Family of EU and Spanish citizensArticle 6 of 8 · 2 min read
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.
Key rules
- Visa nationals: If you need a visa to enter Spain, get the free family visa at the consulate first.
- Visa-exempt nationals: You can enter without a visa and then apply for the family card inside Spain.
- Irregular entry: Entering or staying irregularly does not by itself stop you applying, because your right comes from the family link.
Which route fits you
Your nationality and your current status decide where you start. There are two routes: a family visa from a consulate before you travel, or the residence card applied for inside Spain.
If you need a visa to enter Spain
Apply for the family-member visa (visado de familiar de ciudadano de la Unión) at the Spanish consulate in the country where you live, then travel. The visa is free; how it works and the appeal if it is refused are in Entering Spain as family of an EU citizen: visa or visa-free.
If you can enter Spain without a visa
If your nationality is visa-exempt for Spain, you enter with a valid passport and proof of the family link, then apply for the card in Spain within 3 months of entering; the procedure is in The EU family residence card for non-EU relatives and the route in Residence for the spouse, partner and children of a Spanish citizen.
If you are already in Spain
Whatever permit you hold, you apply for the card in Spain, and it replaces the old permit. The 3 months count from your entry, so apply now even if your permit is still valid.
If you entered or stayed irregularly
You can still apply. Your right comes from the family relationship, not from how you entered, and a missing visa or earlier lawful stay cannot by itself be a reason to refuse the card. Expulsion of family members is limited to reasons of public order, security or health. A late application is accepted but carries a fine of 501 to 10,000 euros, which is rarely applied.
Documents you need
- A valid passport. You need it to enter Spain visa-free and to apply for the card from inside Spain.
- Proof of your family link to the Spaniard: the marriage certificate for a spouse, the partnership registration certificate for a registered partner, the birth certificate for a child. A stepchild aged 21 or over, a parent or another dependant adds proof of dependence (Who counts as family of an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen).
- Proof that your Spaniard relative lives in Spain.
More in Family of EU and Spanish citizens
- Who counts as family of an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen
- What your EU citizen relative must show first in Spain
- Entering Spain as family of an EU citizen: visa or visa-free
- Extended family of an EU citizen and facilitated entry
- Residence for the spouse, partner and children of a Spanish citizen
- Returning to Spain as a Spaniard with a foreign spouse and children
- Non-EU parents of a Spanish or EU child: your residence options
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