Visiting Spain with a residence permit from another Schengen country

Key rules

• Short visits only: Another Schengen country's permit allows up to 90 days in any 180 days in Spain, with no Spanish visa.
• No residence: The visit gives you no right to live in Spain.
• No work: You cannot work in Spain without a Spanish work and residence authorisation.
• Moving: To settle in Spain you generally need a Spanish authorisation, such as the EU long-term resident permit.

What your permit lets you do in Spain

Your permit from another Schengen country lets you visit Spain for up to 90 days in any 180 days. You do not need a Spanish visa. It does not give you the right to live or work in Spain.

To travel, carry your valid passport (or travel document) and your valid residence permit. You must not be flagged in the Schengen Information System, the shared border-control database. If you are flagged, you can be refused entry.

The 90 days are counted across the whole 180-day period. Time you spend in Spain adds up with time in other Schengen countries you visit as a tourist. Time in the country that issued your permit does not count in the same way.

Can you work?

No. Your permit does not allow work in Spain. You need a Spanish work and residence authorisation. Short business visits without taking up employment may be allowed within the 90 days.

There are exceptions for some routes. The EU long-term resident route gives residence and work rights in Spain once you hold the Spanish permit. Some EU Blue Card and intra-corporate transfer rules also allow work in Spain. These apply only after you get the right Spanish authorisation.

If you want to move to Spain

You generally need a Spanish authorisation before you settle. Which one depends on your situation. The decision block below sets out the options, and the timeline and documents blocks show the steps.

• EU long-term resident status from another EU country: you can apply for the Spanish permit for EU long-term residents. You need enough money, health insurance and a purpose, such as work, self-employment or study. In some cases you can apply from inside Spain, within a month of entering. Family members can come with you. After five years in Spain you can apply for Spanish long-term residence. This route does not cover status linked to Denmark or Ireland.
• EU Blue Card holders: you can use the mobility route after 12 months in the first country.
• Intra-corporate transfer: a mobility route exists if your company moves you to Spain.
• Family of an EU citizen: a family route may apply.
• Everyone else: use the ordinary permits (work, self-employed, non-lucrative or study). You usually apply at a Spanish consulate.

Applications go to the immigration office (Oficina de Extranjería). Qualified or corporate cases may go to the large-companies unit (UGE-CE). Documents and deadlines depend on the permit type and changed with the 2025 regulation, so check with your Extranjería office before you apply.

Do not overstay

Staying beyond 90 days in 180 without a Spanish authorisation puts you in breach of the rules. Plan any move before you travel, not after.

Choosing between options

Which route fits you if you want to move to Spain from another EU country?

• EU long-term resident permit: You hold long-term resident status in another EU country, with enough money, health insurance and a purpose such as work or study.

• EU Blue Card mobility: You hold a Blue Card and have lived 12 months in the first country; apply within a month of entering Spain.

• Intra-corporate transfer mobility: Your company is moving you to a branch in Spain; the application goes to the large companies unit.

• Family of an EU citizen: You are a family member of an EU citizen and the family route applies to you.

• Ordinary permit (work, self-employed, non-lucrative or study): None of the routes above fits; you generally apply at the Spanish consulate.

Start with the route your current status qualifies for. If none applies, use an ordinary permit.

Timeline and deadlines

• Visit Spain with your passport and permit, without a Spanish visa: up to 90 days in any 180 days

Documents you need

• Valid passport or travel document, needed for any short visit to Spain.

• Valid residence permit from the Schengen country where you live, issued by that country's immigration authority, carried with your passport.

• Proof of long-term resident status from another EU country, needed only if you apply for the EU long-term resident permit in Spain.

• Proof of enough money and health insurance, needed only if you apply for the EU long-term resident permit in Spain.

Frequently asked questions

Can I work in Spain with a residence permit from another Schengen country?

No, a residence permit from another Schengen country does not let you work in Spain. You need a Spanish work and residence authorisation, unless you use the EU long-term resident route, which gives residence and work rights. Short business visits without employment may be allowed within the 90-day limit.

How can I move to Spain if I live in another EU country?

You generally need a Spanish authorisation before you move. The main routes are EU long-term resident status, EU Blue Card mobility, intra-corporate transfer mobility and family routes, and ordinary work, self-employed, non-lucrative or study permits.

What does the EU long-term resident route in Spain require?

You need long-term resident status in another EU country, enough money, health insurance and a purpose such as work or study. You can apply from inside Spain, sometimes within a month of entering, and family members can come with you.