Partners and registered partnerships (pareja de hecho)
You will know which formal step gives your partner status, how to take it, and how to prepare for relationship scrutiny.
This topic helps you work out how your relationship counts in Spain. You can marry, register as a pareja de hecho, or stay unregistered. Each choice gives your partner a different status. The pages cover how regional registries differ, which foreign marriages Spain recognises, how same-sex couples…
Pick the article that fits your situation
Marry or register a partnership (pareja de hecho): which gives status
Helps couples choose between marrying and registering as a pareja de hecho when they need recognised partner status in Spain. It explains which route gives full spouse status and what to ask before you pay or apply.
Registering a partnership (pareja de hecho) and what it unlocks
Explains where a partnership (pareja de hecho) is registered in Spain and why the registry matters for immigration. Written for couples with a foreign partner who are deciding whether to register, with the open points to confirm before you apply.
How partnership (pareja de hecho) rules differ by region
Partnership (pareja de hecho) rules in Spain vary by region, so the conditions on residence, living together and a foreign partner depend on where you live. This page is for couples who want to register and need to know how to check their own region's rules.
Spouse, registered partner or unregistered partner: how each is treated
Explains how an unmarried, unregistered couple is treated compared with spouses and registered partners. It is for partners who live together without a marriage or partnership registration and want to know what they can claim when moving to Spain.
Which marriages Spain recognises for immigration
A short guide to checking whether your marriage will count for a Spanish family immigration route. It is for anyone married in a religious, customary, proxy, foreign or underage ceremony, or in a polygamous union.
Does Spain recognise a same-sex marriage or partnership formed abroad
Explains how Spain treats a same-sex marriage or partnership formed abroad, and what to do if you cannot get certificates from your home country. For same-sex couples planning a family-based move or residence application.
How authorities test whether a marriage or partnership is real
Explains, in general terms, how Spanish authorities check that a marriage or partnership is real, and what to do if a decision goes against you. For couples planning to register a marriage or partnership or use it in an immigration application.
About this topic
It is for anyone thinking about, planning or carrying out a move to Spain with a partner. After reading, you will know which formal step gives your partner status, how to take it, and how to prepare for questions about your relationship.
Start with "Marry or register a partnership (pareja de hecho): which gives status". It helps you choose the route that fits your cost, timing and situation. The other pages then go deeper on registration, regional differences, unregistered couples, recognised marriages, same-sex couples and the genuine-relationship checks.
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What to read next
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Need certainty before you act?
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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.