What proof of relationship you need for each family member

Key rules

• Regime: Family of foreign residents and family of EU or Spanish citizens follow different rules, so identify yours first.
• Civil documents: Where a legal link exists, the civil certificate carries the main weight.
• Foreign certificates: They must be legalised or apostilled and translated.
• Unregistered partners and parents: You must prove a lasting relationship or dependency with extra evidence.
• Local office: Offices may ask for more, so confirm their list before submitting.

What every family file has to prove

Every file must prove the legal link between you and your sponsor. Civil documents do this: marriage, birth or partnership certificates. For some relatives, the file must also prove dependency or a real, continuing relationship. What you need depends on who you are to the sponsor and which regime applies.

There are two regimes. The general foreigners regime covers family of a foreign resident (family reunification). The EU regime covers family of EU, EEA or Swiss citizens, and also family of Spanish citizens. Work out which one you are in first. The evidence differs.

How offices weigh the documents

Where a legal link exists, the civil documents carry the main weight. Proof of a shared life matters mainly for three groups: unregistered partners, extended family, and cases where the office suspects a sham marriage. Offices apply this differently, so expect some to ask for more. Confirm the list with your local Oficina de Extranjería before you submit.

Foreign certificates must come from the civil registry (Registro Civil) of the country where the event took place. They must be legalised or apostilled and translated.

Spouse

• Spouse of a resident (general regime): the marriage certificate, a full copy of the spouse's passport, and a sworn declaration that the sponsor has no other spouse living with them or reunified. If the sponsor was married before, add documents proving the earlier marriage ended. The sponsor also proves residence status, means and adequate housing. If you apply from abroad, add a criminal record certificate and a medical certificate.
• Spouse of an EU or Spanish citizen: the marriage certificate, a valid passport, the sponsor's passport or ID, and proof the sponsor is registered or resident in Spain. A divorce document is not generally required, but the office may ask for it if there were earlier marriages.

Registered and unregistered partners

A registered partner (pareja de hecho) proves the link with the registration certificate from the public register, whether in an EU state or a Spanish regional register. Under the EU regime this counts like marriage, as long as the register is public and the partnership is not against public order.

An unregistered partner must show a stable, lasting relationship. Useful evidence includes a cohabitation certificate, a joint lease or joint accounts, and children together. The office treats you as an extended family member and judges your case individually. The outcome is discretionary, and regional registers differ, so ask the office what it accepts.

Children

The birth certificate naming the parent proves the link.

• General regime: the child must be under 18, or objectively unable to provide for themselves. Add documents showing which applies.
• EU regime: children under 21, or dependent children, use the same certificate. Over 21, add proof of dependency.
• One parent applying: add proof of sole custody or the other parent's consent. For an adopted child, add the adoption resolution.

Parents

• General regime: the parent must be over 65 and have exceptional reasons. Reunifying parents is only open to sponsors with long-term resident status.
• EU regime: show financial dependency, such as money transfers and no income of your own, usually with a document from the authorities in the home country.

What counts as enough dependency evidence varies by office.

Next steps

The checklist below walks you through gathering the papers. The table of typical documents shows them by family member.

Typical relationship documents by regime and family member

• Spouse of a resident (reunification): the marriage certificate from the civil registry, plus a full copy of the spouse's passport.

• Spouse of a resident (reunification): a sworn declaration from the sponsor that they have no other spouse living with them or reunified in Spain, and papers proving the end of any earlier marriage.

• Spouse of an EU citizen or of a Spaniard: the marriage certificate, a valid passport, the sponsor's passport or ID, and proof the sponsor is registered or living in Spain.

• Child (reunification and EU-style files): the birth certificate naming the parent, issued by the civil registry. In reunification the child must be under 18 or unable to support themselves; in the EU-style regime, under 21 or dependent. Add proof of dependency where it applies.

• Child when only one parent applies: proof of sole custody or the other parent's consent.

• Parent of the sponsor: the sponsor's birth certificate naming the parent, plus proof of dependency. In reunification the parent must be over 65 with exceptional reasons, and the sponsor needs a long-term status. In the EU-style regime, show money transfers and no income of their own, usually from the home country authority.

• Who issues it: the civil registry (Registro Civil) of the country where the marriage or birth took place, or the Spanish Registro Civil for events registered in Spain. A Spanish marriage can also be shown with the Libro de Familia.

• Form of the certificate: a full or extract certificate can work, but for births a full or multilingual certificate showing the parents' names is preferred. Some offices insist on the full form.

• How recent: there is no fixed validity for marriage or birth certificates, but offices often want one issued within the last three to six months. A criminal record certificate is valid for three months.

• Originals and copies: you can apply with scanned or plain copies, and the office may ask to see the originals to compare them. Foreign documents must be the original or a certified original. A notarised copy is generally not needed.

• Foreign documents: get an apostille if the country is part of the Hague Convention, or consular legalisation if not. Some countries and EU multilingual forms are exempt, so check yours.

• Documents not in Spanish: have them translated by a sworn translator (traductor jurado), or through a Spanish consulate. EU multilingual standard forms may not need translation.

Checklist

• Check whether your file falls under the general foreigners regime or the EU regime, because the evidence differs.

• Identify the legal link you must prove: marriage, registered partnership, parent and child, or parent of the sponsor.

• Get the civil certificate from the civil registry, legalised or apostilled and translated if it is foreign.

• Ask whether your relationship needs more than the certificate, such as dependency or a continuing relationship.

• Gather proof of shared life if you are an unregistered partner: a cohabitation certificate, a joint lease or accounts, and any children together.

• Collect the sponsor's passport or ID and proof that the sponsor is registered or resident in Spain, if you apply under the EU regime.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need proof of a shared life if I am legally married?

Usually no, because the marriage certificate carries the main weight when there is a legal link. Proof of shared life matters mainly for unregistered partners, extended family, or where the office suspects a sham marriage. In that case, be ready with residence certificates, a joint lease or joint accounts.

How is an unregistered partner treated under the EU regime?

An unregistered partner is assessed as an extended family member and must prove a stable, durable relationship. Useful evidence includes a certificate of cohabitation, a joint tenancy or accounts, and children together. The decision is made case by case.

What extra proof does a child over 21 need in an EU-regime file?

A child over 21 uses the same birth certificate but must also prove dependency. Under 21, the birth certificate is enough for the link. In the general regime, the age line is 18, or a child who cannot provide for themselves.

Can my parents join me, and what must they prove?

Yes, but parents must prove dependency on top of the birth certificate naming them. In the general regime they must be over 65, have exceptional reasons, and the sponsor needs long-term resident status. In the EU regime, show financial dependency, such as money transfers and no income of their own.

What if the resident sponsor was married before?

You add documents proving the earlier marriage was dissolved. This applies to reunification by a resident. In an EU-regime file the office may ask for the same if prior marriages exist.