If your work, family reunification or non-lucrative residence is about to expire: renewal of the authorisation and a new TIE.
€245VAT included · government fees not included
Long-term residence (“permanent residence”)
Official name: Long-term residence authorisation and EU long-term residence authorisation (Autorización de residencia de larga duración y autorización de residencia de larga duración-UE)
Long-term residence (residencia de larga duración) is what many people call “permanent residence”. It lets you live and work in Spain indefinitely, on the same terms as Spanish nationals. You usually apply after 5 years of legal, continuous residence. There are two types: national, and EU long-term residence, a European status that makes it easier to live in another EU country later.
In short
- Who it is for
- Foreign nationals with 5 years of legal, continuous residence in Spain, or in the other cases in art. 183
- Duration
- Indefinite. The card (TIE) is renewed periodically (arts. 178 and 185)
- Can I work?
- Yes, on the same terms as Spanish nationals
- Where to apply
- The Immigration Office (Oficina de Extranjería) of your province; from outside Spain, the consulate
To talk about your case, at any time (24 hours). Please don't send documents on WhatsApp: if we need any, we'll give you a secure way to send them.
Is this your procedure?
It is for you if…
- You have 5 years of legal, continuous residence in Spain, with no absences of more than 6 consecutive months or more than 10 months in total (arts. 176.a and 183).
- You were away for work reasons: absences of up to 6 consecutive months and 18 months in total are accepted (arts. 176.a and 183.2).
- National long-term residence only: you receive a Spanish contributory retirement pension, or a pension for absolute permanent incapacity or severe disability (gran invalidez) (art. 183.3.a and b).
- National long-term residence only: you were born in Spain, are an adult and have lived here legally and continuously for at least the 3 consecutive years before the application (art. 183.3.c).
- National long-term residence only: you were Spanish by origin and lost that nationality (art. 183.3.d).
- National long-term residence only: on reaching adulthood, you had been in the care of a Spanish public body for the 5 consecutive years before the application (art. 183.3.e).
- National long-term residence only: you have been recognised, in Spain or in another EU country, as stateless, as a refugee or as a beneficiary of subsidiary protection (art. 183.3.f).
It is not for you if…
You do not have 5 years of legal residence yet: what you need is to renew.
See: Residence renewalYou are a family member of an EU citizen with a tarjeta comunitaria: your permanent residence comes under different rules (RD 240/2007).
See: Family of an EU citizenYou are a citizen of the EU, the EEA or Switzerland: after 5 years you apply for the permanent residence certificate, not this authorisation.
See: EU registration certificateYou had long-term residence and lost it, for example by spending a long time abroad: there is a recovery procedure (arts. 186-189). Tell us about your case.
If you were looking for…
- «permanent residence»
- It is the popular name. The official name is long-term residence (national) or EU long-term residence (arts. 175-185 of RD 1155/2024).
- «renew the long-term residence card»
- The authorisation does not expire: what is renewed is the card (TIE). The first time after 5 years; then every 5 years until you turn 30, and every 10 years after that. You apply in the 2 months before it expires or in the 3 months after (arts. 178 and 185).
How absences are counted: three examples
- Trips of 2, 3 and 4 months in 5 years. They add up to 9 months and none is longer than 6 consecutive months: this meets the requirement.
- One trip of 7 consecutive months. This does not meet it, unless there was justified force majeure, which is only considered for national long-term residence.
- Work trips adding up to 14 months, none longer than 6 consecutive months. This meets it: for work, the total limit is 18 months.
If you are unsure about your dates, keep them to hand (passport stamps, tickets, contracts) and check your case before you apply. Once you have the card, remember to renew it: the window is the same as for residence renewal.
Requirements
Have lived in Spain legally and continuously for the 5 years immediately before the application. Time with a residence authorisation counts.
RD 1155/2024, arts. 176.a and 183.1
Absences allowed in those 5 years: up to 6 consecutive months and 10 months in total. If they are for work: up to 6 consecutive months and 18 in total. For national long-term residence, absences due to justified force majeure are also considered.
RD 1155/2024, arts. 176.a and 183.2
EU long-term residence only: time with a stay for studies counts as half, if you already have residence when you apply.
RD 1155/2024, art. 176.a
EU long-term residence only: sufficient fixed and regular resources for you and your family, at the amounts used for family reunification, and health insurance. National long-term residence does not require these means.
RD 1155/2024, art. 176.b and c
Not be a threat to public order or public security. Your criminal record in Spain is checked by the authorities themselves and, where applicable, you provide those from the countries where you lived in the last 5 years.
RD 1155/2024, arts. 177.3.f, 177.5, 184.3.e and 184.5
For national long-term residence: if you have children of compulsory school age, they must be enrolled in school.
RD 1155/2024, art. 184.3.c and 184.4
Pay the government fee for the authorisation and, afterwards, the fee for the TIE.
RD 1155/2024, arts. 177.3.b and 184.3.b; Order PJC/617/2025
Documents
Guide list only. Before we start, we tell you exactly which ones you need in your case.
- Application form for long-term residence (national or EU), signed.
- Full valid passport (or travel document or registration certificate, cédula de inscripción).
- Receipt for payment of the fee.
- EU long-term residence: proof of sufficient resources and health insurance.
- If requested: criminal record certificate from the countries where you lived in the last 5 years.
- School enrolment report for your children of compulsory school age, if you have any.
- If you apply under a special case (pension, birth in Spain, guardianship, international protection): a document proving it.
- If you were away for work: proof of the dates and the reason for the trips.
Please don't send documents on WhatsApp or by email. If we need any, we'll give you a secure way to send them.
Deadlines
- When to apply
- In the 2 months before your current authorisation expires or in the 3 months after. If your authorisation is valid and you already meet the requirements, you can apply at any time (arts. 177.2 and 184.2).
- Time limit for a decision
- 3 months. If they do not reply within that time, the application is deemed granted (positive administrative silence), for both EU and national long-term residence (arts. 177.6 and 184.6).
- Card (TIE)
- Once the authorisation is granted, apply for the TIE in person within 1 month of the notification (arts. 177.7 and 184.7). Fingerprinting is done in person.
- Renewing the card
- After 5 years, then every 5 years until age 30 and every 10 years after that. Not renewing it on time does not make you lose the authorisation, although there may be a penalty (arts. 178 and 185).
How we work
1. You tell us about your situation
On WhatsApp, by phone or with the form. A few lines are enough.
2. We tell you which procedure, which documents and what it costs
Before we start, with a fixed price and government fees on top. If it isn't the right procedure for you, we tell you.
3. We prepare your application file
We review your documents and make sure the file is complete and well explained. Once we have everything, we tell you the date it will be ready.
Online submission on your behalf when the procedure allows it.
4. Follow-up and an update on every development
We follow your file until the decision. If the authorities ask for anything else, we prepare it with you.
Fingerprinting for the TIE is done in person, by you: that part is yours.
In Barcelona and Catalonia
It is a national (state) procedure. In the province of Barcelona the application is submitted at the Immigration Office and the TIE is requested in person at a Policía Nacional (national police) station, with the appointment (cita previa) you book yourself.
Immigration in Barcelona: offices and data for the provinceFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between national and EU long-term residence?
Both let you live and work in Spain indefinitely. The EU one also requires sufficient resources and health insurance (art. 176) and is a European status that makes it easier to live in another EU country later. The national one does not require those means and has special cases without the 5 years (art. 183.3).
Do years with arraigo or with a stay for studies count?
Time with a residence authorisation counts, including arraigo. A stay for studies only counts, as half, for EU long-term residence and only if you already have residence when you apply (art. 176.a).
I spent 7 consecutive months outside Spain. Do I lose the option?
An absence of more than 6 consecutive months breaks continuity. For national long-term residence, duly justified absences due to force majeure are assessed case by case (art. 183.2). Check your dates before you apply.
With long-term residence, can I bring my parents?
Yes. Reunification of parents and grandparents requires you to be a long-term resident (art. 18.1 of Organic Law 4/2000), and you can apply for it as soon as you have applied for long-term residence (art. 68.1.a of RD 1155/2024).
What happens if they do not reply within 3 months?
The application is deemed granted: for long-term residence, silence is positive (arts. 177.6 and 184.6). If that is your case, we explain how to proceed to apply for the card.
Review and sources
Written with the help of AI and reviewed by the Un Papel Menos team on 13 October 2026.
Last updated: .
Legislation
Sources
- BOE: Royal Decree 1155/2024, consolidated text (updated on 22 September 2026) · accessed on 13-10-2026
- BOE: Organic Law 4/2000, consolidated text · accessed on 13-10-2026
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Tell us about your situation
Before we start, we tell you which procedure fits your situation and what it costs.
Or, if you prefer:
- Message us on WhatsApp
To talk about your case, at any time (24 hours). Please don't send documents on WhatsApp: if we need any, we'll give you a secure way to send them.
Phone
+34 623 82 89 38At any time, 24 hours a day, every day.