Spanish Visa

Giambrone's expert immigration lawyers are highly experienced in dealing with a wide range of Spanish Visa applications our lawyers provide exemplary support and guidance to ensure that your application is compliant and that there are no omissions or errors that will result in rejection.

We assist with all types of visa applications addressing the individual circumstances and requirements of each applicant:

Non-Lucrative Visa

British citizens who are aiming to retire to Spain can apply for a Non-Lucrative visa. This permits the successful applicant to travel to Spain without a limit on the number of days they can remain there. A Non-Lucrative visa is designed primarily for individuals who have retired or do not intend to work in or outside of Spain. However, once a Non-Lucrative Visa has been obtained, there's the possibility it may be able to be converted to a working visa after the first year. 

Requirements Include

  • Sufficient funds to support your first year currently this is calculated monthly at 400% of the IPREM (Indicador Público de Renta de Efectos Múltiples), which in 2024 amounts to €600 per week so the amount required would be €2,400 per month or €28,800 per annum for the first application. 
    • ◦   For each additional family member including children, we will need to show 100% of the IPREM; €600 per month or €7,200 per annum for each application to show that there is sufficient financial support available. 
    • ◦  The amounts above can be evidenced by holding cash in the bank, income from property investment, pensions, and various other means of passive income. Bonds and financial investments are not usually accepted. Cryptocurrency can not be shown as a form of sufficient funds.
    • ◦  Private health insurance or an S1 form if eligible
  • Although the law states a clear criminal record is required, the Spanish Supreme Court relaxed this rule, arguing that each case should be assessed on an individual basis according to its circumstances. Due to our immigration team's extensive experience with the Spanish Consulates in the UK, we have been able to help many clients with criminal records (alcoholism/driving offences, issues with ex-partners, harassment...) to obtain their respective Non-Lucrative Visas.

Digital Nomad Visa

Digital Nomad Visa has been launched. This allows remote workers, self-employed freelancers or online business owners the option to live, and work in Spain. This visa can be applied for from within Spain and granted within just 20 days. 

Requirements Include

  • You must be able to prove at least 200% of the SMI (Minimum Interprofessional Salary). Therefore, you must show a minimum of €31,752 per annum (before tax)
    • ◦   For two family members, the amount increases to 275%, €43,659 per year
    • ◦   For each additional family member, you must add a further 25%, €3,969 per year 
  • The company employing or contracting you must have at least one year of continuous activity 
  • Employment or contractual relationship with the company for a minimum of three months and have pay slips/invoices for the previous three months. 
  • You must be a graduate of a relevant Business School or be able to demonstrate a minimum of three years of experience in your field of work. 
  • Able to submit a certificate of Social Security coverage (A1 form for British nationals) and/or the country your company is registered in, has a bilateral agreement with Spain. Otherwise, the company must be registered to the Spanish Social Security. 

EU Family Card

Spain has a residence right that makes it possible for relatives of someone who is a citizen of Spain, or EU citizen with residency in Spain, to join their relatives in the country. 

Those who are the spouse (married partner/civil partnership) or descendant (child under the age of 21) of the Spanish/EU National can be eligible for this permit, which will grant them residence and work authorisation under the same conditions as any other EU citizen. 

This permit is for a period of five years, with the likelihood to renew the permit. This duration also counts towards obtaining Spanish nationality for the non-citizen family member in question. 

Requirements Include

As an EU Citizen, you are required to meet the following requirements in order to grant your relative residency in Spain: 

  • Be a citizen of Spain, or any other State of the EU, EEA or Switzerland.
  • Have a valid employment in Spain. You can either be a hired employee or self-employed. Or; 
  • Be enrolled as a student in either a public or private centre, acknowledged or financed by the educational management to attend studies or professional training.
  • You are required to have adequate economic resources. In order not to become a burden for Spanish social assistance, these economic resources must be enough for both you and your partner. The financial requirements are listed in the next section. 
  • You are also required to have full coverage private medical insurance which provides complete coverage in Spain. 
  • Prove you are of financial means both for yourself as well as for your family members, so as not to become a burden for Spanish social assistance. 

How can you apply for the EU Family Card? 

The application must be submitted within three months of their arrival in Spain at the relevant local police station in their chosen area. 

The application can also be submitted online to the Immigration Office by a registered lawyer. 

Arraigo Social

Arraigo social is a temporary residence and work permit intended for foreigners who have been living in Spain for three years in an irregular status. It is one of the simplest methods for non-European Union nationals to regularise their status in the country. Additionally, it allows the entire process to be completed within Spain, without the need to return to one's country of origin. 

Requirements Include

  • First of all, you must prove that you have resided, for a total of three years in Spain and at the time of the application, be of an illegal status. You must prove at least 3 years of permanent residence in Spain with an historical census registration certificate. 
  • You are a non-EU citizen 
  • Obtain a favourable report “informe de arraigo” from the regional government from where you are living (unless you have a relative who is a legal resident in Spain)
  • Pass an interview with your local council to obtain the “informe de arraigo”
  • No criminal background records, neither in Spain nor in your country of origin, during the past 5 years. 
  • Obtain a job offer or have sufficient financial means 
  • Demonstrate your link with Spanish society, whether at an economic, family, or social level 
  • If the autonomous community in which you live has a second language, you must show that you understand and speak it. In order to do this, and for example in the case of Catalonia, you will have to take a 45-hour Catalan course 

How can I apply for the Arraigo Social?

You will submit the application to your appropriate Immigration Office for your region. Once the application has been processed, you will be granted residency in Spain for one year. Thereafter, you will be able to convert it to an ordinary residency (NLV, work visa or self-employed). 

Student Visa

If you want to study in Spain, you may need to apply for a Spanish Student Visa. With a Student Visa for Spain, you will be able to study and work part-time (up to a maximum of 30 hours per week) in the country. 

The Spanish student visa can also be used for those looking to undergo training, internships and voluntary work in Spain. 

Requirements Include

  • Acceptance letter from an Institution recognised by the Spanish Administration
  • Sufficient financial means to support yourself whilst in Spain (100% IPREM)
  • Clear Criminal Record 
  • Full coverage private health insurance 

How can I apply for the Student Visa? 

Applications for the Student Visa can be submitted within your country of origin at your local Spanish consulate or from within Spain. If you are applying in your country of origin, you must file your application 90 days before the date you plan to use the student visa. If you choose to submit your application whilst in Spain, this must be completed within the first 60 days of entry.

Golden Visa

Spain’s residence by investment program, also known as the Spain golden visa, allows foreign nationals to make a significant investment in the country and apply for an investor visa. Successful applicants and their families are granted visa-free access across Europe’s Schengen Area. Unlike other Spanish visas, the Spain golden visa does not mandate a minimum stay in the country to maintain the residency permit, thereby allowing holders to avoid becoming tax residents of Spain.

The Spain Residence by Investment Program requires that a foreign individual completes one of the following investments in the country: 

  • The acquisition of real estate with a minimum value of EUR 500,000 (one or several properties). - The government has recently announced, foreign nationals will soon no longer be able to apply for the Golden Visa via real estate investment 
  • Investment funds, bank deposits, or listed company shares in Spanish financial institutions with a minimum value of EUR 1 million 
  • A government bonds investment with a minimum value of EUR 2 million.
  • A significant business investment in a sector that is strategic to the economy or has a major impact on the regional economy or creates a significant number of jobs. 

How can I apply for the Golden Visa? 

Applicants can apply in their country of origin at their Spanish consulate and the visa will be granted for one year. Alternatively, applicants can apply for a Spanish residence permit at the relevant immigration office within Spain, if they hold a valid tourist visa. This will grant them a 3-year permit. 

The relevant documents and forms will need to be prepared and submitted to the UGE. 

The consulate will usually respond within 10 working days of submitting your application and the UGE, 20 working days. 

Self-Employed Visa 

This visa is aimed for non-EU citizens, who want to set up their own business in Spain or work as an independent professional. 

Requirements Include

  • You are a non-EU National 
  • The relevant activity permits and licences required for the installation, opening or operation of the planned activity or professional practice. 
  • You hold a qualification in the relevant field of work 
  • Business plan of the establishment or activity to be carried out. 
  • You have a clear criminal record 
  • Sufficient financial means

How do I apply for a Self-Employed Visa? 

The first step is to approve your business plan before an accredited institution (for example, ATA, Association of Self-Employed Workers in Spain). Once you have an approval, the next step will be to go to the Immigration Office in the place where the business is going to be established. 

The Immigration Office will review the documents, and if approved, the last step will be to go to the Consulate in your country of residence and submit the approval from the Immigration Office alongside the other required documents. 

The Consulate must solve the application within 1 month. If your application is authorised, you will be granted residency for 1 year. The permit is renewable for four more years and after 5 years you may apply for permanent residence in Spain. 

Once the visa is granted, you must register at the Spanish Social Security within 3 months and obtain the TIE card, which is the ID card for foreigners and proves legal residence in Spain. 

Highly Qualified Visa

The visa for qualified professionals is regulated by Law 14/2013. It is a residence permit that allows non-EU citizens to live and work legally in Spain, as long as they get a job offer in a Spanish company in a qualified or technical position, or as a manager/executive. Thus, in this case, there is no single rule that applies in all cases. Depending on the way in which the requirements are met, a professional profile may fit in with the application for this work residence. 

Requirements Include

  • You are a non-EU National 
  • A job offer in Spain. The visa is applicable for those who will work as;
    • ◦   Managers, executives etc. 
    • ◦   Qualified or technical position
    • ◦ Non-EU citizens who finished their studies at the University or relevant Business School 
  • Hold a university degree and master studies diploma (or superior, such as PhD) or 3 years of expertise in the field of work 
  • Letter from the company specifying the job offer, roles, salary, type of work and contribution group (cotización) in the Spanish Social Security. 
  • Salary with at least €40,077 euros/year. In case of managers and executives, the amount must be at least €54,142 euros/year. Variable salary or bonuses are not taken into account. 
  • You have a clear criminal record

How do I apply for a Highly Qualified Visa? 

You are able to submit the application directly from within Spain if you hold legal status (Schengen Visa). This application can be submitted online (to the UGE-CE“Unity of Large Corporations and Strategic Groups”). 

Alternatively, you can submit the application at the Spanish consulate in your country of residence.

Intra Corporate Visa 

The intra-corporate transfer visa is regulated by Law 14/2013. It is meant to facilitate international mobility of an employee who moves to Spain; 

  • Within the same company or group of companies. 
  • From a company that has a contract for the provision of services with a Spanish company. 

It can be granted in two modalities: 

A. ICT-UE: Applies when the applicant is a member of a management team (CEO, CFO, COO), specialised professional or trainee. 

People in this modality are allowed to work and reside in any EU country and can be transferred within their company or group of companies in the EU during the validity period of the authorisation. 

B. National residence authorisation: Applicable for cases that are not eligible for ICT-UE. It will also be the route when the employee has already benefited from the ICT-UE permit, but needs to  further extend their residence. 

How do I apply for an Intra Corporate Visa? 

The first stage of the process must be submitted online by the host company to the UGE. This application can be submitted in Spain if you hold legal status (valid Schengen visa). 

If you are not in Spain, you will need to submit the application at the Spanish consulate in your country of residence. 

The validity of the visas will depend on the modality: 

A. ICT-UE: It is granted for a period of 3 years, except for trainees whose authorisation will have a maximum duration of one year (not renewable). 

B. National residence authorisation: The authorisation is granted for the duration of the employee’s task/assignment with a maximum of 3 years. It may be renewed for 2 more years.

How can Giambrone Law help? 

Giambrone's expert immigration lawyers are highly experienced in dealing with Spanish Visa applications and provide full support and guidance to ensure that your application is compliant and that there are no omissions that will result in rejection. 

We offer a full hand-holding service, assisting with the entirety of the application including obtaining all required documents, completing necessary forms, handling the legalisation and translation of documents, booking appointments at the relevant immigration offices as well as liaising with Spanish immigration authorities where necessary including submitting appeals if necessary. 

Contact us today!

 

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