EU citizen
registration
certificate
This is the procedure for EU citizens themselves, not for their family members. Every citizen of a European Union or European Economic Area Member State who is …
This is the procedure for EU citizens themselves, not for their family members. Every citizen of a European Union or European Economic Area Member State who is going to reside in Spain for more than three months is required to register in the Central Register of Foreign Nationals, and the registration certificate is issued at that point.
Who has the right to reside for more than three months
The right of residence for more than three months belongs to anyone working in Spain as an employee or on a self-employed basis; to anyone who has, for themselves and their family, sufficient resources not to become a burden on social assistance, together with health insurance covering all risks in Spain; to anyone enrolled at an educational institution with the principal aim of studying, including vocational training, who also holds health insurance and sufficient resources; and to family members accompanying or joining someone who meets any of those conditions.
The procedure: deadline and content
Registration must be applied for in person at the Immigration Office (Oficina de Extranjería) for the province where you will live or, failing that, at the Police Station, within three months of entering Spain. The certificate is issued immediately and records the name, nationality, address, foreign national identity number and date of registration. The application must be accompanied by a valid passport or national identity document and documents evidencing that the requirements are met.
There is no fixed figure for financial means
This is a point that causes many avoidable refusals. The legislation expressly prohibits setting a fixed figure for financial means: each applicant's personal situation must be considered. In any event, that figure cannot exceed the level of resources below which social assistance is granted to Spanish nationals, nor the amount of the minimum social security pension.
Retaining worker status
Someone who stops working does not automatically lose their status as a worker. They retain it in the event of temporary incapacity through illness or accident; in cases of duly evidenced involuntary unemployment after having worked for more than a year, having registered with the employment service; in cases of involuntary unemployment after a fixed-term contract of less than a year or during the first twelve months, in which case the status is retained for a period of no less than six months; and while undertaking vocational training which, save in cases of involuntary unemployment, is related to the previous employment.
Permanent residence after five years
After five years of continuous lawful residence in Spain you acquire the right to reside permanently, which is no longer subject to the requirements on resources and health insurance. A certificate evidencing that right is issued on request.
Our advice
At AbogadosDVA we handle registration certificates and resolve the most common problems, above all those relating to evidencing financial means and health insurance. To find out the requirements and documents for your particular case, get in touch with the firm.
Requirements and documents
The requirements and the documents you will need vary with the circumstances of each case. To find out what applies to yours, get in touch with the firm and we will advise you personally.
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