Spain’s blue-skied promise of siestas, tapas and Mediterranean freedom pulls thousands of newcomers each year, yet most would-be residents discover that swapping a holiday stamp for a long-term address card is nothing like sipping sangría on the paseo. Paperwork, police appointments and obscure acronyms—NIE, TIE, IPREM—turn the dream into a maze. That’s why we sat down with leading lawyer Melanie Radford, who talked us through her step-by-step breakdown of every route to Spanish residency in 2025.
Whether you hold an EU passport, plan to retire on a non-lucrative visa or hope to code on the digital-nomad permit, the next few minutes will show you exact requirements, hidden costs and practical shortcuts. Watch the video, read the guide, and start turning vacation envy into a legal Spanish life that outlives even the endless summer.
Melanie Radford from MyLawyerInSpain.com explains how to obtain Spanish residency
Spanish residency determines how long you can live—and work—inside the country, how you pay taxes, and your route to citizenship. Find out how long you can stay in Spain without residency in this handy video explainer. Broadly, you begin with a temporary permit of up to five years; once those five years are logged without major interruptions, you can request permanent (larga duración) residency, which is renewed only every ten years (some EU-family permits renew after five). “Think of the first five years as your probationary chapter,” says Melanie. “Complete it cleanly and you unlock long-term stability.”
Two main tracks
Residency paperwork differs by category, but four pillars remain constant:
1. Health-insurance cover equivalent to Spain’s public system. The policy must be from an insurer authorised in Spain, run for the full year and carry no deductibles or co-pays—travel insurance doesn’t qualify. For more information about Spanish health insurance, checkout our total guide to healthcare in Spain.
2. Sufficient financial means. Spain measures solvency against IPREM, a benchmark that stays at €600 a month in 2025. Non-EU applicants usually need to prove 400 % of IPREM (about €2,400 a month or €28,800 a year) for the main applicant, plus 100 % per dependent. EU residents who sign a Spanish work contract or register as self-employed can rely on their payslips instead of showing savings.
3. A fixed Spanish address and padrón registration. You will be asked for a tenancy agreement, property deed or town-hall padrón certificate.
4. Clean police record and official translations. Required for all non-EU visas and sometimes for EU-family applications.
1. Arrive in Spain and book an appointment at the Policía Nacional immigration desk (CNP).
2. Register on the padrón at your town hall; this proves you live at your stated address.
3. Attend the CNP appointment with passport, EX-18 form, fee receipt, evidence of employment or sufficient funds, and proof of health cover.
Once approved, you leave with a green EU residence certificate valid for five years. Renewal—or conversion to the permanent version—takes minutes if you can show the same address and continued economic activity or resources.
Melanie’s practical tip: “Summer slots in coastal offices vanish first, so secure the appointment online before you even book a moving van.”
If you currently live outside the EU, then preparation starts before you see a consular officer. Collect a police-clearance report less than 90 days old, translate all foreign-language documents into Spanish and pay the consular fee. If you apply for the popular non-lucrative visa, attach statements proving at least €28,800 in savings (plus €7,200 per dependent) and your Spanish-compliant health policy.
Approval usually lands between four and twelve weeks, at which point you receive a visa stamped in your passport. Enter Spain, collect your TIE residence card within 30 days, and re-register on the padrón.
Renewals typically run: first renewal to two years, second renewal to another two—hitting the five-year threshold that unlocks permanent residency.
After five continuous legal years—even if you switched permit types along the way—you can request residencia de larga duración. Melanie notes that this status “frees you from annual health-insurance checks and lets you work, study or open a business without separate permits.” The card carries a ten-year validity in most cases, and its renewal is largely procedural.
Melanie sees the same errors repeatedly: applicants buy cheap travel insurance that is rejected at the consulate; they underestimate the exchange-rate swing and drop below the IPREM threshold at renewal time; they forget to notify the padrón of address changes, then discover their renewal appointment cancelled. Her rule of thumb: “Over-comply, over-document, and diarise every expiry date two months in advance.”
How long may I stay in Spain without residency?
Non-EU visitors: 90 days in any 180-day window. EU nationals: unlimited entry, but registration becomes obligatory after the initial 90 days.
Does owning property automatically grant me residency?
No, unless you invest at least €500,000 and apply for the golden-visa programme.
Can I work on a non-lucrative visa?
Not in Spain. Remote work for foreign clients is technically possible, but if you wish to work locally you must switch to a work permit after one year.
Is the new digital-nomad visa better than the non-lucrative option?
For remote employees and freelancers the digital-nomad permit permits legal work and may grant a 24 % flat-tax rate for up to five years, so it often beats the non-lucrative visa if you meet the income and employer criteria.
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