Moving from the Philippines
Moving to Spain, from the Philippines
An NBI clearance, PSA certificates on security paper, DFA apostilles, and one embassy in Manila for the whole archipelago — the Philippine file has more steps before Spain than most. We run them in the right order, so nothing expires waiting on something else.
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 or passive income — around €2,400 a month (roughly ₱150,000, depending on the rate) or €28,800 in savings, plus €600 a month per family member. No work in Spain during the first year.
The NLV from the Philippines →Digital Nomad Visa
Keep your remote job, change the view
You'll keep working remotely for employers or clients outside Spain. Filipino applicants usually evidence income with contracts, invoices, bank statements and BIR records.
The DNV from the Philippines →Student Visa
Study in Spain — often the first step to staying
You've been accepted to study, research or train at a Spanish institution — the biggest Filipino route to Spain, and often the first step to working there.
The Student from the Philippines →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 →The Filipino Advantage
Three centuries of shared history left something valuable in Spain's Civil Code: Filipinos are on the shortest citizenship track Spanish law has.
Article 22 of the Spanish Civil Code grants citizens of the Philippines — alongside Ibero-American countries, Andorra, Equatorial Guinea and Portugal — the right to apply for Spanish citizenship after only two years of legal, continuous residence. And under Article 23, Filipinos are not required to renounce their previous citizenship before the Spanish authorities when they take Spanish nationality. On the Philippine side, natural-born citizens can retain or reacquire Filipino citizenship under RA 9225.
- Get the right visa
Non-Lucrative, Digital Nomad or Student — prepared and filed through the Spanish Embassy in Manila. This is the part we handle end to end.
- Live in Spain for 2 years
Legal, continuous residence — note that time on a student stay permit does not count toward the two years, which matters when choosing your route.
- Pass two exams
The CCSE culture test and the DELE A2 Spanish exam. Two years in Spain — and all those Spanish words already inside Tagalog — make A2 very reachable.
- Apply for citizenship
Filed online with your residence record, exams and certificates. The application then has its own government processing time on top of the two years.
The two years must be continuous and immediately before the application. Our citizenship service — run by a Spanish immigration lawyer — takes over when your two years are close.
What's Different Applying From the Philippines
-
Your criminal record is the NBI clearance
Spain wants the NBI Clearance — not a barangay or police station clearance — apostilled by the DFA. The apostille has to be on the clearance itself, and it is ordered fresh so it doesn't age out during the process.
-
The red ribbon is gone — it's a DFA apostille now
The Philippines joined the Apostille Convention in 2019, so the old "red ribbon" authentication no longer exists. One DFA apostille per document replaces it — but each document still has to be the right version before the DFA will touch it.
-
Certificates come from the PSA, on security paper
Birth and marriage certificates must be PSA copies, recently issued — a local civil registrar copy is not a substitute — then apostilled by the DFA.
-
The sworn translation must include the apostille
Every word of the document and of the apostille. Documents being in English doesn't help — Spain wants sworn Spanish translations, and they are included in our service fee.
-
One filing point for the whole country
Visa applications go through the Embassy of Spain in Manila, wherever in the islands you live — so appointments, travel and document timing all need to be planned together.
The Parts Either Side of the Visa
Apostilles on Philippine documents
NBI clearances, PSA certificates, diplomas and TORs — apostilled by the DFA before Spain will look at them. We identify exactly which of your documents need one, and in which order.
Document & apostille help →Money and tax questions
What Spanish tax residency means for income from the Philippines, and how to move money for the visa's financial evidence without tripping over the paperwork.
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 →Spain Will Feel Familiar
The language is half-learned already
Mesa, silya, baso, kutsara, bintana, sapatos — Tagalog carries thousands of Spanish words, and the numbers, days and months are nearly the same. The DELE A2 exam is a far shorter climb from Tagalog than from most languages.
Life-in-Spain guides →Kababayan are already here
Spain is home to one of Europe's larger Filipino communities, concentrated in Madrid and Barcelona — Filipino shops, restaurants and church communities included. You won't be starting from zero.
Why Spain →Sunday feels like home
Spain's Catholic life — the churches, the fiestas, the processions — will be instantly recognisable. Mass is everywhere, and in the big cities you'll find it celebrated by and for Filipino communities too.
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.
-
Application Progress Tracking
See exactly where you are in the process, what's been completed, and what actions may be required next.
-
Secure Document Uploads
Upload and store your application documents securely in one central location.
-
Personalised Task List
Receive a checklist tailored to your visa type and application stage.
-
Direct Communication
Stay connected with your case manager and receive important updates through your dashboard.
-
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.
