Spanish Residency Long Stay Visas for Nationals of non-EU countries
Nationals of non-EU countries require a visa to enter Spain, if the stay is intended to be more than 90 days. The Schengen visa in most cases cannot be used to apply for residency in Spain.
There is an exception when an immediate family member is joining a family member who already lives in Spain and holds Spanish residency. In all other circumstances a citizen of a non-EU country must apply for, and obtain a long stay visa through the Spanish Embassy in their home country.
Since UK has now left the EU, UK citizens / British nationals also have to apply for a visa if they want to live or work in Spain.
Once the visa has been issued, the applicant can travel to Spain and apply for residency and get their TIE, ‘tarjeta de identidad de extranjero‘.
The following is a summary of the main types of long stay visas that citizens of non-EU countries can apply for.