Family of EU and Spanish citizens
You will know whether your relationship to an EU or Spanish citizen qualifies and how to enter and apply.
Moving to Spain with a spouse, partner, child or parent who is an EU, EEA, Swiss or Spanish citizen follows its own rules. They differ from the standard family reunification route in who counts as family, what the citizen must show, and how you enter the country.
Pick the article that fits your situation
Who counts as family of an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen
Shows which relatives count as family of an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen in Spain: spouses, registered partners, children and dependent parents or grandparents. For anyone checking whether a relative qualifies, and what ages and dependency proof apply.
What your EU citizen relative must show first in Spain
Your right as a family member depends on your EU relative's own status in Spain: they must be registered, and be working, self-employed, studying or self-sufficient with health insurance.
Entering Spain as family of an EU citizen: visa or visa-free
Explains whether family members of an EU citizen need an entry visa for Spain, how the free family visa works, and when to apply for the residence card after arriving. For non-EU relatives planning their trip.
Extended family of an EU citizen and facilitated entry
Explains the discretionary route for relatives of an EU citizen who are not in the core family: dependants, household members, people needing personal care and durable unmarried partners. It shows who qualifies, what proof counts and what happens after you apply.
Residence for the spouse, partner and children of a Spanish citizen
Explains which non-EU relatives of a Spanish citizen can get residence under the EU-style family regime, and what the five-year family card allows. For spouses, registered partners, children and dependent parents of Spaniards.
Applying as family of a Spaniard from abroad or inside Spain
Explains whether a non-Spanish family member of a Spaniard should apply for a visa at a consulate or apply for the residence card inside Spain, and how your nationality and current status decide it.
Returning to Spain as a Spaniard with a foreign spouse and children
For Spaniards coming home with a non-EU spouse, partner or children. It explains which residence route your family uses and why consular registration is worth doing.
Non-EU parents of a Spanish or EU child: your residence options
Shows which residence route a non-EU parent of a Spanish or other EU child under 18 can use: the EU family card or the arraigo familiar permit. It explains how the child's nationality and your situation decide which one fits.
About this topic
This topic is for anyone considering, planning or carrying out a move to Spain on this basis. It covers who qualifies, the conditions the citizen must meet, whether you need a visa, extended family, families of Spaniards, Spaniards returning home with foreign relatives, and non-EU parents of citizen children.
Relatives of EU, EEA and Swiss citizens, and relatives of Spaniards, come under the EU-style family regime: a spouse, registered partner, child or dependent parent has a right to the family card, and an unmarried partner or other dependent relative is considered case by case. Relatives of a non-EU resident follow a different regime, family reunification, with its own income test and long-term permit; it is covered in Family reunification for residents.
Key rules
- Children's age: Children qualify if they are under 21 or financially dependent on the EU citizen or their spouse or partner.
- Entry visa: Family members need an entry visa only if their nationality requires a Schengen visa; the family visa is free.
- Card validity: The family card is valid for five years.
Family of EU and Spanish citizens: the whole process, step by step
- Check that your relative counts as family: before you start; see Who counts as family of an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen
- If the person you join is a Spaniard, skip the registration and funds steps: a Spaniard does not register or show funds; your route is in Residence for the spouse, partner and children of a Spanish citizen, and whether you need a visa first is in Applying as family of a Spaniard from abroad or inside Spain
- If the person you join is an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen, make sure they are registered in Spain and can show work or funds: they register once they stay over 3 months, early enough to hand you the certificate before your own 3 months run out; see What your EU citizen relative must show first in Spain
- Apply for the free family entry visa at the Spanish consulate, only if your nationality needs one: before you travel; see Entering Spain as family of an EU citizen: visa or visa-free
- Enter Spain and apply for the family residence card: within 3 months of entering Spain; the procedure is in The EU family residence card for non-EU relatives
- If the visa or the card is refused, appeal or apply again: the deadlines are in Entering Spain as family of an EU citizen: visa or visa-free and in The EU family residence card for non-EU relatives
- For extended family, apply for facilitated entry and wait for a decision: the route, the proof and the appeal rules are in Extended family of an EU citizen and facilitated entry
Documents you may need
For every relative
- A valid passport
- Proof of the family link: the marriage certificate for a spouse, the certificate of the partnership register for a registered partner, the birth certificate for a child, parent or grandparent — Who counts as family of an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen
- Translation into Spanish of each foreign document, with the apostille or legalisation that the issuing country requires — Who counts as family of an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen
- Proof that the person you join lives in Spain: the registration certificate of an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen (What your EU citizen relative must show first in Spain), or the DNI or passport of a Spaniard (Residence for the spouse, partner and children of a Spanish citizen)
Only for dependants (a child aged 21 or over, a parent, a grandparent or another relative)
- Proof of financial support, such as money transfers from the EU citizen, spouse or partner, and a certificate from the home authorities showing dependence and lack of means — Who counts as family of an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen
Only for an unmarried partner or another extended-family member
- Proof of a durable relationship or shared household, and proof of no or too little income if you rely on the EU citizen — Extended family of an EU citizen and facilitated entry
Only for a Spaniard returning home
- Proof of registration in the consular register — Returning to Spain as a Spaniard with a foreign spouse and children
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What to read next
More in Partners, dependents, and family routes
Choosing your family route
You will know which regime applies to each family member, whether to bring them now or later, and roughly what it will cost.
Family reunification for residents
You will know whether you can sponsor your family, what you must prove, the order of steps, and how to cope with the wait.
Children and their residence status
You will know how each child is covered, what to register for a newborn, what custody evidence is needed and what changes as the child grows.
Also in Immigration and residency
Need certainty before you act?
For important relocation decisions, speak with a qualified human specialist.
Always verify important information with the relevant official authority or a qualified adviser before acting. This website uses large language models together with various public data sources, official government documents and other established sources. Due to the amount of data on this website, some information might be wrong. Information may also be incomplete or outdated.