Spain · Permanent Residence
Long-Term Residence in Spain for Founders
Spain's version of permanent residence is called long-term residence. Founders usually qualify after five years of legal and continuous residence, and Law 14/2013 states that entrepreneur permit holders can reach it at that point.
- Startup route
- Entrepreneur residence (Law 14/2013)
- Minimum capital
- No minimum investment; favorable ENISA report required
- Permanent residence
- 5 years of continuous legal residence
- Citizenship
- 10 years; 2 for Ibero-American nationals
Long-term residence (residencia de larga duración)
Long-term residence lets a foreign national live in Spain indefinitely and work on the same terms as Spanish nationals. The usual route is five years of legal, continuous residence in Spain, a rule that Article 69 of Law 14/2013 confirms for entrepreneur permit holders. Short trips abroad do not break the count, but absences of more than six months in a row or more than ten months in total over the five years can. Applicants also need a clean criminal record in Spain and in their countries of residence. A separate EU long-term residence status, based on the EU directive, adds easier access to residence in other member states.
- Qualifying period
- 5 years of legal, continuous residence
- Absences allowed
- Up to 6 months in a row and 10 months in total
- Card renewal
- Resident card renewed every 5 years
- Work rights
- Employment or self-employment on equal terms
- Investment route
- None; golden visa closed 3 April 2025
- Leads to
- Nationality after 10 years in most cases
Requirements
- Five years of legal, continuous residence in Spain immediately before applying, for example on an entrepreneur or teleworker authorization.
- Absences of no more than six consecutive months and no more than ten months in total during that period.
- No criminal record in Spain or in the countries of residence during the previous five years.
- A valid passport and the current foreigner identity card.
How to apply
- Count five years of continuous legal residence and check trips abroad against the six-month and ten-month limits.
- File the long-term residence application with the immigration authorities and pay the applicable fee.
- After approval, apply in person for the long-term resident card at a police station, then renew the card every five years.
National and EU long-term status
Spain issues two kinds of long-term status. National long-term residence rests on Article 32 of the Organic Law on Foreigners, which grants it after five years of continuous temporary residence. The EU long-term residence authorization follows the EU directive: it also requires five years of legal and uninterrupted residence, counts periods of study at only half their length and gives holders easier access to residence in other member states. Both procedures are now governed by Royal Decree 1155/2024 of 19 November, the general immigration regulation.
For a founder, the typical sequence is a three-year entrepreneur authorization, a two-year renewal and then an application for long-term residence. That status removes the need to show that the business is still running, which matters for founders who later sell or wind down a company. There is no faster investment route: the golden visa closed to new applicants on 3 April 2025, and Spain has never offered a program that grants permanent status in exchange for capital.
Questions and answers
Does time on the entrepreneur permit count toward long-term residence?
Yes. Article 69 of Law 14/2013 states that holders of the entrepreneur authorization may obtain permanent residence after five years. The initial three-year authorization and the two-year renewal together make up that period, provided residence was legal and continuous and absences stayed within the limits.
Is there an investment route to permanent residence in Spain?
No. Spain has no residence-by-investment program leading to permanent status, and the investor golden visa closed to new applicants on 3 April 2025. Existing investor permits keep their validity and renew under their original rules, but new applicants reach long-term residence only through the standard five-year path.
What can break the five-year count in Spain?
Continuity is generally kept when absences do not exceed six consecutive months and ten months in total across the five years. Longer absences can mean the period no longer counts as continuous, so founders who travel often for business should track the days they spend outside Spain carefully.
Official sources
- Residence Application for Entrepreneursone.gob.es
- Hoja 50 - Autorización de residencia de larga duración UEwww.inclusion.gob.es
- Ley 14/2013, de 27 de septiembre, de apoyo a los emprendedores y su internacionalizaciónwww.boe.es
Reviewed October 2026. Immigration rules change often. Confirm the current requirements with the official authority or a licensed adviser before applying.
Your path in Spain.
Startup visa
Entrepreneur visa or permit backed by a favorable ENISA report
02Temporary residence
3-year UGE-CE authorization, then a 2-year renewal
03Permanent residence
Long-term residence after 5 years of continuous legal stay
04Citizenship
10 years with DELE A2 and CCSE; 2 years for Ibero-American nationals