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Registering your Address in Spain – Empadronamiento

The empadronamiento process refers to registering your current address here in Spain…

WHAT ARE THE FEES FOR THE NEW SPANISH NATIONALITY PROCEDURE?

WHAT ARE THE FEES? Last October 2015 a reform took effect modifying the procedure to acquire Spanish citizenship due to residence. Up until now the procedure has been free of charge, however, now it can cost anywhere between 185€ – 306€ depending on if the applicant originates from a country where the official language is

SPANISH NATIONALITY APPLICANTS: REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION

Applicants of legal age applying for Spanish nationality must submit the following required documentation: 1. Standard application form (if you are submitting the application online then you can fill out a digital form on the website) 2. TIE or foreigner identification card (EU citizen foreign residency card or residence certificate from the central foreign registry)

RE-ENTRY PERMITS (PERMISO DE REGRESO)

If your initial residence card has expired and it is in the renewal stage, then you mut request a re-entry permit (permiso/ autorización de regreso) if you are planning on travelling outside of Spain. In certain cases, if you have been approved for an initial residence card and you have already done fingerprints and applied

REGISTRATION CERTIFICATE FOR FOREIGNERS FROM EU MEMBER STATES

European Union citizens who plan on residing in Spain for more than three months must request a registration certificate. If this applies to you and you are in need of assistance, our lawyers at our firm in Madrid can help you out. The foreigner requesting this certificate must work for paid or self- employment in

TWO ALBANIANS DETAINED FOR IMMIGRATION LAW INFRINGEMENT

The Civil Guard in San Esteban de Gormaz intercepted two Albanian citizens and handed them over to the National Police Brigade in Soria. They are now in the process of being deported from Spain. Both individuals were detained this past Friday for alleged infringement of article 53.1. a) Organic Law 4/2000 on the rights and

SCHENGEN AGREEMENT THIRTY YEAR ANNIVERSARY

The European Union celebrated the Schengen Agreement´s 30th anniversary this past june. By signing this agreement we achieved the abolition of border control between Member States and the free movement of European citizens within the European area. Today this situation seems normal to us all but not to those who lived in Europe prior to

SEPHARDIC COMMUNITY: CITIZENSHIP THROUGH ACT OF NOTORIETY

A few weeks ago we posted a video regarding the new law 12/2015 from June 24th 2015, which explained the new procedure which grants Spanish nationality to the Sephardic community. In this post we are going to focus on the act of notoriety that outlines the requirements that must be fulfilled to carry out this

FOREIGNERS RIGHT TO VOTE AND STAND FOR ELECTION

Foreign residents in Spain are entitled to vote in local elections if they are citizens of countries that allow Spanish foreign residents to do the same. There has to be a treaty established stating that it is not a violation to the Law nor the Constitution. All EU Member State citizens residing in Spain may

RESIDENCY FOR MINORS

What are the conditions for reunifying minors with their family members in Spain? First we have to start off by establishing the children under the age of 18 years old are considered minors. Article 185. of Royal Decree 557/2011 states that children born to foreigners in Spain will automatically acquire the same residence permit as either

Grounds for Rejection: Card Renewals

Are you renewing your residence card in Spain and want to know why immigration officials may reject your application? Watch this video to learn more.

CIVIL UNIONS

A civil union is a registered partnership between two indivudals that are not otherwise legally married. In order to register in the community of Madrid, both you and your partner must live together and be registered (empadronado) in the same apartment / house. Who is elegible? Anyone of legal age who is not currently

FREE MOVEMENT OF WORKERS RESTRICTIONS AGAINST ROMANIANS AND BULGARIANS IN SPAIN

On January 1st 2007 Romania and Bulgaria became part of the European Union by virtue of the Treaty signed on April 25th 2005. Although members of the EU, they were still subject to restrictions up to two years after their inclusion into the Union. The free movement of workers assumes that all EU member state

RULES AND REGULATIONS REGARDING MATRIMONIAL PROCEEDINGS

The implementation of the rules on jurisdiction regarding international matrimonial proceedings may become more complicated if not reviewed ahead of time. What is the first thing that we should do? We must first take a closer look on the rules and regulations so that we know in which direction to turn and before which State

HOW HAVE WE SPED UP THE NATIONALITY APPLICATION PROCESSING TIME?

Due to increased immigration in our country since 1995, the General Directorate of Registries and Notaries received an overflow of nationality applications. By December 2014, immigration officials were two years behind in processing nationality applications. Due to this, the ¨plan intensivo¨ was launched, putting into effect two new developments that have sped up the application processing

USA GREEN CARD LOTTERY

Do you want to live in the United States? It may seem too good to be true but every year the USA does a lottery and grants 50,000 Green Cards (residency permits) to registered applicants. The United States government offers 50,000 visas to foreigners so that they can become legal permanent residents of the country.

CONTRACT A MARRIAGE OR DIVORCE BEFORE A NOTARY

The Council of Ministers has agreed that the next Regulatory Law of Notarial Procedures in Matters of Voluntary Jurisdiction will include the option to marry or divorce before a notary. The option to contract a marriage before a notary will be in addition to all other options such as: before a judge in the Civil Registry,

RESIDENCY IN SPAIN FOR FOREIGN INVESTORS

Awhile ago we announced that the New Law for Entrepreneurs was going to allow investors to acquire residency in Spain by purchasing real estate. The new law states that all foreigners who acquire property in Spain for 500,000 € free of charges and encumbrances, may request residency in Spain for himself, his spouse and his children

NEW EXAM REQUIRED TO OBTAIN NATIONALITY

The Spanish Immigration Law Reform has modified the process by which individuals who are not of Spanish origin may obtain Spanish nationality. Applicants must pass a state examination which will assess the immigrant´s basic knowledge of the Spanish language and his integration into Spanish society. The result of the exam along with all other required documentation

HOW TO BECOME SELF-EMPLOYED IN SPAIN

Immigrants may carry out a business activity in Spain as registered independent workers as long as they have the corresponding work permits, temporary or permanent. First, we must understand the regulations stated in the law regarding self-employment. According to the General Social Security Law it is understood that self-employed individuals engage in profitable economic or

HOW TO VALIDATE FOREIGN UNIVERSITY DEGREES

Have you just completed your university degree in your country of origin? Would you like to legally certify it so that it is valid in Spain? Once you have completed a university degree in your home country, you may have it certified so that it is valid in Spain. In order to this, you must

IMMIGRATION FOR PROFESSIONALS

Residence and Work Permit for Paid Employment The employer or the company must request this permit on behalf of the foreigner they are looking to hire. The employment contract must have a duration of at least one year. The application is subject to the national employment situation. This initial residence and work contract is limited

SEPHARDIC JEWS MAY EASILY REQUEST SPANISH NATIONALITY

Spanish legislation has provided ways for Sephardic Jews to request Spanish nationality. Article 21 states that Sephardic Jews may apply for Spanish nationality by submitting a certificate of naturalization. Article 22 states that Spanish nationality may be requested after providing proof of two years of residency in our country. Our legislation has gone a step

THE NEW LAW FOR ENTREPRENEURS

The New Law for Entrepreneurs has made the process of hiring highly qualified personnel much easier. Before the law was put into effect, the options for hiring highly qualified foreigners required excessive documentation and financial solvency that had to be presented in person by a company representative. Administration also had up to three months to

LONG-TERM RESIDENCE PERMIT AUTHORIZATION

I HAVE LOST MY LONG-TERM RESIDENCE PERMIT. CAN I GET IT BACK? You may reclaim your long-term residence permit if your initial one has expired due to the fact that you were absent from EU territory for a period of 12 consecutive months, or if you acquired it in another Member State. You may also request

WHAT IS AN EMPADRONAMIENTO AND WHAT PURPOSE DOES IT SERVE?

A municipal registry is an administrative record listing all of the people who live in a given municipality and it acts as proof of exactly where individuals reside. In Spain, everyone is required by law to register their name with the municipal registry in their place of residence. Why do foreigners need an empadronamiento? If you

13 FOREIGNERS DETAINED FOR CIVIL UNION PARTNERSHIP SIMULATION

Several officers from the local police station in Puertollano (Ciudad Real) detained 13 foreign citizens as suspects of a serious infringement of the Immigration Law. These foreigners pretended to be in partnerships with Spanish citizens to regularize their stay in Spain. The purpose of the investigation (which was initiated when government officials became aware that

REDUCED NUMBER OF CITIZEN COMPLAINTS REGARDING IMMIGRATION

Citizen complaints to the Ombudsman related to Aliens and Immigration Law fell 12.4% in 2013. Every month the Ombudsman submits a document covering the opinions and complaints of those affected by the Aliens and Immigration Law. In his latest, he emphasizes the following: ¨the politics of immigration law, and more so immigration management, affect not only foreign

MASSIVE INFLUX OF IMMIGRANTS IN MELILLA

At nearly 6:00 am on February 28th 2014 more than 200 immigrants successfully managed to scale the main border fence between Morocco and Melilla, violently attacking Civil Guard officers. This was the largest flow of Sub-Saharan immigrants in this autonomous city since 2005. More than 300 immigrants participated in the jump, throwing all types of

LEGALIZATION OF FOREIGN PUBLIC DOCUMENTS

Legalization of foreign public documents is the process by which legal authorities validate the foreign documents by checking the authenticity and quality of the signature on the document. In order for a foreign public document to be valid in Spain, it must be properly legalized unless it is excused by legal action. Spanish documents must also