Your No-BS Guide to Moving to Spain: Where Do You Even Start?

Maria,

“I want to move to Spain, but I don’t know where to start.”

If you’ve ever thought this, welcome to the club. Seriously, I hear this all the time—whether it’s “What’s the first step to getting Spanish residency?” or “Which visa do I even need?” or my personal favorite, “How do I become a Spanish citizen?”

Here’s the thing: I can’t give you a magic answer that works for everyone. Your situation is totally unique—your age, your job, your bank account, whether you have family here, what your actual goals are… it all matters. And just to be clear, I’m not going to tell you which university to attend or what career to pursue. That’s your call.

But I do get the real struggle here: information overload.

There’s SO much content floating around about moving to Spain. Some of it’s legit, some of it’s outdated, and some of it’s just… wrong. Trying to figure out what actually applies to you? Exhausting doesn’t even begin to cover it.

That’s exactly why I created something to make your life easier.

Introducing: The Spanish Residency Questionnaire

I put together a questionnaire that cuts through all the noise and points you toward the residency pathways that actually fit YOUR situation. Whether you’re a tech worker, a student, a retiree, a digital nomad, an entrepreneur, or literally anything else, this tool will help you figure out where to start.

It covers 12 different residency pathways, and the best part? Each one comes with direct links to official Spanish government resources, so you’re not relying on some random blog post from 2017.

Let me walk you through how it works.

How to Use the Questionnaire

It’s pretty straightforward:

  • Figure out your citizenship status and how long you want to stay
  • Identify your purpose for moving
  • Answer some questions about employment, income, or investments
  • Get directed to the visa/residence options that match your situation
  • Review the specific requirements for that pathway

Sounds simple enough, right? Let’s break it down even more.

Step 1: Who Are You? (The Citizenship Question)

The first big question: Are you an EU/EEA/Swiss citizen?

  • If YES: Your life is easier. You generally don’t need a visa to enter Spain—just registration if you’re staying longer than 3 months.
  • If NO: Next question—How long are you planning to stay?
    • Less than 90 days? You might just need a Schengen tourist visa.
    • More than 90 days? Okay, now we’re talking long-term residence permits.

This first step determines whether you need a simple tourist visa or if you’re going full residency mode.

Step 2: Why Are You Moving?

This is huge. What’s bringing you to Spain? The questionnaire covers:

  • Work (employed by a company)
  • Study (university, language school, etc.)
  • Retirement / just living your best life
  • Investment / entrepreneurship
  • Family connections
  • Remote work / digital nomad life
  • Other professional reasons

Your purpose literally shapes everything else, so be honest with yourself here.

Step 3: If You’re Working…

If work is your reason for moving, you’ve got three main options:

  • Work visa (for traditional employment)
  • Self-employed/freelancer visa (autonomo life)
  • Intra-company transfer visa (if your company is sending you here)

Each one has different requirements, so you’ll need to dig into the specifics.

Step 4: If You’re Studying…

Pretty straightforward—if you’re coming for higher education, you need a student visa. Just know that student visa time doesn’t fully count toward citizenship later, so keep that in mind if you’re thinking long-term.

Step 5: If You’re Living Off Savings or Passive Income…

This is for the retirees, the financially independent, or anyone who just doesn’t need to work. The questionnaire asks if you have enough passive income or savings to meet Spain’s financial requirements.

This is especially important for the non-lucrative visa, which is basically Spain’s way of saying “prove you can support yourself without working here.”

Step 6: If You’re Investing…

Got money to invest? You’ve got options:

  • Entrepreneur visa (starting or investing in a Spanish business)
  • Investor visa (large financial investments like stocks, bonds, etc.)

Important note: The Golden Visa is being removed as of April 2025, so if you were banking on that, you’ll need to look at alternatives.

Step 7: If You Have Family Ties…

If you’ve got family in Spain or if your partner is an EU citizen and Spanish resident, the family reunification visa makes your life SO much easier. Seriously, this is one of the smoother paths if you qualify.

Step 8: Remote Worker / Digital Nomad

Okay, this is my personal favorite. If you’re a remote worker or digital nomad (like me!), the digital nomad visa is designed for you.

Not gonna lie, COVID kind of made this happen. Before the pandemic, I’m not sure countries would’ve been as eager to create these visas. But here we are, and it’s honestly one of the best options if you don’t have family ties or massive savings.

You work remotely using your laptop, and Spain lets you live here while doing it. Simple as that.

Step 9: Other Professional Situations

If none of the above fit, maybe one of these does:

  • Are you a highly skilled professional? (Think EU Blue Card territory)
  • Are you an academic researcher?
  • Are you a job seeker with a Spanish degree?

The job seeker visa has some strict requirements—you need a Spanish-based high-level official study diploma that’s registered properly. There are limitations, so read the fine print.

Before You Get Too Excited: Important Stuff to Know

  • Check for recent legal changes. Laws change. The Golden Visa situation is a perfect example.
  • Requirements vary by region. Different autonomous communities might have slightly different rules or thresholds.
  • Not all visa time counts toward citizenship. Student visas, for example, don’t fully count.
  • Applying from abroad vs. within Spain is different. The process changes depending on where you are.
  • Get professional help if needed. If your case is complicated, talk to an immigration lawyer or expert. Seriously.

Final Thoughts

So there you have it—your roadmap to figuring out how to move to Spain, whether it’s through work, study, retirement, investment, family, or the digital nomad route.

This questionnaire is a starting point to help you narrow down your best options. It’s not the final answer to everything, but it’ll get you moving in the right direction instead of drowning in random Google searches.

Got questions? Confused about something specific? Drop a comment or send me an email—I’m more than happy to help you figure out your path.

And hey, if this was helpful, share it with someone who’s also dreaming about Spanish life. We’re all in this together.

¡Hasta luego! 🇪🇸

P.S. — Bookmark the questionnaire and revisit it as your situation changes. What doesn’t fit today might be perfect six months from now.

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