A huge number of freelancers flock to Spain to enjoy the high quality of life and movida. Freelancers are attracted not only by the magnificent beaches, ancient architecture and good food, but also by the developed infrastructure for comfortable remote work. In such cities as Madrid and Barcelona there are a number of co-working spaces for freelancers today.
If you are a freelancer or a remote worker with a stable income of 2130 euros per month or more, and you want to move to Spain, you can try to apply for a self-employed residency permit (which is also called a “residence permit for financially independent persons”).
If you want to move with your family, you must possess an additional 538 euros per month for each family member.
The definition of “financially independent persons” includes the following foreigners:
- Staff members of foreign companies, who are able to work remotely
- Holders of foreign companies’ shares receiving dividends
- Owners of foreign property renting it out
- Owners/founders of Spanish companies and enterprises that do not hold any other positions in them and do not directly manage them (a Spanish manager/director must be hired)
- Freelancers, whose activities do not depend on where they live and are not affiliated with Spain
Self-employed residency permit: rights and obligations
Spanish residence permit for financially independent persons gives its holder a lot of preferences and opportunities, such as, for example, the opportunity to travel freely within the European Union and live in the kingdom for more than 90 days without worrying about visas.
After 5 years holding the temporary residence permit, you will be eligible for permanent residency.
The rights of freelancers are subject to one main restriction: they are not allowed to work under contract in Spain. Hence, the official name of this type of residence permit is called “Residencia temporal no lucrativa”.
However, you can change your type of residence permit after a year, registering as an individual entrepreneur or signing a contract with a Spanish company.
Another obligation is permanent residence (more than six months, that is, 183 days a year) in Spain.
Important: if you are moving with children, they must be enrolled in any type of Spanish school, private, semi-private or public. According to local legislation, each child must obtain compulsory secondary education, otherwise parents will have problems with the law. If only one parent is traveling with a child, the other spouse must issue a notarized power of attorney, translated and certified by the Spanish Consulate General.
Requirements for obtaining a Spanish residence permit for financially independent individuals
By providing a residence permit for financially independent individuals, the Spanish Government assumes that they are able to support themselves and their family without having to work (including illegally) for Spanish companies.
The main requirement is the availability of an amount of 70,000 Euros in a bank deposit or a reliable monthly source of income of at least 2152 Euros per family head and 538 Euros for each other family member. The following may be accepted as proof of such income: bank statements, tax return forms, information about dividends received, deposits or income from business activities.
The applicant for a residence permit in Spain should not have problems with the law of this country, as well as have no past violations of the visa regime.
How to apply for a Spanish residence permit for financially independent individuals
First of all, you should collect the entire application necessary to apply for a residence permit (the list is given below). In addition, you should take care of the translation of documents into Spanish. Please note that the translation cannot be done on your own – it must be provided by the legalization department of the Spanish Consulate or by one of the translators accredited by the Consulate.
The complete package of documents is submitted to the Embassy or Consulate of Spain of your country. The residence permit processing procedure itself may take up to three months.
After your residence permit is approved, you get the visa valid for three months from its issuance. During this period you must enter Spain and visit the Local Immigration Office (Extranjería) to apply for your Tarjeta de Identificación de Extranjero (in short, Tarjeta NIE).
For the first time, a residence permit for financially independent persons is issued for a period of 1 year. Its prolongation will require almost the same package of documents. The extension must be done in person.
Required documents
- Visa application form;
- Passport or travel document (its validity period must be at least one year from the date of submission);
- I.D. Card that proves your place of residence
- The medical certificate with an original signature and/or stamp from a doctor (example);
- Spanish visa photo;
- Proof of funds (tax return, bank statements, contracts, and other documents that may serve as evidence of official income);
- Medical insurance;
- For remote employees: a certificate from the place of employment with information about vacation or absence of obligations to stay in the office;
- Certificate from police – evidence of no criminal record;
- Cover letter.
