.
Will my employer pay for relocation services?
Some employers include relocation support in a job offer and pay the firm directly. Ask your employer what the package covers before you hire anyone yourself.
How do I check a relocation firm?
Ask for client references, the names of the lawyers or advisors they work with, and any trade body membership, such as EuRA. If the firm also acts as an estate agent in Catalonia, ask for its entry in the regional register.
Can a relocation specialist help me buy a home?
Many help with the search and the viewings. The legal checks on the property and the contract are a lawyer's job. Ask the relocation specialist where their part ends.
