Welcome to Spain! If you have just landed and need a quick guide on what to do next, we’ve got you covered. (Photo Art (Adobe Stock))
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Our 2026-2027 “Welcome to Spain” magazine is a guide for newcomers and is a vital resource for understanding your new home in Spain.
Welcome to Spain! If you have just landed and need a quick guide on what to do next, we’ve got you covered.
112 is the emergency phone number throughout Europe.
To contact emergency services from NAVSTA Rota.
• 911 (on-base landline)
• 727-2911 (DSN or gov. cell phone)
• 956-82-2911 (off base/personal cell phone)
Naval Station Rota website: https://cnreurafcent.cnic.navy.mil/Installations/NAVSTA-Rota/
Read the NAVSTA Rota base newspaper, The Coastline: https://www.dvidshub.net/publication/1259/coastline
To call from on base use prefix 727
To call from off base use prefix 956-82
The country code for Spain is +34
In Spain, uniforms are not permitted to be worn off base.
Active-duty service members must first report to their Command Admin. Their orders will be stamped, they will sign their arrival Page 13 and they will receive a check-in sheet with further instructions. They must also report to their Command and Pay/Personnel Administrator (CPPA) within two days of reporting
On-base lodging is only available for active duty personnel and their families and for government personnel on orders. (Pixel-Shot (Adobe Stock))
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Sailors with command-sponsored dependents must visit Base Administration (Bldg. 1, 2nd floor) to complete the command sponsorship requirements and get “Page 13.”
Navy Lodge | 727-2643, 956-82-2643
Navy Gateway Inn and Suites | 727-1871, 956-82-1871
On-base lodging is only available for active duty personnel and their families and for government personnel on orders.
Car Rentals
NEX Car Rentals | 727-2675, 956-82-2675. Car rentals are available at the air terminal.
Offer automatic (not stick shift) and manual vehicles, no extra fees for drivers aged 21–25, and monthly and weekly rates.
Albitana Rent a Car | 956-064-061
Plaza del Triunofo 9, Rota
Taxis
Taxis are often available outside of the NEX.
Rota Taxi | 965-84-0085
El Puerto de Santa Maria Taxi | 956-85-8584
Free Shuttle Busses
One shuttle bus runs seven days a week between the Galley, Pier 1 and Camp Mitchell, adding the NEX at lunch and Liberty Center/Gym in the evening.
A second shuttle bus runs Monday to Friday with the same stops, plus additional stops at the Fuentebravia Gate, Bldg. 600, and the housing pool.
Morning route: 6–8 a.m.
Lunch route: 10:30 a.m.–12:45 p.m.
Evening route: 3–6 p.m.
956-82-3247
Soon after arrival, you must check in with the security office. Bring the following for all family members:
No-fee passports
Tourist passports (if available)
DOD ID cards
Orders
Command sponsorship letter for dependents
Command check-in sheet and the document listed on your Page 13
Valid U.S. driver’s license for any driver over age of 18
TEI Card
Security will issue all sponsors and dependents over age 10 a TEI (tarjeta de identidad de extranjero) card. This is a Spanish ID card for foreigners that you are required to have while in Spain. It is also necessary to establish NEX and Commissary privileges.
Driver’s license translation
Security will also issue all drivers over 18 a Spanish translation of their driver’s license which allows you to drive in Spain for 60 days.
Valido Stamp
The “Valido” stamp is the common name for the stamp that all civilians, including dependents, receive that validates the duration of their assignment in Spain up to three years. Security will collect your no-fee passports, which will be validated and returned by Spanish immigration after receiving the stamp. This stamp is not required for active-duty personnel.
NIE
Apply for a Spanish número de identificación de extranjero (NIE) while at the Security office. This Spanish ID number is also called an A-9 since it is made up of an A with nine numbers following it. The number is required to sign rental contracts, cell phone or internet contracts, sign up for off-base activities, buy a used vehicle, and other contractual arrangements within the Spanish economy. The application fee for an NIE is roughly 10 euros, and Security will need to see your passport, DOD ID and new TEI card. It typically takes 15–20 working days to receive the NIE.
FFSC | Bldg. 3293 | 956-82-3232
Contact FFSC at 956-82-3232 or email usn.rota.navstarotasp.mbx.ffsc@us.navy.mil to register.
A two-day, mandatory Intercultural Relations and Community Orientation Course (ICR) is offered at the Fleet and Family Support Center (FFSC). A third day features an optional field trip to Rota to learn more about local culture, landmarks, and lifestyle. Registration is required and is typically done ahead of time by your sponsor. Uniform of the day is required for military personnel on the first two days of the course.
Who must attend?
Active-duty service members
Civilian employees
Contractors
Command-sponsored dependents over 18 years old.
Childcare is provided for free at the Child Development Center (CDC) while parents attend the ICR class. It’s helpful for your sponsor to reserve hourly care ahead of time, and for you to fill out paperwork in advance. Call DSN 727-1100 or 956-82-1100 (off base or personal cell phone) for details. You will be given a voucher to cover costs from the ICR instructor.
What is covered?
Spain’s history, geography and culture
Spanish language basics
Descriptions and briefings of base facilities, services and programs
School information
Hospital and TRICARE enrollment
Driving information and Spanish license exam
A tour of base facilities
A field trip to downtown Rota
Commissary | Bldg. 3300 B | 956-82-1266
Commissary eligibility is limited to active duty service members, American civilian employees and dependents on official orders who have been issued a TEI card. Personnel at Rota on temporary orders are also eligible once their orders have been stamped by Security.
Commissary hours:
Monday to Friday 7:30 a.m.–7 p.m.
Saturday 10 a.m.–7 p.m.
Sunday 10 a.m.– 6 p.m.
Shopping at the mini-mart is open to anyone with a valid DOD ID.
You have a variety of off-base grocery stores to choose from (Nemesio (Adobe Stock))
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Off-base grocery stores, or “supermercados” (typically closed on Sundays).
Carrefour
Mercadona
Lidl
Aldi
Hipercor
Dia
El jamon
Need an extra pan, cups or dishes at your temporary lodging? Forget something in your household goods? Here is where to find those budget needs.
The Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society (NMCRS) Thrift Shop is in Bldg. 3293 next to the chapel. They are open for shopping Mondays 10 a.m.–1 p.m. and Thursdays 3–6 p.m.
The FFSC Loaner Locker has kits available for incoming families that include basic kitchen items to borrow for up to 30 days. The FFSC is in Bldg. 3293.
Military members can escort up to four guests (U.S. or Spanish) on base for social visits of less than 24 hours.
Visit the Security Office to get long-term base passes for friends or family. Sponsors must accompany guests at all times on base. Non-U.S. guests will need to provide a copy of their passport and EU stamp if they are from outside the EU.
Security Office | Bldg. 3262 | 956-82-3247
Family passes, for visiting relatives, are valid for one-month periods and are renewable two times, for a maximum of three months. A maximum of four family passes can be requested at a time.
Friend passes may be issued for a single day or weekend, or a one-time pass can be issued that allows the visitor on base up to 30 individual days within 12 months.
