Family reunification for residentsArticle 7 of 7 · 2 min read
How your province's immigration office affects a family file
Speed and practice for family applications depend on the province where you file.
Key rules
- Day 46: With no decision 45 days after registration, the application counts as approved.
Your province's office sets the pace
Your file is handled by the immigration office (Oficina de Extranjería) in the province where you file. Offices differ in speed and in what they ask for.
If your office is slow
On day 46 with no decision, request the certificate of silent approval from the Oficina de Extranjería. It starts the two-month visa window for your family on day 45, and your family takes it to the consulate in place of the approval notice.
If the office will not issue the certificate, file a written request for it at the registro (the office's official filing desk) so it is on the record. If there is still no answer, appeal for its issue.
A refused application has its own appeal routes and deadlines: If your application is refused.
How to find your own office's practice
Book through Cita Previa for Extranjería on the Ministry's online office or the website of your provincial Subdelegación del Gobierno, and file through the Mercurio platform or in person at the Oficina de Extranjería. A local immigration lawyer or an NGO such as CEAR, Cruz Roja or Accem knows how your office works.
If you are the family of an EU, EEA, Swiss or Spanish citizen
Family of an EU citizen follow a different procedure: The EU family residence card for non-EU relatives. Family of a Spanish citizen and UK citizens with Withdrawal Agreement rights have their own rules.
More in Family reunification for residents
- What family reunification (reagrupación familiar) actually requires
- Can you sponsor your family: residence time and permit validity
- The income test for reunification: how much and what counts
- Getting the adequate housing report (informe de vivienda adecuada)
- Visa and entry after your family's reunification is approved
- Can your family visit you while reunification is pending
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