Residency in Spain: Spanish Registration Certificates and Residence Cards

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Residency in Spain: Spanish Registration Certificates and Residence Cards

The right of a person to live and work in Spain depends on their citizenship as follows:

1. European Union (EU) and European Economic Area (EEA) Citizens: All EU and EEA citizens and their family members have the right to live and work in Spain. However, if remaining in Spain longer than three months, a registration certificate as an EU resident is required.
2. Non-EU/EEA Spouse and Dependent Family Members: The legally registered partner and dependent family of an EU citizen in Spain are entitled to the same rights as an EU citizen to live in the country, however within three months of arrival, application must be made for an EU Family-member Residence Card (Tarjeta de Residencia de Familiar de Cuidadano de la Union).
3. Non-EU/EEA Citizens: Any non-European Union citizen staying in Spain for a period longer than three months requires a Residence Card (Tarjeta de Residencia) residency permit. 

The Ministry of Territorial Policy (Ministerio de Politica Territorial; also known as the Ministerio de Administracións Públicas - MAP) has a website with comprehensive information in English regarding how to apply for the appropriate documents.

• For information from the Ministerio de Politica Territorial on obtaining a residence card: Click here

European Union Citizens Moving to Spain

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 foreigner's office in the area in which they intend to reside. 

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.

Note: Prior to the introduction of the Registration Certificate in April 2007, foreigners were required to submit a separate application for an NIE. This is no longer necessary, as application for an NIE is incorporated in the residence certificate application process. 

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 can be made in advance.

• For the addresses and contact telephone numbers of all Oficina de Extranjeros: Click here
• To determine where application can be made and what is required in a particular province : Click here (in Spanish) select the required service, select the province from the drop-down list and then click "entrar"

Proof of payment is required before the residence certificate can be issued; request a payment form (Modelo 790) at a National Police Office; payment is made at a bank and the form stamped as proof.

The following documents are required in order to apply for a Residency Certificate:

• Valid passport or national identity card 
• Signed application form EX16 (Solicitud de certificado de registro como residente o Tarjeta de residencia de familiar de ciudadano de la Union)
  • To download the form EX16: Click here
• 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.

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 EX16 and following the same process.

The residence certificate is a piece of paper which contains the NIE number. It is not an identity document and the certificate should be carried with identification (such as a passport) at all times.

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. 

Application should be made for a Residency Card for EU Citizen Family Members (Tarjeta de residencia de familiar de ciudadano de la Unión) 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)
• Signed application form EX16 (Solicitud de certificado de registro como residente o Tarjeta de residencia de familiar de ciudadano de la Union)
  • To download the form EX16: Click here
• Proof of family relationship with the EU citizen (such as a marriage certificate, proof of partnernership registration, birth certificates for children) 
• Identification (passport) or DNI (Spanish citizen) of the EU family member
• Three recent colour passport photographs 

Divorce, separation or death

The MAP website has information regarding what procedures must be followed in the case of divorce, legal separation or the death of the EU citizen. 

• For further information, in English, from MAP: Click here
• Comprehensive information on the registration certificate as an EU resident is available in English: Click here (PDF)
• Further information relevant to EU citizens in Spain from the Ministerio del Interior (in Spanish)

Renewal of the residency card

The following documents must be presented:

• Valid passport (if expired, present a copy of the renewal application)
• Proof of valid marriage/proof of an on-going marriage with an authentication of marriage certificate issued no more than three months prior to renewal application. If not in Spanish, it must be officially translated
• EU-family member's registration certificate, valid passport or photo ID (or DNI of a Spanish family member) 
• Dependent children under 21 and dependent adult: proof of family relationship or dependency
• Three recent colour passport-size photographs (on white background) 
• Proof of payment of the fee for issuing the card (a bank-stamped Modelo 790 payment form)
• The application form (in Spanish) can be downloaded. It has detailed information on the process (note, it is the same form used to make the initial application: Click here

Authenticated marriage certificate: A marriage certificate must be requested from the country where the marriage took place. Some countries issue marriage certificates on request online, others require a request to be made to the country's official records department - consult the relevant Consular authority for further information. The certificate is dated for the time the request is made. All foreign (not Spanish) documents should be translated into Spanish by an official translator. They must then be authenticated or legalised. Translated and legalised documentation should not be more than three months old. 

Documents issued by a country which is a signatory of The Hague Convention can be authenticated or legalised by carrying the official seal of Certificate of Apostille of the Hague (Apostilla de la Haya). Consular offices are authorised to legalise documents in this way. There is usually a fee for authentication and translation. 

Non-EU Citizens Moving to Spain

Many non-EU citizens require a visa to enter Spain. If the stay is intended to be under three months (90 days), a tourist visa may be required. This is issued by the Spanish Embassy in the home country; it does not permit the holder to work or to stay longer than three months. 

Currently citizens of the USA, Australia and New Zealand do not need a tourist visa to enter Spain (South Africans do) however if the intension is to stay, a residence visa is required.

Residence Visas

Anyone arriving in Spain with the intention of staying longer than three months requires a Residence Visa (Visado de Residencia). This must be requested from and issued by the Spanish Embassy of the applicant's home country before departure for Spain. It is different to the standard three-month tourist visa in that it allows the holder to begin the residency application process. Application for residency is not typically done with a tourist visa. 

• For a list from the Spanish tourism authority (Instituto de Turismo de España) of Spanish Embassies worldwide: Click here

For those already in Spain seeking information about obtaining a residence visa, information is available from the Ministry of the Interior.

• Ministry of the Interior
  Tel: 900 150 000 (toll-free; Spanish only) 
  Website

Residence Card (Tarjeta de Residencia)

Citizens of non-EU countries wishing to stay in Spain for more than three months must apply for a Residency Permit/Card (Tarjeta de Residencia) within 30 days of arriving in the country. The application must made at the Foreigner's Office (Oficina de Extranjeros) or local police station in the province of intended residence.

• For comprehensive information in English from the MAP: Click here 
• To find the nearest Oficina de Extranjeros: Click here  

The documentation required varies from situation to situation. Consult with the local Oficina de Extranjeros or police station to determine which documents are required. 

The following documentation is required to apply for a Tarjeta de Residencia:

• Valid passport and photocopy
• Three passport-size colour photographs
• Completed application form and three copies
• Proof of address in Spain
• Receipt for payment of the administration fee, stamped by bank

The following documentation may also be required (certified translations may be requested): 

• Copy of a job contract or a certificate of employment (if applicable)
• Self-employed individuals must produce evidence that they meet the same professional conditions required of Spanish nationals and that they have applied for authorisation to carry out their professional activity
• Proof of academic and/or professional qualifications (if applicable)
• Proof of financial resources for those not intending to work
• Proof of school enrolment (for students only)
• Proof that the applicant has no prior criminal record (Certificado de Antecedentes Penales); available from a home country Embassy or local police department in the former place of residence
• Medical certificate
• Consular inscription (a letter from the home Consulate)
• Proof that the applicant has medical insurance coverage in Spain

Once the application for a residence permit has been made, a stamped copy of the application is issued; the Residence Card should be issued within three to four months. Resident Cards may be renewed at the Foreigners Office. In the event of a change of address or personal circumstance, the local Oficina de Extranjeros or police station must be notified within 30 days.

The initial Residence Card is valid for one year; this can be renewed annually for up to five years.

For non-EU nationals with an EU-national family member who is resident or intending to become resident in Spain, see the section on Family Members of EU Citizens.

Frontier Workers

Frontier workers (people working in Spain but living in an EU member state to which they return at least once a week; usually Portugal, Andorra, France and Morocco) should apply for a Frontier Worker's Card at the Foreign Residents Office or local police station. To obtain a Frontier Worker's Card a valid passport or identity card must be presented, along with a certificate of engagement or employment signed by the employer.

To find out the relevant authority in each case, contact the mayor's office in the municipality of residency, a police station, the government delegate's office (Delegación del Gobierno) or the government sub-delegate's office (Subdelegación del Gobierno) in the province. 

For information on entry and residence requirements and procedures, contact the Spanish Ministry of the Interior.

• Ministry of the Interior
  Tel: 900 150 000 (toll-free; Spanish only) 
  Website

The EUs European Commission offers information regarding the rights of cross-border workers.

For information from the European Union regarding the rights of cross-border workers: Click here

The NIE Number

All foreigners must have a foreigners tax identification number (Numero de Identificatión de Extranjero - NIE), regardless of whether they are obliged to have a residency permit or not. The NIE is both a Social Security number and a tax identification number. Applications for an NIE can be made at a local police station which has a foreigners department, or by contacting the local regional government; either in person or through a representative. The number appears on all documents issued in Spain.

An NIE is required by anyone with financial, professional or social interests in Spain. It is also essential when buying property, opening a bank account, starting a business, using short-term employment agencies or arranging receipt of social security benefits.

• For further information, see the AngloINFO INFOrmation Page Foreigner's Identification Number (NIE) in Spain

Advice and Information

• The citizens advice unit of the Directorate General for Immigration
  Tel: 913 639 071, 913 639 069 or 913 637 108

Related Information

• Information from the UK government for UK citizens moving to Spain
• Information about living in Spain from the British Embassy in Spain

• Age Concern Espana website (in English) which provides advice and support for pensioners in Spain

• The Spanish Ministerio del Interior

• The website of the European Union, Europa

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