With more than 8000 km of beaches, Spain is one of the preferred destinations both for tourists worldwide and for those wishing to start a new life in a new country. And that translates into many expats starting the legal process of getting their residence permit in Spain. Even though that can be a bit tedious, here you will find the easy wait to do it. If you would like to get some useful tips regarding how to move to Spain successfully, this article is for you.

Grab a pen and paper and start taking notes!

 

Why move to Spain?

 

We’ve helped thousands of clients move to Spain, and none have regretted it—quite the opposite. Spain is an ideal destination for expats, and here’s why:

1. Tolerant Society: Spain is one of the most open-minded countries, with legal same-sex marriage since 2005. The majority of Spaniards are welcoming, making cultural integration smooth for expats
2. Diverse Culture: Spain’s rich history of diverse groups creates a variety of regional traditions. This diversity makes it easy for newcomers to fit in and feel at home
3. Strong Expat Communities: Spain is a top destination for both EU and non-EU citizens, with thriving expat communities across the country. You’ll find plenty of like-minded people to connect with, easing your transition
4. Vibrant Social Life: Spain has the most bars in Europe, reflecting a culture that loves socializing. The lively atmosphere in cities like Madrid and Barcelona is something you must experience
5. Cultural Richness: Spain boasts 47 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, ranking third globally. Whether you’re a history buff or just love exploring, Spain offers endless opportunities to discover new places
6. Diverse Landscapes: Spain’s geography ranges from mountainous terrain in the north to beautiful beaches in the south, catering to both adventure seekers and those looking for relaxation. Plus, the country’s cuisine is exceptional, offering a culinary experience you’ll never want to leave

 

Where should I relocate to Spain?

 

Spain offers a completely varied landscape. You have colder and more mountainous areas in the north, and all the perfect beaches and good weather in the south.

Each city and region is unique, with its own culture, gastronomy, and people.

This, for sure, is a completely positive aspect when moving to the country. You could be traveling within the Spanish territory and never get bored, always learning something new and getting amazed by what you find.

But it also poses the difficult question of where to settle. Madrid or Barcelona? Should I go to Valencia or start living in Sevilla?

While in this article we talked about why Barcelona is our top choice… Our best advice here is simple: discover it by yourself.

The exact decision will entirely depend on your personal preferences, so what would be best than finding it out in person?

Once you arrive in the country, spend the first weeks or months traveling around. Visit the north, center, and south of the country. Try to experience as much as possible what it would be like to live there, and after you have been able to visit the main spots, come up with a decision.

That is the only way to really find what you need!

 

Essential checklist for your move to Spain

 

In order to move to Spain, you will need to follow the following steps:

1. Decide which is the right residence permit or visa for you
2. Then, you must check the specific requirements for that permit
3. Understand if you can apply directly from Spain while being a tourist, or you need to submit your documents from your home country
4. Prepare the documentation and send it to the competent institution
5. Get your visa and travel to Spain

Immigration to Spain can be a difficult task for many. But with the right advice, it shouldn’t be that way. Because in order to enjoy all the wonders of the country, you will for sure need to enjoy legal status. And that implies obtaining a residence and work authorization.

As you may not know where to start or still have tons of doubts, we have gathered the main tips that will make this whole process much easier for you and your family.

 

Do you have any questions so far? Then ask our immigration lawyers anything:

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Now that you see what Spain offers, let’s get into the essential details. Many future expats feel lost when starting the immigration process. To help, we’ve compiled 9 tips to make your move to Spain easier.

 

1. Before doing anything, assess your situation

 

In order to define how exactly you should get your residence permit in Spain, the first thing is to understand which is your current situation and how should you act accordingly.

Because there is no one right to emigrate to Spain. 

There are different kinds of residence permits in Spain, and the procedure for each of them is completely different. Trying to get a work permit is a completely different journey than getting a non-lucrative visa. 

That is why your first step is to see, according to your situation and your plans in the country, which is the visa that best fits your situation.

In order to solve that doubt, there is a first question you should answer even before. Are you from Europe or from a non-EU country? Because, in one case, you will have it really easy; whereas on the other one things can get more complicated.

• Those individuals who are from a European Union country, from a country of the EEA or from Switzerland, don’t need to apply for a regular residence permit. The Schengen agreements allow them to live and work legally in Spain, being able to easily obtain the work permit really fast. They just need to get what’s called the EU registry certificate.
• On the other hand, if you are from a non-European Union country, things will get more complicated. You will need to fulfill certain requirements and conditions, and that can be a bit tough. But don’t worry, we are here to help you out and to make things easy for you.

So let’s imagine that you fall under this last group. What should you exactly do?

 

2. The general procedure to immigrate and move to Spain

 

As a non-EU citizen, the procedure to get a visa in Spain is usually the same.

Bear in mind that, besides some visas under the Entrepreneur Law, like the entrepreneur visa or the highly qualified professional visa, you will always need to start the application procedure from outside Spain.

This is really important. Even more important, if you are wishing to get a work permit, make sure to find a job offer and get one even before arranging anything else. 

How should you proceed?

The first thing will be you submit your application at the Spanish Consulate or Embassy located at your origin country or there where you reside legally. They will forward your application to the competent Spanish institution, the ones who will accept or deny it.

Provided that your application gets successfully accepted, the Consulate or Embassy will give you your visa. With that document, you can now travel to Spain and enter the country.

Make sure to travel within the 90 days that come after you have received your visa.

Once inside the country and once that you have applied for your NIE number (we will later on tackle this issue), you must apply for your residence permit. Provided that you meet the specific requirements and submit the right documentation, you will be granted a residence authorization.

This residence permit will allow you to live in the country for a full year. Once that year is over and provided that you still meet the same requirements, you will be able to renew it for an additional two years, and so forth.

After you renew your permit enough times so that you have lived in the country for 10 years, you will now be able to apply for Spanish nationality.

 

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3. All about the work permit

 

Many foreigners willing to live in Spain want to opt for the work permit. As the other residence permits may imply difficult to meet conditions and requirements, the work permit can be a suitable option for some citizens.

Nevertheless, it is really important that you pay attention to its process and take the following pieces of advice.

• You cannot be in Spain for the application process. This is of high relevance.
• If you would like to get a work permit in Spain, you will first need to find a job offer, while still living in your origin country.
• Be careful with the job offer you apply to. The work permit application procedure is really strict, and you will only make it provided that the job offer you find is inside the so-called shortage occupation list.
• As we have previously mentioned, if you are a European Union citizen you won’t have any problem here. You will get your work permit in just 24 hours.
• As getting a regular work permit can be a bit tough, try to see if you meet the requirements for the entrepreneur visa or the highly qualified work permit. The process is much more attainable.

 

4. Forget about difficult procedures: the non-lucrative visa

 

Let’s say, again, that you are a non-EU citizen willing to immigrate to Spain. Furthermore, you don’t want to worry about a long list of requirements and a tedious application process. You just want to move to the Spanish territory as easily as possible.

Well, in that case, and provided that you have sufficient economic means to sustain yourself in the country, the non-lucrative visa will be your best alternative.

You will only need to demonstrate that you have a 400% of the IPREM on your bank account, get a private social security contract, and start the application procedure for this residence permit. Is that simple!

 

Get help with your non-lucrative visa application

 

5. The first thing you will need: the NIE number

 

Once you get your visa in the Spanish Consulate of your origin country and enter into Spain, the first step will be to get your NIE number.

This is the basic identification number for foreigners, and you will need it for nearly everything. To open a bank account, to start your company, to buy a property, opening a bank account, or to get your residence permit. Without the NIE you cannot do any legal or economic procedure in Spain.

Applying for the NIE is a relatively simple procedure, provided that you know the steps. And that is something you do at the Police Office of your city.

 

6. How to find the right accommodation

 

Your accommodation or housing decisions will be one of the main costs for your new life abroad. That is why having careful considerations with everything that is related to it is crucial.

Our recommendation is simple. The first thing you must do when arriving in Spain is staying at a hotel or Airbnb while you are looking for a flat or house to rent. Why? Because you should not sign anything before you have seen it in person.

This will avoid many problems that could cause you to lose money.

Before arriving in the country, you can search online to have several options. But don’t agree on anything until you have arrived at your city and visited the apartment in person.

Where should you look for a flat or house to rent? The main platforms are:

• Idealista
• Fotocasa
• Habitaclia
• Or even expat Facebook groups

Here you can find an article full of useful tips that will help you navigate the renting process easily as a foreigner.

On the other hand, it will also be important to decide between buying or renting.

But we can also follow the same recommendation given in the first section, which was that you need to first travel the country before choosing the place to settle in. Hence, what we suggest here is to rent first while you travel or while you find a really nice house.

Once you have 100% decided your ideal place and found the perfect property, buy.

The real estate purchasing process is a bit more complex, and it is necessary to be 100% sure before facing it.

Of course, buying has its upsides, as obtaining a golden visa if you invest over 500.000€ in your real estate purchase.

 

7. General documents you will always need

 

As we have said, every residence permit has its own peculiarities. Each of them demands its own specific requirements and documents. Nevertheless, there are some of them that are present in any application procedure, no matter for which permit.

Which are those documents that you will always need when moving to Spain?

• Background check with clear criminal records, both in Spain and in any other country for the last 5 years.
• Health insurance with full coverage in Spain (being public or private).
• Passport (original) and copy. Two ID photos will be also necessary. ⠀
• Document/s that demonstrate the possession of sufficient economic means to sustain your day to day life in the country.⠀

Then, of course, depending on the type of permit you apply to, some additional documents will be added to the list. For example, the entrepreneur visa or the work permit as a self-employed requires you to also submit the business plan of your project. 

 

8. Documents translated into Spanish

 

There is something crucial that you must take into consideration when submitting the relevant documentation for your Spanish residence permit.

All the documents that you submit must be legally translated into Spanish and legalized with the Apostille of the Hague. Many of our clients ask us if they can send in the documentation in their tongue language, and the answer is no. It must be in Spanish.

That is why, if you don’t understand the language or have trouble with the legal translation, do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected] and we will help you out.

 

9. Opening a bank account

 

Opening a bank account is a crucial aspect of your relocation process. Because yes, you should really do it. Why?

First of all, because it will save you money. You will avoid fees when withdrawing money from an ATM or paying any price. And of course, avoid the tedious currency conversion and the possible associated charges.

But not only that. Many service providers in the country, like telephone or utility companies, won’t accept you as their client unless you pay with a Spanish bank account.

So opening one is the way to go.

Which are the requirements?

In fact, it’s really simple. You will just need to submit your passport or ID card, proof of your address (in Spain), employment status proof (if you are unemployed you can use government letters confirming you get financial help from them), and some banks will require a non-resident certificate if you spend less than 6 months per year in Spain.

You can even open your bank account while still being abroad. Learn here how.

 

10. You can bring your family with you

 

Let’s say that you have been through all the legal procedures of immigrating to Spain, and you already enjoy the legal status. You have renewed your first residence authorization, and delighted with your new life in the country you would also want to make your family part of it.

Then, good news: you can bring your family to Spain with your current residence permit pretty easily. If you have lived in the country for more than one year, you can apply for a residence and work authorization for:

• Your father and mother
• Your spouse or civil partner
• The parents of your spouse/civil partner (your mother and father in law)
• Your son or daughter provided that they are under 18 years old
• Your putative children

In this situation, you will be the one applying for the family reunification residence permit while in Spain. This implies that the family member you would like to bring to the country can’t be in Spain for the application procedure.

 

11. Understand your tax obligations

 

The biggest headache for many. Because no matter if you are a resident or not in the country, you will need to pay taxes at the end of the year and file a tax return.

But how does it work and which are those taxes to be paid?

As you can see, there is this first distinction between residents and non-residents. If you spend over 183 days per year in the country (hence becoming a resident), you will pay taxes for your worldwide income in Spain.

But thanks to double treatment conventions you won’t pay twice (first in the country where you generated the income and second in Spain), just here.

The basic tax anyone pays in the country is the income tax, which goes from 19 to 45% depending on the amount of money you earn at the end of the year; which must be paid and declared annually through your income tax declaration (“declaración de la renta”).

But there are other taxes that can affect you depending on your operations, like inheritance tax, capital tax, or non-resident tax.

Click here and access a complete list with all the taxes for foreigners and their exact percentages.

 

12. Trust reliable immigration lawyers

 

Finally, the tip that will eliminate all hassle and doubts. As you have seen, the process of moving to Spain and getting your visa can be a bit tough. There are tons of requirements and documents you must submit, and depending on your situation you will deviate from the general rule and need to do extra work.

And that can be overwhelming. Where should you send the documents? How much time do you need to wait? With are the extra requirements I will need to fulfill in my situation? And the doubts go on an on.

That is why, in many cases, the best alternative is to rely on the help of specialized immigration lawyers in Spain that handle the whole procedure for you, so you don’t need to worry about anything.

Having the right legal advice as a foreigner is always crucial. 

And that is exactly what we do at Balcells Group. With over 40 years of experience and more than 1000 clients helped, we now would like to be the ones that facilitate your entry to Spain. What are we going to do for you?

• Assess your situation. We will first get in touch with you and ask some crucial questions. Upon that, we will exactly define what would be the best path for you to follow in order to successfully immigrate to Spain.
• Prepare all the relevant documents and send them to the competent institution. You will just need to sing. Our team of immigration lawyers will fill in all the forms and required documentation for you and apply for the residence permit. That ensures that your chances of getting your permit go up.
• Translate all the documents into Spanish and properly legalize them. As we have seen, that is something essential.

Therefore, if you would like us to accompany you throughout the whole procedure, do not hesitate to contact us. Our international lawyer team is ready to answer all your doubts!

P.S: You can access extra information about relocating to Spain here, including transportation, living, and accommodation tips. And here are the top 7 mistakes you should avoid making.

Book a consultation with one of our lawyers and we’ll answer all your questions: