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Living in Spain

Staying in Spain long term

Permanent residence and Spanish nationality are different destinations. Start from the residence regime you hold now, then follow the route that matches it.

Quick answer

EU, EEA or Swiss citizen

After five years of lawful continuous residence, you normally acquire a permanent right of residence. You can request a certificate recording that permanent right using the EU-registration procedure.

Non-EU family member under EU rules

The usual permanent-card route is the permanent residence card for a family member of an EU citizen. The official procedure uses EX-19 and also covers specific retained-right and earlier-permanent-residence situations.

Other non-EU resident

Compare national long-term residence with long-term-EU residence. Both can allow indefinite residence and work in Spain, but the eligibility conditions are not identical.

Permanent residence is not Spanish citizenship.

Nationality by residence is a separate Ministry of Justice procedure with its own legal residence periods, conduct/integration requirements and documentation.

Which long-term route fits you?

EU / EEA / Swiss citizenPermanent right of residence after the applicable continuous lawful-residence period. Request the permanent certificate through the EU registration route. The Police page lists EX-18 and the current 790-012 fee procedure.
Non-EU family member under EU free-movement rulesPermanent EU-family residence card. The general five-year route uses EX-19; the official sheet also lists special cases where permanent status can arise earlier or after retaining a personal right of residence.
Non-EU resident — national long-termAllows indefinite residence and work in Spain under the same conditions as Spaniards. A common route is five years of legal and continuous residence, subject to the official continuity rules and other eligibility cases.
Non-EU resident — long-term-EUAlso allows indefinite residence and work in Spain and can support later residence in another EU Member State under that state's rules. It adds route-specific conditions including fixed and regular resources and health insurance.
Spanish nationality by residenceA separate citizenship procedure. Do not treat a permanent residence card or certificate as an automatic nationality application.

EU citizens and EU-family permanent residence

EU / EEA / Swiss permanent residence

The normal threshold is five years of lawful continuous residence. The Police procedure says the permanent certificate is issued on request and is handled in person through the competent Oficina de Extranjería or, where applicable, the corresponding Policía Nacional office.

Continuity matters

Do not assume every absence breaks continuity. EU free-movement rules contain specific permitted-absence rules. Keep evidence of residence and travel history if your five-year period includes significant time outside Spain.

Non-EU EU-family member

The permanent family-card procedure is different from the EU citizen's certificate. Check Hoja 63 for the exact qualifying case, documents and whether you file at Extranjería/Police or electronically through Mercurio.

Non-EU long-term residence: national vs long-term-EU

Both statuses are long-term residence authorisations, but they should not be treated as interchangeable. Open the official sheet for the status you want before preparing forms or evidence.

National long-term residence

The common five-year route requires legal and continuous residence in Spain. The current official sheet uses EX-11, allows filing at the competent Oficina de Extranjería or through Mercurio when you are in Spain, and lists the current 790-052 procedure.

Long-term-EU residence

This status adds the possibility of seeking residence or residence-and-work status in another EU Member State under that state's conditions. The current Spanish route also requires fixed and regular resources and public or private health insurance.

Absences are route-specific

For the ordinary five-year calculation in the current long-term-residence sheets, permitted absence limits are defined by the regulation. Do not apply EU-citizen absence rules to a non-EU long-term-residence application, or vice versa.

Spanish nationality by residence

Article 22 of the Civil Code sets different residence periods depending on the applicant's circumstances. In every case, the residence relied on must be legal, continuous and immediately prior to the application, and the applicant must meet the conduct and integration requirements.

10 yearsGeneral residence period.
5 yearsPeople who have obtained refugee status.
2 yearsNationals by origin of Ibero-American countries, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea or Portugal, and Sephardim, as set out in the Civil Code.
1 yearSpecific cases listed in Article 22, including certain people born in Spain, certain spouses/widows or widowers of Spanish citizens, and some descendants of originally Spanish parents or grandparents.
Do this before counting years.

Identify the exact legal category that gives you the shorter period, then verify that the residence you plan to count is legally qualifying and continuous. The Ministry of Justice online procedure is the filing source of truth.

Your practical next steps

  1. 1. Identify your current status

    EU citizen, EU-family card holder, ordinary non-EU resident, long-term resident, or another status.

  2. 2. Check continuity before preparing forms

    Review absences and the official route's residence-calculation rules.

  3. 3. Open the official procedure

    Use the current Police, Migraciones or Ministry of Justice page for the form, filing channel, supporting documents and current fee.

  4. 4. Keep permanent residence and nationality separate

    You may qualify for one without yet qualifying for the other.

Official sources

Before you file

IberiGo explains the process in practical terms. Always verify the current official procedure sheet before filing an application.