Do you consider moving from your own country to Spain, regardless of whether you are an EU citizen or not, or wishing to visit for longer than 3 months?

Then you should familiarize yourself with the rules of registration with the Spanish authorities and residencia (permanent address in Spain).

If you are only planning a short holiday trip to Spain, you do not need to worry about registration in public systems or application for a residence permit, unless your journey exceeds 90 days. If you are not an EU / EEA citizen, you must apply for a short-term visa.

You must register with the Spanish authorities to apply for:

• Residencia and work permit
• Citizenship and residence permit
• NIE and NIF numbers
• Enrollment of children in kindergarten and other educational institutions
• Registration of car or other formalities
• Health insurance, subsidies etc.

All citizens of EU countries that have EHIC cards (European Health Insurance Card) have the opportunity to get the necessary medical care they need, either free or at a reduced price. The advantage of applying for residencia in Spain is that you will always have access to public medical facilities and you will also receive cheap tickets in Spain and more.

Such registration can easily be done at your local police station where there is an “Extranjera” Office for Foreigners (DNI Office).

If you are staying in Spain for more than 6 months

you must apply for a permanent residence permit (Residencia). You can do this with the National Police in your area. This license lasts between 5 and 10 years.

If you do not have residencia, you must appoint a tax representative for you. For this purpose, you may, for example, use a lawyer or an accountant. Note that you will pay taxes to the country you live for longer than 180 days a year. Such a stay does not have to be coherent, but is considered a total number of days during the year. There are exceptions that apply to those who work in offshore.

To move to Spain permanently, you must live outside your home country for more than 180 days a year. In addition, it is forbidden to have private property in the home country, except for holiday homes.

Should you be in need of qualified legal assistance in connection with moving to Spain, we will gladly help you in Lex Spain! We can offer comprehensive assistance in relocating and preparing all documents so that you can enjoy one of the most attractive countries in Europe in peace and quiet!

Jørn Kristensen