Permanent residence
Today’s topic is about how to apply for permanent residence (also called long-term residence) if you hace work permit in Spain.
According to Article 32 of the Spanish Law on Foreigners, the application for permanent residence requires five years of legal and continuous residence in Spain.
You do not need to have had work permit for five years, but previous residence permit before work permit will also be counted.
How long do I have to work before I can apply for permanent residence?
Unlike the extension of work residence, article 149 of the Spanish Law on Foreigners, no proof of financial capacity is required to apply for permanent residence, and there is no job requirement. In addition, no health insurance or medical card, etc., is required.
In other words, it does not matter if you are working or not at the time of application. There is also no requirement as to how long you have been working over the past years.
Related article: Guide to Spanish permanent residence aplication
Is it possible to apply for permanent residence while receiving unemployment benefits?
According to the above, you do not need to prove your financial capacity to apply for permanent residence, so even if you are unemployed and receiving unemployment benefits, you can still apply for permanent residence.
Absence period limit for permanent residence
You may lose your permanent residence permit if you are outside for too long time.
Once you have successfully applied for permanent residence, you should be aware that, you cannot be outside European Union (not Spain) for more than 12 months continuously.
