Moving to another country can be very stressful. The most stressful part of the move is completing the immigration application process. If you are also planning to move to another country by yourself or with your family, you must read this article till the end. In the article, we will talk about everything you need to know about immigration to Spain.
The decision of moving to Spain can be one of the best decisions you ever make, but it can also become a real hassle if you do not understand the immigration procedure and requirements correctly. If you continue reading, you will find out about all the legal paperwork and immigration procedure that you will need to complete to ensure that your move to Spain is smooth and comfortable.
If you are not already sold on the idea of moving to Spain, let us help by sharing some reasons why you should immigrate to Spain today.
Here are five reasons why moving to Spain is a good idea:
- The Beauty
Spain is without a doubt one of the most beautiful countries in the world. The beauty of Spain is endless with gorgeous mountains and breathtaking coastlines. The country is known for its beautiful landscape and even beautiful weather. Some places that one must absolutely visit while in Spain are vibrant Barcelona, picturesque Granada, romantic Seville, quaint Pueblos Blancos, fun-filled Madrid, iconic Ronda, historical Valencia, the culinary heaven that is Basque Country, the imperial Toledo, among others. Apart from its sunbathed beaches, crystal clear waters, and endless mountains, Spain is also known for its rich history. There are many famous museums in Spain that give you a glimpse of this history.
- Lifestyle
The people of Spain live a very chilled out life. A lot of activities happen outdoors in Spain because of the endless beauty of this country. Imagine yourself sitting on a small balcony and sipping coffee and staring out at the beauty of a gorgeous mountain or a lovely beach or maybe a busy Spanish street filled with locals. This can be your life every morning if you immigrate to Spain.
- Food
Gazpacho, Paella, Tortillas, Gambas al ajillo, Patatas bravas, Cochinillo asado; I cannot stop salivating. One of the benefits of living in Spain is the food and drinks. Imagine going out every weekend to a beach party or sitting at a table on the street and devouring delicious Spanish delicacies and yummy cocktails with your friends or loved ones.
- Weather
Spain experiences sunshine and mild weather throughout the year. Imagine not having to worry about whether it is too hot or too cold to step out of the house this weekend because the weather in Spain is always amazing. Any day is a good day to head out for a trek or take a walk on the beach.
- Cost of Living
Imagine living in a country in Europe with easy access to so many beautiful places and countries, and not having to spend as much money for daily expenses. That is what living in Spain looks like. The cost of living in Spain is much less as compared to other European countries.
Living in Spain sounds like an amazing experience to me. Starting your day with a coffee with a view and ending it with a delicious paella and yummy cocktails on the beach, yes please!
Let us understand who needs to apply for a residence visa to Spain
If you are a citizen of any of the following, you do not need to apply for a residence permit:
- A European Union country
- The European Economic Area (EEA)
- Switzerland
But what if you are not from a European country? In that case, you need a permit to live and work in Spain. There are many different types of visas that one can apply for immigration in spain. Let us look at some of these in detail:
- If you are travelling to Spain only for a short visit, you can apply for a tourist visa. This type of visa is also called a short term visa. This Schengen visa can be applied by anyone who is interested in visiting Spain for a vacation to meet their loved ones. When you visit Spain on a tourist visa, you cannot legally work in Spain or live there for a long period of time. If you want to stay in Spain for a longer period of time or want to work there, you need to look into Spain immigration. You cannot apply for any such visa while you are in Spain. You will have to return to your home country and apply for the visa that you need on the Spain immigration website.
- If you wish to live in Spain for a longer period of time and if you want to work in Spain, you will have to apply for a temporary residency as per the Spain immigration policy. This visa will permit you to work and live in Spain for a year or two. At the end of your visa, you can apply to renew your visa by submitting the appropriate paperwork. With the temporary permit, you can stay and work in Spain and experience the Spanish lifestyle for a few years.
- After you have lived in Spain on a temporary residency visa with a work permit for five years continuously, you can apply for something called permanent residency. With a permanent residency visa, you can live and work in Spain for an indefinite amount of time. The process to apply for a permanent residency visa is simple and straightforward. Do remember, the years that you have spent in Spain on a student visa do not count as one year each, but as half, so, if you did a 2 year masters course, this time will only be counted as one year when you are applying for a permanent residency visa. When you live in Spain, you can slowly and steadily build a life for yourself one step at a time. The next step in this journey is applying for Spanish citizenship.
Another way to consider Spain immigration from India is applying for a student visa. When it comes to student visas, there are a few types that you need to consider. With a student visa for Spain you can study or complete a short training course in Spain. If you wish to come to Spain on a student exchange program, you would require a student visa for the same. Again, if you are a citizen of any European country or of Switzerland, you do not need to apply for a student visa to study in Spain.
The different types of student visas that you can apply for if you want to study in Spain are explained below:
- Student permit
This is a very short term visa that students who want to go to Spain for a short course of 3 months or less can apply for. Students can come to Spain after obtaining a student permit to do a short certificate course or for a student exchange program. You need to simply apply for a student permit with the Spanish embassy in your home country by providing the required paperwork. Do remember that you need to have an acceptance letter to a course before you apply for this type of visa.
- Short Term Student Visas
The next type of visa, which allows you to stay in Spain for a little more time than a student permit is the short term student visa. With the short term student visa, a student can study in Spain for three to six months. Their stay in Spain cannot exceed 180 days. Also, this visa cannot be extended for any reason. If a student wants to stay in Spain for more than 180 days, they have to return to their home country and file a fresh application. To obtain this visa, students need to apply for a Schengen student visa at the Spanish embassy in their own country. The application for this type of visa is fairly simple and is less complicated than the long term student visa application. On the short term student visa, you can take courses offered by any college or university. You could opt for a simple Spanish language course in any college and live in Spain for six months to experience the lifestyle and beauty this country has to offer.
- Long Term Student Visa
A long term student visa can be applied for when someone wants to pursue a course in Spain which is longer than six months. Within the first month of their arrival, students need to apply for a card at the immigration office called student residence card which will act as an identity and residence proof for the student for the duration that they live in Spain. The process to apply for this type of visa is most complicated as compared to other student visas and permits. A lot more documentation is required to apply for a long term visa. Students also need to get a medical checkup and background check done to check for any criminal records.
How to Apply for a Student Visa to Go to Spain
The first thing you need to have when applying for a student visa for Spain is an acceptance letter from the college or university offering the course. You need to apply for the visa or permit at least three months before your course begins. When you apply for the student visa, make sure that you have submitted all the documents that are required for your specific visa type. Then, you must pay the visa fees for the Schengen Student Visa.
Can you work in Spain on a Student Visa?
When you are living in Spain on a student visa, you are allowed to work part-time, that is for a duration of not more than 20 hours a week. This is done so that students can earn some money to pay for their basic everyday expenses while living in Spain. The number of hours every week are capped to make sure that the work does not interfere with the students’ studies. For this job as well, you will need to get a work permit from the department of immigration or the Foreign Office. Your employer has to apply for this permit on your behalf. However, if you are applying for an internship as a part of your course, you do not need to obtain a work permit.
Now that you have made up your mind about moving to Spain, let us find out more about immigration to Spain from India. To move to Spain, you need to first visit the immigration to spain official website. Here, you will apply for a residence visa. Depending on the type of visa you apply for, the documentation will differ and so will the visa fees. The type of visa you apply for depends on many different aspects like your purpose of visit, the duration of your stay, etc.
There are four categories of visas for Indian immigration to Spain:
- Residence Visa With Work Permit
- Work And Residence Permit For Self-Employed
- Non Lucrative Visa
- Recovery of Long Term Residence
