Moving to Spain with EU long-term residence from another country

Key rules

• Deadline: If you apply in Spain, file within one month of entering the country, or apply at the Spanish consulate before you travel.
• Earlier time: Time in another member state does not count as time in Spain, so your Spanish time is counted on its own.
• Work permit: A work permit on this route has no quota and no national employment situation test.
• Blue Card: Blue Card holders apply for a Spanish Blue Card, and at least two years of their long-term residence time must be in Spain.

The short version

If you hold EU long-term status in another member state, you can apply for a Spanish residence permit based on it. You choose a permit for work (employed or self-employed) or one without work. If you hold an EU Blue Card, there is a separate Blue Card route. Family members can join you.

How to apply

You have two options:

• From abroad: apply at the Spanish consulate before you travel.
• In Spain: apply at the Oficina de Extranjería within one month of entering Spain.

If the permit is granted, you collect your TIE card. Later you may be able to obtain Spanish EU long-term residence. The timeline below shows the order of steps.

What you must show

• Enough resources for you and your family members, without relying on social assistance.
• Health insurance: public cover through Social Security, or a private policy that covers you in Spain.
• No criminal record and no threat to public order.

For a work permit, you do not need to pass the national employment situation test, and the permit is not subject to a quota. The documents list below gives the full set of papers.

If you hold an EU Blue Card

A Blue Card holder from another member state can move to Spain to work as a highly qualified worker. You need 12 months of residence in the first state. You then apply for a Spanish EU Blue Card through the Unidad de Grandes Empresas y Colectivos Estratégicos within one month of entering Spain. You need a work contract or binding job offer, evidence of your qualifications, and a salary above the threshold. The threshold is updated from time to time, so ask that unit for the current figure.

How your earlier time counts

Time spent in another member state does not count as time in Spain towards Spanish long-term residence. Your time in Spain is counted on its own, so keep records of it. The one exception is that your time as an EU long-term resident can count towards meeting the requirement for EU long-term status in Spain.

Blue Card holders get more credit. Time as a Blue Card holder in other member states counts towards EU long-term residence, up to a limit, but at least two years must be in Spain.

Rules on how earlier periods count are detailed, so ask the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration how your own time will be treated before you rely on it.

Before you go

Permit names and procedures changed with the 2025 Immigration Regulation. Check the current names and steps with the consulate or the Oficina de Extranjería you will use.

Timeline and deadlines

• Hold EU Blue Card residence in the first member state (Blue Card route only): for 12 months before you move

• Apply for your residence permit at the Spanish consulate (if applying from abroad): before you travel to Spain

• Collect your TIE card once the permit is granted: after approval

Documents you need

• Proof of EU long-term status in the other member state, such as your long-term resident permit

• Proof of sufficient resources for you and your family members, without relying on social assistance

• Health insurance: public cover through Social Security or a private policy valid in Spain

• Proof that you have no criminal record and are no threat to public order

• For the EU Blue Card: a work contract or binding job offer in Spain

• For the EU Blue Card: evidence of your qualifications

Checklist

• Gather proof of enough resources for you and your family

• File your application within one month of entering Spain, or at the Spanish consulate before you travel

Frequently asked questions

Does my time in another EU country count towards Spanish long-term residence?

No, time spent in another member state does not count as time in Spain towards Spanish long-term residence. The exception is that your time as an EU long-term resident can help you meet the requirement for EU long-term status in Spain. In practice you must show residence in Spain itself.

Do I need a work quota or labour-market test to work in Spain?

No, if you hold EU long-term status in another member state, a work permit is not subject to quota and the national employment situation test is waived. You still need to show enough resources and health cover, and have no criminal record or public order threat.

Does time as a Blue Card holder in another country count for long-term residence?

Yes, time as a Blue Card holder in other member states counts towards EU long-term residence, but only up to a limit. At least two years must be spent in Spain.

Can my family join me if I move to Spain with EU long-term status?

Yes, family members can join you in Spain when you hold a permit based on EU long-term status.