Hola,
I am a US citizen that is considering leaving the US for a few years to experience other cultures and languages.  I do not plan on seeking citizenship in any country I reside, at least over the short term.  Additionally, I will not be employed by any Spanish or US company during this time as I make all of my money from internet poker.  What type of residency or visa do I need to seek? 

I won’t be moving until October 2007, so I have some time to visit all of my prospective cities and “get the ball rolling” on any paperwork / tax forms that need to be completed.  Any more help you can give me would be great… you have an incredible website that has either provided me with or linked me to most of the info I have collected so far!!

thx,
tjourneyman

From what I have gathered thus far, it appears to be my best bet to apply for an “Investment or Self Employed Visa” and my NIE at a Spanish Embassy here in the States.  This gives me a few questions…

1)  In addition to the general requirements for a visa, I will need what is described as follows:

Copy of the Work Authorization Application (Solicitud de Permiso de Trabajo) filed with the Ministry of Labor in Spain and one photocopy. This document must be submitted at this Consulate General within thirty (30) days from the date stamped by the Ministry of Labor in Spain

Is this difficult to come by?  I will be in Spain in June and need to know how much time to allocate to acquiring this paperwork.

2)  It says I need a copy of the medical insurance that will cover me in Spain when applying for a visa.

What if my health insurance in the States is expiring just before I leave for Spain, and I’m planning on using their public health care system when I arrive?  Is this going to hinder my ability to get a visa?

3)  Can I apply for the “Investment or Self Employed Visa” and my NIE at the same time?  I live in Austin, so I’ll have to make a trip to Chicago or New York to go the embassy, and therefore would like to consolidate all of my tasks that I can.

Cheers,
Taylor

1) I couldn’t tell you specifically how long it’ll take, but you have 90 days from when you first arrive, so I’d get the ball rolling on this as soon as humanly possible. Bureaucracy in Spain takes a notoriously long time.

2) I think that could hurt your application. Check out expat medical insurance.

3) You should be able to, yes. Did you download the NIE form yet?

~The Editor