Adequate housing
Property meeting surface and habitability requirements for reunification.
Glossary
Definitions of immigration terms in Spain.
Administrative court appeal
Judicial challenge of administrative acts.
Administrative silence
Legal effect when the administration fails to decide within the deadline.
Appeal (alzada)
Appeal before the hierarchical superior against a resolution.
Arraigo (roots)
Legal route to regularise immigration status after continuous stay in Spain.
Asylum
International protection granted to persons persecuted for recognised legal reasons.
Authorisation renewal
Extension of a residence or work permit before expiry.
Biometric TIE
Card with chip and holder biometric data.
Birth certificate
Civil document proving identity, parentage and date of birth.
Book immigration appointment
Process of reserving a slot at foreigners offices or police stations.
CCSE
Constitutional and sociocultural knowledge test for Spanish nationality.
CCSE exam
Official constitutional and sociocultural knowledge test.
Cohabitation
Proven joint residence between family members.
Cohabitation certificate
Document proving cohabitation with a family member at the same address.
Collective agreement
Sector labour rules that may be cited in salary requirements.
Company certificate
Employer document supporting a hire or authorisation.
Consulate
Diplomatic office handling consular immigration and documentation procedures.
Contract notification form
Employer notification form to immigration authorities.
Criminal record certificate
Official certificate proving the absence or existence of criminal convictions.
Criminal record certificate (document)
Document issued by judicial or consular authorities on criminal records.
DELE exam
Diploma in Spanish as a Foreign Language required for some nationality routes.
Dependent family member
Relative financially dependent on the applicant.
Digital nomad visa
Authorisation to telework from Spain for foreign companies.
Domicile
Place of habitual residence proven for immigration procedures.
EU citizen family member
Relative of an EU citizen with residence rights in Spain.
EU citizen registration certificate
Document proving registration of an EU citizen in Spain.
EU citizen status
Free movement and residence regime for EU nationals.
EU family member TIE
Card for relatives of European Union citizens.
Electronic headquarters
Official portal to submit applications and check procedures online.
Empadronamiento
Municipal registration of habitual residence.
Employed work permit
Authorisation to work as an employee of a company.
Employer change
Modification of work authorisation when changing company.
Employment contract
Labour agreement that may be required for work permits.
Entrepreneur visa
Authorisation for innovative business projects.
Expired TIE
Foreigner identity card past its validity that must be renewed or replaced.
Expulsion
Measure removing a person from Spanish territory for serious regulatory breaches.
Expulsion order
Resolution ordering removal from national territory.
Family residence permit
Authorisation derived from ties with a resident or Spanish national.
Family reunification
Procedure for relatives of a resident to obtain authorisation.
Family reunification entry visa
Initial visa for relatives in reunification process.
Family roots (arraigo familiar)
Temporary residence authorisation under exceptional family ties circumstances.
Family unit
Group of relatives eligible for reunification or family roots.
Family visa
Entry authorisation for relatives of residents or Spanish nationals.
Favourable resolution
Administrative decision granting the requested authorisation.
Fee 790
Tax linked to immigration procedures paid via form 790.
Financial means
Financial resources required to reside without working or reunify family.
Fingerprint appointment
Appointment for biometric capture and TIE issuance.
Fingerprints
Biometric capture to issue or renew the TIE.
Foreigners Law
Organic law governing rights and freedoms of foreign nationals.
Foreigners Office
Body processing residence and work authorisations.
Form 790
Fee form for immigration authorisations.
Form EX-01
Application for non-lucrative temporary residence.
Form EX-02
Application for temporary residence and employed work.
Form EX-03
Application for temporary residence and self-employment.
Form EX-10
Application for temporary residence under exceptional circumstances (roots).
Form EX-11
Application for long-term residence authorisation.
Form EX-15
Application for assignment of a NIE to foreign nationals.
Form EX-17
Application for foreigner identity card (TIE).
Form EX-22
Application for international protection.
Hague apostille
Seal authenticating foreign public documents for use in Spain.
Health insurance
Medical coverage required for many residence authorisations.
Historical registration certificate
Town hall certificate showing registration history.
Housing requirement
Condition of having adequate accommodation for reunification.
Identity document
Passport, ID card or equivalent document proving identity.
Immigration (extranjería)
Rules and procedures on entry, stay and residence of foreign nationals.
Immigration Regulations
Rules implementing the Organic Law on Foreigners.
Immigration application
Formal request submitted to the migration administration.
Immigration appointment
Prior booking for procedures at foreigners offices or police stations.
Immigration case statistics
Public data on resolutions, grants and processing times in immigration.
Immigration fee 790
Mandatory payment for immigration authorisation applications.
Immigration fees
Mandatory taxes linked to migration applications.
Immigration file
Set of documents and actions in a migration procedure.
Income requirement
Economic threshold required for reunification and non-lucrative residence.
Integration plan
Social insertion programme linked to social roots.
Integration report
Social integration report issued by the Autonomous Community.
International protection
Status protecting asylum seekers and refugees.
Investor visa
Authorisation for significant investment in Spain (golden visa).
Irregular status
Stay without valid administrative authorisation.
Job search visa
Authorisation to stay and seek work after studies.
Long stay
Stay over 90 days with specific authorisation.
Long-term residence
Indefinite authorisation to reside and work.
Medical certificate
Health report required for visas and some authorisations.
Ministry of Inclusion
Government department responsible for immigration and migration.
Minor
Person under 18 with specific immigration rules.
Motion for reconsideration
Administrative appeal against immigration resolutions before the same body.
NIE
Foreigner Identity Number: unique identifier before the Spanish Administration.
NIE certificate
Document stating the foreigner identity number.
NIE for EU citizens
Number assigned to resident EU citizens for tax and admin procedures.
NIE without appointment
Exceptional cases where some offices allow procedures without a prior booking.
National Police
Police force issuing NIE and TIE in many provinces.
Nationality by descent
Acquisition of nationality through parentage with a Spanish parent or grandparent.
Nationality by marriage
Route to Spanish nationality through residence with a Spanish spouse.
Nationality by residence
Acquisition of nationality after years of legal continuous residence.
Nationality certificate
Document proving acquisition of Spanish nationality.
Nationality of origin
Nationality acquired at birth by parentage or place of birth.
Nationality option
Mechanism to acquire nationality without prior residence in legal cases.
Non-lucrative residence
Authorisation to reside without carrying out work or professional activity.
Passport
Travel and identity document required in most procedures.
Prior appointment
Mandatory booking to attend foreigners offices or police stations.
Red card (provisional)
Provisional document while an immigration application is pending.
Refugee
Person granted asylum or subsidiary protection.
Refusal
Negative resolution of an immigration application.
Regularisation
Process of obtaining legal administrative status in Spain.
Residence
Authorisation to live in Spain beyond a short stay.
Residence and work authorisation
Combined permit to reside and work in Spain.
Resolution deadline
Maximum legal time for the administration to decide.
Reunification visa
Visa to enter and process family reunification.
Schengen area
European area without internal border controls between member states.
Schengen visa
Entry authorisation for short stays in the Schengen area.
Self-employed work permit
Authorisation to carry out self-employed activity.
Short stay
Stay in Spain of up to 90 days within a 180-day period.
Social report
Social services assessment on integration or vulnerability.
Social roots (arraigo social)
Temporary residence authorisation under exceptional circumstances of social integration i…
Spanish nationality
Legal and political bond with the Spanish State conferring citizenship rights and duties.
Stay for studies
Authorisation to reside while pursuing regulated training.
Student visa
Entry authorisation to pursue studies in Spain.
Sworn translation
Official translation by an authorised translator for foreign documents.
TIE
Foreigner Identity Card: physical document proving residence or stay authorisation.
TIE renewal
Procedure to extend or replace the foreigner identity card.
Temporary protection
Exceptional reception regime for conflicts or disasters.
Temporary residence
Authorisation to stay more than 90 days and less than five years.
Third country
State not belonging to the EU or European Economic Area.
Transit visa
Authorisation to cross Spain en route to another destination.
Urgent procedure
Accelerated procedure in legally foreseen cases.
Visa
Consular entry authorisation for Spanish territory.
Visas granted by Spain
Statistics and data on visas issued by Spain.
Work permit
Authorisation to carry out employed or self-employed work.
Work roots (arraigo laboral)
Residence authorisation based on provable employment in Spain.
Work roots labour report
Documentation proving employment for work roots.
Work roots requirements
Documentary and integration conditions required for work roots authorisation.
Work visa
Consular authorisation to enter and work in Spain.