Sheet 49 - National long-term residence permit

* The content of this page is for guidance only. Only the provisions of the regulations in force at the time of submission of the application are applicable.

Last Updated: May 2025

Index of contents

  • Type of Authorization
  • Basic regulations
  • Requirements
  • Exigible documentation
  • Procedure

TYPE OF AUTHORISATION

It is a residence authorization that authorizes to reside and work in Spain indefinitely under the same conditions as Spaniards.

BASIC REGULATIONS

  • Organic Law 4/2000, of January 11, on the rights and freedoms of foreigners in Spain and their social integration (article 32).

Royal Decree 1155/2024, of 19 November, approving the Regulations of Organic Law 4/2000, of 11 January, on the rights and freedoms of foreigners in Spain and their social integration (articles 182-185).

REQUIREMENTS

  • Not to be a citizen of a State of the European Union, of the European Economic Area or of Switzerland.
  • Lack of criminal record in Spain and in the countries where he has resided for the last five years, for crimes existing in the Spanish legislation.
  • Not to appear as rejectable in the territorial space of countries with which Spain has signed an agreement in this regard.
  • Not to be found, where appropriate, within the period of commitment of no return to Spain that the foreign person has assumed when voluntarily returning to their country of origin.
  • Do not pose a threat to public order, safety or public health.
  • To be in one of these situations:
     

    Continuity will not be affected by:

    - Absences from Spanish territory of up to six continuous months, provided that the sum does not exceed ten months within five years. If it is for work reasons you will not be able to exceed the total of eighteen months within the required five years

    - Absences from Spanish territory due to duly justified causes of force majeure, the body competent to resolve being responsible for assessing individually whether there is an exceptional situation that justifies such absences.

    - The association establishes an employment relationship of the holder of the authorization to non-governmental organizations, foundations or associations, registered in the corresponding general register and officially recognized as being of public utility as cooperating, and which carry out research, development cooperation or humanitarian action projects abroad.

    1. To have legally and continuously resided in Spanish territory during the five years prior to the filing of the application.
    2. Be a resident beneficiary of a contributory retirement pension, included in the protective action of the Spanish Social Security system. Likewise, to be a resident beneficiary of a pension of absolute permanent incapacity or great invalidity, in its contributory form, included within the protective action of the Spanish Social Security system or of similar benefits to the previous ones obtained in Spain and consisting of a non-capitalizable lifelong income sufficient for its sustenance.

    3. Be resident and have been born in Spain and, upon reaching the age of majority, have resided in Spain legally and continuously for at least the three consecutive years immediately prior to the application.

    4. To have been Spanish of origin and to have lost Spanish nationality.

    5. Be resident who, upon reaching the age of majority, has been under the guardianship of a Spanish public entity during the immediately preceding five years consecutively.

    6. Be stateless, refugee or beneficiary of subsidiary protection, be in Spanish territory and have been recognized the respective status in Spain or in another EU Member State.

    7. Have contributed significantly to the economic, scientific or cultural progress of Spain, or to the projection of Spain abroad. In these cases, the holder of the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration will be responsible for granting the authorization of long-term residence, following a report from the holder of the Ministry of the Interior.
  • Pay the fee for the processing of the procedure.

EXIGIBLE DOCUMENTATION

Note: in general, copies of the documents must be provided and the originals must be displayed at the time of submitting the application.

  • Application form in official model (EX – 11), duly completed and signed by the foreign person, except in the case of having contributed to economic, scientific or cultural progress, which will be requested ex officio by the General Directorate of Migration, upon proposal of a public authority with competence related to the merit on which the request is based.
  • Full copy of the passport, travel certificate recognized as valid in Spain or registration card of the applicant in force.
  • Form accrediting the payment of the fee
  • In the case of applications based on previous periods of residence, a report issued by the autonomous authorities, or those competent in each case, or by the educational centre certifying the schooling of minors under their care who are of compulsory school age.
  • Depending on the assumption:
    • Documentation proving to be found in any of the cases provided in Article 183.3, paragraphs c) to f) of the Regulations (cases included in the “requirements” section of this sheet).
    • Where applicable, a criminal record certificate issued by the authorities of the country of origin or of the country or countries in which you have resided during the last five years prior to the filing of the corresponding application.

Important note: when documents are provided from other countries they must be translated into Spanish or co-official language of the territory where the application is submitted by a sworn translator.

List of sworn translators.

On the other hand, any foreign public document must be previously legalized by the Consular Office of Spain with jurisdiction in the country in which the document has been issued or, where appropriate, by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation except in the case where the document has been apostilled by the competent authority of the issuing country in accordance with the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 and unless the document is exempt from legalization under the International Convention.

Information on translation and legalization of documents.

PROCEDURE

  • Subject legitimated to submit the application:
    • The foreign person or
    • In case (g), having contributed to economic, scientific or cultural progress: ex officio the General Directorate of Migration Management , on the proposal of a public authority with competence related to the merit on which the petition is based.
  • Place of presentation:
    • If you are in Spain:
    • If it is not in Spanish territory:
      • In person, at the Spanish Consular Office of your residence demarcation, they will send you to the competent Aliens Office.
  • Corresponding fee: will accrue at the time of admission to processing the application, and must be paid within ten working days:
  • Deadline for submission of the application: within two months immediately prior to the date of expiry of your residence permit. The filing of the application within this period will extend the validity of your residence authorization until the resolution of the procedure. It shall also be extended until the termination of the procedure in the event that the application was lodged within three months of the expiry of the residence permit, without prejudice to the commencement of the corresponding sanctioning procedure for the offence in which it was committed. The provisions of the preceding paragraph shall not apply to foreign persons who are holders of a residence permit in force and already comply with the provisions of Article 183 of the Regulations.
  • Deadline for the resolution of the application: three months from the day following the date on which it entered the register of the body competent to process them. Once this period has elapsed without the Administration having made the notification, it may be understood that the application has been estimated by administrative silence. (When it has not been possible to notify the resolution, it will be announced in the Single Bulletin Board (TEU). If you have opted for electronic notification or if you are legally obliged to use that medium, the resolution will be notified by publication in the electronic headquarters. If the resolution is not accessed within ten calendar days of its publication, it will be given as notified).
  • Holders of a national long-term residence permit must apply for the first renewal of a foreigner’s identity card at the age of five. The second renewal and successive renewals of the alien’s identity card will be requested every five years until the holder turns thirty and every ten years once they have been completed.
  • The renewal request must be submitted during the two months immediately preceding the expiration date of the validity of the card. The filing of the application within this period will extend the validity of the previous card until the resolution of the procedure. It will also be extended until the resolution of the procedure in the event that the application was submitted within the three months following the date on which the validity of the previous card had ended, without prejudice to the initiation of the corresponding sanctioning procedure for the infringement in which it had been incurred.