The non-EU expat who logs five legal years in Spain can reach for a glittery brass ring at the end of year five: a “larga duraci\u00f3n” residence permit, either for Spain alone or for both Spain and the rest of the European Union.<\/p>\n
I opted for the second, got it, post today to share juicy details.<\/p>\n
My new status is permanent. I had to submit proofs and paperwork to obtain the status, true, but hereafter only shall have to renew the plastic identity card every five years, and not the underlying authorization. I can’t vote, but enjoy most of the others rights of a EU citizen.<\/p>\n
THE PROCESS<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n This time, I worked with a professional. The 2019 visa renewal<\/a> had exhausted me. I couldn’t see putting myself through a similar ordeal on the heels of the Covid-19 pandemic, didn’t want to take any chances on such an important step-up in my life in Europe. I queried Spaniards and other expats, booked consultations with two firms, decided not to work with either, pored suspiciously over online reviews …<\/p>\n … and, at the end of the day, made a good choice: Lexidy Law Services<\/a>, specifically, Cristina Negro Vizoso at the Madrid branch. I recommend Lexidy wholeheartedly to other expats, regret only that I didn’t discover them years ago.<\/p>\n Because I worked with a pro, I write with less detail than in my other posts about immigration hurdles. Spain’s Residencia de larga duraci\u00f3n – UE<\/a> page gives a good overview of requirements, but Lexidy provided separate instructions. I dotted the Is and crossed the Ts that Lexidy told me to dot and cross, signed paperwork to let them submit my application electronically.<\/p>\n The worst part was the wait. The extranjer\u00eda was supposed to give me thumbs up or thumbs down within three months (significantly longer than the visa renewal wait time in 2019). Three months came, went. Nothing. Had the extranjer\u00eda somehow rejected my app with the silencio administrativo<\/em> referred to on the portal page? I sent nervous emails to Cristina; she sent follow-up requests to the extranjer\u00eda, reassured me. I also heard from three fellow U.S. expats with Democrats Abroad<\/a>, who agreed that these extranjer\u00eda delays were par for the course, particularly in a Covid year.<\/p>\n The good news finally came in mid-September. Application approved! I still had to be fingerprinted for the new ID card at a Comunidad de Madrid police office. Cristina booked the appointment for me, told me what paperwork to bring.<\/p>\n I expect to have the card by mid-November. I’d update this post if I were to run into problems, but don’t expect to. The authorization is what counts, the resoluci\u00f3n de concesi\u00f3n<\/em>, and I already have that. I’m in.<\/p>\n On to questions and answers. I’ll emphasize at the start that I can’t and don’t offer legal advice, post only to share what I’ve learned. (Or think<\/strong><\/em> I’ve learned …)<\/p>\n IS LONG DURATION RESIDENCE THE SAME AS PERMANENT RESIDENCE?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Not quite, although we expats often use the second term when we mean the first. True ‘permanent residence’ is available only to citizens of the European Union.<\/p>\n CAN I APPLY FOR LONG DURATION RESIDENCE ONLY IN SPAIN?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Yes, as described at another Portal de Inmigraci\u00f3n page<\/a>. I like Spain a lot, wouldn’t have assembled a 3,900 word Spanish vocabulary list if I intended to move, but also saw no reason to limit options. I wanted long duration residence for the whole European Union.<\/p>\n HOW HARD WOULD IT BE TO MOVE ELSEWHERE IN THE EUROPEAN UNION?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n The twenty-seven member countries, in alphabetical order, are:<\/p>\n\n