The national long-term residence authorisation entitles foreign nationals to reside and work in Spain indefinitely under the same conditions as Spanish nationals.
Foreign nationals who have legally and continuously resided in Spain for a period of five years immediately prior to the submission of the application shall be entitled to obtain a national long-term residence authorisation.
Legal Framework
- Organic Law 4/2000 of 11 January, on the Rights and Freedoms of Foreign Nationals in Spain and their Social Integration (Article 32).
- Royal Decree 1155/2024 of 19 November, approving the Regulation implementing Organic Law 4/2000 on the Rights and Freedoms of Foreign Nationals in Spain and their Social Integration (Articles 182–185).
Main Requirements for Obtaining National Long-Term Residence
Applicants must meet the following requirements:
-Not be a national of a Member State of the European Union, the European Economic Area, or Switzerland.
-Have no criminal record in Spain or in any country where the applicant has resided during the previous five years.
-Not be listed as inadmissible in the territorial space of countries with which Spain has signed agreements to that effect.
-Not be subject to a commitment not to return to Spain, where such commitment has been assumed following participation in a voluntary return programme.
-Not constitute a threat to public order, public security, or public health.
In addition, applicants must fall within one of the legally established situations relating to continuous legal residence in Spain.
-Continuity of Residence.
-Continuous residence shall not be deemed interrupted in the following cases:
- Absences from Spanish territory of up to six consecutive months, provided that the total period of absence does not exceed ten months within thefive-year period.
- Where absences are due to employment-related reasons, they must not exceed a total of eighteen months within the required five-year period.
- Absences resulting from duly justified cases of force majeure.
Supporting Documentation
Applicants must submit the following documentation:
-Official application form (Form EX-11).
-Full copy of a valid passport.
-Proof of payment of the corresponding administrative fee.
Procedure
-Applicant Entitled to Submit the Application: the foreign national applicant.
-Place of Submission
If the applicant is present in Spain, the application may be submitted:
- In person at the Immigration Office (Oficina de Extranjería) of the province where the applicant resides; or
- Electronically through the online platform of the Ministry of Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory (Mercurio).
-Applicable Administrative Fee
- Form 790 – Code 052
-Deadline for Submission
The application must be submitted within the two months immediately preceding the expiry date of the current residence authorisation.
-Processing Time
The competent authority must issue a decision within three months, counted from the day following the date on which the application is registered with the competent administrative body.
-Issuance of the Foreigner Identity Card (TIE): within one month of notification of the granting of the long-term residence authorisation, the foreign national must personally apply for the Foreigner Identity Card (TIE).-Holders of a national long-term residence authorisation must:
- Apply for the first renewal of the TIE after five years;
- Subsequent renewals shall be requested every five years until the holder reaches the age of thirty, and every ten years thereafter.
