New in Vitoria-Gasteiz: your first month

Your first month, step by step

1. Week 1

   Padrón: register your address with the City Council

   The Vitoria-Gasteiz City Council has an e-office procedure for registering on the padrón (the municipal register), with separate forms depending on your housing: owned home, rented home, rented room, sublet, free-of-charge contract, or authorisation/invitation by someone who lives there. They are open all year. Adults need their original, valid identification (ID card, passport, EU ID or residence permit). If the Council does not notify a decision within three months of your application, you are registered anyway (positive silence).

   Alta en el padrón municipal (Sede Electrónica) · Registration in an owned home: documents (Sede Electrónica)

2. Week 1

   Visit the Oficina de Acogida for new residents

   The Oficina de Acogida is a free municipal information and welcome service for people who have just arrived in the city. It gives personalised guidance, up-to-date information on community resources, public services and administrative procedures, and runs meetings and workshops such as learning the official languages. It is mainly in person with no appointment, at Calle Las Escuelas 11 (Monday to Friday 9:00-14:00, Tuesday and Thursday also 16:00-18:00; phone 945 151 814). Its welcome guides exist in Basque, Spanish, Arabic, English, French and Urdu.

   Oficina de Acogida (Vitoria-Gasteiz City Council)

3. Week 1

   Get around: Tuvisa buses and the tram

   Buses and the tram can be paid in cash, with a bank card (Visa or Mastercard), with your phone (NFC) or with a transport card (BAT, Barik or Mugi). A single daytime bus ticket costs €1.40; with a BAT, Barik or Mugi card it is €0.36. The 30-day pass (Bono 30D) costs €18, and €12.75 for under-26s (Gaztea). Paying with a general BAT card, you have 50 minutes to transfer between buses, or between bus and tram, at a reduced cost. Most buses run every 10 minutes on weekdays, and the Gautxori night buses have 5 lines. The prices page was last updated on 29 December 2025.

   Fares, transfers and payment (City Council) · Bus network FAQ (Tuvisa) · Tram fares (Euskotren)

4. Weeks 1–2

   NIE, EU certificate or residence card

   Foreigner procedures are handled by Spain's National Police, whose e-office lists each one with its form: EX15 to be assigned an NIE, EX18 for the EU registration certificate (citizens of EU and EEA states) and EX17 for the foreigner identity card. Pick the exact procedure there and download its form before you apply.

   National Police, foreigner procedures

5. Weeks 2–3

   Health card (TIS)

   The Tarjeta Individual Sanitaria (TIS) is requested at the health centre nearest your home: fill in the application form there and bring the documents they ask for, which include a copy of your ID and, in many cases, your padrón certificate. Since 19 June 2024 the digital TIS is available in all pharmacies in the Basque Country. To book an Osakidetza appointment online you need your TIS number, surname and date of birth.

   Individual health card, Basque Government · Osakidetza appointments

6. Weeks 2–3

   Open a basic payment account

   Banks in Spain must offer a basic payment account, and they cannot make it conditional on buying other services. They must also tell you about it and explain its features.

   Basic payment account (Banco de España)

7. Weeks 3–4

   Housing: Etxebide and Gaztelagun

   To apply for public housing, register with Etxebide, the Basque register of housing applicants: you must renew the application every 2 years, and you can file it fully online with an electronic certificate (B@kQ, DNIe or ONA card) or on paper. If you are 18 to 35 and rent, check Gaztelagun, the Basque rent aid: the initial monthly rent must not exceed €900 in Vitoria-Gasteiz, and you need 6 months of uninterrupted residence in the Basque Country.

   Etxebide, how to register · Gaztelagun requirements (Alokabide)

8. Month 1

   Start Basque (euskera) classes

   The City Council's Euskera service highlights municipal Basque courses. HABE, the institute for adult Basque teaching and literacy, publishes a directory of euskaltegis (adult Basque schools) that you can filter by municipality, including Gasteiz, and an online learning environment called INGURA.

   Euskera (City Council) · Euskaltegis in Gasteiz (HABE, ikasbil.eus) · HABE

9. Weeks 3–4

   Your first plans to meet people

   The civic centres network offers an activity search and enrolment information; the Salburua civic centre, for example, has a library and study room, a community meeting room and sports facilities. You can also join the meetings and workshops of the Oficina de Acogida, or go to one of the events below: they are picked because it is easy to go alone and talk to people.

   Civic centres (City Council) · Salburua civic centre

Rules change: always confirm on the official page before you go.

Free public places to start

Public services and civic centres in Vitoria-Gasteiz, each with its official page. Hours change: check the page before you go.

• Oficina de Acogida

  Free municipal information and welcome service for new residents, with meetings and workshops. In person without an appointment at Calle Las Escuelas 11; check the page for opening hours.

• Centros cívicos

  The City Council's civic centres: activity search, enrolment information and agenda of courses and events.

• Centro cívico de Salburua

  A civic centre with a library and study room, a community meeting room, a café and sports facilities. Open every day; check the page for hours.

This week: events to go to alone

Sun15Nov

CultureVitoria-Gasteiz

18:00–19:20

Farra, baroque cabaret theatre, Teatro Félix Petite, Vitoria-Gasteiz

Teatro Félix Petite (Centro Cívico Ibaiondo)

On Sunday 15 November 2026 at 18:00 the Teatro Félix Petite at the Ibaiondo civic centre in Vitoria-Gasteiz presents Farra, part of the 2026 Vitoria-Gasteiz International Theatre Festival. The company Lucas Escobedo, working with the Compañía Nacional de Teatro Clásico, describes the piece, winner of the 2025 Max Award for best musical show, as a kind of baroque cabaret made of scenic tableaux built around the Golden Age. According to the listing, the show brings together live music, stage combat, circus, humour and magic, set in carnival time in Madrid, and uses the past to talk about the present. The performance runs from 18:00 to 19:20 and is in Spanish. The price is 6 euros, and tickets are sold through the listing. A festival theatre show like this is easy to enjoy alone, since the whole audience watches the same lively spectacle together. «una especie de cabaret barroco, una serie de cuadros escénicos cuyo denominador común es el Siglo de Oro» Starts 18:00, ends about 19:20. Source: Kulturklik — Basque Government / Open Data Euskadi (CC BY 4.0). The listing gives the price as 6 euros and the schedule as 18:00 to 19:20.

Official page →See who's going in Meet & Mint

Sun15Nov

MusicVitoria-Gasteiz

19:00–20:30

Galbahe in concert at Gasteiz Antzokia, Vitoria-Gasteiz

Centro Cultural Izaskun Arrue - Gasteiz Antzokia

On Sunday 15 November 2026 at 19:00 the Centro Cultural Izaskun Arrue, also called Gasteiz Antzokia, in Vitoria-Gasteiz presents the band Galbahe. The listing says the group joins literature and music, following the Katamalo project started by the literary group bihotz bakartien kluba from a book of poems. Its only record so far, made in 2025, is titled Ez gara dena ahazteko nahikoa biziko and sets to music the texts of the poetry book Galbahea, apart from one song with words by Koldo Izagirre. The project ends at the close of 2026, so this IAK date is described as one of the last chances to hear it live. The members are Lander Bilbao, Mariana Blanco, Rafa Rueda, Urdin Baraiazarra, Uxue Garcia and Gotzon Barandiaran. The ticket price is 10 euros, and the language is Basque. No end time is given, so about 20:30 is expected. A concert of this kind is easy to attend alone, since everyone is there to listen. «Galbahe nos viene con una propuesta que aúna literatura y música, siguiendo la estela del proyecto Katamalo» Starts 19:00, ends about 20:30. Source: Kulturklik — Basque Government / Open Data Euskadi (CC BY 4.0). The listing gives no end time, so the end shown is estimated. The listing gives the price as 10 euros and the start as 19:00.

Official page →See who's going in Meet & Mint

Sun15Nov

SocialVitoria-Gasteiz

19:45–21:15

El show de Ignatius, comedy, Sala Jimmy Jazz, Vitoria-Gasteiz

Sala Jimmy Jazz

On Sunday 15 November 2026 at 19:45 the Sala Jimmy Jazz in Vitoria-Gasteiz hosts El show de Ignatius, a comedy performance by Ignatius Farray. The listing introduces him as a comedian from Tenerife who started in stand-up twenty years ago and has toured the country ever since. It recalls his programme on Cadena Ser, La vida moderna, the three books he wrote for Temas de hoy, and the series about his life, El fin de la comedia, which it says was nominated for an Emmy. It adds that he completed a master's in theatre creation in 2024 and works on the radio programme A vivir. The listing says that you either like him or you do not, so the best thing is to come and find out. The show is in Spanish. Tickets are listed at 20 euros and 25 euros, and the listing gives no end time. A stand-up night is easy to enjoy alone, because laughter is shared with the whole room. «A los que no le conocéis: o te gusta o no te gusta; por eso lo mejor es que vengas a comprobarlo» Starts 19:45, ends about 21:15. Source: Kulturklik — Basque Government / Open Data Euskadi (CC BY 4.0). The listing gives no end time, so the end shown is estimated. The listing gives ticket prices of 20 and 25 euros for the show at Sala Jimmy Jazz.

Official page →See who's going in Meet & Mint

Mon16Nov

Free

LearningVitoria-Gasteiz

18:00–20:00

AntiRumores: Convivencia e islamofobia, Vitoria-Gasteiz

Centro Cívico Zabalgana - Sala Polivalente 1

On Monday 16 November 2026 at 18:00 the Centro Cívico Zabalgana in Vitoria-Gasteiz holds a Formación AntiRumores session titled Convivencia en tiempos de islamofobia, in the Sala Polivalente 1. The listing presents the cycle as an invitation to stop, think as a community and start the path toward a conscious and active society, in four sessions guided by different trainers on structural racism, feminism and anti-racism, Islamophobia and how to be part of the change. The speaker is Hajar Samadi, a social worker with the Bidaya association of Muslim women. The session runs from 18:00 to 20:00 and is given in Basque, with simultaneous translation into Spanish. The activity is free and belongs to the Aprender a Convivir programme. Registration is through an online form until 16 November at 14:00. A talk like this is easy to attend alone, since people come to listen and exchange views. «Son cuatro sesiones, guiadas por diferentes formadoras,en las que abordaremos temas como el racismo estructural,» Starts 18:00, ends about 20:00. Source: Kulturklik — Basque Government / Open Data Euskadi (CC BY 4.0). The listing says the activity is free, with simultaneous translation into Spanish and registration until 16 November at 14:00.

Official page →See who's going in Meet & Mint

Mon16Nov

Free

CultureVitoria-Gasteiz

18:00–19:00

Book presentation: Farra, at Centro Cívico Ibaiondo, Vitoria-Gasteiz

Sala Polivalente 2 (Centro Cívico Ibaiondo)

On Monday 16 November 2026 at 18:00 the Sala Polivalente 2 of the Centro Cívico Ibaiondo in Vitoria-Gasteiz hosts the presentation of the book Farra, from 18:00 to 19:00. The Lucas Escobedo company presents the book of its latest show, a co-production with the Compañía Nacional de Teatro Clásico, published by Reikiavik in its Aplauso collection and gathering the play text and other original fragments. Lucas Escobedo and Raquel Molano, directors and authors of the work, explain how it was created, joined by the editor Iruña Iriarte. The listing promises talk of circus combined with verse, of bringing the Golden Age to the twenty-first century, and of rehearsal secrets and anecdotes. It ends with open questions, a meeting with the artistic team and a book signing. Entry is free until the room is full, and the language is Spanish. A book presentation is easy to attend alone, since the questions invite everyone to join the conversation. «Lucas Escobedo y Raquel Molano, directores y autores de la obra» Starts 18:00, ends about 19:00. Source: Kulturklik — Basque Government / Open Data Euskadi (CC BY 4.0). The listing says entry is free until the room is full, from 18:00 to 19:00.

Official page →See who's going in Meet & Mint

Tue17Nov

LearningVitoria-Gasteiz

19:00–20:30

Heritage Tuesdays: restoring Valderejo's mural paintings

Casa de Cultura Ignacio Aldecoa

Part of the Heritage Tuesdays lecture series, this talk looks at nature, art and restoration through the mural paintings of Ribera de Valderejo in Álava. Admission to the hall is open, and a talk series like this is a low-pressure way to meet other history and art lovers.

Official page →See who's going in Meet & Mint

Tue17Nov

Free

CultureVitoria-Gasteiz

19:00–20:30

Tartalo 2026: J. J. Benítez, mystery and sci-fi, Artium, Vitoria

Artium Museoa

On Tuesday 17 November 2026 at 19:00 Artium Museoa in Vitoria-Gasteiz hosts a talk titled Misterio y Ciencia Ficción, part of Tartalo 2026, described as a week of the fantastic in the arts. According to the listing, the writer J. J. Benítez explores mystery and science fiction at the museum. The page tags the event as a conference and gives Spanish as the language. Entry is free, with prior registration required, and the source is the Tartalo Gasteiz website, which publishes the full activity programme. The listing does not state an end time, so the evening is expected to last around an hour and a half. The venue is on Calle Francia, in the city centre. A talk like this is easy to attend alone, since the audience is gathered for one speaker and one subject, and a festival week built around fantastic themes tends to bring together people who enjoy talking about them afterwards. «J. J. Benítez explora el misterio y la ciencia ficción en Artium.» Starts 19:00, ends about 20:30. Source: Kulturklik — Basque Government / Open Data Euskadi (CC BY 4.0). The listing gives no end time, so the end shown is estimated. The listing gives free entry with prior registration, within Tartalo 2026, the week of the fantastic in the arts.

Official page →See who's going in Meet & Mint

Tue17Nov

Free

CultureVitoria-Gasteiz

19:00–20:30

Qué te dice esa naturaleza, film, Montehermoso, Vitoria-Gasteiz

Centro Cultural Montehermoso

On Tuesday 17 November 2026 at 19:00 the Centro Cultural Montehermoso in Vitoria-Gasteiz screens Qué te dice esa naturaleza within the 2026 Zinema Gaur cycle. The listing describes Donghwa, a young poet from Seoul in his thirties, who goes with his girlfriend Junhee to her parents' house in his 1990s car, intending to leave soon. Fascinated by the beauty of the house on a hill, he is invited by his future father-in-law to stay, on his first meeting with her parents after three years together. Over a day and a night he shares the family's life, with walks, a visit to a temple by the river and long conversations. Amid laughter, wine, strong liquor and a home-cooked dinner, family and personal troubles come to light. The listing gives the language as other, with Spanish subtitles. Entry is free, and the session runs from 19:00 to 20:30. A cinema evening like this is easy to attend alone, since everyone is there to watch the film. «Donghwa, un joven poeta de Seúl de treinta y tantos, acompaña a su novia Junhee a casa de sus padres» Starts 19:00, ends about 20:30. Source: Kulturklik — Basque Government / Open Data Euskadi (CC BY 4.0). The listing gives free entry, a 19:00 to 20:30 slot and Spanish subtitles.

Official page →See who's going in Meet & Mint

Tue17Nov

MusicVitoria-Gasteiz

19:30–21:00

Antaeus Quintet, Martes Musicales, at Arkabia, Vitoria-Gasteiz

Arkabia

On Tuesday 17 November 2026 at 19:30 Arkabia in Vitoria-Gasteiz hosts the Antaeus Quintet, part of the Martes Musicales 2026-2027 season of Fundación Vital. The listing presents the group as a chamber music ensemble founded by former students of the Reina Sofía School of Music, noted for its expressive warmth and balanced sound. It combines the richness of the traditional string quartet with the subtle colour of the clarinet. The players are Slava Chirkunov and Alma Olite on violin, Osvaldo Antonio Enríquez Castro on viola, Javier Morillas on cello and José Pinto on clarinet. The programme is Mozart's Clarinet Quintet in A major, K. 581, and Brahms's Clarinet Quintet, Op. 115. The ticket price is 8 euros, and tickets are sold online. A chamber concert is easy to enjoy alone, because the audience simply listens together in a quiet room. «Antaeus Quintet es una destacada agrupación de música de cámara fundada por exalumnos de la prestigiosa Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofía» Starts 19:30, ends about 21:00. Source: Kulturklik — Basque Government / Open Data Euskadi (CC BY 4.0). The listing gives no end time, so the end shown is estimated. The listing gives the price as 8 euros, with tickets sold online.

Official page →See who's going in Meet & Mint

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