Moving Services in Spain

Those from other countries who wish to become a legal permanent resident in Spain will need to get a Foreigner Identification Number and a Residency Card. For the citizens of fellow European Union members, the Residency card is valid for a duration of five years, but it can be renewed upon application.

 

For those foreigners who are coming to live in Spain from non European Union countries, the residency card lasts for only one year but it can be extended to five. The Residency Card serves as identification and is useful for all sorts of other purposes. The process for getting a Residency Card from the nearest Foreigner Office in Spain can take several weeks or months. Applicants for the Residency Card need to have a valid passport, and they must have either sufficient funds or a work contract from an employer. Several photocopies of the application form and other documents are required, as well as several passport sized photographs.

 

Applicants for the residency card who are moving to Spain from some countries may also be requested to have a medical exam certificate. If someone lives in Spain long enough, usually ten years, they may qualify for Spanish citizenship.

See our guides

• Moving to Spain