The online world offers many advantages, and when it comes to immigration, that is no exception. Thus, every year there are more and more procedures that a foreigner in Spain can do online, and today the vast majority of them (either requesting an appointment, initial applications, renewals, checking the status of your application, etc.) can be done through your laptop without leaving your living room.
In this article we detail all the immigration procedures that can currently be carried out online, including all related links you need for accessing each of them easily.
Advantages of doing your paperwork online
Before looking at the complete list, let’s start by highlighting some of the most fundamental advantages of completing your immigration formalities online. Because it can bring more benefits than you might think at first glance.
Firstly, and obviously, you will gain comfort.
You avoid having to waste a morning to go to the immigration office (reducing the time and cost of travel), you will avoid queuing, and also the time and effort required to get an appointment (something that is currently completely tedious and sometimes an interminable process).
But that’s not all, and perhaps the main advantage is another one.
Thanks to having submitted your application online, you will be able to get a much faster resolution.
This is so because the file will be perfectly prepared (as a result of going through the filters of the different online platforms), and hence the Immigration Office will have it much easier to analyze and finally issue a response.
In addition, notifications will also be made more effectively via the electronic office, so you will receive your resolution sooner.
List of procedures that can be carried out online
So, let’s take a look at the main procedures that any foreigner in Spain must complete at some point and that can be carried out via the internet.
Submitting the application for your initial residence permit
Currently, the vast majority of initial residency authorizations can be applied online. That is, you will be able to submit all the necessary documentation to obtain:
- Any of the residences for exceptional circumstances (something possible since 2020). We are talking about social, labor, and family arraigo
- The family reunification procedure
- Stay for study purposes (student visa)
- Residency card as a family member of an EU citizen, which is very convenient as it avoids the need for both family members (Spanish/EU and foreigner) to attend the immigration office at the same time
- Work permit (although self-employed work visa is a procedure not yet possible online)
- Long-term residence (formerly known as permanent residence)
All these online applications are made through the Mercurio platform and require an electronic ID card or digital certificate.
Applying for visas under the Entrepreneur Law
On the other hand, and through a different platform, it is also possible to submit applications for visas under the Entrepreneurs Law.
This is done through the specific platform of the UGE (the Large Business Unit in Spain), and allows to apply for:
- Investor visa
- Work permit as a highly qualified worker
- Residency for researchers
- Intra-company transfer
You can access this platform here.
Submit the application for 2 very useful residences for students
Through a platform different from Mercurio it is possible to submit the documentation for 2 very popular residence permits among foreign students in Spain.
We are talking about:
In this case, it is done through RedSara (Common Electronic Registry).
Renewals
Currently, once the validity of your residency card expires, you will be able to renew it without having to take all the documentation to the foreigners’ office, since it is another procedure that can be done online.
Where can it be done?
Through the same platform where you were able to apply for your card initially.
However, keep in mind that the collection of the physical card and fingerprinting is something that you will always have to do in person, both for the renewal and for the initial application.
Requirements and uploading of missing documents
In the event that you have submitted your application and the Immigration Department notifies you that the file is incomplete or that some documents were not correct, you will be able to correct this fact and respond to the request online as well.
In other words, you will be able to upload the missing documents and complete your application, which will make the process much faster despite this unforeseen event.
Check the status of your application once it has been submitted
Once you have submitted your application, you will be able to check and verify its status in “almost” real-time through the 2 platforms provided by the government.
- In case you want to check the status of your nationality application, you will have to use the platform “cómo va lo mío“, which you can access here
- But, in addition, you can also check the status of your residency application, through this platform
This way you can keep up to date with the different stages of your process, and provide an approximate estimate of how much longer you will have to wait, and if you have finally achieved a favorable result.
Making appointments with the Immigration Office
Although the vast majority of procedures can be carried out online, there are still others that cannot.
For all of them, you will have to make an appointment at the nearest immigration office, something you can do online.
How to do it?
It is very simple. You have to click on this link, select your province, and then the procedure in question to see all the available schedules.
Requesting an appointment for the citizenship’s oath
Once you have been granted Spanish nationality, you will have to take the oath before the Civil Registry or before a notary.
For this purpose, the vast majority of Civil Registries in Spain have set up a portal (unique for each of them) where you can make an appointment, thus avoiding the need to go at a given time to request it in person, and having to return later for the oath itself.
Paying the fees for your application
Whether it is the 052 or 062 fee (the most common for immigration procedures), the payment of these fees is necessary for your application to be complete.
You always have the option of paying them in person at any bank, but the truth is that this payment can also be made online.
To pay your fees online, simply click on this link, make the payment, and then submit the verification afterwards.
Help to carry out your procedure online
As you can see, there are many procedures that can nowadays be carried out online, and undoubtedly this has many advantages.
However, as we have mentioned, for each and every one of them you will need either a digital certificate or an electronic ID card.
This is the way to verify your identity online before the authorities.
But what happens if I don’t have either of these two verification methods?
Good news, because you can count on a team of lawyers to do it for you.
Thus, in Balcells Group we can not only prepare your file making sure that you meet all the requirements to get a favorable response, but we can also take care of uploading it to the different platforms, being able to send it to any of the existing immigration offices).
If you need our help to formalize your online process, please contact us, and let us help you.
Book a consultation with one of our lawyers and solve all your doubts:
