When we started planning our move to Spain, hiring a lawyer felt like something we could maybe skip. It felt expensive, burdensome, and like something only people doing ‘complicated’ immigration needed. And we were being sponsored by my company, so did we really need it?
Spoiler alert! All immigration gets complicated – that’s the nature of immigration, unfortunately. And honestly, our visa journey ended up being anything but simple.
Is it mandatory to hire a lawyer? No. But is it recommended? 100%. And I can’t imagine going through the process without hiring one myself.
In this guide, I’ll help you navigate where to begin with finding an immigration lawyer, the questions you need to ask, and how much you should expect to pay.
Table of Contents
- My Moving Abroad Legal Experience
- Hiring An Immigration Lawyer in Spain: Where To Start
- How to Find An Immigration Lawyer in Spain
- What to Look For In An Immigration Lawyer
- Questions to Ask Your Immigration Lawyer
- How Much to Pay An Immigration Lawyer in Spain
- Final Thoughts: Hiring An Immigration Lawyer in Spain
My Moving Abroad Legal Experience
My husband and I moved abroad in 2024 with the help of Nodisea. What we thought would be a straightforward process moving from the U.S. to Spain on a Highly Skilled Worker visa quickly became complicated.
When my employer went through a merger right as we moved to Spain, it meant we had to resubmit our visa application with the new company name and tax ID. What was once a positive resolution resulted in a negative decision when we had to redo the application – partly because the Spanish government updated their guidelines for the visa type during this period.
We were already in Madrid, Charlie was settled in, Spud adjusting, our whole life unpacked, when the merger threw everything into question. I remember sitting in our apartment refreshing my email wondering if we’d actually be able to stay. Having a lawyer who knew exactly what to do next was the only thing that kept me from fully spiraling.
After more documentation requirements and redoing the application for the third time, we finally got the positive resolution we were waiting for. If we had not hired Nodisea, we would not have been able to navigate the intricacies of the situation. This is why I’m such an avid proponent of hiring legal representation!
Hiring An Immigration Lawyer in Spain: Where To Start
So, you’ve decided to move abroad to Spain (woohooo)! After first ironing out your employment situation (i.e. whether you’ll be a freelancer, get a job abroad, or retire abroad), the next step in your move abroad journey should be hiring a lawyer.
I spoke to three lawyers before picking ours, and the difference was immediately obvious. The first sent me a very generic email about the Digital Nomad visa. The second couldn’t answer a basic question about our desired visa type. The third listened to us and took time to understand our situation, and explained our options in plain English.
From my experience, here’s what you should look for:
- Verified and have their credentials (you can check this online)
- Based in Spain, with a clear knowledge of Spain’s immigration system
- Knowledgeable about application requirements and processes, and experienced migrating Americans to Spain
- Understand the tax and financial implications of different visa types
- Communicate the impact on family and dependents for your visa type
- Guide you on which option is the best considering all the factors above
While it isn’t necessarily a “must”, if you’re relocating abroad with your company, your lawyer should ideally work directly with your company’s HR department. This saves a ton of back and forth, and simplifies the whole process.
How to Find An Immigration Lawyer in Spain
I started doing my research on YouTube, via Americans in Spain Facebook groups, and looking at Google reviews. I would recommend spending a few hours doing your own research before deciding on 2-3 lawyers to book consultations with. Ultimately, we looked at 3 options before making our decision.
It’s important to do some preliminary research on visa options and get an understanding of what visa types might make sense for you. Once you have an idea of what visa you’d like to apply for, try to find lawyers that specialize in that area.
You may find that each lawyer you speak to gives you a different game plan for moving abroad, and this can be extremely confusing. One person told us we had to do the Digital Nomad Visa, while others said we should not do that and we should do a company transfer instead. This is why it’s important to educate yourself on your options before jumping right in so you can best advocate for yourself.
Before hiring anyone, take a consultation call with each lawyer you’re interested in, and ask any follow-up questions you need to confidently make your selection.
What to Look For In An Immigration Lawyer
How do you know if you’ve found a good immigration lawer?
The most important thing you can look for is testimonials and reviews. This will tell you a lot about the specific cases your lawyer has dealt with, and what people thought about their overall experience. If you are not finding testimonials or reviews for the lawyer you’re considering hiring, I would consider that a red flag.
Your lawyer should be responsive, patient, and ensure you understand the implications of any given scenario in plain terms before you proceed down your path. Having someone you trust, to whom you can ask questions, and who communicates clearly is extremely important. This ensures that you remain knowledgeable throughout the process and don’t just put blind trust in someone to act on your behalf. You should be engaged in the process and aware of what’s going on from start to finish.
Lastly, and most importantly, I would also look for someone who is organized and honest. No case is a 100% guaranteed success, and you should be wary of anyone who claims that. There is a difference between clear but confident communication, and making promises that they can’t fulfill. Be careful to avoid the latter!
With Nodisea, the immigration firm we used, what stood out immediately was how they listened to the specifics of our situation and offered clear, transparent pricing. These are small things, but they told me a lot about how they’d work with us.
Questions to Ask Your Immigration Lawyer
When meeting with an immigration lawyer, here are the questions you should ask up front:
- What is their success rate with the visa you’re applying for? This is most important – and you should verify what they tell you with testimonials and reviews.
- Are you eligible for your desired visa type? Verify your eligibility with a lawyer first, and go through implications for yourself and your family (if applicable).
- Will you have one representative on your case, or multiple? Some people prefer to have the same point of contact from start to finish.
- What does the timeline look like in your case? The timeline could change based on the complexity of your situation and how many dependents you have.
- How will you work together? What does the actually process look like, and how will you organize and share documents?
- What does their representation include? Will they file for you? When does their support end (after filing, or when you get your resident card, etc.)?
Pay attention to how they communicate. Are they answering clearly and with confidence, or do they give winding answers that you don’t understand? How they interact with you in this first interaction gives you a glimpse into how they’ll work with you.
As you get talking with them about your specific situation, you will naturally have more specific follow-up questions to help guide your decision making. These questions will give you a solid starting point to ensure you’re covering your bases and getting the info you need up front.
How Much to Pay An Immigration Lawyer in Spain
How much you end up paying in total will depend on the visa type, scope of their coverage, fee structure, and whether or not you’re filing for dependents as well.
As a single person moving abroad from the U.S. to Spain, you should expect to pay somewhere between €300–€800+ depending on the complexity of your situation.
If you have a spouse or one dependent, it will cost an extra €200–€400 for each additional family member.
To move abroad with my husband in 2024 using Nodisea, we paid a total of €800. While it is expensive, this is about average for a couple moving to Spain and is considered a fair price.
To be honest, at the time it felt like a lot. But after lots of complications and our third application submission, it felt like the best money we ever spent.
Final Thoughts: Hiring An Immigration Lawyer in Spain
After reading this whole post, you might wonder “but would you do it all again, even after the complications?”. My answer is absolutely, but I’d hire a lawyer immediately, and I’d go in knowing that nothing about the Spanish immigration process is ever fully predictable.
The right lawyer doesn’t guarantee a smooth ride. They just make sure you’re never in limbo or unsure how to overcome the obstacles thrown your way.
If you’re in the process of finding one and have questions, drop them in the comments. I’m happy to share more about our experience with Nodisea, or what exactly our immigration process looked like!
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