Germany or Spain
Two countries side by side across the same rows as the full comparison. A dash means the value is missing: fields are not filled with guesses. about the data
| Germany | Spain | |
|---|---|---|
| Salary in IT | $ 91 040 | $ 70 556 |
| Citizenship | 5 years | 10 years |
| Partner can work | yes | yes |
| Parents | difficult | difficult |
| Pets | no trouble | no trouble |
| Pet limit | 5 | 5 |
| Quarantine | no | no |
| Residence permit fee | $ 114 | — |
| Rent, 2 bedrooms | $ 1 650 · estimate | $ 1 935 |
| Basket | $ 44,5 | $ 39,3 |
| Life expectancy | 80.79 | 83.89 |
| Homicides/100k | 0.92 | 0.73 |
| Natural hazards, 0–10 | 4.1 | 3.9 |
How the two sets of routes differ
Long-stay routes in this reference: Germany — 87, Spain — 61. Types present in both: work, study, family, startup and job seeking. Germany adds: repatriation and working holiday. Spain adds: remote work and talent.
Fees, thresholds and deadlines
Germany: fees range from 10 to 147 EUR. Routes stating an income threshold: 10; the lowest is 959 EUR a month. Routes with a published decision deadline: 1; the shortest is 60 days. Spain: fees range from 7.31 to 203.84 EUR. Routes with no fee: 2. Routes stating an income threshold: 2; the lowest is 41,356.36 EUR a year. Routes with a published decision deadline: 52; the shortest is 10 days.
Beyond the first permit
Permanent status: Germany after 3 years, Spain after 5 years. Citizenship: Germany after 5 years, Spain after 10 years. Germany allows a second citizenship, Spain does not. Bringing your own parents: Spain — yes, Germany — no.
Germany in brief
High salaries and stability. Reuniting with a partner's parents almost never works — only in cases of exceptional dependency. The working language is English at B2+ or German.
Spain in brief
A large economy with developed tech hubs (Madrid, Barcelona), good healthcare and low violence. Held back by citizenship after 10 years requiring you to give up the previous one — dual citizenship is allowed only with a limited set of countries — compulsory Spanish, difficult parent reunification and high rent in the major cities.
Other comparisons
More on each: Germany · Spain. Build your own comparison — up to four countries
This material is for reference and is not legal, tax or immigration advice. Visa rules, tax thresholds and prices change. Before deciding anything, check the official sources and consult a licensed professional in the relevant country.