Partners & Family Visas

What do you need to know about getting reunification visas for your family?

• What family members can join to live in Spain with me?

  • Your spouse or partner, including of same sex. If you are not married or don’t have your partnership formally registered, you will need to provide proof of a stable relationship.
  • Your children, including the ones of your partner, and/or if they are adopted.
  • Your dependent family members, if you are named their legal guardian, who have some sort of disability and require your support to live.
  • Your parents, or the parents of your partner, who depend economically on you and don’t have sufficient income of their own. Note that there are significant differences that apply depending on whether or not you are from the EU or a third country. If you are non-European, you can only bring your parents if you already have a long-term residence permit in Spain, if your parents are older than 65 or you can prove humanitarian reasons for their necessity to live with you.

• I am an EU citizen, how fast can my partner get his/her family member visa?

  If you have European citizenship, we can file your family member application when they are legally present in Spain. By law it takes 3 months to receive the resolution. In big cities like Barcelona or Madrid, it can take anywhere between 2 to 4 months due to frequent delays in the Immigration Offices.

• I am a non-European citizen, how long does it take to get family reunion visas for my family?

  In this case the procedure is much more complex than that for EU citizens, and you will need to follow more steps. Firstly, you need to obtain a report that your place of residence is suitable to accommodate your family, it can take about 1-3 months depending on your municipality. Then you need to file for a residence authorization in the corresponding Immigration Office. By law it takes 3 months to receive the resolution. In big cities like Barcelona or Madrid, it can take anywhere between 2 to 6 months due to frequent delays in the Immigration Offices. Finally, your family member will need to get his/her entry visa in the corresponding Spanish Consulate.

• How long do I need to live in Spain before I can bring my family?

  If you are an EU citizen, your family members can join you as soon as you obtain your own EU residency certificate in Spain.

  However, if you are a non-European citizen, you need to have lived in Spain for at least 1 year before, and have obtained a renewal to live in Spain for at least 1 year longer. If you want to bring your elderly parents to live with you in Spain you must have a long-term residence permit, which means you have already lived in Spain for at least 5 years before you can file their family reunion applications.

• What is “arraigo familiar” and should I choose it or “family reunification”?

  The Immigration Law reform in August 2022 modified and amplified the so-called “arraigo familiar” procedure. It applies in limited cases:

  • In the case of a parent or guardian of a minor of Spanish nationality, or in the case of a person who provides support to a Spanish person with a disability.
  • In the case of the spouse or accredited common-law partner of a Spanish citizen, an ascendant over 65 years of age or under 65 years of age, a dependent descendant under 21 years of age or over 21 years of age, of a Spanish citizen, or of their spouse or common-law partner.
  • In the case of children of a father or mother who were originally Spanish.

  This procedure is now generally used to bring your elderly parents, it does not require you to prove dependency on you if your parents are older than 65.

• I am divorced but I want my children to live with me in Spain, can I do it?

  Yes, you can, if the other parent agrees to it. In this case we can assist you in preparing the parental permit in the right way to facilitate the settlement process.