Knowledge Base:
Your Complete Guide to Spanish Residency
Step-by-step instructions for every stage of your application — from preparing documents in the US, UK, or Canada to collecting your TIE card in Spain. Everything you need, in one place.
Documents to prepare in your home country (US / UK / Canada)
FBI Identity History Summary
The primary police clearance for US applicants: how to request your FBI background check, get it apostilled by the US Department of State (federal apostille only — state-level apostilles are rejected), and meet Spain's document-freshness rules
Police clearance: overview by country
Which certificate Spain requires depending on your country of residence — FBI Identity History Summary (US), ACRO Police Certificate (UK), or RCMP certified criminal record check (Canada) — and the steps that follow
Apostille by country: US / UK / Canada
How to authenticate your documents for Spain: US Department of State federal apostille, UK FCDO apostille, and Global Affairs Canada apostille (Canada joined the Hague Apostille Convention in January 2024)
Company & employment proof
What Spain accepts as evidence of employment or self-employment for US, UK, and Canadian applicants: employer letters, contracts, incorporation documents, and how to authenticate them for use abroad
Marriage certificate + apostille
Why Spain requires a recent proof-of-marital-status document, where to obtain one (US state vital records offices, UK General Register Office, Canadian provincial registrar), and how to get it apostilled
Social security & totalization coverage
How the US–Spain, UK–Spain, and Canada–Spain totalization agreements work, what documentation to prepare before you relocate, and how living in Spain affects your contributions and future benefits
Parental consent for a child's residency
When one parent travels with or applies for a child: how to prepare notarized parental consent, apostille it in your home country, and get a sworn Spanish translation — plus what US, UK, and Canadian border rules actually require
First steps once you're in Spain
Declaración de entrada (72-hour entry declaration)
Declaración de entrada — a mandatory declaration filed within 72 hours of arriving in Spain on your visa. Where to submit it, what to bring, and why missing the deadline creates complications for your residency application
Empadronamiento (town hall registration)
Empadronamiento — registering your address at your local town hall — is required to apply for residency in most regions. How to book an appointment, what documents to bring, and what to expect on the day
Pareja de hecho (civil partnership)
Pareja de hecho — Spain's registered civil partnership. Who qualifies, which documents are required, how much it costs, and how to dissolve the registration if needed
Paying the tasa at a CaixaBank ATM
Step-by-step walkthrough for paying the Spanish government processing fee (tasa) through a CaixaBank ATM — the required payment method for most immigration fees in Spain
Application & processing
Visa-path calculator
Find the right application route for your situation: how many trips to Spain, which Schengen stays to count, and a stage-by-stage timeline for you and your family
Signing your MI-T / MI-F forms
Exactly where to sign on each form — MI-T, MI-F, and the Declaración responsable — and the most common errors that cause applications to be returned
Full residency application guide
Every stage from document preparation to collecting your residence card — with a timeline, checklist, and what to do if your file is queried by immigration
Autorización de regreso
Autorización de regreso (return authorization) lets you leave and re-enter Spain while your TIE card is being processed — a 90-day travel document issued at the immigration office
Health insurance for your residency
Which private health policy Spanish immigration offices accept — full coverage, sin copagos (no co-pays) and sin carencias (no waiting periods) — how much it costs, and the wording that avoids an avoidable refusal
Track your Schengen days & status
How to use the official EU tool to check how many of your 90/180 visa-free Schengen days remain — useful while you plan trips to Spain and file your residency application from inside the country
After approval
After approval — next steps
How to book your biometrics appointment (fingerprints and photo), what to bring to the immigration office, and what happens on the day
Tracking your TIE card
How to check whether your TIE (Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero — foreign resident ID card) is ready for collection via the official Spanish portal
Open a company (SL) in Spain
How to incorporate a Sociedad Limitada (Spanish limited company) — NIE, notary, escritura, the Registro Mercantil, CIF and a business bank account — useful for the self-employed (autónomo) and startup routes
Prefer not to navigate this alone?
We handle the entire process — from document preparation to collecting your residence card. Our team is based in Valencia, Spain and works with applicants from the US, UK, and Canada. Track record of 400+ successful cases. Re-application is included in our fee if your case is refused — see service terms for details.
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