Sheet 51 - Long-term residence in Spain of the long-term EU-resident in another EEMM of the 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
  • Documentation to be provided
  • Procedure

TYPE OF AUTHORISATION

It is a long-term residence permit that may be obtained by foreigners who are holders of an EU-long-term residence permit granted in another Member State of the European Union.

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 11 January, on the rights and freedoms of foreigners in Spain and their social integration (article 32.3).
  • 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 (article 179).



 

REQUIREMENTS

  • Not to be a citizen of a State of the European Union, of the European Economic Area or of Switzerland.
  • Not to appear as rejectable in the territorial space of countries with which Spain has signed an agreement in this regard.
  • Be a holder of a long-term EU-residence permit in another Member State.
  • Have economic means and accommodation, or meet the requirements for obtaining authorization of residence and work for an employed person, or an own account, or the exemption from work authorization (see corresponding information sheets).
  • Pay the fee for 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 filing the application.

  • Application form in official model (EX -11), duly completed and signed by the foreign person.
  • Documentation accrediting your long-term EU-resident status in another Member State.
  • Copy of the full passport or travel title in force.
  • Form accrediting the payment of the fee for the processing of the procedure
  • Depending on the means of life:
    • If you are not going to develop lucrative activities: you must present documentation accrediting that you have sufficient financial means to support 400% of the IPREM monthly and have a public or private health insurance that covers the risks normally insured to Spanish citizens.
    • If you are going to work for someone else, documentation that identifies the company:
      • If it is an individual entrepreneur: copy of the NIF or NIE, or consent to check identity data through the Identity and Residence Data Verification System or if it is a legal person (S.A, S.L., Cooperative, etc. ): copy of the NIF of the company and copy of the deed of incorporation duly registered in the corresponding Registry, copy of the public document accrediting the legal representation of the company and copy of the NIF or NIE or consent to check the identity data through the Identity and Residence Data Verification System or NIE of the signer of the contract.
      • Copy of the signed employment contract.
      • Accreditation that the company can guarantee the necessary solvency, through: copy of the IRPF declaration, or VAT, or Corporation Tax or Company Working Life Report (VILE). Likewise, a descriptive memory of the occupation to be carried out must be provided.
    • If you are going to develop self-employment activities:
      • In retail commercial activities and provision of the services listed in the Annex to Law 12/2012, which are carried out in permanent establishments, whose useful area does not exceed 750 square meters responsible declaration or prior communication (in the terms of article 69 of Law 39/2015) and, where appropriate, proof of payment of the corresponding tax.
      • In the other activities and services of professional services, list of the authorizations or licenses required for the installation, opening or operation of the planned activity or for the professional exercise, indicating the situation in which the procedures for its achievement are found, including, where appropriate, the application certifications before the corresponding bodies.
      • Copy of the documentation that proves to have the training and, where appropriate, the professional qualification legally required for the exercise of the profession, as well as the homologation and/or recognition, and where appropriate collegiation, for the exercise of the profession when required.
      • Copy of the documentation that proves the sufficiency of the investment planned for the implementation of the project and on the impact, where appropriate, on job creation, including as such self-employment.

By way of example, regardless of their justification by other means admissible in law, the last three paragraphs can be accredited by the valuation report issued by one of the following organizations:

  • National Federation of Employers' and Self-Employed Workers' Associations (ATA)
  • Union of Professionals and Self-Employed Workers (UPTA)
  • Intersectoral Confederation of Spanish Self-Employed Persons (CIAE)
  • Organization of Professionals and Self-Employed (OPA)
  • Union of Associations of Self-Employed Workers and Entrepreneurs (UATAE)

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 non-Community 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.

Information on translation and legalization of documents.

PROCEDURE

  • Subject legitimated to submit the application: the foreign person

Information sheet on legitimated subjects.

  • Place of presentation: 
  • If you are in Spanish territory:
  • In person, enter the competent Immigration Office.
  • If it is not in Spanish territory:
  • In person, before the Spanish Consular Office corresponding to the previous place of residence in the European Union.

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

  • Competent Aliens Office: 
    • If you are not going to perform work: the corresponding to the province in which you reside or intend to reside.
    • If you are going to perform labor activity: the corresponding to the province where you are going to start the labor, professional or educational activity.
  • Deadline for submission: 
    • If you are not in Spanish territory: at any time prior to entry into national territory.
    • If you are in Spanish territory: within three months from the date of entry.
  • Corresponding fee: will accrue at the time of admission to processing 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.

  • Time limit for the resolution of the application: two months from the day following the date on which it entered the register of the body competent to process the application. After that period has elapsed without the Administration having made the notification, the application may be deemed to have been dismissed 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).
  • Granted the authorization, if they are not in Spanish territory, the foreign person must enter Spain within the maximum period of three months from the notification of the resolution.
  • The authorization takes effect from: 
    • If you are going to develop a labor activity, from the discharge in the corresponding Social Security regime.
    • If you are not going to develop work activity:
      • If you are in Spanish territory since the notification of the resolution.
      • If you are not in Spanish territory from the entry into the national territory.
  • Within one month of the entry into force of the authorization of long-term residence, the foreign person must personally request the identity card of a foreigner at the competent Police Station or police services of his place of residence. The validity of the alien identity card will be 5 years.

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 a national long-term residence permit must apply for the first renewal of the alien’s identity card every five years. The second and subsequent renewals will be requested every five years until the holder reaches the age of thirty and every ten years once he/she has fulfilled them.

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.