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Long Term Residence Permit vs. EU Long Term Residence Permit

Long Term Residence Permit vs. EU Long Term Residence Permit

These are two long term residence permits, as their name indicates, which allow the applicant to reside and work in Spain indefinitely under the same conditions as Spaniards; that is, they authorize residence without professional activity, working for someone else, or working for yourself.

Who can apply for these two Long Term Residence Permits?

Nationals of non-EU countries who have been in Spain continuously and legally residing for a prior period of five years may request these permits. This continuity will not be affected in any case by absences from Spanish territory of up to six continuous months, provided that the sum does not exceed ten months within the five-year period. If the absence were for work reasons, a total of one year may not be exceeded within the required five-year period.

Calculation of time

While in the Long Term Residence Permit only the periods of legal residence are taken into account for the computation of those five years, for the EU Long Term Residence Permit the periods in circumstances of stay for studies, student mobility, or non-work internships are also taken into account, counting 50% of their duration.

Scope of application of the Long-Term Residence

Another of the main differences between both permits is that the EU Long Term Residence Permit offers its holder the possibility of obtaining a Long Term Residence in other Member States of the European Union in a simpler way, always taking into account the specifications of the regulations of that other country, unlike the Long Term Residence Permit whose validity is strictly national.

Long Term Residence: Application

Furthermore, the assumptions under which one or the other can be requested also differ. On the one hand, the Long Term Residence Permit will only take into account the effective and continuous residence in Spanish territory during the five years prior to the application, while the EU Long Term Residence Permit goes one step further, requiring the applicant not only to have those five years of residence but also:

  • have fixed and regular financial resources for their maintenance and, where appropriate, for the family;
  • have public or private health insurance that covers the risks normally insured for Spanish citizens.

Once the application has been submitted, in either of the two cases, the Administration will have a maximum period of three months to process it, counting from the day following the date on which it was entered into the relevant registry. After said period has elapsed without any notification from the Administration having been received, it may be understood that the request has been granted due to administrative silence, with it being necessary to proceed to request the resolution for this reason.

Additional procedure

Within one month from the notification of the granting of the Long-Term Residence or EU Long-Term Residence authorization, the interested party must personally request the Foreigner Identity Card at the Immigration Office or Police Station of the province where the authorization has been processed.

If you have any questions or would like to expand information without commitment to our service, get in contract with us: Work and Residence Permit

Long Term Residence Permit vs. EU Long Term Residence Permit

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