Residency in Spain
Residency in Spain Lawyers
We are legal professionals who specialize in providing expert guidance and assistance to individuals seeking to obtain residency status in Spain. With their in-depth knowledge of Spanish immigration laws and regulations, these lawyers help individuals navigate the complex process of obtaining legal residency in Spain.
Javaloyes&Suárez offers comprehensive services tailored to the specific needs of their clients. They provide advice on the various residency options available, such as non-lucrative residency, work permits, investor visas, and family reunification visas. These lawyers assess each client’s circumstances and develop personalized strategies to maximize the chances of a successful residency application.
Our role includes assisting clients in compiling the required documentation, filling out application forms, and submitting them to the relevant authorities. They also offer guidance on the financial and legal requirements associated with residency applications, such as proof of income, health insurance, and criminal record checks.
NIE
The first thing that you must do whether you move to Spain for a short or long time is to get yourself an NIE number.
NIE number is a tax identification number for those who have financial interests in Spain but are foreign nationals. All foreign nationals need an NIE to buy property in Spain, buy a car or open a bank account.
Since it is an identification number, it must be applied for in person on the foreign affairs expedition at the national police station. If necessary, a residence certificate can also be applied for at the same time. You can read more about Residencia further down in this text.
We offer a full service for applying for NIE
For those of you who are here in Spain and do not have power of attorney:
- You come to our office and we go together to the Police Station for the process.
- We follow you through every step and know how to prevent long queues
- When we are done, we will leave you at our office or inside Torrevieja where ever it is suitable for you.
For those of you who are abroad and have power of attorney:
- We take care of the entire process. You do not have to do anything!
Registering in the population register (Empadronamiento)
There is no law to register in the population register (Empadronamiento). Rather, it is considered a moral duty as hospital capacity, the number of police officers, schools and other public services are based on this. If you have school-seeking children, however, it is necessary, and several municipalities attract discounts on property taxes and other public costs if you sign up.
Registering provides the authorities with information on the number of inhabitants of the municipality and its composition. These data form the basis for calculating the state resources distributed among municipalities, which affect the number of doctors, schools, police officers, firefighters, etc. in the municipality. It is therefore important that people write, even if you only spend a short period in the country. Your municipality is also very motivated that you should register yourself, so it usually goes quite fast and be relatively smooth.
Residents who are registered as male sensing are entitled to:
- City Hall services and services
- Help from social services
- Participation in all municipal activities such as culture, sports, courses, etc.
- Health care, adult education – prerequisite for SIP medical card
- Participation in the “Imerso” programme – social activities and leisure programs.
Other services
- Take advantage of municipal services such as swimming pool, vouchers, gymnastics, etc.
Male registration is necessary for all types of registration such as vehicle register, Identification documents, etc.
Permanent residence permit (Residencia)
As an EU citizen, you naturally have the right to reside in Spain permanently, but you must have a residence permit (residencia) which requires you to visit again comisaría de Policía, the office closest to your residential address.
Spain has recently updated its rules on NIE/NIF and Residencia. The official policy now is that “new” foreigners who want to, either live in or buy a home in Spain, must fill out both the form EX16 residencia/Registro Central de Extranjeros/ as well as the form EX 14/NIE/NIF/. This applies regardless of whether you buy permanent housing, holiday home or rent a home. Without having registered as Residencia, you do not have the legal right to reside in the country for more than 90 days before returning to your home country. The alternative is to apply for a temporary or permanent residence permit.
There is a relatively large number of documents to be included when applying and it depends on your situation eg. if you are a pensioner, a worker, an entrepreneur, etc., but if everything is in order, you will get your residence permit directly on the spot.
Since it is law to be able to identify yourself in Spain, photo identification should always be carried, which can be, for example, a Spanish driving licence. However, it is not necessary to carry the residence permit, which is in the form of an A4 paper, but for convenience it is recommended that you always carry a copy of it.
Power of attorney (POA)
A power of attorney (Poder Notarial) is a document through which you can appoint a trusted person as your representative in various cases where you would legally need to be in place yourself but cannot, for example, when buying or selling a property or applying for NIE. For example, you can write a power of attorney if you are not able to go to Spain to sign your own title deeds. A power of attorney is a legal document to be signed before a notary to apply in Spain. We can offer you the advice you need to prepare the power of attorney and its translation. If necessary, a power of attorney may be arranged in your home country through the Spanish Embassy or with a local notary. Theyn shall be certified by the Foreign Office of your country through the Hague-apostille stamp. We will of course help you with the whole process.