Moving from Canada
Moving to Spain, from Canada
An RCMP check that needs your fingerprints, an apostille system Canada only adopted in 2024, and two consulates splitting the country between them — applying from Canada has its own map. We know it, and we prepare the file so it isn't sent back.
Our service fee covers case management, document review, and included sworn translations only — apostille, government and consular fees are separate and paid directly by the client to the relevant authority or provider.
Which Route Fits You?
| Non-Lucrative Visa | Digital Nomad Visa | Student Visa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Made for | Living on savings, pensions or passive income | Remote work for employers or clients outside Spain | Study, research or training at a Spanish institution |
| Financial bar | €2,400/month or €28,800/year, +€600 per family member | €2,849/month in remote income (~200% of minimum wage) | €600/month (100% IPREM), ~€7,200/year |
| Working in Spain | Not in the first year | Yes — remotely, up to 20% for Spanish clients | Part-time up to 30 hours a week |
| Family | Joins on the same application | Joins on the same application | Family visas possible for longer programmes |
| Leads to | Renewals → long-term residence → citizenship | Renewals → long-term residence → citizenship | Work permits from inside Spain; counts differently toward citizenship |
Non-Lucrative Visa
Live in Spain on savings or passive income
You can support yourself from savings, pensions or passive income — around €2,400 a month (roughly C$3,700, depending on the rate) or €28,800 in savings, plus €600 a month per family member. The common route for retirees and anyone stepping back from work.
The NLV from Canada →Digital Nomad Visa
Keep your remote job, change the view
You'll keep working remotely for employers or clients outside Spain. Canadian applicants usually evidence income with contracts, invoices and CRA Notices of Assessment.
The DNV from Canada →Student Visa
Study in Spain — often the first step to staying
You've been accepted to study, research or train at a Spanish institution — including language programmes of sufficient hours.
The Student from Canada →The Other Routes
Highly Skilled Worker Visa
A qualifying job offer from a company in Spain — the employer's side and yours prepared together.
Learn more →Long-Term Residence
After five years of legal residence — the permanent status every visa above builds toward.
Learn more →Spanish Citizenship
The passport at the end of the road — after ten years for most, two for some nationalities.
Learn more →Renewals
NLV and DNV renewals handled from inside Spain, before the clock on your current permit runs out.
Learn more →New Since 2024
The paperwork from Canada got dramatically simpler — if you know which office each document goes to.
Until January 2024, every Canadian document needed the slow embassy legalisation chain. Now one apostille does it — but the right office depends on the document: Global Affairs Canada apostilles federal documents like the RCMP check, while Ontario, Quebec, BC, Alberta and Saskatchewan apostille their own provincial documents. Sending a certificate to the wrong office is the new common delay, and it is exactly the kind of thing we catch before it costs you weeks.
- Pick your route
NLV, DNV or student — the two-minute eligibility check tells you which fits, and what it will ask of you.
- Fingerprints & RCMP check
Taken through an accredited fingerprinting company, timed so the certificate is fresh when the file is submitted.
- Apostilles & translations
Each document to its right office — federal or provincial — then sworn Spanish translations covering every word, apostille included.
- File in Toronto or Montreal
Booked and prepared for the consulate your province answers to, then decision & move.
Financial thresholds are set by the Spanish government and updated yearly — your case manager confirms the current figures before anything is filed.
What's Different Applying From Canada
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Your criminal record is the RCMP check — fingerprints included
Spain wants the certified RCMP criminal record check, which is fingerprint-based and taken through an accredited fingerprinting company. A local police letter is not a substitute.
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Canada issues apostilles now — but only since 2024
Canada joined the Apostille Convention in January 2024, ending the old embassy legalisation chain. Federal documents like the RCMP check are apostilled by Global Affairs Canada; documents from Ontario, Quebec, BC, Alberta and Saskatchewan are apostilled by the province that issued them. Sending a document to the wrong office is the new common delay.
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The sworn translation must include the apostille
Every word of the certificate and of the apostille. English or French originals still need sworn Spanish translations, and they are included in our service fee.
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Birth and marriage certificates come from the province
Ordered fresh from the provincial vital statistics office — consulates generally want them recently issued — then apostilled where they were issued.
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Your consulate is decided by where you live
Two Spanish consulates split Canada between them, each with its own appointment system and habits. The table below shows the map.
By Consulate
The two Spanish consulates in Canada and who files where. Your case manager confirms the current requirements for yours before anything is filed.
| Consulate | Covers | Appointment | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toronto | Ontario, the western provinces and the territories | Via consulate | The larger jurisdiction — appointment lead times need planning |
| Montreal | Quebec and Atlantic Canada | Via consulate | French documents still need sworn Spanish translations |
Consulates change their requirements without notice. Treat this as orientation, not a checklist: the checklist your case manager builds is for your consulate, your visa and your household.
The Parts Either Side of the Visa
Apostilles on Canadian documents
RCMP checks, birth and marriage certificates, diplomas — apostilled federally or provincially depending on who issued them. We identify exactly which office each of your documents goes to.
Document & apostille help →Canadian tax questions
Departure tax, what happens to your RRSP and TFSA, and the Canada–Spain treaty — worth understanding before you become Spanish tax resident, not after.
Tax advice →After you arrive
Your TIE card, registering with your town hall, health insurance and a Spanish bank account — the part that starts the day you land.
TIE & residency →What Spain Gives Back
Winter stops being a season you survive
Mediterranean Spain in January looks like Canadian May. Outdoor cafés year-round, no snow tires, no -30 — and the mountains are still two hours away when you miss them.
Why Spain →Your dollar goes further
Rent, groceries, eating out — day-to-day life in Spain costs well below Toronto or Vancouver levels, without living smaller.
Life-in-Spain guides →Direct flights home
Toronto and Montreal both connect to Madrid and Barcelona nonstop in about seven and a half hours — closer than a lot of domestic Canadian trips.
Settling in: TIE & registration →Manage Your Entire Visa Journey in One Place
Manage documents, track progress, communicate with your case manager, and stay organised throughout your application process.
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Application Progress Tracking
See exactly where you are in the process, what's been completed, and what actions may be required next.
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Secure Document Uploads
Upload and store your application documents securely in one central location.
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Personalised Task List
Receive a checklist tailored to your visa type and application stage.
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Direct Communication
Stay connected with your case manager and receive important updates through your dashboard.
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Everything in One Place
Keep your documents, messages, tasks, and application progress organised in a single platform.
What our clients say
Real people, real results
Over 10,000 clients have used our platform to move to Spain. Read their stories — from first eligibility check to visa approval — all managed through the dashboard.
Ready to Start Your Journey to Spain?
Create your free account to check your eligibility, upload documents at your own pace, and track every step of your application — with a dedicated case manager beside you the whole way.
Success rate based on eligible applications.
Carlos is an AI assistant. For critical decisions, always verify with an official source or speak to an advisor.
