extranjería

immigration law

noun eks-tran-heh-REE-ah Rare

Origin: From extranjero (foreigner, from 'extraño' + '-ero') + '-ía'.

Also means

foreigners' affairs

Usage Note

Extranjería is a legal and administrative term referring to the body of law and procedures governing non-citizens: visas, residence permits, and deportation. In Spain, the key legislation is the Ley de Extranjería. The word is not simply 'foreignness' in the abstract — it carries a specifically legal register. Learners should not confuse it with extranjerismo, which means a foreign loanword in linguistics.

Examples

"La oficina de extranjería gestiona los permisos de residencia."

Natural Translation

The immigration office handles residence permits.

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