After a successful year in 2006, when he won the Telia Challenge Waxholm, he graduated to the European Tour.  However, at the end of 2006 (in the playing year of 2007) he won Argentina’s National Open Championship, the Campeanato Visa de la Republica, co-sanctioned between the European Challenge Tour and the Tour de las Americas. This was a great boost to his first year on the European Tour and he soon went on to gain second place in the TCL Classic in China. He retained his card by finishing the year in 113th position in the Order of Merit.

In 2008 he moved to Madrid with his wife and daughter. This enabled him to dedicate more time to playing in Europe and at the same time see more of his family. He continued to play well and had several top ten finishes, ending the year in the 90^th position in the Order of Merit. On 27 December 2008, his wife gave birth to their son, Rafa Severiano Echenique.

2009 began steadily until at the beginning of June, Rafa was joint winner of the European IFQ for The Open at Sunningdale. It was an achievement to win the qualifying and meant he played in his first ever major, The Open, which in 2009 was held at Turnberry.

A week later was a huge turning point in the year. On the final day of the BMW International in Munich Rafa shot 62 with a back nine of 27! This included an albatross on the par 5 18th hole. He finished 2nd and his albatross won the him shot of the month for June and went on to win the European Tour Shot of the Year. He completed the year by playing for Argentina in the Mission Hills World Cup, with team mate Tano Goya.

2009 was his most successful year to date on the European Tour, finishing in 78th position in the Race to Dubai rankings.