All the foreign citizens who are going to reside in Spain, have the obligation to obtain their corresponding residence and lucrative authorization to be able to work. There are cases in which a residence to work is not sought, in this case it is possible to opt for the non lucrative one, as long as they have sufficient income, marked by law, to be able to live in Spain.
Depending on the type of nationality of the foreign applicant, it will be possible to apply for one type of residency or another, in particular:
Citizens of the European Union, the European Economic Area and Switzerland. (Schengen area)
EU citizens enjoy privileges to travel and live freely in the Schengen area for three months. To do so, it will be sufficient to have a valid national identity card or passport to stay in another member country for up to 3 months without registration.
In some cases, it will be necessary to notify the competent authorities, such as the town hall or the police station, of your presence in that country.
In the specific case of Spain, both EU citizens and citizens of the European Economic Area (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) and Switzerland, have the right to reside in our country for a period of up to three months without any conditions or formalities other than being in possession of a valid identity card or passport.
Citizens of other states.
For the citizens of a non-EU country, the process to entry in Spain is more complicated. First of all, to enter Spain, they would need a short-term Schengen visa that will be valid for 90 days in a 180-day period. But, if it is planned to stay longer, it will be necessary to apply simultaneously for a long-term visa.
There are some requirements to apply for a Spanish visa, like proof of sufficient financial funds, a clean criminal record and an overall good health certificate. Furthermore, as if your are recognized as a highly skilled worker, you may even be issued the European Blue Card, which is equivalent to the Green Card in the United States.
Not everyone wanting to move to Spain intends to work there. In this cases, the best way to obtain a residence is aplly for a Spanish non-lucrative residence visa, that fits greats for retirees and those wanting to reunite with family.
Is important to keep in mind that with this type of visa you cannot work remotely in Spain. That is why the Spanish Government is working on a law called “Ley Start Ups” that includes a special type of visa, the nomad visa, especially for people who want to work remotely.
But there are other ways to obtain residency in Spain, such as the Golden Visa.
If you want to move to spain you will be interested in our article about the NIE
