Moving from the United Arab Emirates
Moving to Spain, from the UAE
Most people applying from the UAE are expats — which means two countries' documents in one file: a good conduct certificate from the UAE, records from home, MOFAIC attestation instead of apostilles, and a mission decided by your emirate. We prepare all of it.
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 AED 10,000, depending on the rate) or €28,800 in savings, plus €600 a month per family member. A common route at the end of a Gulf career.
The NLV from the UAE →Digital Nomad Visa
Keep your remote job, change the view
You'll keep working remotely for employers or clients outside Spain. UAE applicants usually evidence income with employment contracts or free-zone licences, salary certificates and bank statements.
The DNV from the UAE →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 the UAE →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 →Two Countries' Papers, One File
The expat file is the UAE speciality — and running its two document chains in parallel is what keeps it on schedule.
As a UAE resident you apply from the UAE — but your file draws on two countries. UAE documents (the good conduct certificate above all) go through MOFAIC attestation and Spanish legalisation, because the UAE is not in the Apostille Convention. Your home-country documents — birth and marriage certificates, usually a second police certificate — follow their own country's apostille route at the same time. Each chain has its own clock, and certificates expire: the whole point is running both in parallel so neither goes stale waiting for the other.
- Pick your route
NLV, DNV, HSW or student — the two-minute eligibility check tells you which fits, and what it will ask of you.
- Start both chains
UAE good conduct certificate on one track; home-country records and police certificate ordered on the other — simultaneously.
- Stamps & translations
MOFAIC attestation and Spanish legalisation for the UAE documents, apostilles for the rest, sworn Spanish translations covering every stamp.
- File in Abu Dhabi or Dubai
Through BLS, at the mission your emirate answers to — booked and prepared, 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 the UAE
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You apply from where you legally reside
UAE residents file in the UAE, not in their passport country. That is usually good news — but it means the file is built to the Spanish missions here, with UAE-issued evidence.
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Spain wants criminal records from more than one country
The UAE good conduct certificate (Dubai Police or the Ministry of Interior) — and, for most applicants, a police certificate from your home country too, since Spain asks about everywhere you've lived in recent years. Two clocks running at once is the part that needs sequencing.
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No apostilles for UAE documents — attestation instead
The UAE is not in the Apostille Convention, so UAE documents are attested by MOFAIC and then legalised by the Spanish mission. Your home-country documents follow their own country's apostille route — two different chains in one file.
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The sworn translation must include every stamp
Every word of the document, the attestation and the legalisation. English or Arabic originals both need sworn Spanish translations, and they are included in our service fee.
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Your mission is decided by your emirate
The Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate General in Dubai split the Emirates between them. The table below shows the map.
By Consulate
The two Spanish missions in the UAE and who files where. Your case manager confirms the current requirements for yours before anything is filed.
| Mission | Covers | Appointment | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Embassy, Abu Dhabi | Abu Dhabi and Al Ain | Via BLS | Strict on attestation chains being complete |
| Consulate General, Dubai | Dubai and the northern emirates | Via BLS | The busier of the two — book early |
Missions change their requirements without notice. Treat this as orientation, not a checklist: the checklist your case manager builds is for your mission, your visa and your household.
The Parts Either Side of the Visa
Attestation and home-country documents
UAE attestation chains and home-country apostilles, run in parallel so neither expires waiting for the other. We identify exactly what each of your documents needs.
Document & attestation help →Leaving a tax-free salary
Spanish tax residency changes the arithmetic of a Gulf income. The Beckham regime, timing your move, and what happens to savings built in the UAE — worth understanding before you land.
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 →After the Gulf, Spain Fits
The outdoor life, all four seasons
Walkable cities, terraces, green mountains an hour from the beach — and a summer you spend outside rather than indoors. The Mediterranean pace is the part Gulf expats say they were missing.
Why Spain →Your dirhams go further
Rent in Madrid or Valencia runs well below Dubai Marina levels, schools and healthcare cost a fraction, and the savings built in the Gulf stretch a long way on the NLV.
Life-in-Spain guides →Eight hours door to door
Emirates and Etihad fly nonstop from Dubai and Abu Dhabi to Madrid and Barcelona daily — the Gulf stays close for work trips, family visits and the friends you leave behind.
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.
