Immigration Services in Spain

Looking for immigration services in Spain that actually move your case forward — clearly, safely, and without guesswork? At LEXMOVEA we support English-speaking clients who need reliable help with Spanish visas, residence permits, and relocation, from a first-time application to renewals, NIE/TIE bureaucracy, and appeals after a refusal. Whether you searched for an immigration lawyer in Spain or an immigration consultant, what you almost always need is the same thing: the right legal route, a clean document file, and a team that tracks your case until the next step is secured.

Spain’s immigration system feels overwhelming because the “right” answer depends entirely on your situation — where you are, what you intend to do in Spain, and which legal pathway fits your profile. Our job is to turn that complexity into a structured plan: confirm eligibility, build a compliant file, submit it correctly, respond to any requerimiento, and guide you through the steps that come after approval, including NIE, the TIE card, appointments, and renewals. A note that matters in 2026: Spanish immigration rules changed substantially with Real Decreto 1155/2024, and much of the advice still circulating online reflects the old framework. Part of our work is making sure your application is built on the law as it stands now.

At a glance: immigration help in Spain

• Who it is for: non-EU and EU nationals living in or relocating to anywhere in Spain.
• Languages: English, Spanish, and Arabic.
• What we cover: visas, residence and work permits, renewals, arraigo (regularization) routes, EU family member cards, Spanish nationality, NIE/TIE, and refusal appeals.
• Format: fully online across Spain and worldwide, or in person at our Madrid office.
• Legal framework: current Spanish immigration law, including Real Decreto 1155/2024.

What we help with

Our practice is built for people who want practical execution, not generic advice. We assist with:

• Visas and residence permits for non-EU citizens — planning, filing, and follow-up.
• Work authorization and employer-led processes.
• High-demand routes such as student stays, the digital nomad visa, non-lucrative residency, and family-based routes.
• In-Spain procedures like residence permit preparation, renewals, extensions, and modifications.
• Everyday bureaucracy — NIE, TIE, appointments, and post-approval compliance.
• Appeals and refusals, including analysis of a denial and a structured legal response.

Choose the right immigration path (fast fit guide)

If you are not sure which route applies to you, this quick guide helps you self-identify the most common scenarios. From there, we confirm eligibility and build the strategy around the pathway that best fits your profile and your timing.

Moving to Spain to work (employed, highly qualified, or employer-sponsored)

If your plan is to work in Spain, your options depend on the role, the salary, the employer setup, and whether you apply from abroad or from inside Spain. We support both individuals and companies — defining the correct legal basis, preparing the employer documentation, and aligning the file with the required standards so you avoid the delays and refusals that come from a poorly assembled case.

Remote work and the Digital Nomad Visa

If you work remotely for a foreign company or with international clients, the key is proving your professional activity and meeting the documentary standards. We shape the evidence, verify the compliance points, and prepare a submission that matches the route-specific requirements and the review patterns we see most often.

Living in Spain without working (non-lucrative)

For clients who want to reside in Spain without working, the non-lucrative route is often the right fit — but the file has to be financially consistent and formally compliant. We structure the proof of funds, confirm document validity, and prevent the inconsistencies that most commonly trigger a refusal.

Studying in Spain, and moving from student to work

Student routes are not only about admission — they are about keeping your legal status, meeting the renewal conditions, and preparing your next options, whether internships, a modification, or a transition to work. We help you map the timeline so your studies support long-term residency planning, including the documentation needed for clean follow-ups.

Joining family (family reunification or EU family member)

Family-based cases depend on the type of relationship, the sponsor’s status, and the proof required — cohabitation, dependency, means, insurance, and civil-registry documents. We guide you through route selection and file-building so you understand exactly what applies to you and what evidence is actually needed: no over-collecting, and nothing essential missing.

Already in Spain and need to regularize your status (arraigo)

If you are already in Spain and need a lawful path to regularize your situation, the right option may be one of the arraigo (roots) figures or another modification, depending on your history, your ties, and the evidence available. These routes were reshaped by Real Decreto 1155/2024, so the requirements you may have read about a year ago may no longer apply. We help you choose the safest strategy, prepare the correct documentation, and avoid the procedural mistakes that create long delays.

Who our services are for

Most service pages describe procedures; few speak to the actual person reading them. Here is how our help maps onto the situations clients most often arrive with.

UK citizens after Brexit

Since Brexit, British nationals are treated as third-country nationals and need a visa or residence permit to live in Spain. The routes most UK clients use are the non-lucrative visa, the digital nomad visa, and family routes with a Spanish or EU relative. We handle the document coordination this involves — including the UK criminal-record certificate, its apostille, and sworn translation — so the file meets the standard from the first review.

Americans and other non-EU nationals

For US citizens and other non-EU applicants, the choice usually sits between consular filing from your home country and, where available, filing from inside Spain. We help you decide which is right for your timing, prepare the proof of funds or income the route requires, and plan the apostille and sworn-translation steps so nothing stalls the application.

Remote workers, families, retirees, and business owners

Remote workers generally fit the digital nomad route; families look to reunification or the EU family member card; retirees and the financially independent tend toward the non-lucrative visa; and entrepreneurs and companies move through work, highly qualified, or business routes. Whatever your starting point, the first step is the same — confirming the correct pathway before any document is collected.

Comprehensive immigration law services

At LEXMOVEA we recognize that each immigration case is its own. That is why we deliver structured, scenario-based support — so you can identify the right path, prepare the right evidence, file correctly, and stay compliant after submission. Our approach is built on process transparency, document precision, and proactive follow-up that reduces delays and friction.

• Spanish Nationality: if you meet the legal requirements, we support your nationality application through the correct pathway for your case — residency, option, naturalization letter, or the Law of Democratic Memory. We help you build a coherent file, prepare the supporting documents, and complete each step in the right order.
• EU Family Member Residence Card (Community Card): if you are the family member of an EU citizen, we help you obtain the tarjeta comunitaria and exercise your right to live and work in Spain, advising on eligibility, proof standards (relationship, dependency, cohabitation), and the submission strategy that fits your situation.
• Student stays and the Digital Nomad Visa: route-specific support for students and remote workers, including document planning, compliance review, submission strategy, and post-submission guidance — with a clean roadmap for renewals, modifications, and long-term residency planning.
• Arraigo in its various forms: for clients already in Spain, roots-based solutions need careful case framing and strong supporting evidence under the current rules. We help you choose the safest option and present a file aligned with the legal and documentary standards.
  • Arraigo Social (Social Roots): if you have lived in Spain for an extended period and have genuine ties, we assess eligibility, define the required proof, and prepare the application so the narrative and the documents match what the reviewing office expects.
  • Family Arraigo (Arraigo Familiar): if your route depends on family ties, we advise on the correct legal basis and evidence standards so your application is consistent, complete, and aligned with the requirements that apply.
  • Arraigo Socioformativo: if your plan involves studying while building a lawful route to work and residence, we support the eligibility check, the course and requirements review, and the procedural preparation to keep your case compliant from the start.
  • Arraigo Sociolaboral: if your case rests on work-related proof and a job offer, we help you build the documentary backbone, verify the eligibility points, and prepare a submission that reduces the risk of delays and requests for more evidence.
• Non-Lucrative Residency: we structure the file around financial consistency, document validity, and clear proof, guiding you through the full process from planning to submission and the steps that follow.
• Golden Visa renewal: for investment-based residency, we advise on requirements, renewal strategy, and the documentation that proves continuity and compliance, so your residency stays stable and predictable.
• Hiring from abroad and the Highly Qualified Professional regime: we support companies and professionals with employer sponsorship, relocation planning, and route selection — especially where timing, compliance, and proper documentation make the difference between a smooth approval and a preventable refusal.
• NIE assistance: need an NIE for property, banking, contracts, or registration? We give you a structured approach — document checklist, appointment guidance where applicable, and the practical next steps so you can use your NIE for the purpose you actually need.
• TIE card assistance: for clients who need biometrics, card issuance, or renewal guidance, we explain the steps, the documents required at each stage, and how to avoid the common appointment and paperwork mistakes.
• Residence permit applications and renewals: we focus on compliance, evidence coherence, and timing, so you keep your legal continuity in Spain without a gap.
• Visa appeals and rejections: if your visa or residence application has been denied, we analyze the grounds, identify the strongest arguments and evidence, and prepare a structured response within the deadlines.
• Relocation and expatriate services: if you are relocating to Spain, we coordinate the administrative steps that keep your immigration status and your practical setup — housing, registrations, family needs — aligned.

How the process works, step by step

• Step 1 — Route fit and risk check: we confirm your best pathway (visa, residence, work, family, or arraigo), review the timing constraints, and flag risks before you invest time in the wrong route.
• Step 2 — Document checklist and standards: you receive a route-specific checklist with clear standards — what to provide, in what format, how long each document stays valid, and what tends to trigger a request for more information.
• Step 3 — File build and review: we assemble the case into a coherent narrative with supporting evidence, so your submission reads clearly to the reviewing authority.
• Step 4 — Submission strategy: we file through the correct channel — consular or in-Spain, depending on the procedure — ensuring the application matches the procedural requirements.
• Step 5 — Tracking, requerimientos, and resolution: we monitor progress, respond to information requests, and guide you through the outcome and the next steps — NIE, TIE, biometrics, and renewals.

What documents you will usually need

The exact list depends on your route, but most files start from the same core. Having these ready early is the single best way to avoid delays:

• A valid passport.
• Proof of income or sufficient funds for your route.
• Private health insurance with full coverage in Spain, where required.
• Proof of address (empadronamiento) when filing from inside Spain.
• A criminal-record certificate, apostilled and sworn-translated where required.
• The documents specific to your route — a work contract, family or civil-registry certificates, an acceptance letter, or a refusal notice.

Timelines: what influences processing time

One of the most common planning questions is how long it takes. Processing in Spain can range from a few weeks to several months, depending on the route, the reviewing authority, where you apply, and whether additional evidence is requested. We give you realistic ranges during your assessment and plan around the dates that matter to you, mapping the timeline against the route type, the office handling the file, how complete your documents are, and the appointment availability for post-approval steps such as biometrics and TIE issuance. We will never promise instant approval, because no honest lawyer can; what we do is submit clean, coherent files that cut down on the avoidable delays.

Document standards: apostille, sworn translation, validity windows

Most refusals and delays come from avoidable document issues. We help you comply with the standards that apply — legalization or apostille where needed, sworn translations when required, and the validity windows for time-sensitive documents — and we check consistency across the whole file so the story your documents tell is clear and credible from the first read.

Fees and what impacts cost

Cost is a major decision factor, so we address it up front. The total depends on the complexity of the route, the urgency, how much of the process you want us to handle (a document review versus full representation), and whether the case includes extra steps such as renewals, modifications, or appeals. We separate the costs into three categories so you can budget accurately:

• Our professional fees: the legal and administrative work, scoped to your service level and the complexity of your case.
• Government fees (tasas): the official filing and card charges that apply to certain procedures.
• Third-party costs: sworn translations, apostille or legalization, and notary or document issuance where needed.

The principle is transparency: before you commit, you will know what is included, what is not, and what you need to provide — so there are no surprises mid-process.

Why clients choose us

Many competitors market “immigration help” without explaining what that help actually includes. Clients choose us because we combine route clarity, document precision, and process transparency — especially English-speaking clients who need reliable guidance in Spain’s administrative environment.

We also take compliance seriously: case strategy and legal representation are handled by qualified professionals, and every file is prepared to the standard of proof the relevant authorities expect. If you are looking for an English-speaking immigration lawyer in Spain, our communication style is built to be clear, structured, and action-oriented.

Frequently asked questions

How much do immigration services in Spain cost?

Costs vary by route and scope. A straightforward task such as a document review or a single administrative step is different from full legal representation for a complex residence or work route, or for an appeal. The main drivers are complexity, urgency, the volume of documentation, and whether the case needs follow-up responses (requerimientos) or post-approval steps such as TIE, biometrics, and renewal planning.

Do I need an immigration lawyer in Spain?

You can file some procedures yourself, but many clients choose professional support to avoid the delays, refusals, or procedural mistakes that are costly in time and opportunity. If your case involves tight timelines, complex requirements, family members, work authorization, or a previous refusal, legal guidance significantly reduces the risk.

How do I get residency in Spain as a non-EU citizen?

The right route depends on your scenario: working in Spain, working remotely, living without working, studying, joining family, or regularizing from within Spain. The safest approach is to start with route selection, then build a compliant file that matches the exact requirements and evidence standards for that pathway under the current rules.

What is the difference between NIE and TIE in Spain?

The NIE is an identification number used for administrative and legal transactions in Spain — contracts, banking, taxes, procedures. The TIE is the physical residence card issued to non-EU residents as proof of their authorization, usually obtained after approval through biometrics and card issuance. Many people need both, for different reasons, and timing matters.

How long does a Spain visa or residency application take?

Processing time depends on the visa or residence type, the reviewing authority, where you apply, appointment availability, and whether additional documentation is requested. A clean, complete file generally moves faster than one with inconsistencies or missing standards. We help you plan the timeline and reduce delays by preparing the application for the review patterns we see most often.

Do you help UK citizens, families, and remote workers?

Yes. We regularly assist British nationals navigating post-Brexit residency, families using reunification or the EU family member card, and remote workers applying through the digital nomad route. Our services are available in English, Spanish, and Arabic, online across Spain and worldwide, or in person in Madrid.

Our commitment

When you hire us, you are not hiring vague “immigration help.” You are hiring a team that clarifies your path, builds your file to standard, and keeps the process moving with proactive follow-up and clear communication.

• Experience and specialization: we focus on immigration in Spain and handle a wide range of visa, residence, work, family, and appeal procedures with structured, route-specific execution.
• Personalized attention: your strategy is built around your real scenario, not a generic template, so you know exactly what applies to you and what to do next.
• Transparency and communication: we explain the steps, timelines, and responsibilities in plain English, and keep you informed throughout.
• Commitment to outcome: we prepare files to reduce friction, respond to requests efficiently, and guide you through the steps after approval, including NIE/TIE and renewals.
• Clear scope and fair rates: we set out practical service levels so you can choose the support that fits your needs and your budget.

Get started

If you need help with a Spanish visa, a residency renewal, a work permit, or practical support with NIE/TIE procedures, contact us to get started. In your first consultation we identify the correct route, confirm eligibility, outline the exact document checklist, and define a clear step-by-step plan tailored to your timing and goals. If you need legal advice on an immigration matter, do not hesitate to reach out — we will be glad to provide a tailored solution for your situation, with clear scope, strong documentation standards, and English-speaking support from start to finish.