Obtaining a residence permit in Spain for Ivan

The family reached out to us to relocate to Spain via the Digital Nomad route.

A family of three decided to relocate from Montenegro to Valencia. To simplify the process, they chose the “all-inclusive” service, which included obtaining all the necessary documents and statements for the applicant with sworn translations, payments of all fees, tax consultation with our lawyer, and registration of the main applicant as an “autónomo” after receiving the residence permit card.

1. Document Preparation

Duration: 2 months

Although the main document package was standard, there were some challenging aspects.

The first challenge arose when obtaining a company statement from the UAE. Since the UAE is not a party to the Hague Convention and doesn’t issue apostilles, the legalization process required additional steps:

1. Requesting the statement through the UAE Ministry of Justice;
2. Document legalization at the Spanish Embassy in Abu Dhabi;
3. Translation by a sworn translator.

An appointment at the embassy was mandatory in this case.

The second challenge was verifying the applicant’s income, as the salary was received through the Deel system rather than directly. We needed to demonstrate the entire funds withdrawal chain and prove its transparency by writing a cover letter. Also, since the employer contract expired earlier than required, we prepared an additional agreement to the existing contract, extending its validity to ensure a three-year residence permit.

And finally: the applicants couldn’t physically obtain criminal record certificates from Russia. Since document procurement was included in their service package, we retrieved the certificates for them.

After all the documents were collected, we sent them for sworn translation (jurado). In this case, a package of sworn translations from Russian, Serbian, and English was required. The sworn translation fees were also included in the applicant’s package.

2. Border Crossing and Entry Registration

Since the arrival in Spain wasn’t direct, the family needed to get their entry declarations stamped at Valencia airport. We prepared the declarations for them in advance. It should be noted that city police stations often don’t issue this document, directing applicants directly to the airport. We also warned the applicant about this. No difficulties arose.

3. Residence Permit Application submitted on April 23, 2024

4. Additional Document Request and Submission

Request received: May 21, 2024

On May 21, an additional request was received: it was necessary to confirm that the applicant had at least three years of experience in his position, and to explain how a specialist with a mathematics degree could hold a project manager position. Apparently, it wasn’t considered that the applicant had been working with the current employer since 2018.

In response to the additional request, we:

1. Prepared a recommendation letter text and asked the employer to sign it;
2. Had the diploma supplement with the list of studied subjects translated by a sworn translator to demonstrate the applicant’s qualifications.

5. Approval for all family members received on May 28, 2024

Our collaboration didn’t end there!

6. Receiving the Residence Permit Card

With our help, Ivan and his family were able to schedule appointments for fingerprinting to receive their residence permit cards. A month after submitting their fingerprints, they picked up their cards!

7. Registering as Autónomo and Spanish Social Security

To work legally in Spain, freelance nomads need to register for Spanish social security and register as autónomo. This was done after the applicant received his  residence permit card and opened a bank account.

In Ivan’s case, the autónomo registration procedure was included in the service package, so all necessary documents were prepared and submitted by our gestor. The package also included tax consultation, which Ivan used.

Now the family lives in Valencia and enjoys this sunny city!