The routes into Spain, mapped before you fall for the place.
Falling for Spain before you know your route is how moves die at the consulate. Below are the legal long-stay routes into Spain, each with its real income bar and required documents, pulled live from the Nomad knowledge graph. See the one you clear, then build the plan around it.
- Topic
- Visas
- Destination
- Spain
- Origin
- United States
- Source
- Live KG
How you can legally move to Spain.
11 visa routes into Spain, each with its real required-document list, pulled live from the Nomad knowledge graph.
Permanent Residency (Residencia de Larga Duración / EU Long-Term Resident)
A permanent residence right for non-EU nationals who have completed five years of continuous legal residence in Spain, renewable indefinitely in five-year increments.
- Passport 12mo Validity
- Proof Of 5 Years Continuous Residence Spain
- Spanish Police Background Check
- Country Of Origin Background Check
- Hague Apostille (US)
- Proof Of Stable Income Spain
- Empadronamiento Certificate
- +2 more
Golden Visa (Visado de Residencia para Inversores)
An investor residence permit for Spain granting a 36-month renewable stay with work rights and no minimum presence requirement, open to those making qualifying capital, bond, fund, or business-project investments.
- Passport 12mo Validity
- FBI Background Check ·a
- Hague Apostille (US)
- Proof Of Investment Spain
- Bank Statements 12mo
- Health Insurance Spain No Copay
- Proof Accommodation Spain
- +3 more
Digital Nomad Visa (Visado para Teletrabajadores de Carácter Internacional)
A residence route for non-EU remote workers employed by foreign companies, granting up to five years in Spain with an optional 24% flat tax rate.
- US Passport (6-Month Validity)
- FBI Background Check ·a
- Hague Apostille (US)
- NIE (Número de Identidad de Extranjero)
- Spanish Bank Account
- Bank Statements (3 months, certified) ·a
- Employer Letter Remote Work Spain
- +7 more
Entrepreneur Visa (Visado de Residencia para Emprendedores)
A Spanish residence visa for founders who launch an innovative business in Spain, evaluated and approved by ENISA, with an initial one-year entry visa followed by a three-year residence card.
- Passport 12mo Validity
- FBI Background Check ·a
- Hague Apostille (US)
- ENISA Favorable Evaluation
- Business Plan Spanish Entrepreneur
- Proof Of Investment Capital
- Bank Statements 12mo
- +6 more
Family Reunification (Reagrupación Familiar)
A residence permit for non-EU family members of foreigners legally resident in Spain, requiring the sponsor to meet a monthly income threshold and at least one year of prior residency.
- Passport 12mo Validity
- FBI Background Check ·a
- Hague Apostille (US)
- Marriage Certificate Apostilled
- Birth Certificate Apostilled
- Proof Of Family Reunification Authorization
- Proof Of Sponsor Income
- +4 more
Student Visa (Visado de Estudios)
A renewable residence permit for non-EU students enrolled in accredited Spanish study, research, or internship programs lasting more than 90 days, with part-time work allowed.
- Passport 12mo Validity
- FBI Background Check ·a
- Hague Apostille (US)
- Acceptance Letter Spanish University
- Proof Of Financial Means Student
- Health Insurance Spain Student
- Medical Certificate Spain NLV
- +3 more
EU Blue Card via Spain (Tarjeta Azul UE)
A 3-year residence and work permit for highly skilled non-EU professionals employed by a Spanish company, with EU intra-mobility rights after 12 months.
- Passport 12mo Validity
- FBI Background Check ·a
- Hague Apostille (US)
- Employment Contract Spain
- University Degree Apostilled
- Salary Threshold Documentation
- Health Insurance Spain No Copay
- +4 more
Highly Qualified Professional Visa (Visado de Profesionales Altamente Cualificados, HQP)
A 2-3 year Spanish residence permit for non-EU senior professionals hired by a Spanish employer in technical, managerial, or specialized roles, renewable and compatible with the Beckham Law flat tax.
- Passport 12mo Validity
- FBI Background Check ·a
- Hague Apostille (US)
- Employment Contract Spain
- Employer Sponsorship Letter Spain
- University Degree Apostilled
- Salary Threshold Documentation
- +5 more
Arraigo Social (Social Rootedness Residence Authorization)
A one-year residence permit for undocumented foreigners who have lived continuously in Spain for three or more years and can show a job offer and a social integration report.
- Passport 12mo Validity
- Proof Of 3 Years Continuous Residence Spain
- Empadronamiento Certificate
- Spanish Police Background Check
- Country Of Origin Background Check
- Hague Apostille (US)
- Employment Contract Spain Arraigo
- +3 more
Non-Lucrative Visa (Visado de Residencia No Lucrativa, NLV)
A one-year renewable Spanish residency permit for retirees and passive-income earners who meet a monthly income requirement and do not work.
- Passport 12mo Validity
- FBI Background Check ·a
- Hague Apostille (US)
- Medical Certificate Spain NLV
- Health Insurance Spain No Copay
- Bank Statements 12mo
- Proof Passive Income Or Savings
- +4 more
Citizenship by Naturalization (Nacionalidad Española por Residencia)
A path to full Spanish and EU citizenship for legal residents, requiring 10 years of residence standard or just 2 years for Latin Americans, Filipinos, and Portuguese nationals.
- Passport 12mo Validity
- Proof Of 10 Or 2 Years Continuous Residence Spain
- Spanish Police Background Check
- Country Of Origin Background Check
- Hague Apostille (US)
- Birth Certificate Apostilled
- DELE A2 Certificate
- +5 more
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Visas in Spain, answered.
- Which Spain visa should I look at first?
- Start from how you earn. Remote income for a foreign employer points to a digital nomad route, stable passive income to a retirement route, a local job offer to a work permit. The routes above show the income bar and documents for each, so you can match your situation to a real Spain route instead of guessing.
- How early should I start the Spain visa process?
- Months before you want to fly. Appointments, apostilles, and translations each run on their own clock. Build a plan and every document gets sequenced backward from your target date so nothing expires before you use it.
Turn this into a dated Spain plan.
Start a plan and the visas work becomes dated tasks, sequenced against your move date alongside the visa, the documents, and everything else, so nothing for Spain surprises you on the way out.
Last verified: May 2026. Not tax or legal advice. Always confirm requirements with the official source.