Spain eases residency rules for travelers

Source: Schengen Visa Info

The Spanish authorities have announced that foreigners holding the country’s temporary residence permits will no longer be subject to strict rules as before.

According to the authorities, foreigners who hold a temporary residence permit will no longer have their permit revoked even if they spend over six months outside the territory of Spain, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.

This means that in line with the newly made changes, all those who hold a Spanish temporary residence permit can travel abroad for more than six months within a year without having to worry about the status of their permit.

The decision to no longer revoke the temporary residence permit of foreigners who stay outside Spain for more than six months was taken by the Spanish Supreme Court on June 20.

However, the authorities have stressed that despite the country taking such a decision, they will still be able to reinstate their previous rules if needed.

As the Olive Press explains, in line with the previous rules, the authorities had the power to cancel the residence permit of those who did not meet the six-month rule.

On the other hand, it has been stressed that now that temporary residency status can be terminated only through a legal process when the authorities evaluate that a certain person should no longer be eligible for the document rather than due to the duration of absence in Spain.

The temporary residence permit can last up to five years, and once a foreigner has lived in Spain for such a period, they can apply for a long-term residency permit.

Nonetheless, the Olive Press emphasized that potential confusion may arise for foreigners who seek to upgrade their temporary residence permits to permanent status following five years of residence in the country.

The current rule does not permit a foreigner to stay out of the country for more than ten months within five years before the permanent residence permit application continues to remain in place.

This means that all foreigners who stay out of Spain for more than six months will be able to renew their residence permit, but they will not be able to upgrade the permit to permanent erosion as their stay outside the country would exceed ten months in five years.

Non-EU citizens applying for a Spanish temporary residence permit need to submit their passport and a photocopy of it, a certificate of criminal record, three passport-size pictures, proof of having purchased travel health insurance, and the completed form for the permit.