A person can immigrate to Australia from Spain in accordance with the same rules that are established between the European Union (EU) and Australia, as Spain is a member state of the EU.
This means that, regardless if a foreigner arrives from Spain or from other EU states, the same immigration procedures will be enforced. The law of immigration in Australia requires EU nationals, including Spanish nationals, to comply with certain immigration procedures.
Our immigration lawyer in Australia can help Spanish nationals relocate here on a short-term basis/permanent residency.
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Do Spanish nationals need visas for short-term stays in Australia?
Yes, as a Spanish national it is necessary to comply with the rules for immigration to Australia for short-term stays. In other words, there aren’t any visa exemptions, as can be the case of certain nationalities arriving here (for example, for New Zealanders).
Therefore, even though a Spanish citizen will not arrive here for residency in Australia, visa formalities must be concluded. The good news about short-term stays visa for EU nationals is that the procedure can be easily completed online.
EU nationals must apply for the eVisitor visa, which requires the completion of simple immigration formalities, as presented in the list below:
- the eVisitor visa is the Subclass 651 visa;
- the document can be obtained, on average, in 24 hours since the application is completed (or in maximum 2 days);
- this visa can be used for short-term visits in Australia, which refer to stays of maximum 3 months;
- the advantage of this visa is that the document is valid for a period of 12 months, allowing the foreigner to arrive here in the 12 months period (but not more than 3 months at a time);
- overall, in the 12 months period, a person can stay here for 6 months, because if the person will stay for a longer period of time, formalities for residency in Australia must be completed.
Also, the visa doesn’t allow a foreigner, regardless of his or her nationality, to stay in this country more than 3 months at a time. Therefore, those who want to live here for a longer period of time, must verify other visa options.
Spanish citizens have the right to migrate to Australia on a long-term basis or a permanent basis, but they need to hold visas that grant this right. Typically, a foreigner can arrive here on a long-term/permanent basis for work, business, family reunification, etc.
Our Australia migration lawyer can present other options Spanish persons have when we refer to permanent residency. Also, please know that permanent residency can open the pathway to Australian citizenship.
What is the application process for the eVisitor visa in Australia?
The application for this visa type is rather simple. The immigration formalities can be completed online and the applicant must provide information on his or her passport, name and contact details.
Please know that all the data introduced on the application must be 100% accurate. If not, the application can be rejected. If the applicant observes that he or she introduced inaccurate data, the person should re-initiate the application.
If the visa application will be successful (and in most cases, it is, as the approval rate is around 99%), the Australian immigration authorities will send the visa via the e-mail address submitted by the applicant.
We invite you to contact our immigration lawyer in Australia for more details on other visa options available for Spanish nationals. Our lawyer can help you apply for an investment visa if you are a foreign investor.
Also, you can rely on us if you want to apply for Australian citizenship and you want to know what are the rules concerning your main citizenship upon the issuance of a new one.