Hi everyone! First off I’d like to just thank you all for being here. This site is such an invaluable resource.

My boyfriend and I are hoping to move to Barcelona near the end of the year. We’re currently both Canadian citizens, though he was born in Greece so is in the process of re-applying for his Greek passport. I’m not so lucky so will be doing things the hard(er) way.

We’re planning on staying for a few years at least so am I right to assume I would need to apply for a work visa then apply for residency when I arrive? I know I have to apply for the visa in Canada so I’ll need to line up a job before going. I am wondering about the long term though - Do I have to stay at the same job I got the visa for? Or can I switch as much as I want while my work visa is still valid? How long do I have to wait before I can apply for residency and once I get it do I still have to have a work visa?

And my final question is if I marry my EU citizen boyfriend can I work in Spain without a work visa? 😊

Thank you so much!

Hi. Im Canadian also. Im waiting for my company sponsored work permit to arrive. It is in Malaga province. According to my research; the first year of the permit can only be excersiced in the province in which it was applied for. I need to check again, but it may also restrict me to working only with the company that sponsored it during that first year…but Im not sure. After a year it can be renewed and then you can excercise it anywhere in Spain. I believe this renovation is good for 2 years. When you go to renew it a 3rd time, you actually apply for permanent residence at the same time. Again, I need to check but I cant remember what kind of flexibilty this allows. However, the process goes something like Ive outlined.

And just to maybe clarify the entire process for you. It goes something like this;

1. Find employer willing to sponsor you…i.e. hire you.
2. Employer makes work permit application (the wait for this can take many months…Im going through it).
3. Once work permit arrives, take permit to spanish embassy/consulate and obtain entry visa (stamp on your passport). This can take a couple of weeks but depends on the consulate/embassy you ask at. I believe you have one month to do this after the work permit is granted.
4. Arrive to Spain and then take points 1 and 2 to the local authorities and apply for your NIE. This must be done within one month of arrival in Spain. This NIE is good for a year and can take several months to arrive after you apply for it.

Ive used this website and it has been wonderful for information. Its in Spanish though.

http://www.extranjerossinpapeles.com/paginas/foro.htm

As for your question of marriage to an EU citizen…..that can be tricky. This forum here seems to have some really sharp people on it though who know about that kind of question. Ive never had to deal with it so I cant really say. Just go to the europe immigration sub forum. I think there is a fairly standard answer as many people encounter it but I cant remember what it is. Just make sure you outline your situation very clearly.

http://www.immigrationboards.com/index.php

Anyway, good luck. Hope you find some answers. I lived in Spain for 4.5 years before this whole process Im going through now so it has certainly helped me out in terms of getting things done and understanding things. Let me know if you have other questions.

Thank you so much Steven. I’m going to ask on that forum too.

Just to be clear my boyfriend and I have considered marriage in the past. We just haven’t yet mostly for political reasons.

Hi HaleyF,

As far as I’m aware, as a Canadian, you cannot stay legally in Spain for longer than 3 months without a student visa or a work permit (both of which you must obtain in Canada before arriving in Spain). If you arrive in Spain with your boyfriend without papers, you will only be able to stay for 90 days as a tourist. If you decide to stay longer than that, you will be living here illegally and may well find yourself in big trouble if caught. You will not be able to apply for papers while you are in Spain. This has to be done in your home country. The authorities in Spain are getting tougher with illegal immigrants, so you will almost certainly be deported - especially if you’ve been working black. If you want to apply for a work permit before leaving Canada, you will have to have proof of employment first. As far as I am aware, once you have been issued with the permit, you will have to stay with that employer in Spain. You will not be able to change employers. Finally, If you want to marry an EU citizen and then come to Spain, you will probably have to get married in Canada. I’m almost certain that you will not be allowed to get married in Spain unless you have both been living here legally for a certain number of years.

I hope this helps,

Paul

HaleyF - 08 April 2008 02:33 AM

Hi everyone! First off I’d like to just thank you all for being here. This site is such an invaluable resource.

My boyfriend and I are hoping to move to Barcelona near the end of the year. We’re currently both Canadian citizens, though he was born in Greece so is in the process of re-applying for his Greek passport. I’m not so lucky so will be doing things the hard(er) way.

We’re planning on staying for a few years at least so am I right to assume I would need to apply for a work visa then apply for residency when I arrive? I know I have to apply for the visa in Canada so I’ll need to line up a job before going. I am wondering about the long term though - Do I have to stay at the same job I got the visa for? Or can I switch as much as I want while my work visa is still valid? How long do I have to wait before I can apply for residency and once I get it do I still have to have a work visa?

And my final question is if I marry my EU citizen boyfriend can I work in Spain without a work visa? 😊

Thank you so much!