Moving to Oviedo in 2026: where to live, prices and taxes

You can move to Oviedo on any basis for a Spanish residence permit; the most common are the digital nomad visa and the non-working residence permit. The capital of Asturias is a city of 223,968 residents in the north of the country: housing here is cheaper than the Spanish average, there is noticeably less crime, summers bring no heat, and the Asturian language is optional at school. In exchange you get rain and little sunshine. Below we cover which residence permit to choose, how to move step by step, which area to live in, how much housing costs, which taxes apply in Asturias, what to expect from schools, the climate and work, and how Oviedo differs from Gijón.

Moving to Oviedo: answers to the key questions

• Can you move there? Yes, with an ordinary Spanish residence permit. There are no special rules for Oviedo; applications go to the immigration office of Asturias, which is located in Oviedo itself.
• Which residence permit is most common? Remote workers take the digital nomad visa: income from €2,849 a month. People living on savings and passive income take the non-working residence permit: from €2,400 a month for the applicant.
• How much does housing cost? In July 2026 a flat in Oviedo cost on average €2,372 per square metre — cheaper than the Spanish average (€2,933/m²) and Alicante, but 17.3% more than a year earlier.
• What is the climate like? Mild and humid: an average of 19.1 °C in August and 8.3 °C in January, 122 rainy days a year and almost 40% less sunshine than in Alicante.
• Do you need Asturian? No. It is not an official language, it is an optional subject at school, and teaching is in Spanish.
• Straight to permanent residence? No. First a temporary residence permit; long-term residence comes after five years of legal residence.

Which residence permit to get for living in Oviedo

The route is chosen by your source of income. After arrival, applications go to the immigration office (Extranjería) of Asturias (Oficina de Extranjería, Plaza de España, 3, Oviedo), and fingerprints for the residence card are taken by the National Police by appointment. A comparison of all routes is in the article Spanish residence permit: all the ways to get one.

The digital nomad visa threshold is linked to the minimum wage and in 2026 it rose retroactively; details are in our news piece on the income threshold for the digital nomad visa. If you later want to work for yourself, the residence permit can be changed to an authorisation for autónomos (self-employed); in our experience, Asturias processes such applications faster than many provinces — how it works is explained in the article on changing a residence permit to self-employment. After five years you can obtain permanent residence in Spain, and after ten you can apply for citizenship. Citizens by origin of Brazil, Argentina, Colombia and other Ibero-American countries need only two years of legal residence: how it works is explained in the article on fast-track Spanish citizenship for Ibero-Americans, and the whole route from Brazil in moving to Spain from Brazil.

How to move to Oviedo: step by step

1. Choose a route and check that you meet the income requirement for the whole family.
2. Decide where to apply: through the Spanish consulate in your country or, if the route allows it, from within Spain. The digital nomad visa can be obtained while already legally in Spain — in that case the residence permit is issued straight away for up to three years. A visa-free stay of up to 90 days counts as legal: citizens of Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Colombia, the US and other countries that need no visa for Spain enter without one and file from here. If you need a visa, you apply through the consulate.
3. Gather documents: apostilled criminal record certificates, proof of income, health insurance, sworn translations into Spanish.
4. Arrive and rent a home. Short-term rental is more convenient for the first months: a long-term lease is easier to sign once you have the residence permit decision. How to look for a flat is in the article how to rent a flat in Spain.
5. Register at Oviedo City Hall — empadronamiento (municipal registration). Without it you cannot enrol a child in school or register with a doctor.
6. Give fingerprints and collect your residence card (TIE) at the police station.
7. Sort out healthcare. Employees and autónomos register with the Seguridad Social (Spanish social security) and get a personal health card from SESPA, the Asturian health service — it is issued at your local health centre on presentation of your TIE. The non-working residence permit requires private insurance from a Spanish company — which policy works and what it costs.
8. Open a bank account, enrol the children in school, sort out taxes. Once you have lived in Spain for more than 183 days in a year you become a tax resident — taxes in Spain for individuals.

Oviedo in figures: compared with Alicante

To see how the north differs from the Mediterranean, it helps to compare Oviedo with Alicante, one of the most popular Mediterranean destinations.

Where to live: Oviedo’s districts and neighbouring towns

Oviedo is compact: the centre, the university, the hospitals and the immigration office are close to one another. Prices vary a lot between districts — according to Idealista data for July 2026:

• The centre and the historic quarter (Centro–Casco Histórico) — the most expensive district, €2,895/m²: everything within walking distance, the cathedral, the Campoamor Theatre, shops and government offices.
• Buenavista–Ería–Montecerrao — €2,477/m², up 18.5% over the year: the second most expensive district in the city.
• San Claudio–Trubia–Las Caldas — €1,351/m²: suburban parishes, cheaper, but prices rose 29.7% over the year.
• La Manjoya and the southern parishes — €1,145/m², the most affordable option within the municipality.
• Gijón — the largest city in Asturias (269,894 residents), on the coast; flats are more expensive — €2,687/m² in July 2026.
• Llanera — between Oviedo and Gijón, home to the English-language English School of Asturias.

You can compare Oviedo with other cities on housing and income in the ranking of Spanish cities and on the relocation map.

Cost of living in Oviedo

• Buying a home. According to Idealista, in July 2026 a flat in Oviedo cost on average €2,372/m² — 17.3% more than a year earlier, but still 10.3% below the September 2007 peak. For comparison: Gijón stood at €2,687/m², Alicante at €2,705/m² and the Spanish average at €2,933/m².
• Rent control. In 2026 Asturias declared stressed rental market areas where the rent for new leases is capped — in neighbourhoods of Gijón and Avilés, and in Llanes, Cabrales and Gozón. Oviedo is not on that list, so landlords set the rent for new leases themselves.
• Health insurance. Insurance rates depend on the region: by our calculations, a policy in Asturias is 20–35% cheaper than in Barcelona — detailed prices are in the article on health insurance.
• Minimum budget. The residence permit requirements give a benchmark: for living without working, from €2,400 a month for one person; for the digital nomad visa, from €2,849.

Taxes in Oviedo and Asturias

Asturias is a separate autonomous community, so the regional part of income tax, the tax on buying a home, inheritance tax and wealth tax have their own rules here.

• IRPF. The regional scale runs from 9% to 26% (Asturian Law 3/2025, from tax year 2025). The Spain-wide part of the tax is added on top.
• Deduction for renting your main home — 10% of the rent, up to €500 a year; for young people under 35, large families and single-parent families, 30%, up to €1,500. The condition is a taxable base of up to €35,000 (up to €45,000 for a joint return).
• Nursery school — a deduction of 15% of costs, up to €500 a year per child under three.
• Tax on buying a resale home (ITP) — 8% for homes up to €300,000, 9% up to €500,000, and 10% above that. Young people under 35, large families and single-parent families buying their main home pay 4% up to €150,000 and 6% above that.
• Inheritance and gifts between spouses, children and parents — the taxable base is reduced by €300,000; there is no 99% reduction like in Madrid or Valencia.
• Wealth tax — a tax-free allowance of €700,000, noticeably lower than in the Valencian Community.

For ordinary incomes, taxes in Asturias are moderate; for large capital and inheritances they are stricter than in many regions. You can work for yourself by registering as an autónomo — step-by-step guide. Taxes when buying are covered in the article property taxes in Spain.

Schools, the university and the Asturian language

• Asturian at school. The Asturian language (bable) is not official: the Statute of Autonomy and Law 1/1998 protect it, but studying it is voluntary. Teaching is in Spanish, and there is no need to seek exemption from the regional language, as there is with Valencian in Alicante.
• State schools are free, with English from primary school.
• English-language school — The English School of Asturias in Llanera, following the British curriculum, for children aged 2 to 18.
• The University of Oviedo — in the 2025/26 academic year it had 17,863 undergraduate students. Which other universities the country has is covered in the article universities in Spain.

Climate: what to expect from the weather

Oviedo is in the north of Spain and has an Atlantic climate. According to AEMET normals, the average annual temperature is 13.3 °C, 19.1 °C in August and 8.3 °C in January. Rainfall is 960 mm a year, with 122 rainy days, about 98 foggy days and only 31 clear days. The sun shines for 1,756 hours a year, against 2,851 in Alicante. There is no heat and no muggy nights, and air conditioning is hardly needed, but you will need a good jacket, heating and tolerance for grey skies from October to April.

To compare with other Spanish cities by winter and summer temperatures, sunshine and rain, see our ranking of the climate of Spain by region and city.

Healthcare, transport, work and safety

• Hospital. The Central University Hospital of Asturias (HUCA) is in Oviedo, on Avenida de Roma.
• Train. Since the Pajares tunnels opened at the end of 2023, the high-speed train from Madrid reaches Oviedo in just over three hours.
• Asturias Airport handled a record 2,051,342 passengers in 2025, 2.9% more than a year earlier. That is almost ten times fewer than Alicante airport, so the choice of direct flights is more limited.
• Work. Unemployment in Asturias in the second quarter of 2026 was 9.12%, below the Spanish average (9.87%). Average annual earnings in 2024 were €28,062, against €29,540 nationally. Remote workers have it easier than those looking for a job locally.
• Safety. In 2025, 7,763 crimes were recorded in Oviedo. That is about 25 cases of conventional crime (excluding cybercrime) per 1,000 residents, against 40.4 on average in Spain.

Foreigners in Oviedo: Latin Americans and others

According to the INE annual census, at 1 January 2025 Oviedo had 21,702 foreign residents, 9.7% of the population, against 14,019 in 2021. The largest groups are Colombians, Venezuelans and Romanians. For people from Latin America this means an established community and no language barrier: everyday life here is in Spanish. It also means a short road to a Spanish passport — citizens by origin of Ibero-American countries, Brazil included, can apply after two years of legal residence instead of ten (how fast-track citizenship works). Other communities are small: 953 Ukrainian citizens live in the city.

Downsides of living in Oviedo

• Rain and little sunshine. 122 rainy days and 1,756 hours of sunshine a year — hard going for anyone moving to Spain for the sun.
• Housing is getting expensive fast — up 17.3% over the year, against 13.1% on average in Spain.
• Salaries below the Spanish average, and a small job market.
• A limited choice of direct flights — Asturias Airport handles 2 million passengers a year, against almost 20 million in Alicante.
• Taxes on large capital — wealth tax from €700,000 and inheritance without the 99% reduction.

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Oviedo or Gijón

Both cities are in Asturias, so taxes and residence permits are the same. Gijón is larger (269,894 residents against 223,968), sits on the coast and housing there is more expensive — €2,687/m² against €2,372/m² — and some of its central neighbourhoods are in a rent control area. Oviedo is the administrative capital: it has the immigration office, the central hospital of Asturias, the university and a higher share of foreign residents. If you want the sea and a beach near home, Gijón is the better fit; if study, government offices and prices matter more, Oviedo. If the northern climate does not suit you, compare it with the southern options — moving to Alicante and moving to Madrid.

Gijón and other towns in Asturias

Gijón — 269,894 residents on 1 January 2025 according to INE, the largest city in Asturias, about 30 km north of Oviedo on the Bay of Biscay. The port of El Musel, San Lorenzo beach right by the centre, the old fishing quarter of Cimadevilla, a campus of the University of Oviedo and the Laboral cultural complex. According to Idealista, a flat cost €2,687/m² in July 2026, up 9% on a year earlier; the average appraised value (valor tasado) from the Ministry of Housing in Q2 2026 was €2,343/m² against €2,215/m² in Oviedo. Over the year the appraised value rose by 12.5% in Gijón and by 18% in Oviedo, while for homes under five years old the two cities are almost level: €2,529/m² in Gijón and €2,546/m² in Oviedo. The median rent on contracts declared in tax returns for 2024 (the SERPAVI system) is €7.2/m², or €509 a month, almost the same as in Oviedo; in some neighbourhoods rents on new contracts are capped. For comparison, the asking rent in Idealista listings is €11.7/m² a month in Oviedo (idealista, August 2026) and €10.9/m² on average across Asturias. These are listing prices, while SERPAVI is based on contracts already signed, so the figures differ. The public hospital is Cabueñes University Hospital. The English-language English School of Asturias is in Llanera, between Gijón and Oviedo. Gijón suits those who want to live by the sea in the north, in a city that is alive all year round, not only in summer.

Avilés — 75,517 residents, the third city of Asturias, about 30 km north-west of Oviedo: an industrial port, steelmaking and an old centre with arcades. The Asturias airport is next door in Castrillón, and the town has the Niemeyer cultural centre and San Agustín University Hospital. Housing here is the most affordable of the three cities: an appraised value of €1,553/m² in Q2 2026 and a median rent according to 2024 tax data of €6/m², or €450 a month. As in Gijón, some neighbourhoods are in a rent control area. Avilés suits those who work locally or remotely and are looking for low prices.

Frequently asked questions about moving to Oviedo

Can I move to live in Oviedo?

Yes. People move here on the usual Spanish residence permit routes: the digital nomad visa, the non-working residence permit, work, study or family. Applications go to the immigration office of Asturias at Plaza de España, 3 in Oviedo.

Which residence permit is best for living in Oviedo?

For remote workers, the digital nomad visa with income from €2,849 a month. For those living on savings or passive income, the non-working residence permit: from €2,400 a month for the applicant and €600 for each family member.

How much does a flat in Oviedo cost?

In July 2026 the average housing price in Oviedo was €2,372 per square metre, 17.3% more than a year earlier. That is cheaper than Gijón (€2,687/m²), Alicante (€2,705/m²) and the Spanish average (€2,933/m²).

What is the climate like in Oviedo?

Atlantic: an average temperature of 19.1 °C in August and 8.3 °C in January, 960 mm of rainfall and 122 rainy days a year, and 1,756 hours of sunshine. There is no heat, but it is cloudy and humid.

Does a child have to learn Asturian at school?

No. Asturian is not an official language; under the Statute of Autonomy and Law 1/1998 it is studied on a voluntary basis. Teaching is in Spanish.

What taxes apply in Oviedo?

The taxes of Asturias apply: a regional IRPF scale from 9% to 26%, a rent deduction of 10% up to €500 (30% up to €1,500 for young people under 35), an 8–10% tax on buying a resale home, and a wealth tax allowance of €700,000.

Is Oviedo safe to live in?

Yes, it is calmer than the national average. In 2025 Oviedo had about 25 cases of conventional crime per 1,000 residents, against 40.4 on average in Spain.

Which is better to live in: Oviedo or Gijón?

Gijón is larger and on the coast, but housing is more expensive — €2,687/m² against €2,372/m². Oviedo has the immigration office, the central hospital of Asturias and the university. Taxes and residence permits are the same in both cities.