Family Reunification Visa Spain

Spain offers the opportunity for foreign families to reunite in the country, provided that at least one member has already been granted legal residency in Spain. Depending on circumstances, family members moving to Spain with the family reunion visa may be classed as dependents, but there are options that allow work permissions and autonomy.

Family members who have lived in Spain for long enough to fulfil residential requirements may apply for a long-term residential permission that allows permanent and independent residence in Spain.

Criteria for the Spain Family Visa

When you are considering whether the Spanish family reunion visa may be a viable route for you and your loved ones, you will need to understand the criteria that decide who may be granted this permission.

Before you are permitted to invite your family to live with you under the reunion visa, you must have been a legal resident of Spain for at least one year. Your visa must also be valid for at least one more year, with additional room for renewal. There are certain situations where you may be able to invite your family earlier, namely if you have been living in another EU country before moving to Spain yourself or if you are in the country with an EU Blue Card or a study/research visa.

Page Contents

• What Is the Spanish Family Visa?
• Who Can Obtain a Family Reunification Visa in Spain?
• Non-EU Spouse Visa
• Non-EU Minor Visa
• Non-EU Ascendant Visa
• Extended Family Members
• Family Reunification for EU or EEA Nationals
• Financial Requirements for Spain Family Reunification
• Housing Requirements for Spain Family Visa
• Applying for the Spanish Family Reunification Visa
• If the Visa Request Is Refused
• Documents Required for Family Visa Spain
• Fees for Spain Family Reunification Visa
• The EU Family Member Residence Permit Card
• Renewing a Family Reunification Visa in Spain
• How Can Total Law Help?
• FAQ

When planning to reunite with your family member you will also need to consider their circumstances to see how they may qualify for this visa. In general, family members who will be permitted to join you will have to be classed as dependent on you, which means that you will be financially providing for them. You will need to show a history of regular sponsorship you have provided for them for at least one year at the point of application.

Additionally, this visa pathway is limited to family members with a defined relationship to you. At a glance, they may be eligible if they are:

• Your spouse or partner
• Your child (must be under 18 years old or have a disability that makes them dependent on your support
• Other young family members under the age of 18
• Other family members with a disability that makes them dependent on your care
• Your or your partner’s parents

If you want your spouse to join you through the family reunification visa, you will need to provide proof that you are in a real and ongoing relationship. You will need to provide evidence of your marriage, such as a marriage certificate, or details of an equivalent relationship such as a civil partnership.

You will not be able to apply for reunification for more than one partner.

Your children will usually be eligible to join you under the family reunification visa if they are under the age of 18. This includes adopted children or other minors who you legally represent, as long as the adoption or representative status is recognised in Spain.

The maximum age requirement may be waived if you have children who are severely and require your care.

In some circumstances, the EU Community Regime may allow children who are between the ages of 18 and 21 to still benefit from the family reunification visa.

If you wish to bring extended family to Spain, you may only be able to do so once you have officially obtained Spanish citizenship or citizenship in another EU country. You will need to prove that these family members are financially dependent on you and that you are willing and able to support them.

Extended family members include:

• Siblings
• Nephews
• Aunts and Uncles
• Children older than 21
• Unregistered partners
• Severely disabled relatives

While the general family reunification visa usually applies to non-EU or EEA nationals who are residing in Spain, residents from the European Union or the European Economic Area may be able to bring their family members to live with them more easily.

Generally, your family members will be permitted to join you in Spain without a visa if you are an EU or EEA national. They will also be permitted to travel through the Schengen region without a visa provided that it is for the purpose of uniting with you.

If your relatives are planning to stay for over 90 days, they will need to apply for a residence card for family members of EU citizens.

The Family reunion visa usually requires the existing Spanish residential visa holder to sponsor the family member who will be living with you. As such, you will need to show that you have the means to do so and also that you have been financially supporting them before.

Depending on the family member who is applying, you may have to show that you have regularly been transferring funds to them to cover their living expenses. If the person applying to live with you is your parent, you should show that your contributions over the last year amount to at least 51% of the GDP per capita of your parent’s home country.

When a family member is applying to join you, they will need to submit details of the place they will be living in Spain. To show that this corresponds to the suitable housing criteria, you will need to obtain an adequate housing report. You will be able to request this from your local town hall.

The report will need to show that you have the space for your relative to live with dignity and that the house fulfils basic requirements for human living conditions. Cleanliness and overall habitability will be considered as well as overcrowding and the home’s reasonable capacity to accommodate the person moving in.

Applying for the family reunification visa can be pretty involved so it is best to start early and take it step by step. First, you should request an appointment with the Spanish immigration office and submit the relevant form and all accompanying documents and information showing that you have the right to request your family member to join you.

You will be given a proof of receipt that you will need to track the progress of the application. You should expect to wait around two to three months for an initial decision to be made.

If your request is approved, your family member will need to collect their visa in person. You may also need to collect your passport and other documents you provided when filing the application.

As with any visa application, there may be times when a request is not granted. If this happens, you may be able to appeal this decision within one month. Should there be cause for you to request a judicial review, you may do so in two months.

Appealing a visa rejection can be challenging and it is not recommended that you try to do it alone. Our team of specialised immigration lawyers will be able to assist you throughout this process. While a positive outcome can never be guaranteed, our team at Total Law will make sure that you have the best possible chance. You can call us today at +44 (0) 333 305 9375 for immediate help.

The documents that will be required when applying for a family reunification visa in Spain will vary depending on your family member’s circumstances. In general, you will need to prove your relationship, your ability to support them, and their need to be supported. You should expect that the following documents will be requested during the application:

• A filled-out and signed National visa application form. You will need one form for each family member who is applying
• A recent photograph of the applicant that meets visa standards
• Your family member’s valid passport. It should be valid for another 4 months at least
• The original and one copy of your preliminary family reunion permit. This is issued by the Spanish Government when requested
• Your valid residential card (this should be a certified photocopy)
• Your marriage certificate, if the applicant is your spouse
• A certificate of your registered partnership, if the applicant is your partner but you aren’t married
• The birth certificate, adoption papers, or other papers showing your relationship to your child
• Your birth certificate or adoption papers showing your relationship to your parent
• Criminal record check certificates for your family member that cover the last 5 years
• The original and one copy of your family member’s medical certificate (showing that they do not have a serious condition that may affect Spain’s public health)
• Proof of address (showing that you live within the relevant consular district)

Applications concerning children will also require details of their representative.

Remember that foreign documents may require an official translation into Spanish and may need to be officially legalised.

The fees for a family reunification visa can vary depending on your relative’s nationality and other factors. You should expect to pay at least €80.

Once your relative has arrived in Spain, they will need to apply for their residence permit with your local non-nationals bureau within three months of their arrival. While the actual card may take a while to arrive, they should be given a certificate of application which will suffice to prove the legality of their residence for the time being.

The family reunification visa will usually be issued with a validity period that corresponds with the primary Spanish resident’s visa permission. It will expire when your temporary residence permission or your long-term Foreigner Identification Card (TIE) runs out.

You will have to apply for a joint renewal of your residential permission and the permission for your family member. You may do so two months before your visa expires.