Residence permit in Spain without the right to work

Moving to Spain is very popular among those wishing to immigrate. Firstly – excellent climate, traditions, free language courses, healthcare. Secondly – it is the opportunity to legally reside in the country, namely under a visa without the right to work. This type of residence permit is suitable for citizens who perform work that does not require constant presence at the workplace and carry out their duties remotely.

It is very important to understand that when submitting documents to the embassy, the applicant does not immediately receive a residence permit. In case of a positive decision, a colored visa is affixed in their passport, which will allow entry into Spain. After that it is necessary to contact the local authorities to obtain the plastic card of this type of residence permit (Visado/residencia).

When applying for a visa without the right to work, you need to focus on the document package.

To obtain the visa, the applicant must provide an insurance policy for 1 year that will cover all expenses without a deductible. The insurance company must be accredited to provide services throughout the territory of Spain. In this situation most of our insurance companies are not suitable. We recommend contacting a Spanish insurance company and arranging the policy remotely, without coming to the country.

A medical examination is required to confirm the absence of illnesses.

Pay attention to the medical document, as problems may arise with its apostille. When issuing the document itself, you should check with the government authorities whether they will place an apostille stamp from that medical institution.

Another important document is a criminal record certificate.

The issuance date of these documents must not be older than three months at the time of submission.

Some documents may be submitted as notarized copies, others only as originals.

Documents such as the medical certificate, criminal record certificate, and marriage certificate must mandatorily have an apostille stamp.

Financial support

Perhaps the most important item is financial means. This visa does not imply the right to work in Spain, so you must prove that you have sufficient funds to live. The amount depends on the number of people coming. For a family of 3 people it is sufficient to confirm a total annual income of €38,725.

How to prove the availability of funds

Documents that can confirm financial stability include:

• bank statement confirming available funds;
• transaction history for three months on this account;
• bank documents evidencing deposits.

It is necessary not only to show the availability of funds but also to prove where they came from.

Recommendations

You will often hear the question: “Is it necessary to have funds in accounts in Spain?” And yes and no. If you have the opportunity to transfer money to an account opened directly in Spain, this only increases your chances of obtaining a visa, as it demonstrates your seriousness about relocating to Spain.

If you will be working remotely for your own company, obtain a work certificate stating your monthly income and that you will be working remotely.

As documents confirming additional income, provide documents on renting out property. In such situations we recommend providing property ownership documents and a rental agreement indicating the amount received from rent and the rental period.

Income can be confirmed by a gift deed of property or money. Company owners may show dividends or statements from funds as income. To confirm this, it is enough to provide a certificate from the company’s accounting department on dividend accrual or the individual’s tax return.

If you are going with your family, one of you is the applicant. For the other family members, a sponsorship letter must be issued. This document should state that the sponsor will cover all expenses for the period of residence in the country.

We recommend adding a motivation letter to the document package. The letter should emphasize why you decided to move, why you chose Spain in particular, and draw attention to the explanatory documents attached to the letter.

We recommend listing everything you added to the package in the letter. This is necessary to be sure that the visa officer did not miss anything. Try to present logical arguments for why you chose and want to live in Spain.

All documents except the passport must be translated into Spanish. It is sufficient to have the translations done by a regular agency. There is no need to notarize the translations or use a certified translator.

Documents are submitted in person and only at the appointed time. The processing time for documents in this visa category usually takes three months. Everything depends on the workload of the visa officer and the correctness of filling out the documents.

Consultations on obtaining a visa

If you are not sure about the correctness of filling out the documents, or doubt the assessment of your financial situation or your chances of obtaining a visa, we recommend consulting a lawyer. They will help you at an early stage to understand the essence of the process, its timing, requirements and will give recommendations on your case. Our lawyers know all the nuances of immigration law and will help determine a strategy for obtaining a residence permit.