Ya sea por internet o por teléfono, primero hay que pedir cita previa y preparar la documentación.

Ya sea ... o ... means whether ... or ....

So:

• Ya sea por internet o por teléfono = Whether online or by phone

It introduces two alternatives and says that the rest of the sentence is true in either case.

You may also sometimes see:

• ya sea ... o ...
• sea ... o ...

Both are common, but ya sea sounds a bit more complete or formal.

Because sea is the subjunctive form of ser.

In the expression ya sea ... o ..., Spanish normally uses the subjunctive because it is presenting alternatives rather than stating one concrete fact. This is a fixed and very common structure.

So learners should usually just memorize it as a chunk:

• ya sea X o Y = whether X or Y

Examples:

• Ya sea mañana o pasado mañana = Whether tomorrow or the day after tomorrow
• Ya sea en persona o por correo = Whether in person or by mail

Here por means something like by, via, or through.

So:

• por internet = online / via the internet
• por teléfono = by phone / over the phone

This use of por is very common for the means or channel used to do something.

Compare:

• enviar por correo = to send by mail
• hablar por videollamada = to talk by video call

In English, we often use different prepositions depending on the phrase, but in Spanish por is very natural here.

Sometimes, but in this sentence online or via the internet is better.

Por internet here refers to the method used to do the action, not simply the location of information.

So:

• pedir cita por internet = to book/request an appointment online

If you said on the internet in English, it might sound more like something exists there rather than that you do it through that medium.

Hay que means one must, you have to, or it is necessary to.

It is an impersonal obligation structure:

• hay comes from haber
• que + infinitive gives the idea of necessity

So:

• hay que pedir cita previa = you have to request an appointment
• hay que preparar la documentación = you have to prepare the documents/paperwork

It does not say who specifically has to do it. It is general, like instructions or rules.

Because hay que is more general and impersonal.

Compare:

• Hay que pedir cita previa = An appointment must be requested / You have to request an appointment
  
  • general rule
• Tienes que pedir cita previa = You have to request an appointment
  
  • directed to one person specifically

In notices, instructions, official information, and general procedures, hay que is very common because it sounds neutral and applies to anyone.

Because after hay que, Spanish uses the infinitive.

Pattern:

• hay que + infinitive

So here:

• hay que pedir
• hay que preparar

This works like:

• hay que esperar = you have to wait
• hay que rellenar el formulario = you have to fill in the form

It means to request/book an appointment in advance.

Breakdown:

• pedir = to ask for / request
• cita = appointment
• previa = prior / beforehand / in advance

In many official or administrative contexts in Spain, pedir cita previa is the normal phrase for arranging an appointment before going somewhere.

A very natural translation is:

• to make an appointment beforehand
• to book an appointment in advance

It can feel a bit redundant to an English speaker, but cita previa is a very standard expression in Spain, especially in administration, healthcare, immigration, public offices, and similar contexts.

It emphasizes that you cannot just show up; you need an appointment arranged ahead of time.

So:

• cita = appointment
• cita previa = prior appointment / pre-booked appointment

In practice, it often simply means appointment required.

Both are possible, but after verbs like pedir, Spanish often leaves out the indefinite article when speaking in a general, procedural way.

So:

• pedir cita previa = very natural in instructions and official language
• pedir una cita previa = also possible, a bit more explicit

The version without una sounds more streamlined and idiomatic in this context, especially in notices or regulations.

Yes, but often with a slightly broader sense.

La documentación usually means the required documents/paperwork for a process. Depending on the context, it could include:

• ID or passport
• application forms
• certificates
• proof of address
• copies of official papers

So in many cases, prepare the paperwork is a very good translation.

It is more collective and administrative than simply documentos.

Because documentación is often used as a collective noun in official Spanish.

Compare:

• los documentos = the individual documents
• la documentación = the whole set of required paperwork/documentation

In bureaucratic or formal contexts, documentación sounds especially natural.

Primero means first.

It tells you this is the first step in a process:

• primero hay que pedir cita previa y preparar la documentación = first, you have to book an appointment and prepare the paperwork

It usually appears near the beginning of the clause, but Spanish word order is flexible. For example:

• Primero hay que pedir cita previa
• Hay que pedir cita previa primero

Both are possible, though the first one sounds more natural in instructions.

Yes. The conjunction y means and, so both actions are part of what needs to be done:

1. pedir cita previa
2. preparar la documentación

The structure is:

• hay que + infinitive + y + infinitive

The idea is: you have to do both things.

Yes. A few natural alternatives are:

• Ya sea por internet o por teléfono, primero se debe pedir cita previa y preparar la documentación.
• Ya sea online o por teléfono, primero hay que pedir cita previa y preparar la documentación.
• Tanto por internet como por teléfono, primero hay que pedir cita previa y preparar la documentación.

These are similar, but the original is very natural and fits official instructions well.

Yes, especially the phrase pedir cita previa is very typical and common in Spain in administrative contexts.

A learner of Spanish from Spain will hear it a lot in places like:

• health centres
• town halls
• police and immigration offices
• consulates
• public service websites

So this sentence sounds like standard, practical Peninsular Spanish used in official guidance.