European Union Citizens Moving to Spain
Find out how to go about being correctly registered to live in Spain...
All EU citizens
wishing to stay in Spain for longer than three months to prove that they have sufficient financial means to support themselves and any dependents. They
are also required to provide proof of private or public healthcare insurance.
This page includes information on the following areas:
- Registration and the Residence Certificate
- Providing Evidence of Financial Means and Healthcare
Insurance
- Family Members of EU Citizens
- Renewal of the Residency Card
Registration and
the Residence Certificate
Any EU citizen
intending to stay in Spain for more than three months is obliged to register to
be added to the Central Register of Foreign Nationals (Registro Central
de Extranjeros) at a Foreigners' Office (Oficina de
Extranjero) or local police station (Policia Nacional) if
there is no foreigners' office in the area in which they intend to reside. This
must be done within three months of arrival.
A Registration Certificate as an EU Resident (Certificado de registro como residente comunitario) is issued. This document certifies residence in Spain and includes the holders name, address, nationality, and foreigners tax identification number (Número de Identificación de Extranjero - NIE) along with the date of registration. Once issued this certificate is valid indefinitely as long as the applicant’s personal circumstances stated on the application remain the same. If for example the applicant is to change home address, get married or divorced, a new application is required.
How to register
Within three months
of arrival in Spain, application for a Residence
Certificate must be made at the Foreigner's
Office (Oficina de Extranjeros) or local police station in
the province of intended residence. In some areas, an appointment must be booked online in advance.
- A list of addresses and
contact telephone numbers of all Oficinas de Extranjeros is available online (in
Spanish)
- The Ministry of Interior has
a Work and Reside factsheet area on their
- Some application procedures
can be done online
- For more information on online application procedures visit the Immigration
Portal
- For information brochures in English,
French and Spanish
- The Ministry of social inclusion and migration has a list of application
forms
Proof the residence
certificate administration fee has been paid is required before it can be
issued. Request a payment form (Modelo 790) at a National Police Office or download online and then make
the payment at a Spanish bank. The bank will stamp the form as proof
of receipt. This receipt then gets taken back to the administration office so
that they can proceed with the application. The fee charged is €21,44
The following
documents are required in order to apply for a Residency Certificate:
- Valid passport or national
identity card
- Photocopies of a valid
passport or national identity card
- Two passport sized
photographs (although these may not be required)
- Proof of address in Spain
- application form EX18 (PDF) (Solicitud de certificado
de registro de residencia comunitaria)
- Proof that payment has been
made (a bank-stamped Modelo 790 payment form). If an NIE number has
previously been assigned, take the certificate as proof of payment.
- Proof of valid healthcare
insurance (or European Health Insurance Card EHIC)
It is important to
note that more documentation will be required in accordance with the
applicant’s circumstances.
Employees /
Postings abroad:
- Valid identity card or
passport
- Certificate of employment or
confirmation of recruitment from employer
Self-employed:
- Valid identity card or
passport
- Proof of self-employed
status such as registration on the Mercantile Registry (Registro Mercantil)
Pensioners:
- Valid identity card or
passport
- Proof of comprehensive
health insurance
- Proof of sufficient
financial means to support themselves
The Residence
Certificate is a piece of paper or a laminated card showing the NIE number. It
is not an identity document and the certificate
should be carried with identification (such as a passport) at
all times in order to be considered valid.
Providing Evidence
of Financial Means and Healthcare Insurance
Legislation that
came into force in July 2012 requires all EU Citizens who wish to live or stay
longer than three months in Spain to provide evidence of sufficient financial
means to support themselves and any dependents. They will also be asked to
provide evidence of having public or private health insurance.
The British Embassy
in Madrid has details on residency
requirements and the documentation needed.
If all paperwork is
in order, the Residence Certificate is issued immediately and is valid
indefinitely. However, the relevant police or foreigner's office should be
notified of any change to personal status (marriage, divorce, change of
address) using the same form EX18 and following the same process.
If relevant
documentation is missing during the application process, there is a 10 day
window to provide the correct information before the application process
expires. After this period a new application form needs to be submitted.
When applying for a
residence certificate it is advisable to be accompanied by someone fluent in
Spanish as most local authorities or administration centers do not have English
speaking staff. In some areas applications can be made via appointment and only
on certain days of the week. Alternatively, an application can be made via a
solicitor by giving them power of attorney to carry out the process. Please
note; power of attorney documents are not accepted in some local police
stations.
- For more information
on residency requirements and for details of required documentation
visit the Spanish Ministry of Interior
- A pamphlet outlining the
regulations governing EU citizens in Spain is available in
English
Family Members of EU Citizens
The rights of the
EU citizen are extended to their family members (irrespective of nationality).
This includes the spouse by marriage, a partner by civil partnership (or
marriage equivalent), dependent children under 21 and dependent grown children
and parents.
- The Ministry of Interior has
comprehensive information on its Citizens of other states page
Application should
be made for a Residency Card for EU Citizen Family Members (Tarjeta
de residencia de familiar de ciudadano de la Unión) within 3 months of
arrival at the Foreigner's Office (Oficina de Extranjeros) or
local police station in the province of intended residence.
The following
documents are required in order to apply for a Residency Card for EU Citizen
Family Members (others may also be requested):
- Valid passport (or a copy of
a renewal application)
- application form EX19 (Solicitud de
certificado de registro como residente o Tarjeta de residencia de familiar
de ciudadano de la Union)
- Proof of family relationship
with the EU citizen (such as a marriage certificate, proof of partnership
registration, birth certificates for children)
- Identification (passport) or
DNI (Spanish citizen) of the EU family member
- Three recent colour passport
photographs
If a marriage
certificate is used as proof of family relationship, the Spanish authorities
may insist that it is only valid if issued within the last 90 days. If the
applicant's marriage certificate is older, it may be possible for them to
confirm its validity via the embassy or consulate of the issuing country. In
this regard, Spain may be acting against EU directives.
Important note for
those moving to Spain with children.
EU citizens with children of school age should register at their local town
hall on arrival. A valid passport, tenancy agreement or title deeds, utility
bill and birth certificates are required. A temporary residence certificate
notification will be issued allowing parents to apply for a school place. The
documentation required varies. Also see the Guide on Certificado de
Empadronamiento.
The Golden Visa
Spain is now
granting ‘Golden Visas’ or (Property Visas) to non-EU citizens on condition
that certain investments are carried out in Spain.
These investments
include the purchase of property over 500,000 Euros, capital transfer of at
least 1 Million Euros into the Banking System or Spanish companies, creation of
a business venture leading to job creation, local economic development or
scientific/technological innovation or investment in Spanish Debt Bonds of at
least 2 million Euros.
- Application forms are available from the
Ministry of Immigration (PDF in Spanish)
Renewal of the Residency Card
A residency card will remain valid indefinitely so long as personal circumstances (name, address etc) remain unchanged.
Brexit
The UK officially left the in European Union on the 31st
January 2020 with a transition period until 31st December 2020. UK
citizens rights who were legal residents before the end of the transition
period have their rights safeguarded by the terms set out in the Withdrawal Agreement.
Those already living
in Spain will need replace their existing ID with a ‘third country’ ID called
the called the TIE (Tarjeta de
Residencia) The TIE is provided in a biometric card format and it proves
eligibility to benefit from the rights negotiated under the Withdrawal Agreement.
Gov.UK provide guidance and regular updates on
their website and social media platforms.
The Spanish Government also has guidance for UK nationals
living in Spain.