Spain is very popular with immigrants and tourists, but also for people with a second home. Many will look at the possibilities of emigrating to Spain and the advantages and disadvantages of this. Unfortunately, there are many who see only the advantages and forget to think about the negative sides of immigrating to Spain. We try to give you an idea of the laws and regulations that come with this and how emigration to Spain goes.
Tourist visa for Spain
Because Spain is one of the Schengen countries, no visa is required by people from other Schengen countries for stays up to 3 months and only a valid passport is required for the duration of the stay. But if you are from outside Schengen, you need a visa for Spain.
Buying a house in Spain
To buy a house in Spain you should have a N.I.E. number. Without this number you can only stay in Spain for 3 months. To have a second home in Spain more or less the same requirements apply as when you want to immigrate to Spain.
N.I.E. number is Numero the Identificacion de Extranjero or Identity number for foreigners that you definitely need if you want to immigrate to Spain. In the next part we will go into this and why you do not need the number if you want to immigrate to Spain.
Immigrate to Spain
Most people probably want to immigrate to Spain for good and return to their own country a few times to visit family and / or friends. In any case, the following rules apply to those who want to stay in Spain for more than 3 months and therefore need a visa.
If you compare it with the issues that you have to deal with when you emigrate to countries outside the European Union or a country that is not included in the Schengen Convention, it does not really mean much, but you have to do something for it.
There are three things you should do:
– You must have an N.I.E. Request number.
– Register in the central register for foreigners.
– You must register with the municipality where you live or work.
We will now explain the various matters in more detail.
You need the identification number for foreigners to purchase real estate, rent a home (if this happens in a legitimate way) connecting water, light or telephone. So it is a very important number if you want to immigrate to Spain even if it is not directly obligatory.
You can do it N.I.E. Request a number in your own country if you want to arrange this before being involved in Spain immigration. That is indeed recommended because that makes it easier for arranging the other documents. You can apply for it at a consulate or embassy of Spain in your country. See addresses embassies. Do this as early as possible as this can take quite a long time before you receive your NIE number.
If you do it in Spain you can do that directly with your registration in the central register for foreigners at Oficina de Extranjeros in the province where you live or work or the local police station. Requesting the NIE number at the police station is probably the most obvious way, but applying for it as early as possible in your own country can bring some advantages.
Hopefully the tips above can help you if you decide to really immigrate to Spain. But before deciding anything, you should consider some important things related to your decision.
