Spain Residence Visa
If you are already in Spain:
- Contact your nearest Foreigner’s Office “Oficina de extranjera” to find out instructions for getting the Residency Permit (“Tarjeta de Residencia”.)
If you are outside of Spain:
There are several types of Residence Visas (a.k.a. Long Stay Visas) for Spain:
- Residence visa for investors or self-employment
- Residence visa to reunite a family member with a legal resident in Spain
- Residence visa to reunite a family member with a citizen of Spain or an EU member (look at this one if you are a foreigner, married a Spaniard, and want to get a Residence Visa).
Contact the Ministerio del Interior to see the latest requirements.
If you’re a U.S. resident. or non-U.S. resident:
Gather the required documents and follow the procedures for the “Residence Visa” you want.
Submit the information that you gathered in Step 3 to the consulate that you located in Step 2.
Depending on the consulate you might be required to make an appointment to apply in person. Your consulate website will have details on whether you will need to make an appointment in order to submit an application or if you can apply by mail.
Congratulations! After a period of waiting, the Spain Consulate/Embassy will give to you your brand new Spanish visa.
Don’t get sick! Check vaccination requirements here at the CDC.
If the visa is approved, the foreigner has one month (from the approval notice day) to appear in person to pick up the visa. Failure to pick up your visa within one month will be considered as a refusal of the visa and your application will be filed.
This visa will be valid only for Spain but allows up to five days for transit in the Schengen area before entering Spain.
Once you pick up your visa, you must enter Spain within the period the visa is valid for and your entry must be stamped on your passport or travel document, after that you must appear in person to apply for your residency card within one month.
Once you enter Spain, you can start working and you must register with the Social Security System as established by law.
Further Reading
Want Professional Visa Help? If you are a U.S. citizen and want professional help with getting a visa, check out my post on the 4 Best Travel Visa Services in the United States.
Worldwide Moving Guide: Everything you need to know in order to plan your move to 65+ countries around the world.
Find an Embassy or Consulate: Check my Worldwide Embassy and Consulate Finder to find the diplomatic representation nearest you.
Worldwide Jobs Guide: Be sure to check out my posts on how to find jobs in any country in the world.
Worldwide Dating Guide: Also, check out my posts on the best online dating sites in 60+ countries around the world.
About Addison Sears-Collins
Hey! I'm Addison Sears-Collins, the founder of Visa Hunter. You can learn more about me here. Connect with me by liking my fan page on Facebook, connecting with me on Twitter, or check out my website Automatic Addison where I build robots and embedded systems.
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