Sheet 50 - Authorisation for long-term residence EU

* The content of this page is for guidance only. Only the provisions of the regulations in force at the time of submission of the application are applicable.

Last Updated: May 2025

Index of contents

  • Type of Authorization
  • Basic regulations
  • Requirements
  • Exigible documentation
  • Procedure

TYPE OF AUTHORISATION

It is a long-term residence authorization that authorizes to reside and work in Spain indefinitely under the same conditions as Spaniards and grants the possibility of obtaining a residence or residence and work authorization in other Member States of the Union, under the conditions that they determine.

BASIC REGULATIONS

  • Council Directive 2003/109/EC of 25 November 2003 on the status of third-country nationals who are long-term residents.
  • Organic Law 4/2000, of January 11, on the rights and freedoms of foreigners in Spain and their social integration (article 32).
  • Royal Decree 1155/2024, of 19 November, approving the Regulations of Organic Law 4/2000, of 11 January, on the rights and freedoms of foreigners in Spain and their social integration (articles 175-178).

REQUIREMENTS

  • Not to be a citizen of a State of the European Union, of the European Economic Area or of Switzerland.
  • Lack of criminal records, in Spain and in the countries where he has resided for the last five years, for crimes existing in the Spanish legislation.
  • Do not pose a threat to public order, safety or public health.
  • Not to appear as rejectable in the territorial space of countries with which Spain has signed an agreement in this regard.
  • Have resided legally and continuously in the Spanish territory during the five years prior to the submission of the application.

Continuity will not be affected by absences of up to six continuous months, provided that the sum does not exceed ten months within five years, or that the sum does not exceed the total of eighteen months, if the absences are for work reasons.

For the required five years, the periods of stay for studies, student mobility, volunteer services or training activities will be calculated, in 50% of the duration of the same, provided that at the time of the application you are in a situation of residence in Spain.

  • Similarly, foreign persons holding an EU Blue Card issued by another Member State of the Union shall be entitled to such authorisation if they cumulatively meet the following requirements :

1st. Have accumulated five years of legal and uninterrupted residence in the European Union as a holder of an EU Blue Card, a national residence permit for highly qualified jobs, an authorisation for research purposes, an authorisation for studies or vocational training, or as a beneficiary of international protection on the territory of the Member States. In the case of having been authorized for studies or vocational training, the periods of stay will only be counted as 50% of the total duration of the studies or vocational training. In all these cases, the continuity of residence will not be affected by absences from the European Union of up to twelve continuous months, provided that the sum of these does not exceed the total of eighteen months within the required five years of residence and

2nd. Have resided two years in Spain legally and uninterrupted as holder of an EU-Blue Card authorization during the period immediately prior to the submission of the application for long-term EU-residence.

Those foreign persons who have been granted the status of beneficiary of international protection in Spain will also be counted 100% of the period from the date of presentation of the application for international protection in Spain, on the basis of which it has been granted, until the date on which the authorization of residence and work contained in the regulations governing the right of asylum and subsidiary protection has been granted. Similarly, people who hold an EU-blue card will be counted for 100% of that period.

  • To have fixed and regular resources for their maintenance and, where appropriate, the family under their care. For family units that include two members, an amount representing 150% of the IPREM will be required, for each additional member an additional 50% must be added.

This amount may be reduced in the case of minors and represented, so that it will be considered sufficient, even if the previous amount is not reached, when there is a stable source of income equal to or greater than the minimum interprofessional wage. In any case, if a family unit is two members, one being a minor, the amount to be required will be 110% of the guaranteed amount of the Minimum Vital Income on an annual basis, and for each additional minor, an additional 10% will be required.

The resources may come from their own resources or from the performance of work or professional activities.

  • Have public or private health insurance that covers the risks normally insured to Spanish citizens, arranged with an insurance company authorized to operate in Spain
  • Pay the fee corresponding to the processing of the procedure.

EXIGIBLE DOCUMENTATION

Note: in general, copies of the documents must be provided and the originals must be displayed at the time of submitting the application.

  • Application form in official form (EX-11), duly completed and signed by the foreign person.
  • Form accrediting the payment of the fee for the processing of the procedure.
  • A copy of the applicant’s valid passport, travel document or registration card .
  • Where applicable, documentation accrediting periods of prior residence as an EU Blue Card holder in other Member States of the European Union, a national residence permit for highly qualified jobs, an authorisation for research purposes, an authorisation for studies or vocational training, or as a beneficiary of international protection on the territory of the Member States.
  • Documentation accrediting the fixed and regular resources sufficient for their maintenance and, where appropriate, that of their family.
  • Documentation accrediting the availability of health insurance.
  • Where applicable, a criminal record of the country of origin or countries in which you have resided during the last 5 years, prior to the filing of the application.

Important note: when documents are provided from other countries they must be translated into Spanish or co-official language of the territory where the application is submitted by a sworn translator.  

List of sworn translators

On the other hand, any foreign public document must be previously legalized by the Consular Office of Spain with jurisdiction in the country in which the document has been issued or, where appropriate, by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation except in the case where the document has been apostilled by the competent authority of the issuing country in accordance with the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 and unless the document is exempt from legalization under the International Convention.

Information on translation and legalization of documents.

PROCEDURE

  • Subject entitled to submit the application: the foreign person.

Information sheet on legitimated subjects.

  • Place of presentation:
  • If you are in Spanish territory:
  • In person, in the Immigration Office of the province where he resides.


 

  • If it is not in Spanish territory: 
  • In person, at the Spanish Consular Office of your residence demarcation, which will send you to the competent Aliens Office.

Address information, telephone numbers and hours of service to the public.

  • Corresponding fee: it will accrue at the time of admission to the processing of the application, and must be paid within ten working days:
    • Form 790 code 052, heading 2.6 “Authorisation of long-term residence – EU and authorisation of long-term national residence”: to be paid by the foreign person.

The subscription form can be downloaded from this page.

  • Deadline for the resolution of the application: three months from the day following the date on which it entered the register of the body competent to process them. Once this period has elapsed without the Administration having made the notification, it may be understood that the application has been estimated by administrative silence. (When it has not been possible to notify the resolution it will be announced in the Single Edictal Board (TEU). If you have opted for electronic notification or if you are legally obliged to use that medium, the resolution will be notified by publication in the electronic headquarters. If the resolution is not accessed within ten calendar days of its publication, it will be given as notified).
  • Within one month of notification of the granting of the long-term residence permit, the foreign person must personally apply for the alien ' s identity card at the competent Police Station or police services in his or her place of residence.

The documentation to be provided in the application for the alien identity card can be consulted at the following link:

https://sede.administracionespublicas.gob.es/procedimientos/index/categoria/34

  • Holders of an EU-long residence permit must apply for the first renewal of a foreigner’s identity card at the age of five. The second renewal and successive renewals of the alien’s identity card will be requested every five years until the holder turns thirty and every ten years once they have been completed.

The renewal request must be submitted during the two months immediately preceding the expiration date of the validity of the card. The filing of the application within this period will extend the validity of the previous card until the resolution of the procedure. It will also be extended until the resolution of the procedure in the event that the application was submitted within the three months following the date on which the validity of the previous card had ended, without prejudice to the initiation of the corresponding sanctioning procedure for the infringement in which it had been incurred.