Visas and Residency in Spain

Choosing the right route is half the job

Not all visas serve the same purpose. The entrepreneur route requires an innovative project and a favourable report; the investor route starts from an investment already made; the digital nomad route asks for a contract or clients outside Spain; and the work route depends on a specific job offer from a Spanish company. Choosing the wrong route is the most common reason a file drags on for months or is refused.

That is why we always start in the same place: your nationality, your current situation, your income, who is coming with you and how soon you need to be here. With that we tell you which route fits, what documents you will need and what timeline is realistic.

Paperwork: what is asked for in almost every case

Each route has its own requirements, but there is a core set that appears in practically every file and is worth preparing from day one, because legalising and translating documents is what takes the most time.

• Valid passport covering the whole intended stay
• Criminal record certificate from your country or countries of residence, legalised or apostilled
• Health insurance with full cover in Spain
• Proof of sufficient financial means for you and your family
• Sworn translation of any document not issued in Spanish

From visa to residency: what comes next

Getting the visa does not close the process. Once in Spain you must apply for the foreigner identity card, register where required and meet the renewal deadlines, which depend on the route you came in through. Missing a renewal can force you to start again from scratch.

We stay with you for that part too: renewals, changes of status — from student to employee, from employee to self-employed — reunification of family members arriving later and, when the time comes, the long-term residency application.