Long Stay Visa Spain (National Visa)

A Spanish long-stay visa, also called a national visa, is for non-EU, EEA, and Swiss nationals planning to stay in Spain for more than 90 days in any 180-day period. Applicants may need a national visa to work, study, join family members, or establish residence in Spain.

A national visa is not the same as Spain’s long-term residence authorization. If a person plans to remain in Spain for more than 180 days, they must often apply for a Foreigner Identity Card (Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero or TIE) within one month of entering Spain. The TIE records their lawful immigration status in Spain.

Spain’s residencia de larga duración is a separate immigration status. It allows eligible non-EU nationals to reside and work in Spain indefinitely under the same conditions as Spanish nationals. Applicants can qualify through several routes, including five years of legal and continuous residence in Spain.

The rights attached to a national visa depend on the visa category and the residence authorization issued. For example, a work route may permit employment, while the Non-Lucrative Residence Visa permits residence without gainful work or professional activity.

Examples of Spanish national visa routes include:

• The Spanish work visa is for eligible non-EU nationals who have the required work authorization
• The Family Reunification visa is for qualifying family members of foreign nationals with legal residence in Spain
• The Spain Entrepreneur visa, for applicants proposing an eligible entrepreneurial project
• The Non-Lucrative Residence Visa is for applicants who can support themselves financially without working in Spain

Family members may be able to apply with, or later join, the main applicant where the relevant immigration route permits this. Requirements differ by visa type, relationship, and the immigration status of the person living in Spain.

Page Contents

• • What is the Spain Long Term Visa?
  • Am I Eligible for a Long Term Visa?
  • What Documents Do I Need for Spain Long Stay Visas?
  • How Do I Apply for a Long Term Residence Permit?
  • How Much Does the Spain Long Stay Visa Cost?
  • How Can Total Law Help?
  • FAQs

Eligibility for a Spanish long-stay visa depends on the national visa route you plan to use. Spain offers different visas for work, study, family reunification, non-lucrative residence, entrepreneurship, and other purposes.

A national visa is not the same as a long-term residence authorization. A national visa may allow an eligible non-EU national to enter Spain for a stay exceeding 90 days.

Spain’s residencia de larga duración is a separate status that can allow indefinite residence and work after an applicant meets the relevant conditions, which may include 5 years of legal, continuous residence in Spain.

Before applying, applicants should check the requirements for the specific visa category and the Spanish consulate responsible for their place of residence. Requirements can differ by route and consular post.

Depending on the visa type, an applicant may need to show that they:

• Have an approved work, study, residence, or family-reunification authorization where the route requires one
• Have sufficient financial means to support themselves and any accompanying family members
• Hold qualifying public or private health coverage where required
• Provide a criminal record certificate, where required, for the duration of their planned stay
• Provide a medical certificate where required for a stay exceeding 180 days
• Meet any route-specific conditions, such as a qualifying job offer, admission to an educational institution, an eligible family relationship, or evidence of sufficient financial resources

For Canadian applicants applying for a national visa for a stay of more than 180 days, the Spanish Consulate General in Toronto requires a criminal record certificate covering the countries where the applicant has lived during the previous 5 years. The certificate must be no more than five months old when the application is filed.

Applicants who require health insurance may need a policy from an insurer authorized to operate in Spain. The policy must cover the risks that Spain’s public health system covers.

Foreign nationals who are relatives of Spanish citizens or legal residents in Spain may qualify for a family-based route to residence.

Eligibility depends on the relationship, the sponsor’s status in Spain, and the requirements of the relevant route. A family relationship does not automatically grant long-term residence status.

The documents required for a Spain long-stay visa depend on the visa category, the purpose of the stay, and the Spanish consulate responsible for the application.

Applicants for work, study, family reunification, non-lucrative residence, and entrepreneur visas must provide different route-specific evidence.

Applicants should check the current document checklist published by the Spanish consulate that serves their place of residence before submitting an application.

The consular office may request further documents or invite the applicant to attend an interview where it needs more information to assess the application.

Depending on the visa category, applicants may need to provide:

• A completed national visa application form
• A recent passport-size color photograph that meets the applicable consular requirements
• A valid passport and copies of the relevant passport pages
• Proof of legal residence in the consular district, where applicable
• A criminal record certificate is required for the applicant’s age and planned duration of stay
• Evidence of sufficient financial means, such as bank statements, employment documents, pension statements, or proof of financial support
• Evidence of public or private health coverage, where required
• A medical certificate is required for a stay exceeding 180 days
• Evidence of the purpose of the stay, such as an approved work authorization, enrolment confirmation, family-reunification authorization, or business-project documentation
• Civil-status documents, such as marriage or birth certificates, where the application includes a spouse, partner, child, or other qualifying family member
• Evidence of accommodation, where the relevant visa route or consulate requires it

For Canadian applicants applying through the Spanish Consulate General in Toronto, criminal-record certificates for relevant stays exceeding 180 days must cover the countries where the applicant has lived during the previous five years.

The certificate must be no more than five months old when the application is submitted.

Documents issued outside Spain may require an apostille or other form of legalization, along with an official Spanish translation. Applicants should confirm the required format with the Spanish consulate handling the application.

For example, the Toronto consulate requires the criminal-record certificate used in its self-employed visa process to be apostilled and translated into Spanish.

The cost of a Spanish long-stay visa depends on the visa category, the applicant’s nationality, and the Spanish embassy or consulate processing the application.

Applicants should check the current fee schedule published by the Spanish mission responsible for their place of legal residence before booking an appointment.

For Canadian applicants, the Embassy of Spain in Ottawa lists a general national visa fee of CAN $145.50. Some national visa routes have higher fees.

For example, the embassy lists fees of CAN $1,085 for the Non-Lucrative Residence Visa and Entrepreneur Visa, CAN $1,365 for researcher, internship, and highly qualified worker visas, and CAN $2,140 for self-employed work and telework visas.

Some routes can also involve separate residence or work-authorization fees. For example, Ottawa lists a CAN $17.70 initial temporary residence permit fee and a CAN $329.60 self-employed work-permit fee for relevant applications.

Applicants should also budget for costs connected with preparing and submitting the application, such as:

• Official translations and apostilles or other document legalization
• Criminal-record certificates, medical certificates, and health insurance where required
• Travel to the visa appointment
• Courier, photocopying, or passport-return costs where applicable
• Travel and relocation costs
• Accommodation and other living costs after arrival in Spain

Financial requirements are separate from visa fees. Applicants may need to show that they have enough money to support themselves and any accompanying family members in Spain.

For example, Ottawa’s published guidance requires applicants for a Non-Lucrative Residence Visa to show CAN $3,880 per month for the main applicant, plus CAN $970 per month for each accompanying dependant.