Question 1

How much money do I need for Spanish residency?

Accepted Answer

The amount depends on which route you apply for and how many people are on your application. Both main routes set the requirement as a multiple of an official government figure, so it is revised periodically.

Question 2

What is a Spanish residence visa?

Accepted Answer

A Spanish residence visa is the document issued by a Spanish consulate in your country of residence that allows you to travel to Spain and take up legal residence there.

Question 3

What residency routes are still available in Spain?

Accepted Answer

Four routes remain open to new applicants: the non-lucrative visa, the digital nomad visa, the autónomo (self-employment) route, and the entrepreneur visa. None involve investment.

Question 4

Do I need a lawyer to apply for Spanish residency?

Accepted Answer

Nothing in Spanish law requires you to be represented, so you can apply without a lawyer. Whether you should depends on how straightforward your case is.

Question 5

Where do most families from the Middle East choose to live in Spain?

Accepted Answer

Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Málaga account for most of our clients. Madrid has the widest school choice, Barcelona a coastal international feel, Valencia balance and calm, Málaga long-established communities and short flights home.

Question 6

What happens immediately after my visa is approved?

Accepted Answer

You are notified and then have one month to collect the visa in person. Once collected, you must enter Spain within its validity (never over three months); your residence authorisation begins the day you enter.

Question 7

What documents do I need for Spanish residency?

Accepted Answer

Every route requires an application form, a valid passport, photographs, a criminal record certificate, a medical certificate, proof of private health insurance and evidence of financial means. Route-specific documents are added on top.

Question 8

I already live in Spain. Where do I start?

Accepted Answer

Start by telling us your current permit type and its expiry date, because almost everything depends on those two facts. What you can do next is shaped by what you currently hold and how long you have held it.

Question 9

What are the first things I need to do when I arrive in Spain?

Accepted Answer

Register on the municipal roll (empadronamiento) at your local town hall, then apply for your TIE card within one month of entry. Most families also open a bank account, arrange school enrolment and confirm insurance is active.

Question 10

How long must my passport be valid for?

Accepted Answer

Your passport should generally have at least one year of validity remaining at application, with enough blank pages for the visa. Consulates refuse submissions where validity falls short.

Question 11

What is a Spanish residence permit?

Accepted Answer

A Spanish residence permit is the legal authorisation that gives you the right to live in Spain and sets out what you may do while you are there, such as whether you are permitted to work.

Question 12

What is the Spanish non-lucrative visa?

Accepted Answer

The non-lucrative visa is a residence permit for people who can support themselves in Spain without working, by demonstrating sufficient passive income or savings plus private health insurance. It permits no professional activity.

Question 13

Can I apply for Spanish residency myself?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and many people do so successfully. Three things catch self-applicants most often: document sequencing, choosing a route that contradicts how you earn, and a file where each document is correct but the overall picture is inconsistent.

Question 14

Which city in Spain is best for families with children?

Accepted Answer

Valencia and Málaga are most often chosen by families — good international schools, mild weather, manageable size and lower costs. Madrid stays strongest where school choice is the deciding factor.

Question 15

What is family reunification in Spain?

Accepted Answer

Family reunification (reagrupación familiar) is the process by which a legal resident brings close family members to join them in Spain. It requires a qualifying period of residence plus sufficient income and suitable housing.

Question 16

How is the non-lucrative visa income requirement calculated?

Accepted Answer

The non-lucrative requirement is calculated as a multiple of IPREM, a public income indicator the Spanish government sets and revises periodically, with a further percentage added for each family member.

Question 17

How much does it cost to live in Spain?

Accepted Answer

Living costs vary substantially between cities and have risen recently, so online figures are indicative at best. Madrid and Barcelona are most expensive; Valencia, Seville and Málaga are noticeably more affordable.

Question 18

Who can I bring to Spain through family reunification?

Accepted Answer

Your spouse or registered partner, your children under eighteen, and dependent adult children unable to support themselves for documented reasons. Parents may also be reunified where they meet the age or dependency conditions.

Question 19

What is a TIE card in Spain?

Accepted Answer

A TIE, or Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero, is the physical identity card that proves you hold legal residence in Spain.

Question 20

What criminal record certificate do I need?

Accepted Answer

You need a criminal record certificate from every country you have lived in during the recent past, not only your country of nationality — typically anywhere you resided over six months in the last five years.

Question 21

How long is my first residence permit valid for?

Accepted Answer

The initial authorisation on most routes lasts one year, running from the date you entered Spain rather than the date of approval. Your TIE card is issued for that same period.

Question 22

How is the digital nomad visa income requirement calculated?

Accepted Answer

The digital nomad requirement is linked to Spain's national minimum wage (the SMI) and expressed as a multiple of it. The income must be gross remote earnings from employers or clients outside Spain.

Question 23

What is the Spanish digital nomad visa?

Accepted Answer

The digital nomad visa is a residence permit for people working remotely for companies or clients based outside Spain, created under Spain's Startups Law in 2022. Unlike the non-lucrative visa, it permits work.

Question 24

What is the difference between an immigration lawyer and an immigration consultancy?

Accepted Answer

A Spanish abogado is registered with a bar association and can represent you formally before the authorities. A consultancy manages everything around that legal work — route strategy, document assembly, sequencing, translations and appointments.

Question 25

What is the autónomo route to Spanish residency?

Accepted Answer

The autónomo route is residency through self-employment, for people who will work for themselves inside Spain and serve Spanish clients. It requires a business plan, licences and proof of viability.

Question 26

Who is ResVisa?

Accepted Answer

ResVisa is a Spanish residency consultancy working with clients across the Middle East and North Africa. We manage the full process, from establishing which route fits through document preparation, translation, appointments and filing.

Question 27

What is an apostille and do I need one?

Accepted Answer

An apostille is a certificate that authenticates a public document for use in another country. If your country is party to the Hague Apostille Convention, your criminal record and civil documents are authenticated this way.

Question 28

How do I renew my Spanish residence permit?

Accepted Answer

Renewals are applied for from inside Spain at the immigration office, generally within the sixty days before your permit expires. You must show you still meet the route's conditions and have genuinely lived in Spain.

Question 29

How much more do I need for each family member?

Accepted Answer

Each additional family member increases the requirement by a fixed percentage of the base amount, and that percentage differs between the non-lucrative and digital nomad routes.

Question 30

Is housing expensive in Spain?

Accepted Answer

Housing is the largest cost in any Spanish budget and prices differ sharply by city. Central Madrid and Barcelona are considerably higher than Valencia, Seville or Málaga. Most newcomers rent for the first year.

Question 31

What is an NIE number in Spain?

Accepted Answer

An NIE, or Número de Identidad de Extranjero, is the personal identification number Spain assigns to every foreign national who has dealings with the country.

Question 32

How long must I have lived in Spain before I can reunify my family?

Accepted Answer

Reunification generally becomes available once you have completed a qualifying period of legal residence and hold authorisation to remain beyond it. The exact requirement depends on your permit type and has been affected by recent changes.

Question 33

Should I rent or buy when I first move to Spain?

Accepted Answer

We generally advise renting for the first year — it lets you learn the city, confirm your children have settled into school, and understand which neighbourhood suits your family before committing capital.

Question 34

What do I need to prove at renewal?

Accepted Answer

Continued financial means covering the full period being granted, valid health insurance to the same specification, genuine residence in Spain, and school enrolment for children of compulsory school age.

Question 35

Do the income requirements change every year?

Accepted Answer

Yes, both requirements are tied to official indicators the Spanish government reviews periodically, so the euro amounts move. This is one of the most common sources of outdated information online.

Question 36

What is a housing suitability report and why do I need one?

Accepted Answer

The housing suitability report (informe de adecuación de vivienda) is an official assessment confirming your home is adequate for the family members you intend to bring. It is a mandatory element of a reunification file.

Question 37

What if my country is not part of the Apostille Convention?

Accepted Answer

Your documents must then be legalised through the consular chain rather than apostilled — typically authentication by your own foreign ministry followed by the Spanish consulate. This takes longer and costs more.

Question 38

Who will actually handle my case?

Accepted Answer

Your legal filing is handled by Spanish immigration lawyers registered with their bar association, and our team manages every other part and remains your point of contact. You are told who your lawyer is by name at the outset.

Question 39

What is the Spanish entrepreneur visa?

Accepted Answer

The entrepreneur visa is for founders launching a business considered innovative and of economic interest to Spain. It requires a favourable assessment of your project, and the bar is novelty and viability rather than capital.

Question 40

What is the difference between an NIE and a TIE?

Accepted Answer

An NIE is a number and a TIE is a card, and only one of them confers residency. The NIE identifies you for tax, banking and legal purposes; the TIE proves you hold a residence permit.

Question 41

Can I buy property in Spain as a resident?

Accepted Answer

Yes, there is no restriction on foreign nationals buying property in Spain, whether or not you hold residency. You will need an NIE number. Buying does not grant residency, since the investor route closed in 2025.

Question 42

What is the difference between the non-lucrative and digital nomad visa?

Accepted Answer

The difference is work. The non-lucrative visa permits none at all, so your income must arrive without you working for it. The digital nomad visa is built for people who work remotely for employers or clients outside Spain.

Question 43

Do you work in Arabic?

Accepted Answer

Yes, properly rather than through translation software. You can deal with us entirely in Arabic, entirely in English, or in whichever is more comfortable at each stage.

Question 44

Do I need to show more money when I renew?

Accepted Answer

Yes, renewals require you to evidence sufficient means for the entire period being granted, which is longer than the initial year — typically two years — so you demonstrate support for a longer horizon.

Question 45

What income do I need to reunify my family?

Accepted Answer

You must demonstrate stable, sufficient income to support the family members joining you, calculated against thresholds that scale with the number of people and are revised periodically. The income must be your own and ongoing.

Question 46

Do my documents need to be translated into Spanish?

Accepted Answer

Yes, documents in another language must be translated into Spanish by an officially recognised translator, a traductor jurado. An ordinary professional translation, however accurate, is not accepted.

Question 47

How many days a year must I spend in Spain?

Accepted Answer

More than 183 days in each calendar year, with no single absence exceeding six months and total absences kept within limits across the five-year period leading to long-term residency.

Question 48

Is Spain's Golden Visa still available in 2026?

Accepted Answer

No, Spain abolished the Golden Visa on 3 April 2025 under Organic Law 1/2025, and no new applications are accepted on any investment basis, whether property, bank deposits, government bonds or company shares.

Question 49

Can a consulate ask for more than the legal minimum?

Accepted Answer

In practice, yes. The legal minimum is what the regulation sets, but consulates apply it with discretion and several are known to expect a comfortable margin above it rather than the exact figure.

Question 50

Can my reunified family members work in Spain?

Accepted Answer

Family members brought through reunification generally receive authorisation to work once their residence is granted, though the position varies by permit type and by the age of the person concerned.

Question 51

Should documents be apostilled before or after translation?

Accepted Answer

Authentication comes first, then translation, because the sworn translation must include the apostille or legalisation stamps. Translating first usually means paying for the translation twice.

Question 52

Why do you not publish your prices?

Accepted Answer

Because any published figure would be wrong for most people reading it. Cost depends on your route, how many people are on it, how your documents must be authenticated, and whether there are complications to resolve first.

Question 53

What are schools like in Spain?

Accepted Answer

Spain has three types: public schools (free, in Spanish or the regional language), concertados (partly state-funded, modest fees), and private/international schools (full fees, often British, American or IB curriculum).

Question 54

What happens if I do not spend enough time in Spain?

Accepted Answer

Renewal is put at risk, and in serious cases the permit can be lost entirely. The authorities examine entry and exit records, municipal registration and other evidence of genuine residence rather than your own account.

Question 55

Can I get Spanish residency by buying property?

Accepted Answer

No, buying property has conferred no residency right in Spain since April 2025, when the investor route closed.

Question 56

Which Spanish residency route is easiest to be approved for?

Accepted Answer

Neither main route is easy or hard in the abstract — applications fail when the route does not match the applicant. Matching the route to your circumstances matters far more than choosing the supposedly easier one.

Question 57

Can I travel outside Spain while holding residency?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and residency does not confine you to the country. You may travel freely, including to other Schengen states, provided your absences remain within the limits your permit allows and Spain remains your genuine home.

Question 58

What medical certificate is required?

Accepted Answer

You need a medical certificate confirming you do not suffer from any disease with serious public health implications under international health regulations. Consulates generally expect specific wording rather than a general letter.

Question 59

How much do international schools in Spain cost?

Accepted Answer

Fees vary widely by city, curriculum and reputation and are revised annually, so published figures date quickly. Madrid and Barcelona charge more than Valencia or Málaga, plus extras for enrolment, transport, meals and uniform.

Question 60

How do I renew my Spanish residence permit?

Accepted Answer

Renewals are filed from inside Spain at the immigration office covering where you live, generally within the sixty days before your permit expires. You must show you still meet the conditions and have genuinely lived in Spain.

Question 61

Do I actually have to live in Spain?

Accepted Answer

Yes, both the non-lucrative and digital nomad routes require genuine residence of more than 183 days per calendar year, and this is verified at renewal rather than simply promised at application.

Question 62

What kinds of income are accepted for the non-lucrative visa?

Accepted Answer

Pensions, rental income, dividends, investment returns and interest are all accepted, as is capital held in savings. Income that appears to depend on work you perform is not acceptable on this route.

Question 63

Can I change from one Spanish residence permit to another later?

Accepted Answer

Yes, in many cases. Spain allows modification from one permit type to another from inside the country, and moving from non-lucrative residency to a work or self-employment permit is a well-established path.

Question 64

Can you guarantee my application will be approved?

Accepted Answer

No, and neither can anyone else. Approval is a decision made by the Spanish government, and no firm controls it. Any consultancy advertising guaranteed outcomes is describing something outside its power.

Frequently Asked Questions