Some expats need a visa before entering Spain. All is explained here.

Do you need a visa?

If you are an EU resident you do not need a visa to enter Spain.

Most non-EU foreigners need a visa to enter the country. In some cases an agreement between Spain and your home country exists in which the requirement of a visa is eliminated if you will be staying in Spain for up to three months within a six-month period, or for a transit stay of a maximum of five days.

How to get a visa

You may apply for a visa to the Spanish Consulate in your home country before you leave.

There are different types of visas depending on your purpose for entering Spain: studying, working, tourism, investment, etc. You should apply for your visa according to your needs, as you cannot enter Spain on a tourist visa and then apply to stay as something else without returning to your home country and obtaining the appropriate visa first.

You should be required to present some specific documentation, depending on the type of visa you need. The visas process will take some weeks depending on each case.

In general terms, there exist three types of visas:

• Transit visa: This is given to individuals or groups of foreigners passing through Spanish ports or airports without entering the Spanish territory. This visa also allows foreigners to pass through Spanish territory for a maximum of five days.
• Temporary stay visa: This is issued to foreigners who wish to stay in Spain for up to three months within a six-month time period. This visa exists in various categories:
  o Group visas for short stays
  o Visas for Diplomatic personnel or similar
  o Visas to study in Spain.
• Residence visa: This should not be confused with the Residence permit, which is also necessary in most of the cases. This visa is initially granted for one year, and it may be renewed for an additional two years. Once it has expired, you may apply for permanent residency visa, which must be renewed every five years. There are specific categories:
  o For reuniting a family: The could be given to the spouse provided that his matrimony is valid, or to the descendants of the principal, provided that they are not married and are under 18 years of age.
  o For working in Spain: This visa is for foreign professionals who do not need a work permit, such as university professors, professionals hired by a Spanish university, or scientists hired by Spanish Government.
  o For asylum: This is issued for foreigners with refugee status.

These are only general guidelines and not definitive statements of the law. All questions about the law's applications to individual cases should be directed to a Spanish lawyer.

Article by iAbogado Servicios Jurídicos SL (Madrid, Spain). Visit www.SpainLawyer.com for more original content like this.