Residence permit for family reunification: Spain

Residence permit in Spain

Spain is a country that is attractive to live in, taking into account a number of factors. Favorable climate, friendly mentality, interesting culture – this is not a complete list of the advantages for which the mentioned state is loved. If you are considering the issue of living in Spain, you should first familiarize yourself with what the legal regimes for such residence are. The Prikhodko & Partners law office has a team of specialists who understand migration law and will be happy to give you answers to questions related to living in this country. We will also provide legal support during the preparation of all necessary documents in order to simplify the procedure as much as possible.

Residence and stay: what is the difference?

Residence means permanent residence in the state. A stay (or, in the original language – estancia) implies that a person does not live in Spain on permanent terms, but comes here for a period that does not exceed 90 days per six months. For example, common documents that open up the possibility of staying in Spain under such conditions are tourist visas.

When it comes to permits that would give the opportunity to stay in Spain longer, people who want to move to this country often choose the option of studying and obtaining the appropriate student visa. However, a student’s card is not a residence either. It gives the opportunity to live legally in Spain for a year and to have the opportunity to extend the period of stay until the end of the studies.

If a person sets himself the goal of simply living in Spain for a long time, but does not intend to obtain citizenship of this country in the future, he may not go into the details and differences between the legal formats of residence and stay. And if, nevertheless, there are plans for Spanish citizenship, it is important to understand that the period of stay in the country with a student card does not count towards the period that will be taken into account during the acquisition of citizenship.

Another disadvantage of the student card is related to its specific target nature – studying in Spain. Thus, a person who was in the country on this basis, but finished his studies, will be obliged to leave.

Temporary residence permit in Spain

When a person is not an EU citizen, but at the same time wants to stay in Spain for more than 90 days, he needs to take care of obtaining a temporary residence permit in this country. If you have such a goal in front of you, then consultation and legal support from the team of the Prikhodko & Partners law office will be a good decision. We will orient you in the algorithm of actions necessary for issuing a permit, as well as prospects for it, taking into account the specific circumstances of your situation.

Generally speaking, a temporary permit can be issued for a year or 2 years. The specific term depends on the category of the permit. When it comes to citizens of Europe or Switzerland, they do not need a permit to live in Spain and work in this country, but it is enough to have a document about NIE – a Spanish identification number, as well as a certificate of registration in the EU. As for other categories of persons, they will still have to issue a permit to live and work in Spain.

What are the types of certificates?

A residence permit in Spain can be:

• primary;
• ordinary;
• constant;
• due to extraordinary circumstances;
• for the purpose of family reunification.

It is also worth mentioning that the permit may or may not provide for the possibility of employment.

What is required to issue a permit?

The requirements that are relevant for issuing a residence permit in Spain depend on its type. However, there are some general ones that are relevant for any situation. Namely:

• a person who is older than 18 years and does not have European citizenship can get a permit;
• such a person must not have a criminal record both in Spain and in the previous states of residence (this applies to the last 5 years);
• she must have health insurance with the option of full coverage in Spain, as well as sufficient funds for accommodation (her own and that of family members, if moving with them).

You also need to pay the appropriate duty and document it.

If you are interested in these and other questions regarding a residence permit in Spain in more detail, please contact us. Lawyers of the “Prikhodko & Partners” law firm will provide quality advice and help.