Immigration Lawyer Spain
Whether you are visiting, working, or have settled Spain, making and maintaining your legal obligations as a foreigner in Spain can be complicated. Our immigration lawyers are here to help.
For queries related to visa applications, work permits, or for advice on how to settle to live abroad in Spain, you can get in touch with one of our team today, by contacting us online or calling on +34 919015010.
Do I Need a Spanish Immigration Lawyer?
You are not legally required to use an immigration lawyer for every Spanish visa, residence or citizenship application. However, legal advice can be useful where your case is more complex, for example if you are unsure which route applies, need to bring family members, have previous immigration issues, are applying through ancestry, or need to deal with work, tax, residence or documentation requirements at the same time.
A Spanish immigration lawyer can help you identify the correct route, check your eligibility, prepare the required evidence and deal with problems before they lead to delays or refusals. Total Law can assist with applications for work, family, residence and citizenship in Spain, as well as more complex or unusual cases.
"I'm very happy with the standard of training received on the OISC Level 1 course, i passed my exam. Thank you!"
Liam Calvert
Posted 6 years ago
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Akeel Lakar
Posted 6 years ago
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Our Spain Immigration Services
Overview
At Total Law, we are dedicated to providing personalised and expert immigration services tailored to your unique personal circumstances.
Whether you have relocated to Spain for work, study, investment, or family reunification, are seeking Spanish residency or citizenship, or simply are seeking support for navigating Spanish immigration law, our immigration lawyers in Spain offer extensive experience and comprehensive support to help you achieve your goals.
To speak to a member of our experienced team today, call us on +44 (0) 333 305 9375, or get in touch with us online.
Visa Services
With so many visa options available to non-EU citizens, navigating the visa immigration process in Spain can be overwhelming. Our Spain immigration lawyers offer assistance for the wide range of Spain visas, and can help you select the right visa according to your specific situation. Here are some of the visa categories we assist with:
- Tourist Visas: If you’re planning to visit Spain for a short stay, we’ll guide you through the tourist visa (also known as the Schengen visa) application process.
- Student Visas: For those looking to complete a period of study in Spain, you will likely require a student visa. Student visas come with specific financial and immigration procedures, which we can support with.
- Work Visas: For those who are currently employed in Spain or are seeking a work permit in Spain, we can assist with work visa applications, ensuring you comply with Spanish labour laws. We support with work permits such as:
- Digital Nomad visa
- Entrepreneur visa
- Highly Qualified Professional visa
- Non-lucrative visa
- Work permits for businesses and corporate transfers.
- Family Reunification Visas: If you’re already living in Spain and want to bring your family from abroad, we can guide you through the entire process of the family reunification visa.
Residency Permits and Citizenship
Spain offers multiple routes to permanent residency and citizenship, and our team is experienced in navigating Spanish bureaucracy associated with obtaining a residence card and becoming a Spanish citizen. Our team can support with:
- Residence Permits: Whether you’re applying for temporary or long-term residency, we help our clients navigate the whole process and support with residence permit and renewals.
- Golden Visa Program: Spain’s Golden Visa programme allows investors and Spanish property buyers to obtain residency in Spain. If you’re looking to invest in real estate, Spanish corporations, or start a business in Spain, our team is here to advise and represent you.
- Spanish Citizenship: Acquiring Spanish citizenship can be a complicated process, and has a long waiting time of 1-3 years. Our team can make sure that your application is fully eligible and fit for acceptance, so that you don’t have to wait years to find out your submission had rectifiable errors
- Spanish Passport applications: We can help new nationality Spanish citizens to apply for their first Spanish passport.
Rejection Appeals and Legal Representation
If your visa application or residency permit application has been refused, our Spanish immigration lawyers provide legal representation to support you with your case. We handle:
- Deportation cases
- Visa rejection appeals
- Accidental visa overstays
- Passport issues
- Emergency cases.
Our team speaks the local language and is well versed in Spanish law and the immigration processes associated with emergency cases. Total Law is here to represent you in Spanish courts.
Our Immigration Packages
Overview
Total Law offers a range of specific packages to assist clients, depending on the level of legal support you require. These include the following:
- Eligibility checks and Advice packages: For when you need straightforward advice and guidance about your case from a qualified legal professional. Our advice can be tailored for a range of clients and can help establish a viable roadmap to success for your chosen visa route.
- Application packages: For when you need complete peace of mind. You will be assigned a dedicated caseworker who will take care of the entire application process from start to finish, liaising with you to gather key details throughout.
- Document and application checking packages: For clients who are almost there with their applications but need extra reassurance. Our caseworkers can look over your completed application and give tips on how well it conforms to Spanish legal standards and advise on any additional changes that need to be made before it is sent off.
- Appeals package: If you’ve been unsuccessful at applying for a Spanish visa, one of our lawyers can help guide you through making a new application or to lodge an appeal, if you have the option to do so. Employing the assistance of one of our legal team will be instrumental in ensuring you can secure success.
Peace of Mind and Ongoing Support
For many of our clients, the ultimate service we provide is peace of mind. Moving or spending extensive time abroad can be daunting, and the legal process can be tricky to navigate and sometimes overwhelming.
Our team is multilingual and can support you to ensure your time spent in Spain is covered in terms of your immigration status and legal obligations as a foreigner in Spain. Having some of the best immigration lawyers in Spain behind you can give you incredible peace of mind.
Let us be your trusted partner in navigating Spain’s immigration system, ensuring a smooth and stress-free transition in the most efficient manner as you settle into a new country.
Which Spanish Immigration Route Suits Your Situation?
The right Spanish immigration route depends on your nationality, current immigration status and what you plan to do in Spain. Depending on your circumstances, you may need a visa, residence authorisation, EU registration or another procedure.
EU, EEA and Swiss citizens, and qualifying family members, are subject to separate rules. Buying property in Spain does not itself give you residence rights. You should identify the correct immigration category before collecting documents or making an application.
Tourism, Family Visits and Business Trips
We help you understand the short-stay rules and whether you need a Schengen visa or can travel visa-free to Spain for tourism, business or visiting family.
Study
We help you identify the correct study visa or residence authorisation, check whether your course qualifies and understand the financial, insurance and enrolment evidence you may need before travelling.
Work for a Spanish Employer
We can assess which Spanish work route fits your job offer, including employed-worker and highly qualified professional options, and explain the employer sponsorship and residence requirements involved.
Work Remotely for an Overseas Employer or Client
We help remote workers and professionals assess eligibility for Spain’s International Teleworking or Digital Nomad route, including the employment, income, experience and Social Security requirements.
Run a Conventional Business
We can advise on the self-employed residence and work route, including the business plan, financial resources, qualifications and permissions needed to establish or operate a business in Spain.
Develop a Qualifying Innovative Business
We help founders assess whether their project may qualify for Spain’s entrepreneur residence authorisation and what evidence is needed to show the business is innovative and of economic interest.
Join Family in Spain
We can identify the correct family route based on the sponsor’s nationality and immigration status, whether they are Spanish, an EU citizen or a non-EU resident, and explain the relationship and financial evidence required.
Live in Spain Without Working
We help applicants assess whether the Non-Lucrative Visa is suitable, including the financial means, private healthcare and residence requirements that apply when you intend to live in Spain without working.
I'm An EU citizen. Can Total Law Help Me?
Though non-EU citizens tend to have more complicated immigration requirements to navigate, our team is not just here to support non-EU citizens.
Our team at Total Law are highly experienced in EU litigation, and can support you as an EU citizen with any challenges you may face in terms of your immigration status, passport, or residency requirements. For those settling in Spain, whether or not you are an EU citizen, making the transition into a new country can be difficult. We are here to help.
NIE, TIE or EU Registration: What Do You Need After Arrival?
After arriving in Spain, the document or registration you need will depend on your nationality, the type of permission you hold and how long you intend to stay. An NIE, TIE and EU registration certificate serve different purposes and should not be treated as interchangeable.
Depending on your route, you may also need to register your address with the local municipality, register with Social Security, complete tax formalities or take another step linked to your residence or work status. You should check the conditions attached to your visa or residence approval carefully. Obtaining an NIE or booking an appointment does not create immigration rights on its own; your right to work, study or remain in Spain comes from the underlying permission you hold.
NIE
An NIE is your foreigner identification number. It is used for many administrative and financial matters in Spain, including tax, banking, property transactions and some employment-related processes. An NIE does not, by itself, give you permission to live or work in Spain. It is simply an identification number linked to your dealings with the Spanish authorities.
TIE
A TIE is the physical identity card used by many non-EU nationals to prove their immigration status in Spain. If you hold a visa or residence authorisation that requires a TIE, you will normally need to apply for the card after arrival within the applicable deadline. The TIE records details such as your identity, NIE and type of residence permission.
EU Registration
EU, EEA and Swiss citizens do not normally obtain a TIE in the same way as non-EU nationals. If they intend to live in Spain for more than 3 months, they generally need to register under the EU residence system and obtain the relevant registration certificate.
Why Choose Total Law?
Spain is a top destination for those seeking a new life abroad, with over 13% of its population being immigrants. From short-term visas to long-term residency and applications for citizenship, navigating Spain’s immigration system requires detailed and experienced legal knowledge.
That’s why Total Law is here. We have a team of expert immigration lawyers ready to support you today, whether you are simply seeking advice about a short-term visa application, looking for the best work visa option for you, or have been living in Spain for a decade and are looking into the option of Spanish citizenship. We offer personalised immigration support just for you.
To speak with one of our advisers, you can get in touch online, or call us today on +34 919015010. Total Law is here to help.
Advice Package
Get clear, expert advice on your visa options, eligibility and application before you commit to applying.
Application Package
Let our immigration lawyers prepare, check and manage your application so you can apply with confidence.
Fast Track Package
Need to apply quickly? Get priority handling by our immigration lawyers from preparation to submission.
Appeal Package
Been refused or received an unfavourable decision? Get expert legal help to challenge it or determine your next step.
The Advice Package
During this Advice Session, an immigration lawyer will assess your circumstances, explain your options and tell you what you need to do to make a strong application.
We review your circumstances, explain the relevant requirements, identify potential problems or refusal risks, and advise you on the evidence and next steps.
The Application Package
With our Application Package, your dedicated immigration lawyer will assess your case, prepare your application, check your supporting documents and submit your forms on your behalf.
We check your application for missing information, inconsistencies and potential issues before submission, helping you avoid common mistakes that could affect your case.
The Fast Track Package
Our Fast-Track Application Package gives your case priority with our immigration lawyers, helping you get your application prepared, checked and submitted as quickly as possible.
Your case receives priority handling, including accelerated document reviews, application preparation, communication with your caseworker and submission support.
The Appeal Package
Our immigration lawyers will review the decision, explain why it was refused and advise on the strongest option available to you, including an appeal, review or fresh application where appropriate.
We will examine the reasons for refusal, identify weaknesses or errors, assess your available options and provide the legal support and representation your case requires.
Related pages for your continued reading.
FAQs
No, applications for residency permits do not require the applicant to be a Spanish speaker. However, if you intend to stay in Spain for an extended period of time, or are even hoping to gain residency in future, having competent Spanish language abilities will be important, so it is advised that you invest time and energy into learning the Spanish language as well as learning about the country’s culture and heritage.
Yes, in most cases you are able to extend your current visa from Spain so long as your visa is still valid and has not expired, as overstaying your visa is considered a violation of immigration law.
Please note that some visas have a limited number of times they can be renewed. If you have been living in Spain for an extended period, it may be that your work or residence requirements have changed, or you will need to be spending longer periods outside of Spain. When this happens, it often means that you could lose your eligibility to reside in Spain on your current visa, and may need to switch to a different type of visa that is more suitable to your new circumstances.
Similarly, if you are hoping to gain citizenship in future but your circumstances now mean you need to spend extended periods abroad, you may lose your eligibility for obtaining Spanish nationality as soon as you would hope. We recommend getting in touch to explore your options.
If your application for a Spanish visa has been rejected, the reasons for rejection should be outlined clearly by the Spanish authorities in the rejection letter.
Often, a visa rejection can happen for simple reasons, such as an error in your application form, or incomplete or missing documents in your submission. If this is the case, you should be able to re-submit a new application without too much hassle. Please note all visa applications are non-refundable, and any resubmissions will require you to pay the visa fee again.
However, sometimes a visa rejection can be unclear, or you may believe the rejection was unjust. If this is the case, you may have grounds to appeal the decision. In this case, it’s essential to seek legal representation. We recommend reaching out to Total Law for expert guidance on your next steps.
