Can I travel throughout the European Union with a Spanish residence permit?
Non-EU citizens legally residing in Spain often ask us if they can travel to any European Union country with a residence permit. Unfortunately, the answer is no.
The Schengen area should not be confused with the European Union (EU), since certain EU Member States are not part of the Schengen area . However, there are some countries that are part of the Schengen area but do not belong to the EU.
Thus, 22 of the 27 Member States of the European Union (EU) participate in the Schengen Area. Of these five EU members that are not part of the Schengen Area, four (Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, and Romania) are legally obliged to and wish to join, while the remaining one (Ireland) has the option to opt out.
There are also the four member states of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) , namely Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland, which have signed the Schengen Agreement, thus becoming part of this area, even though they do not belong to the EU. Likewise, three European microstates , namely Monaco, San Marino, and Vatican City, have border control agreements with EU countries, thus de facto forming part of the Schengen Area.
In other words, a foreigner with a residence permit in Spain could travel to any country that is part of the European Union’s Schengen Agreement, but could not visit any country within the European Union . If the foreigner in question wishes to travel to a specific European Union country that is not part of the Schengen Agreement, they must verify whether that country requires a visa.
Schengen Area or Schengenland
The territory known as the “Schengen Area” encompasses the European Union states that have agreed to create a common area with the aim of eliminating borders between them, ensuring security, regulating immigration, and allowing the free movement of people .
For example, if a Cuban citizen has a residence permit in Spain, they can travel to any Schengen state, but not to all European Union countries. For example, if you want to travel to Ireland (an EU member state, but not part of the Schengen Area), you must apply for a visa, as Ireland requires visas for Cuban citizens.
Thus, the countries to which a non-EU citizen legally residing in Spain can travel without a visa are: Germany, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Slovenia, Spain, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Holland, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Sweden and Switzerland .
For other countries that are members of the EU but not part of the Schengen Area, the need to obtain a visa depends on the citizen’s country of origin.
