(In all types of residence visas, the presence of all people on the day of the interview is required)

Long-term resident status can be recovered by foreigners who have held a long-term residence permit in Spain and who have, moreover, been absent from European Union territory for 12 consecutive months or have acquired EU long-term resident status in another EU Member State or have completed the period during which they committed not to return to Spain, having voluntarily agreed to return to their country of origin.

EU long-term resident status can be recovered by foreigners who have held an EU long-term residence permit in Spain and who have, moreover, been absent from European Union territory for 12 consecutive months or have acquired EU long-term resident status in another EU Member State or have been out of Spain for more than 6 years.

To obtain a long-term resident recovery visa it is first necessary to submit an application to recover the permit. For this reason, the procedure comprises two stages.

Procedure

This Consular Office is competent to accept visa applications from individuals residing in the consular district.

• Who can apply: The application to recover long-term resident or EU long-term resident status must be submitted in person by the interested party, or by one of their parents if the applicant is a minor.
• Notification: The Consular Office will inform the applicant of the decision issued by the competent Government Delegation or Sub-delegation.
• In the event of a favorable decision, the Consular Office will invite the interested party to submit the visa application.
• If the decision is not favorable, the interested party may submit an appeal for reconsideration to the Consular Office within 1 month of the day following the date on which the notification of the refusal is received. An application for judicial review may also be filed with the High Court of Justice of Madrid within the 2-month period beginning the day after the date on which the applicant receives notification of the permit refusal or of the dismissal of the reconsideration appeal.

Obtaining a long-term residence or EU long-term residence recovery visa
Required documents

• National visa application form. Each applicant must complete and sign a visa application, filling in each of its sections. If the applicant is a minor, both of their parents must sign the application.
• Photograph. A recent, 3.5*4.5,( for the last 3 month) color photograph, taken against a light background, facing forward, without glasses, or any garments concealing the oval of the face.
• Valid, unexpired passport. Original and a photocopy of the page or pages of the passport that contain biometric data. The passport must have a minimum validity period of 4 months and contain two blank pages. For our country, Passports issued more than 5 years ago will not be accepted.
• Residence permit. Original and a copy of the favorable decision recognizing recovery of the long-term residence permit or EU long-term residence permit.
• Payment of the visa fee. The visa fee is of an amount equivalent to 80 euros. For nationals of Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, the United States of America and the United Kingdom, different rates are applied for reasons of reciprocity. In these cases, the amount of the fee must be consulted with the Consular Office.
  When necessary to assess the application, the Consular Office may request additional documents or data and may also ask the applicant to come in for a personal interview.
• Legalized and translated Shenasnameh (Spanish translation for the last 6 month). For all the family members. If anyone has been born in Spain, he/she should provide it.

Procedure

• Who can apply for a visa: Visa applications must be submitted in person by the applicant, or by one of their parents if the applicant is a minor.
• Rectifying the application: The Consular Office may ask the applicant to submit any missing documents, or to provide additional documents or data that are necessary for a decision regarding the application. The applicant may also be called in for a personal interview.
• Decision period: The legal period for reaching a decision is of 3 months from the day after the application submission date, but this period may be extended if an interview or additional documents are requested.
• Collecting the visa: The visa must be collected in person by the applicant or by their legal representative (if the applicant is a minor) within a maximum period of 1 month, counted as of the day after the date on which the favorable decision is notified. The Consular Office will inform the applicant regarding the procedure for the return of the passport and any other original documentation.
• Visa refusal: Visa refusals will always be notified in writing, setting forth the grounds on which the decision adopted is based.
• Appeals: If a visa is refused, the applicant may submit an appeal for reconsideration to this Consular Office within 1 month of the day following the date on which the notification of the refusal was received. An application for judicial review may also be filed with the High Court of Justice of Madrid within the 2-month period beginning the day after the date on which the applicant receives notification of the visa refusal or of the dismissal of the reconsideration appeal.
• Validity period of the visa: The visa will be valid for 90 days. Once in Spain, a Foreigner Identity Card must be applied for within a period of 1 month from the applicant's entry into Spain, at the Foreign Nationals' Office or the corresponding Police Station.