Spanish Residency Visa Overview

The world's second most visited country is Spain. This exotic country invites over 84 million visitors every year.

As one of the most sought vacation destinations on Earth, you can't stop singing the glories of Spain. 

It's a beautiful destination to have some of the dreamiest times of your life. The place is so great that many people who were just visiting Spain actually start considering living there permanently.

But jokes aside, can you really live there? And if yes, how can you make it possible? What are the things you should know if you are serious about living in Spain? Let's see!

Immigration Legalities

The one important aspect of living in another country is understanding all the legal implications that come with your decision. 

For living in Spain for a full year, you must abide by the immigration legalities of the country. 

The first step in the process is to seek out a qualified lawyer. Learn as much as you can about the visa permits and available residency.

If you are applying for a visa, here are some important requirements you'd need to fulfil:

• The first step is to hire health insurance, private if I must add 
• You shouldn't have any criminal record in the past 5 years
• You should have enough money to support yourself as you can't claim benefits from the government
• When you're making this application, make sure you aren't already living in Spain illegally 

Visa Requirements

Here are the Visas that you can apply for through the Spanish consulate in your own country:

• Investor Visa (or golden visa)
• Marriage Visa (or EU family regroupment
• Business Visa (or Lucrative visa)
• Pensioner visa (or non-lucrative visa)

Investor Visa

The investor visa is often known as the "golden visa". It's perfect for affluent and wealthy non-EU applicants. 

This visa makes things extremely easy for its applicants and welcomes them to Spain with open arms and possibilities.

This visa has one big purpose - to encourage foreign investment in the country. You can acquire an investor visa through various means. 

The most common, easiest, and inexpensive way of getting a golden visa is to invest in Spanish real estate. To fulfil the requirements, you have to make an investment of over €500,000 in the real estate there.

The renewal of this visa is based on keeping the investments. This visa is best suited for people who are affluent and wealthy. 

Marriage Visa

For families and couples who had to go through a separation, this visa is a huge savior. The purpose of this visa is to reunite separated couples or family members in the EU.

Although it's commonly called the marriage visa, we can definitely vouch for it to be called a family visa instead. Why? Because it's not exclusively for married couples! It helps out families as well.

This visa is best suited for married couples (including same-sex marriage) and those who want to reunite with their families.

Business Visa

Also called a lucrative visa, a business visa allows you to stay in Spain and work. Typically for self-employed people, this residency would allow you to set up a business in the country.

One of the most basic and non-negotiable requirements is that you must have enough means to provide for yourself and your family without assistance from the government.

This visa is best suited for people who want to set up a business in Spain, are self-employed, or are entrepreneurs. 

Pensioner Visa

Also called a non-lucrative visa, a pensioner visa would allow you to live in Spain, but not work. 

Applying for this visa, you will have to prove you have enough savings for at least two years to sustain yourself. 

Best suited for individuals with enough savings to go on for two years, pensioners, and long-term tenants.