RESIDENCIA (CHAPTER 3)

Documentation that in practice is required to be submitted by EU citizens who were willing to become Spanish residents, and work as self-employed in Spanish territory is simple. This is a list of all that we consider that should be prepared in our experience, but it might be slightly different depending on the particular region in Spain where application were submitted. We understand that this should not be exactly right due to be an actual existing Rule of Law being supposed to be applicable all over the country, but it is not in practice, and every region, and even sometimes one city, or another into the same area are enforcing applications for different requirements to each circumstances, and seriously affecting the process to be brought to a positive end, or not to.

Since The Schengen Treaty in 1985 (Spain joined it in July 23^rd 1995), and the Amsterdam EU Treaty in 1997, it is well known that EU citizens are free to move, and work around the EU area without being necessarily required to apply, and achieve any official work permission at all. In other words, and providing that a Spanish tax identification number (NIE) were granted, any EU citizen is allowed to registered a business in Spain in just a blink. However, due to immigration check controls, and crime control, every country is supposed to stablish legal processes to control the population, and everyone coming to live and work in Spain will be, time flexibly speaking wise, obliged to go through the Spanish Residence process.

This is the list of documents that will be required to present. Most of these documents will be very easy to obtain providing that applicants had digital operational access granted by the Spanish Government.

• Official application forms, and rates.

• Proof of IRS self-employed business registration.

• Proof of Spanish Social Security business registration.

• Proof of business activity being fully complied with all regular tax and social security monthly payment obligations. Certificates needed both from Spanish Social Security and Inland Revenue Service (AEAT)

• Proof of various VAT and income tax returns presented, and paid along the previous 6-12 months.

• Proof of NHS assistance coverage.

• Proof of SUFFICIENT business earnings being paid into a Spanish bank account. Bank account statements showing earnings credited-in along the previous six months to the time that application is done. The longer backwards that it goes, the better usually it is.

• Certificate from the bank showing the bank account number is in the name of the applicant. The intention is reconciling the account number, and the bank statements being also required.

• Certificate from the Council where applicant lives showing temporarily registration in it, and time since it was first-registered. It is officially named EMPADRONAMIENTO.

• Copy of house deeds or original rental contract. In case that applicants lived in rented accommodation, the Spanish immigration department will usually require, or it might demand to present the original signed rental contract, proof of last 3-6 months rental payments, and proof of utilities being in the name of the applicants, or in the name of the landlord who is shown on the tenancy agreement. There are sometimes serious problems since the rental agreement might not be signed in every page, and only the last one, or it might be just a copy, or it might be signed between the leese, and an Estate Agent in the name of the owners, and not by the actual owners, …

• Original Apostilled, and translated Birth Certificates & Marriage Certificate in case of children being also applying for green cards together with their parents.

Our Firm will be of course assisting you in this complex process along the way.