Good to know · Residency
Understand the visa pathways for Americans moving to Spain
US citizens can visit Spain visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180 but need a national long-stay visa (applied for at a Spanish consulate in the US) to live here, and the right visa depends on whether you will not work, work remotely for non-Spanish companies, study, or take a Spanish job or self-employment.
- Why it matters
- The visa you choose decides whether you may work (including remotely), what income or insurance you must prove, how long you can stay, and which Spanish offices you deal with after arrival. It is the first and often the hardest step, and it generally has to be started from the US before you move.
- When
- You are planning to move to Spain for more than 90 days, or you are already in Spain as a visitor and wondering whether you can switch to residence.
- How long it takes
- Non-lucrative: legal decision period 3 months from the consular decision procedure, which can be extended; the consulate states that checks with other authorities can take up to 3 more months. Study: minimum 5 weeks between submission and collection (study visas can be applied for 6 to 2 months before the program). Telework: legal decision period 10 days from when the Consular Section forwards the file, extendable. Most visas can be requested up to 6 months before travel.
- Official page
- Consular services (list of visas and procedures)
- Last checked
- 6 Oct 2026
In the guide: the 6 steps, what to bring (8 items), and tips and what to watch for, with every official source.