How to move to Spain – Residence Permits

Today there are many ways to obtain a residence permit in Spain. However, we will talk about the most relevant, which, among other things, can be requested while in Spain.

Student visa

To study in language schools is not a residence, but a specific activity which  provides you with the permit of stay and living in Spain. You can request it at the consulate of your country or in Spain, provided you are legally there, and so that there is at least 30 days left until the end of the permitted period of stay. It is a quick process and does not require a lot of paperwork.  It is issued for 1 year with the possibility of extension 3 times, after which it can be modified into a general residence with the right  to work. It also allows you to join family members.

Without right to work  

This residence permit can only be requested in the consulate of your country. To do this, it is necessary to show, first of all, the availability of funds for each applicant , a permanent source of income, a lease agreement in Spain for at least 1 year,  or a purchase and sale agreement in order to confirm the existence of own housing. After the first year of  renewal of  this residence, you can  request the right to work. The first card is issued for 1 year, the second and third is extended by 2, the fourth already by 5, and after the tenth year you can apply for citizenship.

Investors 

You can request at the consulate or directly in Spain, provided the legal location. Investment conditions are  as follows :
1. Investments in real estate from 500.000 euros and above (any commercial, residential, there may be several residential and commercial premises). Investing can be made both by the investor and by the company in which he owns more than 51%.
2. Investments in financial assets, such as:

  1. Shares and government bonds (2 million euros);
  2. Shares or equity participation in companies with Spanish capital of 1 million euros ;
  3. Bank deposits in Spanish credit or financial institutions (1 million euros) ;
  4. Investment funds, investment funds of closed joint-stock companies, venture (risk) capital funds established in Spain (1 million euros) ;
  5. Investments in a business project in Spain (implies an innovative company with the aim of creating jobs, investing in a particular geographic area.

Moreover, the right to obtain a golden visa or a residence permit for an investor can be used either by the investor and his family members, or by the legal representative of the investor  and his family members.  The first card is issued for 2 years and extended by 5 with the right to work.

 

Businessmen 

You can request this one at the consulate or directly in Spain, provided the legal location . To be able to obtain this type of residence permit, you need to provide/create a business project that will evaluate one of the following criteria: project innovation (for example, innovative mobile applications or software which didn’t exist before ), create jobs, create a project in a strategic area that will have a special interest in the country’s economy (for example, our customers made a portal selling 3D furniture, creating their own company in Valencia, which is famous for its furniture factories ). In this case, the first card is issued for two years at once, and it is also extended for two years. You can simultaneously add family members, adult children and parents of the investor who are dependent on him.

 

Corporate Translation

You can request it at the consulate or directly in Spain, provided the legal location . According to the new law, an employee of a foreign company can be transferred to work in a Spanish company, within the framework of contractual or project relations. Dates of registration – 20 working days. You can also join family members.. The first card is issued immediately for 2 years with the right to work, renewal is for 1 year.

 

Highly qualified specialist  

You can request this at the consulate or directly in Spain, provided the legal location. In this case, the situation of unemployment in Spain does not apply. Residence permit for these highly qualified specialists is issued immediately for 2 years, extended for the same period. The applicant is required  to go to the Apostille and translate into Spanish the Diploma or Employment Record Book, confirming the work experience of at least 3 years in a specific position. In this case, the host company is either included in the group of companies with a staff of at least 250 people, the net turnover of transactions is above 50 million euros, or the amount of own funds or wealth is more than 43 million euros, or the gross investment in a company that comes from abroad is not less than 1 million euros in the last 3 years before the filing of the declaration. If the inviting company is small, its field of activity should be strategic and of particular interest to Spain, namely, to create jobs in a particular region, investment, scientific input, and innovation. The first card is issued immediately for 2 years  with the right to work , renewal is also for 2 years.

 

Researchers 

This version of the residence permit is provided for in scientific work, cooperation with universities, research centers of Spain, companies leading research and development, business schools. The first card is issued immediately for 2 years  with the right to work , renewal is also for 2 years. You can also add family members.

 

A member of the family of an EU citizen, including a “civilian” spouse – immediately for 5 years 

To request this residence permit the applicant may be located both in his own country and in Spain, and even illegally. The residence is issued for 5 years. The applicant must be either a member of the family or a relative of a citizen of any EU country who lives in Spain . It is not only for a formal marriage, but it could be a “civil marriage”  ( “pareja de echo”) or confirmed by the fact that the couple lived together for at least a year .

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As a bonus, we will tell you about one more option to get the right to reside in Spain. Loyal Spanish authorities meet even illegal immigrants who have lived in Spain for at least three years, able to confirm their presence in the country and demonstrate social integration. Residence permit on landings – arraigo social . The main proof of the 3-year tenure is not only the registration and  documents confirming presence in Spain: lease payments and utility bills on the applicant’s name (the bill for water, electricity), trips to the doctor and the mobile connection. In addition , you must provide a  pre-contract or business plan, in case of a business for an Individual entrepreneur as Autónomo . If the applicant claims to residency without the right to work – the presence of money in the Spanish account or the source of their income from abroad must be proven.

Are you looking for a residence permit to move to Spain? – Well get in touch!

Our lawyers can make this an easy, quick and stress-free process.

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