Immigrate to Spain from New Zealand

Individuals can decide to immigrate to Spain from New Zealand for a number of reasons, including family reunification, to pursue certain business or employment opportunities, as part of a company relocation or to enter an EU country. 

New Zealanders who plan on staying in Spain for more than two months are asked to contact the Embassy of Spain in Wellington in order to make the necessary arrangements for a work or residence permit.

New Zealand has a favorable relationship with Spain, particularly in certain shared values as well as a commitment to contributing to the wellbeing of its residents. Bilateral trade includes imports and exports of various materials as well as foodstuffs.

Our team of Spain immigration agents can help New Zealanders who wish to relocate to this European country. Many expats find that living in Spain is affordable and pleasurable because of the climate and services as well as the proximity to other countries of interest in Europe. 

Conditions for immigration to Spain from New Zealand

Residing in Spain is possible for New Zealanders once they have obtained the relevant residence permit, according to their reason for the prolonged stay. Residence permits can be awarded for:

1. Working: individuals who have negotiated and concluded an employment contract with a Spanish employer.
2. Studying: New Zealanders who were admitted to a Spanish university or another education center can receive a visa.
3. Investment: investors who open a business as well as those who wish to invest in real estate of a certain amount.
4. Family reunification: if one of the spouses is a Spanish resident or national, the New Zealander partner can apply for a visa; one of our Spain immigration agents can provide more details.
5. Non-lucrative: under certain conditions, provided that they can show they have sufficient income, non-nationals can obtain a visa for retirement.

New Zealanders who are willing to make a substantial investment in Spanish real estate can apply for the golden visa. This type of visa grants the holder certain preferential conditions for staying in the country. He is also allowed to bring his family, if applicable. One of our immigration lawyers in Spain can provide investors with complete details about the minimum investment amount for this visa. New Zealanders can also reach out to us for more information about the other types of visas.

Living in Spain

New Zealanders who have decided to immigrate to Spain need to apply for the adequate type of visa while they are still in their home country. The New Zealand Embassy in Madrid does not issue residence permits. All applications are submitted while the applicant is still in New Zealand.

Some of the main formalities that will need to be fulfilled once the applicant arrives in the country include the following:

• the foreigner identity card: those who stay in the country for more than six months apply for this card with the Foreigners Offices or Police Stations.
• the foreigner identity number: this is mandatory for expats in Spain and the application is submitted with the Consular Post in the district where the residence is located.
• living arrangements: one of our Spain immigration agents can help expats handle the arrangements for renting property;
• others: entering into services agreements and making necessary submissions to authorities can be handled with the help of our dedicated team.

New Zealanders can obtain nationality by residence after they have been lawfully living in the country for ten years on the basis of a renewed, long-term residence permit. This period can be shorter when the applicant has, at the time of the application, been married to a Spanish national for one year and were not legally separated nor did they have a common-law separation. One of our immigration lawyers in Spain can provide New Zealanders with more information about obtaining residence permits and about the procedure of acquiring nationality by residence. Interested individuals can reach out to us for personalized information.

Spain immigration statistics

According to the United Nations, the following statistics applied concerning immigration to Spain:

• the total number of immigrants in Spain in 2017 was 532,100.
• 139,400 were citizens of other EU member states.
• 314,200 were non-EU citizens; 300 were stateless.

Spain attracts immigrants both from other European countries as well as from Latin America and other locations around the world. New Zealanders who are interested in knowing more about emigrating to Spain can contact us.