What Spain's EU membership means for residents

Key rules

• EU citizens: With an ID or passport you can stay three months; for longer you must work, have enough money and health insurance, or study.
• Permanent residence: EU citizens gain permanent residence after five years of legal residence.
• Non-EU permits: Your permit comes from Spanish law, not EU free movement, unless you are family of an EU citizen.
• Schengen travel: A Spanish permit or TIE lets you visit other Schengen states for up to 90 days in 180 days, not live or work there.

The short version

Spain has been in the EU since 1986. EU rules sit on top of Spanish law, and Spain also uses the euro and belongs to Schengen. Your nationality decides how much of this changes your life. EU citizens get a right to live in Spain. Non-EU nationals still get their permit under Spanish law, shaped by EU rules.

How EU law works in Spain

EU regulations apply in Spain directly. Directives do not: Spain must turn them into its own laws or royal decrees, and it can be sanctioned if it fails to. Spanish courts must apply EU law. They can ask the EU's top court for guidance. Within the areas Spain has handed over to the EU, EU law comes first.

Spain elects 61 members of the European Parliament, voting as one national constituency.

The euro and Schengen

You pay in euros, and the European Central Bank sets interest-rate policy for the whole eurozone, not Madrid.

Schengen normally means no border checks between Spain and other Schengen states. Temporary checks can be brought back, so carry your passport or ID anyway.

Non-EU visitors who need no long-stay permit can stay up to 90 days in any 180 days across Schengen. The EU's Entry/Exit System has been phased in for non-EU visitors since October 2025, and ETIAS travel authorisation for visa-exempt travellers is planned after that. Check the current status before you travel.

If you are an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen

You can live in Spain under free-movement rules.

• For up to three months, an ID or passport is enough.
• For longer, you must work or be self-employed, or have enough money and health insurance, or be a student with insurance.
• You then register and receive a registration certificate with an NIE.
• After five years of legal residence, you gain permanent residence.

You are treated like Spaniards in work, taxes and access to services, within those conditions. Rights can be limited on grounds of public order, security or health.

Non-EU family members can be covered too. They receive a family-member residence card.

If you are a non-EU national

Your permit comes from Spanish immigration law, which EU directives shape. Those directives cover researchers, students, family reunification and intra-company transfers. Highly qualified workers can get an EU Blue Card.

• After five years of legal residence, you can apply for EU long-term resident status. It gives some mobility rights in other member states.
• With a valid Spanish permit or TIE, you can travel in other Schengen states for up to 90 days in 180 days. This does not let you live or work there.
• If you are the non-EU family member of an EU citizen, you may be able to use the more favourable EU-citizen family rules. In some cases this applies to family of Spanish citizens too. Ask the immigration office (Extranjería) which regime fits you.

The timeline, documents list and FAQ below give the steps and papers.

Timeline and deadlines

• EU citizens can stay with an ID or passport only: for up to three months after arrival

• EU citizens register and receive the registration certificate with an NIE, showing work, resources with health insurance, or study with insurance: if you stay longer than three months

• Travel in other Schengen states with a valid Spanish permit or TIE: up to 90 days in any 180 days

Documents you need

• Valid ID or passport: an EU citizen needs it to stay in Spain for up to three months.

• Registration certificate (certificado de registro de ciudadano de la Unión), issued by the Registro Central de Extranjeros once you register for a stay longer than three months. It comes with your NIE, your Spanish foreigner number.

• Proof that you work or are self-employed, or that you have enough money and health insurance, or are a student with insurance. You need one of these for a stay longer than three months.

• Family-member residence card for non-EU relatives of an EU citizen, to show their right to live in Spain.

• Valid Spanish residence permit or TIE (the residence card), to travel up to 90 days in 180 days in other Schengen states if you are a non-EU resident.

Frequently asked questions

Can I live or work in another Schengen country with my Spanish residence permit?

No, a Spanish residence permit or TIE lets you travel in other Schengen states for up to 90 days in any 180 days, but it gives no right to live or work there. For a longer stay you need a permit from that country.

How many MEPs does Spain elect?

Spain elects 61 members of the European Parliament, the number since the June 2024 elections. Spain votes as a single national constituency, so every voter sees the same lists wherever they live.

What happens if Spain does not pass a law required by an EU directive?

Spain can be sanctioned for failing to turn a directive into Spanish law. EU regulations are different: they apply directly in Spain with no Spanish law needed. Ordinary courts must apply EU law either way.

Can my non-EU family member use the EU-citizen rules?

Yes, non-EU family of an EU citizen can use the more favourable EU-citizen family regime, and in some cases this includes family of Spanish citizens. They receive a family-member residence card instead of an ordinary permit.