What "residency" really means
Being a resident means you have the legal right to live in Spain for more than three months. That's it — the right to stay.
It helps to see how it differs from the steps before it. Your NIE is just a number. Your padrón is just your address. Residency is the right itself — the thing those other two were building towards.
And here's the first fork in the road: there are two very different paths, and which one you take depends on your passport.
Which path is yours
- From the EU or EEA (Danish, Norwegian): you already have the right to live here. You're not asking permission — you're just registering. Your proof is the green certificate (more below).
- From outside the EU (Russian): you need permission first — a visa or residence permit, usually arranged before you arrive. Then you get a physical card, the TIE (the residence card for non-EU citizens). This path is more involved, and the routes differ a lot.
Most of our readers from the north take the first path, so we'll cover that in full — then give the non-EU path in honest outline.
The EU path: the green certificate
If you're an EU or EEA citizen, the document you're after is the green certificate — its full name is the Certificado de Registro de Ciudadano de la Unión. People just call it "the green certificate," because it's a green A4 sheet. It's not a card, and it has no photo. It simply shows your name, nationality, NIE and address, and the date you registered.
When: within your first three months here. Don't sit on it — registering late can cause problems in later paperwork.
Where: the foreigners' office (the extranjería) or the national police, by appointment. You'll need to book a cita previa first.
What you bring — some of it depends on your situation:
- The EX-18 form — the application to register as a resident.
- The fee — about €12, paid with a form called Modelo 790, código 012, before your appointment.
- Your passport, plus a recent padrón certificate (under three months old).
- Proof you can support yourself — in one of these ways:
- Working (employed): your work contract and Social Security registration.
- Self-employed: your registration as an autónomo (Spain's self-employed scheme).
- Not working (pensioner, or living on savings): proof of funds — roughly €600 a month per person in 2026 (the official wording is "100% of the IPREM," Spain's benchmark figure) — plus full private health insurance.
⚠ About that health insuranceIf you're proving funds rather than working, your insurance has to be the real thing: full cover, no copays, no waiting periods — equivalent to the public system. A basic travel or holiday policy gets rejected. (Pensioners cover this a different way — see the healthcare guide.)
Documents from homeAnything in Danish, Norwegian or Russian usually needs a sworn translation into Spanish — a traducción jurada — and sometimes an apostille (an official stamp confirming it's genuine). Sort these before your appointment.
If your papers are in order, the certificate is printed on the spot. You walk out a registered resident.
The non-EU path, in brief
If you're from outside the EU, this is a bigger subject — and the rules changed with Spain's 2025 immigration reform. Most permits are arranged before you arrive, from your home country. The common routes are:
- Non-lucrative: live here on your own money, without working. Needs proof of funds and private insurance.
- Digital nomad: work remotely for clients outside Spain.
- Work permit: tied to a job offer here.
- Study: for a recognised course.
- Family: joining an EU or Spanish family member.
Once your visa or permit is approved, you get the TIE — the physical residence card. That involves a fingerprint appointment (the toma de huellas), which again means a cita previa.
⚠ Get advice before you pick a routeThe routes and rules differ enough that a wrong turn costs months. This is the one step where a good immigration lawyer or gestor earns their fee. Ask before you commit.
After five years: permanent residency
Live here legally and without long breaks for five years, and you earn permanent residency — a stronger, lasting status. As an EU citizen, you can then ask for a certificate that confirms it.
How does Spain count those five years? Partly through your padrón history. That's one more reason to register early and keep it current. (Citizenship is a separate, longer road — generally ten years for most people, with big exceptions. A topic for another guide.)
Easy mistakes to avoid
- Waiting past the three-month mark to register.
- Bringing insurance with copays or waiting periods — it gets rejected.
- A padrón certificate that's gone stale (over three months old).
- Documents that aren't translated.
- Thinking the green certificate is the same as your NIE. One is a right; one is a number.
Common questions
Is the green certificate the same as the NIE?
No. The NIE is a number; the green certificate is your right to live here. The certificate shows your NIE on it, which is why people mix them up. More on the NIE.
Does the green certificate expire?
It has no printed expiry date. But the right behind it can lapse if you stop meeting the conditions — work, funds, study or family.
Do I need health insurance even as an EU citizen?
If you're working, your Social Security covers you. If you're a pensioner, an S1 form does. If you're neither, yes — you'll need full private insurance. See the healthcare guide.
Can I work as soon as I register?
As an EU citizen, your right to work comes from your nationality, not the certificate. Registering just makes everything official.
How long does the appointment take?
The green certificate is usually issued on the spot, once your papers are in order. The hard part is getting the appointment, not the appointment itself.
Next: healthcareOnce you're a resident, the piece that makes daily life work is getting into the health system — your SIP card.
Read the healthcare guide →