Immigration to Spain
It is worth noting that over the past few years immigration to Spain from many countries has become a fairly regular event for many citizens. This became possible largely due to some simplifications in the mechanism of obtaining a residence permit.
According to statistics, the main applicants for Spanish citizenship are Ukrainians, Russians and other immigrants from the countries of the former USSR. It is they who seek to obtain a residence permit in Spain through investment in real estate obtaining future citizenship through the golden investment visa.
What is an investor residence permit in Spain? How to obtain it and what option to choose among the proposed government programs? To begin with, it is worth understanding what are the main advantages of obtaining the status of a resident of the Kingdom of Spain.
Advantages of a residence permit in Spain
Investment residence permit in Spain has a number of specific advantages, among which are:
- No strict requirements regarding periods of regular residence in the country;
- Possibility to visit countries of the Schengen area without additional documents and visas;
- Own house property in the EU;
- The possibility of obtaining a residence permit for each member of your family.
If we compare the requirements for an investor when obtaining a residence permit and for an ordinary applicant, one can see such advantages as the absence of necessity of knowledge of the language, for example, which is expressed in the cancellation of exams for investors.
The time limits for obtaining Spanish citizenship for both categories are the same and are about ten years. At the same time, the investor may not even live in the Kingdom of Spain, while for an ordinary applicant the requirements are much tougher (6 months annually).
An ordinary applicant is much more likely to be denied a residence permit, while Spanish citizenship through investment is obtained in almost 100% of applications. We draw your attention to the fact that initially the investor receives a primary residence permit (if the documents were submitted through the consul). Further, the residence permit shall be prolonged twice for 24 months.
Conditions for obtaining a residence permit in Spain
In fact, you can obtain a residence permit in Spain in a fairly short time (from 60 to 90 days). The main condition is an investment in the purchase of Spanish real estate objects, the amount of which should start from €500,000.
At the same time, the funds invested by you are returned within 5 years, and the basic requirements for a person who wants to invest in real estate objects are quite standard for the EU countries.
Requirements for obtaining a residence permit in Spain
If you are an applicant for a residence permit, the main requirements are:
- age (at least 18 years old);
- investments from outside the country;
- absence of open criminal files and convictions;
- availability of medical insurance;
- stay in the country for at least one full week annually.
At the same time an investment residence permit in Spain implies that the applicant’s husband (wife), their own children under the age of 18, as well as dependent children under the age of 26 also obtain it together with the applicant. If the child is over 18 years old, a residence permit is issued subject to his or her dependence on the applicant, who is the main investor. In other words, children at this age must be dependent.
Available investment options for obtaining a residence permit in Spain
The service “Residence permit of Spain through investment” from our company may be relevant in the following situations:
- Acquisition of real estate objects
The minimum investment amount starts from €500,000. You can buy any type of real estate objects within the Spanish territory. The buyer must own the property for at least 60 months.
- Bank account
A deposit of at least one million euros in a Spanish bank or the purchase of shares in Spanish companies for the same amount is the right step towards obtaining a residence permit. Please note that you can sell your shares or withdraw money from your bank account after 60 months.
- Government bonds
You can purchase Spanish bonds for at least €2,000,000. They can be repaid after a five-year period.
- Starting your own business
The amount of investments to be made shall start from one million euros. The project should be of interest to the Kingdom of Spain. The time limit of business support is not strictly defined.
A residence permit in Spain (investment) can be obtained in a fairly short time. Among the main steps are:
- Initial risk assessment
The procedure takes up to 72 hours. The main goal is to check the applicant for reliability. The assessment gives you the opportunity to reduce the risk of possible refusals, as well as a chance to learn about your options for obtaining a Spanish residence permit.
It happens that during the risk assessment procedure certain nuances and questions come up that may cause refusals by the Spanish authorities. In such situations other naturalization programs can be selected.
- Selection of investment option
This stage of the Residence permit of Spain through investment service provides for the search of the most appropriate investment option according to your requests. As a rule, the selection of real estate objects is carried out within one to two full business weeks.
The applicant is offered a choice of several optimal options of objects, taking into account his or her preferences and requests:
– residential stock;
– office property;
– industrial region;
– municipal estate;
– country estate, etc.
A tour around Spain is organized for the applicant, accompanied by a competent consultant. When you make your choice, the company provides you with the services of a lawyer and a notary to open bank accounts, draw up documents and certify them.
- Drafting of documents
The procedure takes 7 days minimum and ends with the presentation of the minimum required package of documents to the applicant. Documents shall be translated, their compliance with the apostille shall be checked. Prepared documentation shall be submitted to the Spanish Ministry of Internal Affairs. The applicant is required to pay a state fee of €60.
- First visit
You have 2 weeks for inspection of the objects that you have purchased. The applicant shall obtain a resident visa allowing entry to Spain. With this visa you can not only stay in the country, but also live and work freely, as well as visit countries of the Schengen area within 12 months.
Under the new legislation, if you already have a valid permit allowing you to stay in Spanish territory (an open Schengen visa, for example), it is not necessary to obtain a resident visa. The applicant can immediately apply for a residence permit.
- Obtaining a residence permit
The procedure can take up to 3 weeks. As a result you get an official Spanish residence permit for yourself and your family members, which is valid for 24 months, and then shall be prolonged for a five-year period. Each member of your family receives a Spanish resident biometric card.
Permanent residence in Spain
A residence permit in Spain through purchasing real estate objects is the first step towards obtaining permanent residence and subsequent official Spanish citizenship. The procedure takes place in a general manner and takes at least five years after obtaining a residence permit.
What is required to obtain permanent residence? First of all, you must confirm regular residence in Spain. You must provide documents confirming that you have not left the country for more than 300 days within the past five years.
Spanish citizenship
When you have lived in Spain for at least ten years, you can already submit the necessary documents to obtain Spanish citizenship. You will need to provide documentary evidence of regular stay within the Kingdom for at least 6 months annually, as well as pass an exam to confirm knowledge of Spanish. It is worth noting that for citizens of some Latin American countries the ten-year period can be reduced to 24 months.
Double citizenship in Spain
Please note that the Kingdom of Spain does not recognize double citizenship. Some easing of the requirements apply to certain states of the Spanish-speaking countries of Latin America. If you are considering double citizenship in Spain, but are not a citizen of certain Latin American countries, this idea should be abandoned immediately.