Staying close to family back home

It is for anyone thinking about moving to Spain, planning the move or already living there. You will find realistic ways to stay close, to host relatives within the visitor rules and to handle a family crisis from abroad.

Start with "Staying close to parents and relatives from Spain". It covers the contact routines and shared experiences that everything else builds on.

From there, pick what fits your situation:

• Children and their grandparents: "Helping your children keep a bond with distant grandparents".
• Travel: "Planning trips home without exhausting the family".
• Visitors: "Hosting relatives in Spain with visits, space and visa rules", and "Grandparents visiting for extended childcare stays in Spain".
• Crises: "When a parent falls ill or dies while you are in Spain".

Key rules

• Visitor insurance: Travel medical insurance with at least €30,000 of cover is mandatory for visitors who need a visa, and strongly advised for everyone else.
• Visitor stay limit: Visa-exempt non-EU visitors can stay in Spain and the rest of the Schengen area for up to 90 days in any 180 days.
• EU relatives: EU relatives can stay up to three months with a valid ID card or passport, and must register for longer stays.
• Grandparent childcare: Occasional unpaid help from visiting grandparents with their own grandchildren is normally fine, but paid or regular work needs a work authorisation.
• Fixed slot: A fixed weekly video call beats calls arranged on the spot, especially across time zones.
• Time gap: Clock changes shift the gap by an hour for a few weeks, so check it for your actual date.

Staying close to family back home: the whole process, step by step

• Set up a weekly call or story time and other rituals (Helping your children keep a bond with distant grandparents): Start now and keep it going all year

• Check your school's calendar and pick trip windows around Navidad, Semana Santa and summer (Planning trips home without exhausting the family): At the start of the school year, when the regional calendar is published

• Compare fares and book flights, avoiding July, August, Christmas and Easter if you can (Planning trips home without exhausting the family): 2 to 4 months ahead for Europe, 3 to 6 months ahead for long haul

• Check whether visiting relatives need a Schengen visa and, if so, arrange the invitation letter and travel insurance (Hosting relatives in Spain with visits, space and visa rules): Well before the visit, before they book flights

• Check passports and entry documents for non-EU visitors: passport valid for at least three months beyond departure, return ticket, accommodation and means (Hosting relatives in Spain with visits, space and visa rules): Before they travel

• Plan the length of the stay: 90 days in any 180 days for visa-exempt visitors, three months for EU relatives (Grandparents visiting for extended childcare stays in Spain): When you fix the dates of the visit

• Prepare children for time-zone changes by shifting bedtime 30 to 60 minutes a day (Planning trips home without exhausting the family): A few days before a trip across 1 to 3 time zones

• If you are waiting on a first residence decision or your TIE, get advice before leaving Spain (Planning trips home without exhausting the family): Before you book any trip out of Spain

• Ask your employer about paid family leave and plan emergency travel (When a parent falls ill or dies while you are in Spain): As soon as a relative becomes seriously ill

• Apply in person for an extension of stay if a visitor must stay longer for a serious reason (Grandparents visiting for extended childcare stays in Spain): Before the authorised stay ends, with an appointment

Documents you may need

Identity and residence

• Passport
• Your child's own valid passport — Helping your children keep a bond with distant grandparents
• A copy of the signing parent's ID or passport — Helping your children keep a bond with distant grandparents

Income and work

• Proof of the family event for your employer — When a parent falls ill or dies while you are in Spain

The home and the lease

• Signed parental authorisation — Helping your children keep a bond with distant grandparents

Guarantees

• Travel medical insurance with at least €30,000 of cover — Hosting relatives in Spain with visits, space and visa rules
• Health insurance that covers the extra time in Spain — Grandparents visiting for extended childcare stays in Spain

Other documents

• A return or onward ticket — Hosting relatives in Spain with visits, space and visa rules
• Proof of the reason for staying longer — Grandparents visiting for extended childcare stays in Spain
• Proof that the grandparent has enough money to live on while staying longer — Grandparents visiting for extended childcare stays in Spain

Each article lists the other documents it asks for, where you need them.

Staying close to family back home: questions that cross several articles

When is the cheapest time to fly home with school-age children?

The cheapest times are usually January after the holidays, February, late April to May, and October to mid-November, but school holidays often rule these out. Peak fares in July, August, Christmas and Easter can be double the off-peak fare, and a family of four multiplies it. Read Planning trips home without exhausting the family and Helping your children keep a bond with distant grandparents.

Do my parents need a visa to visit me in Spain?

It depends on their nationality: people from the USA, Canada, the UK, Australia and Mexico, among others, can visit without a visa, while people from India, China, Morocco and Nigeria, among others, need one. See Hosting relatives in Spain with visits, space and visa rules.

Can a grandparent stay longer than 90 days if they want to help with the children?

No, a visitor cannot simply stay longer than 90 days in any 180 days, and extensions are granted only for exceptional reasons like illness or a family emergency. An extension needs an appointment before the stay ends.

Which school holidays work best for a long stay with grandparents?

Summer is the longest window, about 11 to 12 weeks from late June to early or mid September. Christmas is about two weeks and Easter one week to ten days.