Why is my visa valid for 90 days?
Today we are going to address one of the most frequently asked questions visa applicants have once they get their visa, which is, why does my visa say it is valid for 90 days?
If you plan to move to Spain, either to live or study, it is very likely that you are applying for a long-term visa and expect that once the visa is issued, it will be valid for a period of up to one year; however, in Spain, this is not the case. Once you get the visa, it is valid for 90 days from the date you plan to enter the country, and once you are in Spain, you have 30 days to go to Extranjería and apply for your Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero (TIE).
The TIE is a residence card, this identity card will have the same period of validity as the authorization or recognition of the right that justifies its issuance, and it will lose its validity when the validity of the mentioned authorization expires. That is to say, if you go for a period of one year to study, it will have a period of validity from the beginning of the school year until it ends.
Now the TIE and the NIE are not the same; the NIE number (Número de Identidad de Extranjero) will be the identifier of the foreigner, which must appear in all documents issued or processed, as well as the proceedings that are stamped on your identity card or passport.
Although it is something very simple to understand, many people get very confused about these two concepts, many believe that they must obtain a NIE before obtaining a visa, which is true only if you want to make a property purchase or some legal procedure before going to live in Spain, but if it's not, it's not necessary to obtain a NIE before applying for your visa as it will be automatically assigned when the visa is issued.
The TIE once in Spain can be renewed first for one year, depending on the situation, for studies or work, or simply because you want to extend the period in Spain as long as you have sufficient economic means, and if you meet the requirements required by Extranjeria; then you can renew it for another two years, following the same pattern, and finally you can apply for a residence card if you meet the requirements and if the same condition persists, with which the previous renewal was requested.