Last modified 10/09/2023

Those who descend from Spaniard immigrants are considered, after going through a process, Spaniard citizens and, because of that, European or community citizens. The ones who do not have that condition, are considered extra community citizens, and must process the corresponding visa, according to the purpose of their travel, in order to be able to travel.

Spain is one of the few European countries that can be sure that its faith changed once it became a part of the European Union in 1993, because, before that, it was one of the countries that came from a long civil war and political dictatorship, like the one of the Franco’s regime, with great economic issues and really high unemployment rates, which generated the migration of many Spaniards towards Latin America, mainly looking for better opportunities and no political oppression, like the one they were living in their countries.

In Spain, people were collectively mature as a society, and they were smart enough to establish the political two – party system of the electoral polls, which, in the long term, end up converting it into a developed society with high economic indexes, been now, one of the countries with most appealing for Latin American, African and Asian immigrants.

Spain is a country with a very high ageing rate, due its reduced birthrates and the augmentation of the life expectancy, caused by the better life conditions, for which, in the future, the work force demand – offer gap, will be covered by immigrants who are economically active.

Spain is chosen by the Latin American immigrants for one main reason: it is considered as the former metropolis, because America was discovered, conquered and colonized by the Spaniards, who dominated from Mexico down to Cabo de Hornos, excepting only Brazil, which was conquered by the Portuguese. We are not only related because of the language, but we also share the same religion and many other cultural and social reasons that, during the colonization period of more than 500 years, have been settled and have also made possible for Spain that, until today, it plays an important role in the relationships between Latin America and Europe.

Spain, as a country, is also a product of the colonization of the Moorish and of the French presence, which have left infinity of architectonic beauties and their own cultural development, which has allowed it to become the cradle of artistic emblems, from painters, writers, musicians, singers and poets. Spain is a country with a high touristic development. Its educative level matches the one offered in the great university centers, which is why Spain has become in the third European destiny of overseas students.

Those who feel attracted to migrating to Spain, are those who descend from the Spaniards who migrated towards Latin America after the civil war, those who, only for been descendant of Spaniards, after a going through a procedure, acquire the Spanish citizenship and, as a result, the European citizenship, which will allow them accessing to the territory of any of the 27 member countries of the European Union.

Spain also has policies to attract immigrant, which go around the economic development of the country and which are directed to immigrants who have technical or professional studies, as well as it maintains the giving of visas for humanitarian and / or political reasons to refugees, as well as for cases of familiar reunification.

The limiting factors that must be considered when considering migrating to Spain can be given by the priority that some citizens of other countries that are part of the European Union have, due to the fact that the Spaniard companies might prefer them.

Spain, gives away visas depending on how long the immigrant wishes to remain in the country and on which kind of activity he or she is planning to develop during his or her permanence in the country.

There is a transit visa for all of those who are just passing through Spain but have as a final destiny another country; there are three different kinds of visas of this particular type. The Airport Transit Visa, for all of those who have to stopover in the airport or port zones, so they are able to stay there while they need to. The Territorial Transit Visa, which will allow the immigrant to circulate in the territory of Spain for 5 days tops. The Marine Transit Visa, for the crew members of crafts that will remain in Spain during the time its ships remain in Spaniard territory.

The Short Term Visa is also given, it lasts less than 90 days and the purpose of the trip must be declared when applying to it. It can be for tourism, medical reasons, and family reasons and / or because of businesses. The period of the 90 days can be used maximum in a semester.

For those immigrants who wish to reside in Spain, they obtain the Residency Visa and the subcategories that it has are the following: the Familiar Regroup Visa with community citizens who reside in Spain and does not authorize them to work. There is also the Familiar Regroup Visa with extra community citizens who reside in Spain and show that they are able of economically sustain themselves and their family members who are the ones requiring the visa. There are other visas for retired people and for people who wish to reside in Spain but not developing any work activity because they have enough money to maintain themselves.

There are other work and residency visas that are given to those immigrants who wish to reside and work in Spain in some company or independently. Finally, there are the study visas, for all of those overseas students who wish to take courses in Spain.

Summing up, the language and costume identification, have turned Spain in a very appealing destiny for those Latin American immigrants who are looking to migrate in order to improve their life’s conditions.