Our website uses  cookies for statistical purposes.

  • Calle Villalar, 7, Bajo Izquierda, 28001 Madrid
  • clients(at)lawyersspain.eu
  • +34 938 074 056
Our Articles

Immigrate to Spain from Mexico

Immigrate to Spain from Mexico

Spain is one of the top European destinations for Latin American immigrants. Mexicans in Spain have autonomous communities in Madrid but they also reside in Catalonia and Andalusia. Individuals from Mexico can enter Spain without a visa and stay for a period of 90 days. For longer stays, visas are mandatory.

Our team of immigration lawyers in Spain can offer adequate and personalized advice to all individuals who are interested in moving to the country. In order to immigrate to Spain from Mexico, individuals will need to decide on the manner in which they will stay in the country long-term, meaning that they will need to apply for a visa, either for employment or for doing business when this is an option. Reuniting with family members who are already living in Spain can be an option for some Mexican immigrants. It is recommended to seek proper assistance, especially for family reunification purposes, in order to fully understand the applicable requirements. We can also help you apply for Spanish citizenship.

The main ways to emigrate from Mexico to Spain

Just like other non-EU residents, Mexican citizens can immigrate to Spain based on several types of visas, depending on their reasons. Among the most common motives for Mexican citizens to come to Spain are travel, business, and employment. If for traveling to Spain, a citizen of Mexico will need a tourist visa which is quite simple to obtain, for business or employment purposes, the requirements are more stringent. However, Mexican citizens have the advantage of speaking Spanish and it will be simpler for them to understand the requirements of the local authorities.

One of the special ways under which a Mexican citizen can immigrate to Spain is the Residence by Investment scheme which was designed for high net worth individuals from non-EU countries. This program is one of the most appreciated by foreign nationals seeking to live in Spain.

Our immigration lawyers in Spain can offer detailed information on the main ways in which citizens of Mexico can relocate to this country. They can also help you select a suitable type of visa in accordance with your immigration reasons. You can rely on us if you want to apply for a residence permit in Spain.

If you wish to relocate and work remotely from Spain for companies, one of your greatest options is the Spanish nomad visa. If you decide to stay, you can apply for a residence permit as usual. The requirements and application process unique to each form of visa, including the remote work visa, can be explained by one of our local immigration advisers.

The freedom to live and work in any other European nation besides Spain, the opportunity to vote, and, most crucially, the capacity to settle permanently here are only a few benefits of obtaining citizenship in Spain. Our immigration attorneys in Spain can provide you with more details about the rights you may be able to exercise as a citizen.

You can find out from the infographic below how to move to Spain from Mexico:

Immigrate to Spain from Mexico

Types of long-term visas in Spain and residence permits

Living, working, carrying out research or opening a company in Spain is subject to certain visa requirements for foreign nationals. There are different residence permits that can be awarded, depending on the purpose of the stay and they can be combined ones when they are issued for both residence and work.

Applying for the right residence permit is an action that takes place before leaving Mexico and the submission is made at the Spanish embassy or consulate in the area where the applicant lives. Individuals should know that when they intend to work in Spain, the employer is the one who must submit the application on behalf of the future employee. This is important because an agreement for employment should be secured before the process is commenced. This is also the case for student or research visas: the applicant must first be admitted to a Spanish learning or educational program before applying. 

Below, we list the major types of residence permits that can be awarded to Mexican nationals who are interested in Spain immigration:

  1. Employment visa: one of the most common long-term visas for immigrants, it is issued for the purpose of working in Spain.
  2. Student visa: for those individuals who wish to study in Spain and have found a University or educational institution that has accepted them.
  3. Non-lucrative visa: when the applicant wishes to live in Spain and has the financial means to support himself.
  4. Golden visa: it is issued to applicants who purchase a Spanish property with a minimum value.
  5. Investor visa: issued to those Mexican entrepreneurs who invest in a Spanish business.

The application file will contain both general documents as well as specific ones, as per the type of residence permit. The list below includes the items required for those foreign nationals who apply for a residence visa for working as Spanish employees:

  • the visa application form, filled in and signed, original.
  • the passport, original and copy, valid for at least six months from the date of the application;
  • passport-size photograph, a recent one and with a white background. 
  • an original medical certificate certifying the fact that the applicant is not suffering from any contagious diseases.
  • proof of payment of the non-refundable visa fee (different fees apply according to the nationality of the applicant).
  • Police records issued by the relevant authorities/the police in the applicant’s country of origin.
  • the approval for the work permit and the residency visa which is to be applied for by the employer before the future employee submits his/her visa application.

As seen above, the employment visa will include a document that is to be obtained by the Spanish employer that is willing to hire a foreign national. One of our immigration lawyers in Spain can provide detailed information about this approval and the letter that must be issued by the Immigration Office testifying the fact that the work permit has been approved. Those who want to relocate to Spain from Mexico can rely on our specialists.

Naturally, other types of permits will include specific documents. For example, the student visa will include the letter of acceptance to the University or the School for which the applicant has applied. This type of visa, like several others, will also include proof of financial means during the applicant’s stay (for student visas, this can be the school tuition). 

Please remember that the list of required documents above is not an exhaustive one and the Spanish authorities are entitled to ask for additional documents or clarifications, as needed. Each application is unique and depends on the particular situation of the applicant. This is why we recommend reaching out to our specialists during the early stages of the application, as soon as you decide to immigrate to SpainResidency in Spain is also available for family members of an EU citizen may be obtained by family members of a Spanish citizen or a citizen of another Member State of the European Union who live in Spain and are not nationals of that country. This is possible if they have lived legally in Spain for 5 years in a row and the family relationship that was the basis for the issuance of their residence card is still present, or if they continue to be entitled to residence as a family member.

Long-term visa applications are generally processed with one month after submission. Non-lucrative residence visas have a longer processing period, of approximately three months. The applicant, in person, collects the visa from the Consular Post or Diplomatic Mission. It is possible for an authorized representative to collect the visa on his behalf. One of our immigration lawyers in Spain can help you with legal representation issues.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issues the rules and regulations applicable to immigrants and foreign nationals. One of our agents can give you complete details about specific laws and conditions.


You can rely on us for guidance in applying for Spanish citizenship

You must pass two different tests in order to obtain citizenship in Spain. The first one is the language test which confirms that your level of Spanish is sufficient, however, it does apply to countries from Latin America. The second one is the test of cultural aptitude. This test is not necessary if you attended high school or college in Spain.

Moving to Spain based on a golden visa

As mentioned above, immigration to Spain from Mexico based on a golden visa or permanent residence by investment scheme has many advantages. However, the applicant is required to comply with specific requisites and must submit proof of the legitimacy of the funds.

In order to emigrate to Spain based on a golden visa, a Mexican citizen needs to invest at least 650,000 euros in a real estate property. Also, before being granted citizenship, applicants will be issued their residence permit in Spain.

Such an immigration program has many advantages for the Mexican citizen, among which:

  • the residence visa needs to be renewed every 2 years (instead of one in other cases);
  • permanent residence can be obtained after 5 years of maintaining the investment;
  • Spanish citizenship can be obtained after 10 years of living in the country;
  • the resident is not required to live in Spain if he or she seeks temporary residence;
  • the golden visa grants access to EU residency and the possibility to freely travel in all other 26 member countries;
  • the Mexican citizen also obtains the right to work in Spain based on this visa.

The procedure of relocating to Spain from Mexico based on a golden visa can be supervised by our lawyers who can also guide the applicants through the document preparation and filing process.

Purchasing real estate is one way you could become a resident of Spain. Although it is not necessary to travel in order to make the purchase, you will need to do so in order to apply for residency in Spain. After purchasing the property, you can do this. The residency permit then has a two-year validity period and is automatically renewed every five years.

Requirements for emigrating to Spain

Individuals who immigrate to Spain need to follow a set of procedures, both prior to obtaining the visa or residence permit and after this step is accomplished.

The general procedure when applying for a long-term visa in Spain includes the following steps: 

  1. submitting the visa application: this is done in person, at the Spanish Embassy or Consulate in Mexico.
  2. the visa is forwarded: the Embassy or Consulate then forwards the application in Spain.
  3. approval: once the visa is approved, the applicant can claim it within thirty days.
  4. travel to Spain: the visa holder can now enter Spain, within the time period inscribed on the visa.
  5. the residence permit: once he is in Spain, the visa holder applies for the residence permit in the area where he will live.

The residence permit is to be renewed periodically in order to ensure a lawful stay in Spain and to provide the holder with the chance to apply for permanent residence after a certain period. Applying for the NIE number is also required after arriving in Spain, as this will be used in all relevant transactions (renting or purchasing property, entering into service agreements with various providers, etc.). One of our Spain immigration agents can help foreign nationals apply for the NIE with the Consular Post of the district in which they reside. Our team can guide applicants or, alternatively, they can submit the application on their behalf as this can also be done by an accredited representative. Those foreigners who wish to apply through an accredited individual use a special power of attorney, issued particularly for this purpose. 

Foreign nationals who apply for a residence permit and will stay in the country for more than six months will need to apply for a foreigner identity card. This is applied at the Foreigners Office or the Police Station according to residence address, within one month after having arrived in Spain. Individuals who only engage in seasonal work do not need to apply for the foreigner identity card. 

Mexican nationals who have obtained Spanish residence, with a temporary residence permit renewed as needed, for five uninterrupted years can apply for long-term residence. It is useful to know that other periods of uninterrupted residence in the other Member States can also be counted when calculating the years required for obtaining long-term residence. 

Our experts in Spain immigration provide a complete set of services for Mexican nationals as well as any other foreign nationals who are interested in applying for long-term residence in Spain. Some of our most-requested services include those related to applying for and obtaining work and residence permits, obtaining the permits for other family members and commencing the family reunification procedure, obtaining needed certificates, legalizations and other documents from the Spanish authorities. You can reach out to our agents for complete information about the services offered by our department.

Spain is an attractive country for many foreign nationals. According to the National Statistical Institute, the number of Mexican immigrants living in the country was as follows:

  • 1.382 Mexicans started living in Spain in 2016;
  • 1.958 Mexicans came to live in Spain in 2017;
  • according to the same report, the highest number of immigrants in Spain was from Venezuela. 

The main findings of the report were that the resident population in the country continued to grow in 2017. According to provisional data from the National Statistical Institute, the total population of the country in 2019 was 46,934,632, out of which 4,848,516 are foreign nationals.

Other requirements when immigrating to Spain from Mexico

Spain immigration does not imply applying for a visa and simply relocating to the country, as there are a few other aspects to consider. One of them is to obtain the NIE number. This identification number is a mandatory requirement for all foreign citizens immigrating to Spain, including EU citizens.

The NIE number eases the access to various authorities and based on it, the Mexican citizen will obtain all the rights of Spanish citizens, among which setting up bank accounts with local banks, entering various contracts, buying properties and enrolling with the national health insurance system. Also, the NIE number is mandatory when obtaining employment in Spain.

Apart from the NIE number that must be obtained prior to arriving into the country, a Mexican citizen must also get acquainted with the legislation on real estate property in order to rent or purchase one. Those who need assistance in any of these matters can rely on our immigration lawyers in Spain.

Also, if you are a citizen of any other country and are interested in immigration to Spain, do not hesitate to ask for our support. We also invite you to watch our video:

Why immigrate to Spain from Mexico?

Spain is one of the most appealing countries in Europe and one of the most prolific economies of the EU. Its membership with the EU is beneficial for all foreign citizens immigrating to Spain because it grants access to the EU market. Mexican citizens who want to move to Spain will find it easy to accommodate here because of the lack of language barriers and the employment and business opportunities this country offers.

Those who want to obtain a visa for Spain will find the procedure easy, as it takes between 30 and 60 days for the permit to be issued. However, Mexican immigrants must note that once they entered the country, they must register with the local police department in the city they live in. Registration must be made no later than 30 days after their arrival.

If you need any information on the main advantages of immigrating to Spain from Mexico, our lawyers are at your disposal with tips and advice on how to make the transition easier. You can also rely on us for various services related to your relocation here.

The Spain immigration process is a straightforward one and Mexican nationals can find various opportunities in the country as well as benefit from the connectivity with other European countries.

One of our immigration lawyers in Spain can give you more detailed information about how to relocate from Mexico.Contact us for detailed answers.

We also help in obtaining a number of different visas. The nomad visa for Spain can be the ideal option for you, for example, if you’re a non-EU or non-EEA person who wants to work for oneself while living in Spain but wants to sell your services to clients outside of the country. For information on how to get it, please contact us.