Spain guide
How to Apply for Long-Term Residence in Spain
Spain’s national long-term residence authorization allows an eligible non-EU national to reside and work in Spain indefinitely under the same conditions as Spanish citizens. The most common route is five years of legal and continuous residence, subject to the applicable absence rules.
Quick answers
- Authority
- Spanish Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration
- Common qualifying period
- 5 years of legal, continuous residence
- Application form
- EX-11
- Published decision period
- 3 months
- After approval
- Apply personally for the TIE within 1 month
What this guide covers
This guide covers the national long-term residence authorization described in government information sheet Hoja 49. It is not a guide to EU long-term residence, Spanish citizenship, an initial temporary permit, or a permit for EU/EEA/Swiss citizens.
Check that this is the correct authorization
The national long-term authorization is generally for non-EU, non-EEA, and non-Swiss nationals. Spain also recognizes additional qualifying situations beyond the ordinary five-year route. Use Hoja 49 to confirm the applicant’s exact basis before assembling documents.
Residence and absence rules
For the ordinary route, the official guidance requires five years of legal and continuous residence immediately before applying. It says continuity is generally not affected by absences of up to six continuous months when the total does not exceed ten months during the five-year period. A different total may apply to work-related absences, and justified force-majeure situations are assessed individually.
Create a complete travel history rather than estimating. Entry stamps alone may not show every movement, and the authority—not Expat Crow—decides whether the continuity requirement is met.
Documents listed by the Ministry
- Completed and signed EX-11 application form
- Complete copy of a valid passport, recognized travel document, or registration certificate
- Evidence that the applicable fee was paid
- Evidence supporting the qualifying route
- School-attendance evidence for dependent children of compulsory school age when applicable
- Criminal-record certificate when required for the applicant’s situation
- Required sworn translations and legalization or apostille for applicable foreign documents
How to file
An applicant in Spain may generally file through the immigration office for the province of residence or electronically through the Mercurio platform. Someone outside Spain uses the Spanish consular office for the place of residence, subject to the applicable qualifying route.
- 1Confirm the qualifying route and calculate the relevant residence period.
- 2Build and verify the travel and absence history.
- 3Complete EX-11 and collect the supporting documents.
- 4File through the appropriate immigration office, Mercurio, or consular route.
- 5Pay Modelo 790, código 052, epígrafe 2.6 within the applicable period.
- 6Keep the filing receipt and monitor official notifications.
- 7After approval, apply personally for the foreigner identity card (TIE) within one month.
Timing and the physical card
Hoja 49 describes a three-month decision period. It also explains the filing window for applicants approaching expiration of an existing authorization and the rules for the later renewal of the physical TIE. The underlying long-term authorization and the expiration of the physical card should be tracked as related but distinct records.
What to track in Expat Crow
- Residence-period start and supporting permits
- Travel and absence dates
- Passport and expiration date
- EX-11 and supporting-document checklist
- Filing receipt, fee, and official notifications
- Decision and TIE appointment
- TIE issue and expiration dates
Track this in Expat Crow
Keep the permit, supporting documents, application steps, and renewal dates together. Start free and create reminders before the next deadline.
Frequently asked questions
Does every absence break continuous residence in Spain?
No. Hoja 49 identifies permitted absence limits and certain exceptions, but the facts and applicable category must be checked carefully. Keep a complete travel history for the authority’s assessment.
Is long-term residence the same as Spanish citizenship?
No. Long-term residence is an immigration authorization. Citizenship is a separate legal status with different requirements and procedures.
What happens after the authorization is approved?
The Ministry instructs an approved applicant to request the TIE personally from the competent police service within one month of notification.
Does the long-term authorization expire when the TIE expires?
The authorization and its physical identity card are related but not identical. Hoja 49 separately describes later renewals of the TIE; obtain advice for any question about loss or termination of the underlying status.
Official sources
These sources were checked on 2026-08-25. Requirements can change; confirm them with the authority before acting.