Your child's residence status in Spain under each family regime

Terms used

• TIE — The TIE is the foreigner identity card issued to non-EU residents in Spain.
• Certificado de registro — The certificado de registro is the registration certificate, with an NIE, given to EU nationals living in Spain.
• NIE — The NIE is the foreigner identification number used for dealings with Spanish authorities.
• DNI — The DNI is the national identity card of Spanish citizens.
• Oficina de Extranjería — The Oficina de Extranjería is the immigration office that handles residence applications for foreigners.
• Arraigo familiar — Arraigo familiar is an exceptional residence route based on family ties to a Spanish citizen.

Key rules

• Sponsor decides: Which regime covers your child depends on whether you are a non-EU resident, an EU citizen or a Spanish citizen.
• EU registration: A child of an EU or Spanish citizen must register or apply for the family card within 3 months of arrival.
• Work age: A child with a family-based residence authorisation can work from age 16 without a separate work permit.
• Age limits: Reunification by a non-EU resident needs a child under 18, while the EU-style route allows up to 21, and older only if dependent.
• Spanish parent: A child of a Spanish citizen is usually Spanish and needs only a DNI and passport.

Which route applies to your child

The route depends on the sponsor, meaning the parent your child joins or is born to. There are three cases.

• You are a non-EU resident. Your child gets a residence authorisation for family reunification, then a TIE.
• You are an EU citizen. Your child is covered by the EU-style route. An EU-national child gets a certificado de registro. A non-EU child gets the EU family card.
• You are a Spanish citizen. Your child is usually Spanish by filiation. They need no residence permit, only a DNI and a Spanish passport. A child who is not Spanish can use the EU family card route, which is more favourable than reunification.

Use the decision below to pick your case.

If you are a non-EU resident

Your child gets a residence authorisation for family reunification. To start, you must hold a residence authorisation of at least one year, with at least one more year ahead of you. You must also show adequate housing and sufficient income for your family size. The income threshold changed in a recent reform, so check the current figure with the Oficina de Extranjería.

You apply in Spain at the Oficina de Extranjería or online. Once it is approved, your child applies for a visa at the Spanish consulate. After arriving, they apply for the TIE within one month.

The authorisation lasts as long as your own permit, up to five years, and can be renewed. Your child can get a long-term permit when you do, or after five years of residence.

The age limits for each route are under 18 for reunification and 21 for the EU-style route, with older children qualifying only if dependent. Under reunification, an adult child qualifies only if a disability means they cannot provide for themselves. Children must be unmarried.

If you are an EU or Spanish citizen

Your child must register or apply for the family card within 3 months of arrival. The card lasts 5 years.

• EU-national child: register in person at the Oficina de Extranjería or a police station. You receive a certificado de registro with an NIE.
• Non-EU child: apply for the tarjeta de residencia de familiar de ciudadano de la Unión, by appointment at the same offices.

You need your child's passport, a birth certificate (legalised and translated), and proof of your EU or Spanish status. If your child is over 21, you also need proof that they depend on you. Appointment systems vary by province, so ask your local office how to book. Non-EU family members may still need an entry visa.

Order of arrival

Under reunification, your child normally travels after you, because you must hold resident status first. They can arrive with you only if they were included in the same application. A child already in Spain can be included in a one-parent application.

A child who is in Spain on a short stay cannot normally switch to reunification from inside Spain. They must apply from abroad, unless an exception applies, such as arraigo familiar or birth in Spain. Ask the Extranjería office about your case.

If only one parent moves, you must show that you have sole custody or the other parent's consent.

Work rights

A child with a family-based residence authorisation can work from age 16, as an employee or self-employed, without a separate work permit. This covers children with an EU family card too. Below 16, work is prohibited, apart from limited cases such as authorised artistic performances.

The documents, timeline and checklist below carry the step-by-step detail.

Choosing between options

Which family regime covers your child in Spain?

• Family reunification with a non-EU resident: You are a non-EU resident and your child is under 18.

• EU-style family card or registration: You are an EU citizen, or a Spanish citizen and your child is not Spanish. Your child is under 21, or older and dependent. An EU-national child gets a registration certificate; a non-EU child gets the family card.

• No residence permit, only DNI and passport: You are a Spanish citizen and your child is Spanish by filiation.

Your status as sponsor decides the regime.

Timeline and deadlines

• Sponsor holds a residence authorisation of at least one year before reunification can start: before you start

• Child applies for a visa at the Spanish consulate once the reunification is approved: after the sponsor's application is approved

• Child applies for the TIE after arriving under reunification: within 1 month of arrival

Documents you need

• A valid passport for your child, as issued by their country.

• Your child's birth certificate, to prove the family link, legalised and translated into Spanish.

• Proof of the parent's status as an EU or Spanish citizen, for the EU-style route.

• Your child's registration certificate (certificado de registro, with an NIE), issued by the Oficina de Extranjería or a police station, for an EU-national child.

• Proof that your child depends on you financially, only if your child is over 21.

• The foreigner identity card (TIE), which your child applies for within one month of arriving under family reunification.

• For a child of a Spanish citizen who is Spanish by filiation, the DNI and a Spanish passport instead of a residence permit.

Checklist

• If you are a non-EU resident, confirm you hold a residence authorisation of at least one year with at least one more year ahead.

• Apply for the child's family reunification at the Oficina de Extranjería, then have your child request the visa at the Spanish consulate.

• Apply for your child's TIE within 1 month of arrival.

• If you are an EU or Spanish citizen, book an appointment to register your child or request the family card within 3 months of arrival.

• If your child is already in Spain on a short stay, plan to apply from abroad, unless an exception such as arraigo familiar or birth in Spain applies.

• If only one parent moves, gather proof of sole custody or the other parent's consent.

Quick answers on children's status in Spain

Can my child arrive in Spain before the parent who sponsors them?

No, a child normally gets a visa and enters after the sponsoring parent, because the sponsor must hold resident status first. The child can travel at the same time only if they were included in the same application. A child already in Spain can be added to a one-parent application, but a child here on a short stay normally has to apply from abroad.

Where does a baby born in Spain to foreign parents get a passport?

You get the baby's passport at the consulate or embassy of the parents' nationality, usually in Madrid or Barcelona. Expect to bring the Spanish birth certificate (often with an apostille or legalisation), both parents' passports and ID, and an application form. Many consulates ask for both parents' consent and want the baby registered as a national first, and waits can be long.

Can my child keep residence without a gap after turning 18 and studying?

Yes, under the general non-EU regime the family permit stays valid until it expires, if your child applies for a student permit before then or within 90 days after expiry. Rights continue while an application filed on time is pending. Under the EU regime, a child over 21 keeps the card only if still dependent, or must switch to a student route.