- When? 4–5 months before departure, from the country of origin.

- Why? It is the first mandatory step. All residency forms and secure applications of traditional Spanish banks require a number of exactly 9 digits (Spanish format) to send the SMS-OTP security codes. Without it, the computer systems block you.

- How is it done legally? According to the Spanish law Ley 25/2007, anonymous cards are prohibited. The student buys a prepaid plan (Prepago) online via eSIM (Vodafone, Orange/Simyo, Yoigo) or orders a physical card from Amazon. Identification is officially done with the Passport.