Spain Immigration from Nigeria

Immigration to Spain from Nigeria: Entry Conditions and Requirements

Spain’s temperate climate, rich culture, relaxed life-style, and family-friendliness make the country a popular choice among both travellers and immigrants worldwide. Given that Nigeria is a visa-required country for all EU member states including Spain, as a Nigerian citizen you must have a valid visa irrespective of whether you are planning to come to Spain for less than 90 days to travel or meet your family/friends, or want to live, study, and work in the country on a long-term basis.

Nigerian nationals who wish to travel to Spain for less than three months (during any period of six months) will have to apply for a Schengen visa. If you already have a valid residence permit or a valid long-term visa issued by a Schengen State, you will not be required to apply for this visa. 

On the other hand, if you are planning to live in Spain for longer than 90 days for study, work, business, or family reunification purposes, you will have to apply for a National visa as applicable in your circumstances. If you are an eligible family member of a EU/EEA/Swiss citizen, you can get a preferential free-of-charge visa, provided you are travelling with the said citizen to Spain or are going to join them in the country.

Nigerians in Spain: Social Attitudes Towards Immigration

Spain boasts of a relatively stable economy as well as lower cost of living compared to most other European countries, making it a favourite destination for immigrants. Moreover, when it comes to migration and development policies for people from Africa, scholars argue that Spain displays a more ‘open’ attitude compared to the US, the UK, France, or Germany.

Nigerian nationals started immigrating to Spain notably from the second half of the 1980s. As of today, around 70,000 Nigerians live in Spain, across cities such as Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia. Most of these people have moved to Spain for work or educational opportunities.

The current socialist-led government in Spain is believed to be actually seeking to deepen and diversify its engagement with Africa. Nigerian communities in Spain are growing in number these days, and Nigerian-owned businesses are also on a rise. Cultural events celebrating Nigerian heritage across the country are a regular feature in Spanish public life today.

All this makes Spain a ‘destination of choice’ in Europe for many Nigerian nationals, when it comes to travel or even long-term immigration.

Short-term Visas for Spain

If you are planning to travel to Spain for tourism, business, visiting family/friends, medical treatment, study, non-work internships, volunteer activities or any other non-gainful activities, and wish to stay up to 90 days, you will need to apply for a Schengen visa.

A Schengen visa is a short-term visa that allows a visa-required national (such as a Nigerian) to enter and stay in a Schengen country (such as Spain) for a limited period of time. You will not be allowed to stay more than 90 days during any 180-day period. Depending on your requirements, you may be allowed a single-entry visa (on which you may enter Spain once) or a multiple-entry visa (on which you may enter Spain multiple times during your visa validity period).

Airport Transit Visa (ATV) and the Seamen Transit Visa (STV) are also short-term visas which allow visa-required foreign nationals to transit through the international area of any Spanish airports or ports, respectively.

Long-term Visas for Spain

National visas, also known as ‘D’ visas, allow you to travel to Spain and stay in the country for more than 90 days. These are long-term visas allowing eligible foreign nationals to study in Spain, to take up gainful employment, to set up (or invest in) businesses, or to join their family members living in the country.

A National visa is granted for three months, within which period you must travel to Spain. After arriving in the country, you will need to apply for a residence permit as applicable. Spanish National visas include:

• Study visa or ‘Auxiliar de conversación’​
• Residence visa with working permit exemption​
• Researcher visa (for foreign nationals to carry out research activities at a Spanish university, business, or research organisation)
• Internship visa (for overseas citizens with a university degree who want to participate in an internship programme in Spain)
• Family reunification visa
• Work visas such as
  • Employee visa (if you have received a job offer from a Spanish company)
  • Self-employed work visa​ ( if you want to set up a business in Spain or work as a freelancer)
  • Visa for highly qualified workers (for foreign nationals in senior management positions and/or graduates and post-graduates from prestigious educational institutions)
  • Visa for intra-company transfers (for senior management personnel, specialist workers, or trainees when the job transfer is made within the same company or group of companies)
• Entrepreneur visa (for foreign entrepreneurs who want to set up an innovative business of particular economic interest to Spain)
• Non-lucrative residence ​visa (i.e., for people with sufficient passive income who want to retire in Spain)
• Digital Nomad visa​ (i.e., for foreign nationals who wish to work for overseas companies on a remote basis while travelling in Spain)

Note that Spain has cancelled its former Golden Visa (known as investor visa) programme, and is no longer accepting new residency by investment applications since 3 April 2025.

Spain Immigration Process From Nigeria

Depending on how long you are going to stay in Spain and the purpose of your travel, you will have to apply either for a Schengen (short-term) or a National/’D’ (long-term) visa. If you are applying for a ‘D’ visa, you will also have to take certain steps after you arrive in Spain to complete your Spanish visa/permit application process.

How to Apply for a Schengen Visa for Spain

A Spanish visa application is an in-person process. Start your visa application process with filling up the application form. You can access the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs website to download the application form for a Spain Schengen Visa.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation has an agreement with BLS International for certain types of visa applications, including the Schengen Visa. BLS International’s visa application centre (VAC) in Nigeria is located in Lagos.

Contact the Lagos VAC to make a prior appointment for submitting your application. You might have to attend an interview on the day of your appointment. You must carry all your required documents with you. If the Spanish immigration authorities in Nigeria ask for additional documents, you will have to submit them within the deadline mentioned.

In case you have not travelled to the Schengen area in the past five years, you will also be required to provide your biometric data (i.e., your facial image and ten fingerprints) on the day of your interview.

Note that you will be eligible to apply for a Schengen Visa for Spain only if:

• You will not be visiting any other Schengen country, or
• Although you will be visiting other Schengen countries, you are going to spend more days in Spain than the other Schengen countries, or
• You are going to enter the Schengen Area through Spain, although you will be staying for the same number of days in the other Schengen countries you are visiting

You must be a citizen, or hold legal resident status, in Nigeria to apply for a Spain Schengen Visa from the country.

How to Apply for a Long-term Visa to Spain

To apply for a long-term visa for Spain, which is also an in-person procedure, you will have to start with gathering all your necessary supporting documents and completing the visa application form. What supporting documentation you will need will depend on which National visa you are applying for, e.g., a family reunification visa, a work visa, or an entrepreneur visa.

The Spanish Embassy in Nigeria is located in Abuja. However, the consular affairs including visa applications are handled by the Consulate General of Spain in Lagos. Like the Schengen visas, most Spanish long-term visa applications in Nigeria are also handled by BLS International at its Lagos VAC.

Similar to the Schengen visa application process, you must make a prior appointment at the Lagos VAC for submitting your Spain National visa application. If you have family members who will accompany you to Spain, you will need to book an appointment per person. For minors, a parent or guardian (or a duly accredited representative) can submit visa applications on their behalf.

You might have to attend an interview on the day of your appointment. Do not forget to carry all your required documents with you. In case you have not travelled to the Schengen area in the past five years, you will also be required to provide your biometric data on the day of your interview. They will also collect the visa processing fee from you.

The Spanish Consulate General will keep your original passport with them while processing your visa application. So, plan accordingly while booking your visa appointment if you are to travel abroad around that time. If you withdraw your passport while your application is being processed by the Spanish immigration authorities, your application will be cancelled, and you will have to start the process afresh.

The consular office will inform you regarding the procedure for the return of your passport and any other original documents. If the Spanish consular authorities ask for additional documents, you will have to submit them within the deadline mentioned.

After You Arrive in Spain on a Long-term Visa

A Spanish National visa is usually valid for 90 days. Once you have travelled to Spain, you must apply for a Foreigner Identification Card (i.e., a TIE card) within 30 days from your arrival. You can apply at the Foreign Nationals’ Office or the police station of the province where your Spanish residence permit was processed.

You will also have to register with your local municipality in Spain. You can do so at the town hall corresponding to your municipality. You will also be required to register your fingerprints at your local police station.

Residency and Citizenship in Spain

You may be able to apply for Permanent Residency in Spain after living lawfully and continuously in the country as a temporary resident for at least five years. A Permanent Residency does not only allow you to live, work, and study in Spain on a permanent basis, it also paves your way to apply for a Spanish citizenship.

Among other requirements, Nigerian nationals must live in Spain for at least ten years as residents to acquire Spanish citizenship by residency.

Our Spain Immigration Services for Nigerians

IAS is a well-known and trusted name when it comes to visas and immigration services. Our team of sympathetic immigration lawyers have the required knowledge, expertise and experience to assist you to move to Spain, whether you are an individual migrant or a foreign company/organisation seeking to enter the Spanish business scene.

We are here for you for every step of the process, starting from helping you decide which visa/permit option would be most suitable given your circumstances, to advising you on the required documentary evidence, to completing your visa/permit application on your behalf.

You may choose from any of our below packages and/or ask for more customisable services as required in your immigration situation:

• The Advice Package: Comprehensive advice from our professional immigration lawyers, tailored to suit your needs and situation
• The Application Package: Advice regarding eligibility and application process from a dedicated immigration lawyer, followed by actual assistance in completing and submitting your application form
• The Fast Track Package: A premium service offered in case you have a tight deadline for submitting your visa/permit application, where your case becomes a top priority for our lawyers
• The Appeal Package: Preparation of your appeal case by experienced and knowledgeable lawyers, and full legal representation in any hearings/tribunals on your behalf

To know more about the services we provide and how we can help you, call us on +234 2013306361 today to speak to our team of legal advisers and immigration consultants.

Our Spain Relocation Services for Nigerians

Spain offers various immigration options for international migrants. However, relocating to a new country for a longer term involves comprehensive and thorough planning. An international relocation process can be categorised into three broad phases:

• Pre-departure planning phase (including visas and immigration)
• Moving to the destination country from the country of origin
• Settling in the destination country

IAS offers end-to-end assistance with all the above relocation phases as well as international removals. Moreover, we understand that the same hat does not fit all as the immigration circumstances and requirements vary from person to person. So at IAS, our experts offer bespoke services tailored to suit our clients’ specific relocation needs, based on extensive consultations with them.

Here’s a brief overview of our most popular Spain relocation services:

Cultural and language integration: Supporting you and your family with orientation, cultural integration and language training

Pre-move planning: Helping with research, plan and prep your move to Spain, including mapping out a realistic timeline as well as calculating your budgetary requirements

Immigration and visas: Starting with finding the most suitable visa/immigration option depending on your circumstances, to helping you with the visa application, document arrangement, and final submission, as well as providing legal assistance in case of a visa refusal or rejection

Home and school search: Helping you with find a suitable accommodation in Spain to providing legal and official assistance with the actual buying process, as well as assisting with the search for the best schooling options for your children moving to Spain with you

Settling-in support: Various services to help you settle in Spain, ranging from language and cultural training to helping you with tax, legal and other official requirements that you must fulfil as an immigrant

Pet relocation: Ensuring that you transport your pet(s) to Spain in accordance with Spanish legal requirements (such as microchipping them, administering a rabies vaccine at least 30 days before their move, having a rabies titer test done etc.) as well as actually transporting them in the safest and most comfortable conditions

Why Choose Our Spain Immigration Lawyers

We are an accredited body of immigration lawyers registered with the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA) UK, and have so far got more than 25,000 visa applications approved for our clients. Our team of expert immigration lawyers and relocation specialists offers professional guidance to help you navigate through the policies and processes involved in moving to Spain.

However, keep in mind that relocating to Spain comes with its own challenges. Starting from navigating Spain’s complex bureaucratic system, purchasing or renting an accommodation, opening a bank account, registering for a NIE card, purchasing health insurance (where applicable) to actually moving to Spain physically, it takes a lot of paperwork and a thorough understanding of how the Spanish bureaucratic and administrative systems work.

Our IAS team not only can help you through the process, but also complete some of the tasks on your behalf so that you can concentrate on settling down in Spain as well as integrating with the Spanish society. Our promise of exceptional relocation service stands on the three following pillars:

• Local presence in Spain and a bilingual team
• Years of experience in successful relocations
• Extensive partnerships with real estate agents, schools, and local tax and legal experts

How Can IAS Help Nigerians With Spain Immigration?

Immigrating to Spain from Nigeria can be a fairly time-consuming process, and one which will require your utmost diligence. Among other things, language may be a considerable challenge as Spanish is not widely spoken in Nigeria. Even if you meet the eligibility criteria, it is of crucial importance to fill up the relevant forms correctly and completely as well as submit all required documentation, to avoid a possible visa refusal or rejection.

IAS can help. If you are a Nigerian national seeking overall advice with your Spain immigration plan, or would like an immigration expert to complete your visa application on your behalf, we are here for you.

To know more about the services we provide and how we can help you, please call us on +234 2013306361 today to speak to our team of expert immigration lawyers.