Australian citizens who wish to travel to Spain for touristic purposes are not required to obtain a special type of visa prior to their visit. However, for lengthier stays, they will need to obtain the work and resident permits as required by law.
Moving to Spain is an important decision and Australians who decide to do so can be drawn to the beautiful European country for a number of reasons. Whether it is for the purpose of pursuing an employment opportunity, because of an intra-company transfer or for investment purposes, applicants for a residence permit are required to follow the procedure according to their particular motive for staying in the country long-term.
If you want to immigrate to Spain from Australia, our team of Spain immigration agents can help you arrange for the work and residence permits and will assist you throughout the application procedure.
Moving to Spain from Australia
Australian citizens who are interested in Spain immigration can stay in the country for long periods of time once they obtain one of the following types of long-term visas:
- Work visa: dependent on having secured an employment contract with a Spanish employer.
- Student visa: for those who have been admitted to a University in Spain or for other formal education/studies. Please be aware that there are additional requirements to meet in order to receive a temporary or permanent resident permit in Spain. On the other hand, they can take advantage of supplementary initiatives that, for instance, are not accessible to nationals of the EU and that favor their relocation to Spain. So, feel free to ask for our help if you need it.
- Investment visa: for those who open a company or made a significant investment in real estate or stocks in Spanish companies.
- Non-lucrative visa: destined for individuals who wish to stay in Spain for retirement purposes and are able to sustain themselves.
- Family reunification: when the applicant wishes to reunite with a Spanish spouse or partner or in other conditions.
Other visas are also available for certain purposes, such as medical visas or for cultural, film or sports purposes for actors, artists or athletes. However, for the purpose of immigration, our agents have considered that the types mentioned in the list above will be more suited for longer stays or permanent relocation.
Our immigration lawyers in Spain are able to provide Australian nationals with complete information about all of the types of visas and how they can be changed or updated, for example, if an individual who initially arrives in the country with a student visa wishes to become employed in a Spanish city.
Our Spanish immigration lawyers can also provide comprehensive information on the conditions associated with obtaining a work visa. We can reply to all of your inquiries if you want to apply for a residence permit in Spain. No matter the way you decide to explore this option, our specialists will offer tailored solutions that respect your requirements and needs.
Preparations when immigrating to Spain from Australia
When taking such an important step like moving from one country to another is important to make some arrangements before the actual move. When immigrating to Spain from Australia considering the housing options before relocation is very important.
There are two options for those immigrating to Spain: to rent a property or purchase one. No matter the choice, finding a property in Spain is not difficult when it comes to rentals.
Those who want to relocate to Spain and purchase real estate can consider the residence by investment program available for non-EU citizens.
No matter the choice, our lawyers can help with housing services for expats relocating to Spain.
We can also provide the needed information on the insurance requirements one must meet when immigrating to Spain from Australia.
The standard immigration procedure to Spain from Australia
Australian citizens who want to emigrate to Spain will find it rather easy as they must follow the standard procedure applicable to other foreign citizens interested in relocating to Europe. Spain is one of the countries to have embassies and consulates in a large number of countries outside Europe and Australia is no exception.
Those who want to immigrate to Spain from Australia can do so by applying for the relevant type of visa. An important aspect to consider is that they need to secure the residence or work permit prior to entering Spain. Another thing to consider is that Spain and Australia have created the Youth Mobility Scheme which allows Australian students to travel and work in Spain for a limited period of time.
Our immigration lawyers in Spain can offer more information on the steps to complete when moving from Australia in accordance with the solicited type of visa.
We offer full support to those who want to move to Spain from Australia.
Important steps for Spain immigration
The Spain immigration process is not a complicated one for Australian citizens, however, they will need to handle some of the applications before they arrive in the country. The common procedure for immigrants includes the following steps:
- visa application: this is performed before coming to Spain, with the Embassy or Consulate in the country of residence.
- apply for a permanent residence permit: a long-term residence for Australians means that they can work and reside in the country the same way as nationals; this permanent residence can be granted after five years;
- apply for citizenship: after ten years, individuals can apply for Spanish citizenship; this can also be done through marriage.
- obtain the NIF: the foreigner’s identification number is mandatory for individuals moving to Spain and it will be used for identification purposes.
- other steps: finding employment, opening a bank account, renting or purchasing property are all issues to consider when immigrating to Spain.
The application form for the Foreigner’s Identification Number is submitted in Spanish and includes the details of the applicant (name, passport number, date of birth, nationality, etc.) as well as the address used for notification purposes and the motivation for the application. A legal representative can also submit this document. One of our immigration lawyers in Spain can provide complete assistance for those individuals who need to apply with the help of a legal representative. When this is the case, the details of the person who is submitting the application will be included in the Spanish form.
The foreigner identity card is a separate document that is obtained by those foreign nationals who have acquired the right to stay in the country for more than six months. The application is submitted to the Foreigners Office in the area where they are domiciled and they are required to apply within one month from arrival. This is different from the NIF mentioned above. One of our specialists can provide you with more details.
Our Spain immigration agents can help you throughout all of these steps, including preparing the documents in advance, filling in the required forms and providing information on the general timeline of the application and how the process is expected to take place.
By working with our team, you will find it easier to prepare the application file, and it will include all of the documents in their correct format so that you can rest assured that the application will not be rejected based on incomplete documentation. Moreover, we can also assist immigrants from Australia during the post-arrival procedures, as stated above, for obtaining the identification number and handling a host of other formalities.
If you are a non-EU or non-EEA citizen who wants to work for yourself while living in Spain but wants to sell your services to clients outside of the country, the nomad visa for Spain may be a perfect choice for you. It’s also a terrific approach to determine if this remote work is an option because the process to obtain it is really straightforward and enables one to experience what life in Spain entails.
We have also created a scheme explaining briefly the procedure of relocating to Spain from Australia:
Documents required when immigrating to Spain from Australia
In most cases, the documents that need to be provided when moving to Spain from Australia are the same, unless the applicant applies for a specific type of visa such as the investor visa. The following documents need to be considered when immigrating to Spain:
- an application form (various forms are available depending on the type of visa requested);
- a valid passport and recent photographs;
- information about the reason for immigrating to Spain;
- a copy of the employment contract when immigrating based on a work visa;
- proof of investment when immigrating based on the Golden Visa Scheme;
- other documents, depending on the status of the applicant;
- an insurance contract.
Our immigration lawyers in Spain can offer more information on how to prepare for relocating to this country.
If you are interested in relocating to Spain from the USA, our lawyers can help you.
The Youth Mobility Accord between Spain and Australia
Spain and Australia have signed the Youth Mobility Program Visa in 2014. According to it, Australian citizens can apply for a 1-year visa for Spain under which they can travel, work and/or study here. Under this program, the Spanish Government issues 500 visas per year to Australian citizens willing to temporarily move here.
In order to be accepted into the program, the following conditions must be met:
- the program addresses citizens with Australian nationality only;
- the applicant must be aged between 18 and 30;
- the applicant must have sufficient funds to sustain themselves for the duration of the stay;
- to the applicant must have also completed at least 2 years of study;
- the applicant must also have a satisfactory level of the Spanish language (at least an A1 level).
Apart from these conditions, an applicant can enroll in this program once and is not allowed to bring dependents.
The advantages of this program are that Australian citizens can enroll in courses with Spanish universities and also work for Spanish companies during their stay here. The conditions to be met is for the successful candidate can study for a period of 4 months by taking part in one or more courses and working for the same employer for no more than 6 months.
If you are interested in obtaining more information on the Youth Mobility Program, our immigration lawyers in Spain can provide you with details.
How long does it take to immigrate to Spain?
Australian citizens interested in Spain immigration should note that they need to file their applications with the Spanish Embassy in Australia at least a few weeks before their departure. The issuance of a visa from the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs usually takes around 4 weeks. Our immigration lawyers can support the procedure of preparing for obtaining any type of visa. We also invite you to watch our video:
Emigrating to Spain with the help of our agents
Emigrating to Spain is a process that can also be accomplished through other means, dedicated to investors. The golden visa is an option for those interested to commit to a significant investment in real estate. Another option is to move to Spain through an investor visa or a skilled worker visa. Those entrepreneurs who wish to live in Spain and can prove they can sustain themselves without working can come to the country through a wealth visa. One of our agents who work like immigration lawyers in Spain can help you with detailed information about the conditions for obtaining these visas.
Once they have lawfully lived in Spain for ten years, Australians can apply for nationality by residence in Spain. This period can be reduced for those Australian nationals who, at the time of their application for nationality by residence, have been married for one year to a Spanish national. One of our immigration lawyers in Spain can also provide you with complete information on acquiring nationality.
Even though being a native of Spain is the most typical way to become a citizen, anyone from outside the country can apply for a Spanish passport. There are four possible ways to obtain citizenship in Spain in that sense. And it will be vital to select the one that is appropriate for you with the help of our local specialists.
Spain is a preferred immigration destination in Europe because of the quality of life for expats, the beautiful cities and its coastline – a true attraction.
According to the National Statistics Institute, the population figures and the immigration figures were the following for 2017:
- in 2018, there were approximately 5,947,106 foreign-born individuals in Spain, close to 12.8% of the population.
- in 2018, the resident population in Spain numbered more than 4,572,000 foreigners.
- in 2017, the population increased in the 10-24 age group and the 40-79 age group.
- the 2017 population increase was owed to the growth of foreign nationals (an additional 152,600 more foreign individuals).
Australians moving to Spain or other countries will generally seek options that provide good living standards, combined with their preferred climate and weather and also a good cost of living.
Contact our Spain immigration agents for complete information about the requirements applicable according to nationality and any other issues that are connected with expat life in the country.
If you are interested in immigration to Spain from the USA or from another country, our agents can also assist you.