Spain Permanent Residence

Spain ranks very high in the Quality of Life Index thanks to its favourable climate, rich culture and heritage, reasonable cost of living, moderate property prices, a friendly society, low pollution, high-standard healthcare system and educational facilities, and free access to the European job market. Immigrants who come to Spain for work or study purposes from across the world, often plan to settle down there permanently.

EEA/Swiss nationals do not require any visa/permit to live, work and study in Spain indefinitely since they are covered under the EU’s freedom of movement framework. After living in Spain legally for five years, they may acquire the right of permanent residence.

Non-EEA or non-Swiss nationals lawfully living in Spain on eligible long-term residency permits may apply for permanent residence after residing in the country for a specified period. Working in Spain is not a prerequisite to obtain permanent residence in the country.

A permanent residence permit in Spain gives you access to various rights and benefits, such as:

• Right to indefinite residency with your eligible family members without any restrictions
• Right to work or study in Spain under the same conditions as for Spanish citizens
• Access to Spain social security benefits and public healthcare
• Travelling visa-free in the Schengen Area
• Right to retain your nationality and passport issued by your home country
• Apply for Spanish citizenship after ten years (or less for certain nationalities)

Page Contents

• Permanent Residency in Spain: An Overview
• Am I Eligible to Apply for a Permanent Residence Permit in Spain?
• Permanent Residence in Spain for Family Members
• What Documents Do I Need to Apply for a Spanish Permanent Residence Permit?
• How Do I Apply for a Permanent Residence in Spain?
• Permanent Residence Permit Costs and Processing Time in Spain
• Permanent Residence Permit Renewal in Spain
• What If My Permanent Residence Application Has Been Refused?
• Permanent Residency to Citizenship in Spain
• How Can Total Law Help?
• Frequently Asked Questions

• Third-country national family members of a Spanish or EU citizen residing in Spain continuously for five years may obtain a permanent residence card for family members of an EU citizen. The family relationship must still exist, other than in cases of death, annulment of the marriage, divorce, or dissolution of a registered partnership
• Third-country national family members of an EU citizen, living with them in Spain, may also claim permanent residence if the said EU citizen has acquired that right for themselves. If the EU citizen has died before acquiring permanent resident permit in Spain, the said family members may acquire the right of permanent residence provided that:
  • At the time of their death, the EU citizen had lived in Spain continuously for at least two years, or
  • Their death resulted from an accident at work or from an occupational disease, or
  • The surviving spouse lost their Spanish nationality when they married the EU citizen

Please plan ahead and arrange your required documentary evidence for permanent residency in Spain. It is recommended to apply for your permanent resident permit around three months before your current Spanish visa or permit expires.

Applying for a permanent residence permit is quite a straightforward process in Spain. After collecting the necessary documents, please book an appointment with your local police station. On the date of your appointment, please visit the station with all your supporting documents, the relevant application form (duly completed and signed), and the required processing fee amount.

The consulate general will inform you in writing if your permanent resident permit application has been successful. Your local police station will get in touch with you to obtain your fingerprints to finish the application process.

Usually, you will be required to pay a processing fee of € at the time of submitting your Spanish permanent resident permit application. However, the exact amount may vary depending on a number of factors. For example, if some of your documents are not originally in Spanish, you will need to get certified translated copies for them which may cost you considerably.

It takes around a month for a permanent resident permit to be approved in Spain. However, if your local police station asks for additional documents depending on your circumstances, the waiting time may increase.

Your permanent residency card in Spain is valid for five years, and you must renew the same before expiry to continue living legally in the country. You will have to submit the relevant renewal application form along with the following supporting documents:

• Your current and valid passport
• Your permanent resident card
• Your proof of residential address in Spain (property deed, lease agreement, rental agreement, utility bills, etc.)

You will also have to submit your fingerprints again at your local police station as well as pay the permanent residency renewal fees.

You will not be required to prove that you have lived in Spain continuously for the past five years while renewing your permanent resident permit. However, your renewal application may be refused if you have been living outside Spain (or any other EU Member States) for more than 12 months.

Applications for permanent residence permits in Spain are usually not refused, since the applicants have already met most of the conditions when they have originally been granted resident permits in the country.

If for any reason, however, your application for permanent residency gets rejected, you will be informed of the refusal reasons in writing and will also be provided a chance to lodge an appeal against the refusal decision. You can file an appeal with the High Court of Justice in Madrid within two months of receiving a refusal notification.

However, your permanent resident status, once granted, can be revoked if you:

• Obtain a long-term residence permit in any of the other EU Member States
• Have provided false information or documents to obtain permanent residency in Spain, which have later been found out
• Are considered to be a serious threat to public safety or policy in Spain

You may be able to apply for Spanish citizenship by naturalisation after living in the country for ten consecutive years on a permanent residence permit, provided you meet the other eligibility conditions for obtaining citizenship in Spain.

As a naturalised Spanish citizen, you will get the same rights and benefits applicable to Spanish citizens by birth, such as right to vote in Spain, unrestricted mobility (i.e. right to travel, live and work) in the Schengen Area, and diplomatic protection abroad, to name a few.

If you are originally from Andorra, Equatorial Guinea, the Philippines, Portugal, or any of the Ibero-American countries, you can apply for Spanish citizenship after two years of legal residence in Spain. However, you must not have spent more than three months outside of Spain during the two years preceding your application.