01How we handle a Bilbao case without you travelling
Most of an immigration application is paperwork: obtaining certificates, having them translated and legalised, checking them against the Immigration Regulations (Royal Decree 1155/2024) and filing them in good order. None of that requires you and your lawyer to be in the same city.
We work online throughout Spain. For clients in Bizkaia the method is the same as anywhere else: an initial video call to choose the route, a document checklist written for your situation, a review of every document before filing, and electronic filing under our professional certificate. We keep you informed of any request for further information and of the decision.
If something has to be done in person and you cannot do it yourself, we cover it through our network of collaborating professionals.
02The Immigration Office in Bizkaia
The Immigration Office of the Government Sub-delegation is at Calle Barroeta Aldamar, 1, in central Bilbao. According to the Government Delegation in the Basque Country, it handles employed and self-employed residence and work permits, residence for research, non-lucrative residence, family reunification, long-term residence, residence cards for family members of EU citizens and appeals, among other procedures.
The office itself states that general enquiries are dealt with through an online enquiry form. In practice, when a lawyer acts for you, the application is registered on the electronic portal and decided on the digital file, without depending on a counter appointment.
03Company transfers and qualified profiles: the Large Companies Unit
Bizkaia has an industrial and engineering base with companies operating in several countries, as well as universities and research centres. Many of our Bilbao enquiries come from that world: engineers and managers seconded by their group, specialists joining a Basque company and researchers hired by a centre.
For these profiles the usual framework is Law 14/2013 on support for entrepreneurs, handled by the Large Companies and Strategic Groups Unit regardless of the province of destination. It is a fully electronic procedure designed for international mobility:
- Intra-company transfer, for employees already working for the group outside Spain who move to the Bizkaia subsidiary or site.
- Highly qualified professional, for managers and specialists with higher education or equivalent experience.
- EU Blue Card, where the contract and qualifications meet the European scheme.
- Researchers, for staff hired by universities, technology centres or corporate R&D departments.
04Fingerprints and residence card: a single location in Bizkaia
Once your permit is granted, the foreigner identity card (TIE) is issued by the National Police, always by appointment. Unlike other provinces, the official police office finder lists a single location in Bizkaia for immigration matters: the Basque Country Police Headquarters at Calle Gordóniz, 8, Bilbao.
Fingerprints for the TIE are taken there, and it also handles EU citizen registration certificates, NIE numbers and re-entry authorisations. If you live in Getxo, Barakaldo or elsewhere in Bizkaia, plan to travel to Bilbao for that appointment. The card must be requested within one month of the permit being granted or of your arrival in Spain.
05Basque specifics worth knowing
Family reunification requires proof of adequate housing. The Regulations call for a report from the regional government or, where the region has delegated it, from the town hall, and it cannot be more than six months old when the application is filed. We tell you where to request it and how early.
If you are the unmarried partner of an EU or Spanish citizen, the Register of Unmarried Couples of the Basque Autonomous Community, governed by Law 2/2003, is a way to evidence the relationship. According to the Basque Government, registration is constitutive: the partnership exists in law from the date it is registered. It is worth planning before the residence application.
Public healthcare is provided by Osakidetza, the Basque health service. Once you have your residence and your padrón registration, we explain which documents are usually requested to register.
06Consulates for British and American nationals in the north
There is no British consulate in Bilbao. According to gov.uk, the Consulate General in Madrid covers northern and central Spain, by appointment only, for British passports and documents. Your Spanish residence is always a matter for the Spanish authorities, not the consulate.
US citizens in Bizkaia are served by the US Embassy in Madrid, as the Basque Country does not fall within any consular agency district. Visas to live or work in Spain are applied for at the Spanish consulate in your country of residence, not in Spain.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to go to the Immigration Office on Calle Barroeta Aldamar?
No. As lawyers we file through the electronic portal, which is compulsory for professionals. You do not need a counter appointment. Your only visit in person is usually the fingerprint appointment at the police headquarters on Calle Gordóniz.
My company is transferring me to its Bizkaia plant. Which permit do I need?
If you already work for the group outside Spain, the usual route is the intra-company transfer before the Large Companies Unit. If a Basque company hires you directly, we look at the highly qualified professional route or the EU Blue Card. We decide on the basis of your contract and profile.
I am joining a research centre or university. Is there a specific route?
Yes. The residence permit for research is designed for staff hired by universities, R&D centres and companies carrying out research. We review the hosting agreement or contract and file the application, for your family too.
I live in Getxo. Where are my TIE fingerprints taken?
According to the official police office finder, TIE cards in Bizkaia are issued at the Basque Country Police Headquarters, Calle Gordóniz, 8, Bilbao. The appointment is booked on the public administrations' electronic portal.
Can my partner come with me if we are not married?
It depends on your situation. If you are an EU or Spanish citizen, registering with the Basque Register of Unmarried Couples helps evidence the relationship. In other cases, family reunification or the family member provisions of Law 14/2013 have their own requirements. We assess this in the first meeting.
Do you have an office in Bilbao?
No. We work online throughout Spain, by video call. If your case needs a one-off task in person, our network of collaborating professionals covers it.