Below you could find the different types of Visa and permits granted by the Spanish Government to citizens of States which do not belong to the EU; with their characteristics, and in order of duration of residence.
Stay under 90 days.
Stay between 90 days and 5 years (Temporary Residence).
Stay longer than 5 years (Permanent Residence)
Stay (<90 days)
It consists on a permission to remain in Spain for a period of time not longer than 90 days.
Authorization of the Ministry of the Interior is not required.
It is necessary the documentation to cross borders (such as passport or Visa, only if it is required of the nationals of certain countries *) and enough means to live in Spain during the time of the permission.
Extension:
If the person entered Spain with Visa an extension that lengthens the stay to those 90 days at most is not possible (It would be possible, for instance, if the first authorization was for 60 days and it extended for another 30-day term.)
If the person came in Spain without Visa, an extension by other 90 days can be requested, alleging circumstances of exceptional character.
ยท States whose nationals are exempt from Visa for stays up to 90 days (updated on February 28, 2000):
Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Cyprus, Colombia, South Korea, Costa Rica, Croatia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Slovakia, Slovenia, United States, Estonia, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, Israel, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Malaysia, Malt, Mexico, Monaco, Nicaragua, New Zealand, Panama, Paraguay, Poland, Czech Republic, San Marine, Vatican, Singapore, Switzerland, Uruguay, Venezuela.
Temporary residence (> 90 days and <5 years)
Situation that authorizes to stay in Spain for a period longer than 90 days and less than 5 years (it is usually granted in 3 "periods": a first permission of 1-year term and a second and third of 2-year term each one).
The temporary residence is granted to the foreigners that:
- Prove enough means of life to cover their support and stay expenses, including, if applicable, those of their families, or
- Intend to carry out an economic activity either self-employed or worker and have obtained the administrative authorization to work (work permit), or
- Are beneficiary from the right to the family regrouping.
equally, the temporary residence would be granted to those foreigners that:
had obtained this permission and could not renew it in time, or
could prove a stay in Spanish territory of 5 years as a minimum, or
for humanitarian reasons, exceptional circumstances or a situation of settling.
Permanent residence (> 5 years).
Situation that authorizes a foreigner to reside indefinitely in Spain and to work on the same conditions as the Spanish.
Those foreigners who have had temporary residence during 5 years in a continuous way will be entitled to obtain this permission.
It is a permission of indefinite validity, their holders being forced to renew the card that documents it every 5 years.