When one of you moves first and the family follows

Terms used

• TIE — The TIE is the physical foreigner identity card issued to non-EU residents in Spain.
• Padrón — The padrón is the town hall's register of residents at an address.
• NIE — The NIE is the foreigner identification number used for official procedures in Spain.
• OAC — The OAC is the town hall's citizen service counter.
• Alta — An alta is a new entry in the padrón register.
• Extranjería — Extranjería is the immigration office that handles foreigners' residence permits.

Key rules

• Your residence first: Your own residence must be valid before any relative enters Spain.
• TIE deadline: Each family member's one month to apply for the TIE runs from their own entry, not yours.
• Padrón consent: The householder must authorise adding a relative, in person or with written consent and an ID copy.
• Route differences: Whether family can apply with you or only later depends on your visa route, so ask the consulate first.

The order that matters

Your own residence must be valid before any relative enters Spain. A dependant's authorisation is tied to yours, so if yours is not in place, theirs cannot be either.

How the family joins depends on your route:

• Digital nomad, highly qualified or entrepreneur routes: family can usually apply at the same time as you or later. Apply with your file where you can. Dependants can then arrive before or after you.
• Family reunification: you must already hold a residence authorisation for at least one year, with at least one more year ahead of you. Your family then applies for their authorisation and visa for relatives abroad.

Rules differ by route. Ask the consulate, or the Unidad de Grandes Empresas y Colectivos Estratégicos (UGE-CE) if your route goes through it, before you book anything.

If your family are EU citizens, different rules apply, and this page does not cover them.

Each person has their own clock

Each relative normally enters on their own visa and applies for their own TIE. Their deadline runs from their own entry date, not from the day you arrived. Note each person's entry date when they land. If someone is granted residence while already in Spain, the count starts from the grant date. The exact start of the count can vary by visa type, so ask the extranjería office if your case is unusual.

The timeline below sets out the steps and deadlines.

Adding a relative to your padrón

A relative who arrives later is added to the existing registration at your address. This is an alta at the town hall, at its OAC counter or online where available. Everyone in the household can be listed on the same address.

What to bring:

• The relative's passport or NIE.
• Proof of the right to live there, such as the lease or ownership deed.
• For a child, the family book or birth certificate. A parent or guardian registers them.

If the relative is not the householder, the householder, owner or tenant must authorise it. They can sign the form in person. If they cannot attend, many town halls accept a signed consent with a copy of their ID.

Each town hall sets its own forms and decides whether it needs the lease. Check its website or call before you go. The padrón certificate is issued afterwards.

Who does what

• You, the lead: secure your residence, file the family's applications with yours where allowed, and sign or authorise the padrón additions.
• Each relative: enter on their own visa, apply for their own TIE within their own month, and go to the town hall with their documents.

The checklist, documents list and planner below help you track this.

Timeline and deadlines

• Make sure the lead's residence is valid before any dependant enters Spain: before each family member travels

• Each family member applies for their own TIE: within one month of their own entry into Spain (latest 30 days after entry date)

• If a residence authorisation is granted while already in Spain, apply for the TIE: within one month of the grant

Planner for a staggered family move

The first traveller does everything that needs a person on the ground in Spain. The family joining later does everything that needs them in the room or in the paperwork. Finish each step in order, because later steps depend on earlier ones.

Stage 1: Before anyone leaves

Both adults, together

• Agree the date the first traveller leaves and the earliest date the others can follow. Every later date counts from these two.
• Gather originals and copies of identity documents, civil records and school records for everyone. Ask each issuing office whether Spain needs official translations or extra certification, and start any that take weeks.
• Check which applications must be made from your home country before travelling. Do not book the family's flights until you know.

First traveller

• Book a short-term stay for the first weeks. Do not sign a long lease for the whole family before you have seen the home.

Family joining later

• Keep the home country side running: notice at work or school, closing or transferring accounts, and the sale or storage of belongings.

Stage 2: First traveller, first weeks in Spain

Do these in this order:

1. Find a home that suits the whole family and read the contract fully before you sign.
2. Sign the lease and keep every receipt and the signed copy.
3. Use the lease as your proof of address to register at your town hall. Ask the office which documents it needs.
4. Open a Spanish bank account. Many later steps need it.
5. Ask the town hall or the regional education office how school places work, and which documents they need for each child.

Family joining later, during this stage

• Finish the applications and translations from Stage 1.
• Send certified copies of documents to the first traveller if an office requires them in person.
• Book flights only once the home is secured and any entry requirement is met.

Stage 3: Arrival of the rest of the family

Before they land

• First traveller: make sure the home is ready, with beds, heating or cooling, and working internet.
• Family joining later: carry originals of all key documents in hand luggage, not in checked bags.

In the first weeks, together

• Add the new arrivals to the address registration.
• Apply for school places, or confirm them if you applied earlier.
• Register each person for public healthcare where they are eligible. Ask your local health centre what it needs.
• Complete any residence step that must be done in person in Spain, with each person present.

Check the order before you commit

• Is there a home and a signed lease before anyone books a one-way flight?
• Does each office accept your documents as they are, or do they need translation first?
• Does a step need every family member present, or only the first traveller?

Rules and lead times vary by town and region. Confirm each step with the office that handles it before you set the final dates.

Documents you need

• Passport or NIE of each relative being added to the padrón, as issued.

• Proof of the right to live at the address, such as the lease or the ownership deed, issued by the landlord or the property registry.

• Written authorisation from the householder, owner or tenant, with a copy of their ID, if they cannot sign the form in person and the relative is not the householder.

• Family book or birth certificate for a child, shown by the parent or guardian who registers them.

Checklist

• Check with the consulate whether your visa route lets family apply at the same time as you or later.

• Apply for your family's authorisations together with your own file where your route allows it.

• Have each relative enter on their own visa.

• Note each relative's entry date and count their own one month for the TIE from that day.

• Ask the householder to sign the padrón form or give written consent with an ID copy for a relative who arrives later.

• Take the relative's passport or NIE and the lease or ownership deed to the town hall to add them at your address.

• Register a child with the family book or birth certificate, brought by a parent or guardian.

Frequently asked questions

Can my family arrive before I do?

It depends on your visa route: on some routes, such as the digital nomad, highly qualified or entrepreneur visas, dependants can arrive before or after you. Your residence must be valid when they enter, because their authorisation is tied to yours. Apply with your own file.

Does my partner's TIE deadline start on the day I arrive?

No, your partner's TIE deadline starts on their own entry date, not yours. Each family member holds an individual authorisation, so the date you arrived does not extend or shift their month. Book their TIE appointment from the day they land.

Can a relative who arrives later be added to my padrón registration?

Yes, a relative arriving later can be added to your household's padrón registration at the same address by applying at the town hall. If you are the householder you can sign the form, or give written consent with a copy of your ID if you cannot attend.