Spain Permanent Residence

The Spanish permanent resident card or ‘Tarjeta Comunitaria Permanente’ is a residential permission that is granted to foreign nationals who are living in Spain after reaching at least five years of continuous residence under one of the eligible national visas.

It offers substantial benefits, as it grants foreign nationals additional rights, bringing them closer to the rights of Spanish citizens – though, you should note that permanent residence doesn’t allow you to vote, this is reserved for citizens.

Permanent residence also saves you the inconvenience of having to apply for a visa renewal every couple of years as it is valid for five years after which you may usually apply for Spanish citizenship.

Page Contents

• What Is Permanent Residency in Spain?
• Requirements for Permanent Residence Permit in Spain
• Documents Required for a Permanent Residency Application
• How to Get a Permanent Residence Permit in Spain
• How Long Does It Take to Get Permanent Residence in Spain?
• What to Do If Your Application for Permanent Residence Is Rejected?
• How Much Does a Spanish Permanent Residence Permit Cost?
• Renewing Your Permanent Residence Permission in Spain
• Permanent Residence in Spain for Family Members
• Permanent Residence to Citizenship in Spain
• How Total Law Can Help
• Frequently Asked Questions

To become eligible for permanent residence in Spain, you will need to establish legal temporary residency first. Usually, this is done by applying for one of the eligible national visas which will permit you to live in Spain pending visa renewal, until you can qualify for your permanent residential permit.

Available visa paths include a variety of work visas, including traditional employment-based pathways and individual options such as the self-employment visa, the entrepreneur visa, or even the digital nomad visa which allows you to live in Spain while carrying out remote work for an overseas employer or clients. There is also a visa for students who come to Spain to pursue an academic education, or family members who want to join their spouse or parent in the country. While there is no retirement visa, alternative options include the Golden visa, which is an investor visa for those who can dedicate significant funds to benefit the Spanish economy, or the non-lucrative visa, which will not permit you to work but allows for relatively lenient entry requirements otherwise.

Depending on your chosen visa path, you will need to adhere to different rules and requirements, but as long as you continue to meet these criteria, you will usually be able to renew your permission for five years in total, which is when you can apply for permanent residence.

When applying, you will need to prove that you have met the Spanish residency minimum. You will also need to re-confirm that you have a clean criminal record and do not suffer from a serious medical condition that may endanger the general public. You must continue to be covered by adequate health insurance which insures you for at least €30,000.

Special Circumstances

Workers who have come to Spain on an eligible work visa may also qualify for permanent residence sooner if they retire, provided that they have been working in Spain for at least one year before applying.

An EU citizen will usually qualify for permanent residence without prior visa or residential minimum requirements. If you are applying as a US resident but hold nationality with one of the Schengen member countries, you will likely qualify under this condition.

When applying for permanent residence, you will need to submit your application form along with any relevant documents that show your ability to meet the eligibility conditions.

While the exact documents you will need vary depending on your circumstances, you usually must provide the following:

• Your signed application form
• Your valid passport
• Details of your current residential status
• Evidence that you meet the minimum residential requirements
• Your registration details
• Your financial details, proving that you have the means to support yourself
• Your health insurance coverage
• Your medical certificate
• Your criminal record certificate
• Any details about your Spanish partner or family members, where relevant

It is essential that you provide all of the required documents when filing your application as failure to do so will lead to significant delays in the processing of your Spanish permanent residency permission but may also lead to a rejection or legal consequences. When in doubt you should consult with an immigration specialist but it is imperative that you never try to submit any incorrect or misleading documents in an effort to be accepted when you don’t actually qualify. Doing so is a serious criminal offense and will lead to repercussions with the Spanish authorities.

To apply for your permanent residence permit you will need to make sure that you meet all the relevant eligibility requirements. For most cases, you will need to apply when the temporary residential permission that you have been staying on is close to expiring, provided that you have met the five-year minimum residential requirement. You should usually start this application process within 60 days before your temporary residence permit expires.

You will need to submit your EX-11 application form, documents, and application fee, which you may usually do by taking it to your local police station. Depending on your circumstances you may also be able to contact a relevant immigration authority, but you should always double-check that.

After submitting, you will be able to track the progress of your permanent residence application online with the code that you will have been given as confirmation of your application. It will take a while but once you have received a decision, you will need to return to the police station to provide your fingerprints to finalize the application process. It will usually take another month before you can collect your permanent residency card from that police station.

Permanent residence will usually be available to foreigners once they have stayed in Spain on a temporary residential permission for a minimum amount of time. This tends to be five years, but you will need to be sure that you have maintained continuous and legal residency throughout, meaning that you must have remained eligible under your chosen national visa.

The actual processing time for permanent residence permit applications can vary but you should be prepared to wait up to three months to receive your decision.

While there is no one reason that causes a permanent residential permit to be rejected, you may be able to submit an appeal. To do so, you will need to file this request with the High Court of Justice in Madrid within two months of receiving your rejection.

Appealing is a complex process with no guarantee of success so it is highly recommended that you seek adequate legal representation. Our team of specialized immigration lawyers at Total Law can help you navigate the appeals process. You can call us today at +1 844 290 6312 to discuss your case and circumstances.

The exact cost of applying for permanent residence in Spain can vary depending on your circumstances but you should usually expect to pay about €75 for the application itself. Remember that there might be additional costs outside of this.

Spanish permanent residence permits are usually issued with a validity of five years after which you may apply for Spanish citizenship. Should you need to renew it nevertheless, you will need to provide your original residence card and your passport, as well as proof of your Spanish address. You will also be asked to submit updated biometric details such as your fingerprints and to pay your renewal application fee.

You should note that you may apply to renew your permanent residence permit after you have lived outside of Spain for a while, but your renewal is likely going to be refused if you have lived outside of the EU or EEA for over one year.

There are a few options for family members of Spanish residents who wish to obtain permanent residency in Spain. Family members of Spanish (or EU) citizens may obtain permanent residence if their EU relative applies for them.

Similarly, non-EU family members who have joined a non-EU individual with temporary residence on a Family dependent visa may also apply for permanent residence alongside their relative once the five-year residential requirement is fulfilled. You should note that eligibility is usually limited to direct relatives such as your spouse, children, or parents.

You will need to prove your relationship and in the case of children, they will need to be under 18 years old or be classed as dependent on you due to a disability. Bringing your parents will equally only be permitted if you can show that they are dependent on you. Parents must usually be at least 65 years old to qualify for the initial family visa, though this may be waived if there are notable humanitarian concerns.

If you would like to bring your spouse, children, or parents from the US, you may be able to do so if you have an eligible temporary residential permission. You will need to show that you have the financial means to support the family members you wish to bring. When the eligibility requirements are met, your family members may acquire permanent residency, provided that you still have sufficient financial means to support everyone.

Keep in mind that spouses and children of a Spanish citizen will likely qualify for Spanish citizenship directly or with minor delay. In these cases, there is no need to first apply for permanent resident status.

Once you have been granted permanent residence, you will usually be eligible to apply for naturalization (which is citizenship by residence) after another five years. In total, this means that you will need to have ten years of continuous residence in Spain, five years with a temporary permission, and another five years with a permanent residence card.

You will need to prove that you have maintained legal status for the entire time that you have lived in Spain, meaning that you must have not broken any of the requirements or conditions that were associated with your residential permissions. You also must not have lived outside of Spain for too long, ensuring that you have maintained a residence that can qualify as ‘continuous.’

When applying for citizenship, you will need to pass two naturalization tests, where you will be assessed on your Spanish language skills as well as on your knowledge of Spanish culture, which includes the country’s history and constitution. While there are no explicit language requirements for obtaining permanent residency in Spain, it makes sense to try and integrate yourself as much as possible into the local culture and language.