What are the requirements to obtain Long-Term Residency in Spain?
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HOW TO OBTAIN LONG TERM RESIDENCY IN SPAIN:
WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS
To be able to obtain long-term and permanent residency in Spain, the following will be required:
- Be a non-EU national
- Have legal and continuous residence in Spain for a minimum of 5 years
- Have not been convicted of a crime in Spain or any other country where you have resided
- Have not been banned from entering Spain or any other country with which Spain has a visa waiver agreement
- Not be subject to a voluntary return agreement with Spain
DOCUMENTS ARE REQUIRED
To be able to obtain long-term and permanent residency in Spain, the following will be required:
- Completed application form
- Copy of passport, travel document, or residence card
- If you are a resident, a school enrollment certificate for any children under the age of compulsory education
- If you are not a resident in Spain, a criminal record certificate from your home country or any country where you have resided for the past 5 years
- Additional documents are required, depending on your specific requirement:
- If you have resided in Spain for 5 years as a holder of a Blue Card EU, a document proving your previous residence as a Blue Card holder in another EU country
- If you were born in Spain and have lived there legally and continuously for at least 3 years after reaching the age of majority
- If you have lost Spanish nationality
- If you have been under the care of a Spanish public entity for 5 years after reaching the age of majority
- If you are a stateless person, refugee, or beneficiary of subsidiary protection
HOW TO APPLY
- If you are already a resident in Spain, you can apply in person or through a representative.
- If you are not a resident in Spain, you must apply in person.
- In the case of having contributed to the economic, scientific, or cultural progress of Spain, the Directorate-General for Immigration will submit the application, upon proposal from a public authority with competence in the merit on which the petition is based.
PROCESSING TIME
The Immigration Office has 3 months to resolve the application, starting from the day after it is received. If the application is not resolved within this time frame, it is considered to have been approved by administrative silence.
COLLECTING THE LONG-TERM RESIDENCE CARD
Within 1 month of receiving notification of the approval of the long-term residence authorization, the foreigner must personally apply for the TIE (Foreigner Identity Card) at the Immigration Office or Police Station in the province where the authorization was processed.
The applicant must physically present to collect the TIE card.
RENEWAL OF THE LONG-TERM RESIDENCE CARD
Holders of a long-term residence authorization must renew their TIE every 5 years. The application must be submitted during the 60 days prior to the expiration date. If the application is submitted after the expiration date, a sanction may be imposed.
CONSULTING A LAWYER:
It is important to consult with an immigration lawyer before applying for a long-term residence permit in Spain. A lawyer can help you ensure that your application is complete and accurate, and that you meet all of the requirements.
Here are some additional tips for obtaining a long term cards in Spain:
- Ensure you are providing provide all of the required documentation
- The application process requires a significant amount of documentation, so be sure to gather everything you need before you start the process.
- Speak with a lawyer. A lawyer can help you understand the application process and ensure that your application is complete and accurate.
ALL TYPES OF RESIDENCY AVAILABLE IN SPAIN:
- Golden-Visa Spain (Spain citizenship by investment)
- Non-Lucrative visa Spain (Spain visa non lucrative)
- Self-Employed visa Spain (self employed expats in Spain)
- Digital-Nomad visa Spain (remote worker in Spain)
Please see-here our video-blog with options and legal-advice to obtain residency in Spain.
OBTAIN LONG-TERM AND PERMANENT RESIDENCY IN SPAIN
Do you need legal assistance in Spain?
We are a Spanish Solicitor and assist our clients with all types of residency applications.
Permanent residency is obtained after 5 years of Spanish Residency through Self-Employed Residency, Digital-Nomad, Non-Lucrative Residency or Golden-Visa. This followed by 5 years as a permanent resident in Spain and means you can then obtain Spanish Citizenship with a Spanish Passport.
