Family Reunion Visa Spain - Bring Your Family to Spain

If you want to apply for a family reunion visa in Spain and are not acquainted with the procedure and requirements, our lawyers can help you. Discover when and how to apply for this type of visa below.

Quick Facts
Availability of a family reunion visa (YES/NO)	Yes, for non-EU citizens.
Qualifying family members	– spouse/civil partner, – children, – parents, – parents-in-law
Requirements for the family member living in Spain (if any)	The person living in Spain must hold a valid residence permit.
Requirements for the people moving to Spain (if any)	There are no specific conditions to meet by immigrants.
Who applies for the family reunion visa	The Spanish resident must apply for the visa.
Required documents for the Spanish resident	– visa application form, – Spanish residence permit, – proof of kinship depending on the relation with the incoming relative, – proof of Spanish residential address
Required documents for the incoming relative(s)	– valid passport, – proof of the relation with the Spanish resident, – clean criminal record
Timeframe to obtain the visa (approx.)	Approx. 2 months
Authorities	– the immigration services in Spain, – the Spanish Embassy/Consulate in the country of the applicant
Language requirements for the incoming relatives (YES/NO)	No
Validity of the visa	3 months
Steps to complete after obtaining the visa	Once entered Spain, the foreign family member must register with the local police office.
Extension possibility (YES/NO)	No, the visa itself cannot be renewed.
Possibility to apply for Spanish residency based on this visa (YES/NO)	Yes, a foreign citizen can apply for residency based on a family reunification visa.
Support in applying for a family reunion visa (YES/NO)	Yes, our immigration lawyers in Spain can assist with the application.
Sponsorship requirement (YES/NO)	Yes, the Spanish resident will act as a sponsor for the incoming family member(s).
Special requirements when reuniting with a foreign spouse/civil partner	Yes, the marriage/relation must be documented with correspondence or by other means to prove it is not a convenient one.
Requirement for reuniting with parents (if any)	In this case, the Spanish resident must have lived in the country for at least 5 years, and the parents must be financially dependent on the Spanish child.
Special requirements imposed when bringing parents to Spain (if any)	They must be aged above 65.
Medical certificate requirement (YES/NO)	Yes, the family member moving to Spain must also submit a medical certificate attesting to his/her good health.
Possibility to reunite with extended family (YES/NO)	No, apart from adult children with a disability or dependency and persons under the resident's legal guardianship.
Other family members of Spanish residents who can obtain family reunion visas	– adult children with a disability who cannot support themselves, – persons under the legal guardianship of the resident (siblings, nieces/nephews and uncles/aunts are not eligible).
Special requirements for extended family members (if any)	They must be financially dependent on the Spanish resident.
Health insurance requirements (YES/NO)	Yes, health insurance must be obtained for the incoming relatives.
Possibility for the relatives to work in Spain based on family reunion visas (YES/NO)	Yes, the reunified spouse/partner and children of working age may work without any further procedure.
Availability to freely travel to other EU/Schengen countries based on a family reunion visa (YES/NO)	Yes.
NIE application requirements for the joining family members (YES/NO)	Yes, within one month of entering the country.
Can family reunion visas be refused? (YES/NO)	Yes, based on various grounds, among which the most common is incomplete documentation.
Appeal possibility	Yes, no later than one month from receiving the refusal.
Possibility to reunite with family through other visas (YES/NO)	Yes, the non-lucrative visa is also an option.

Must I obtain a Spanish family reunion visa if I am an EU citizen?

No, you are not required to apply for a family reunion visa if you are an EU national. The same exemption applies to Swiss citizens.

Who can I bring to Spain based on a family reunification visa if I am a non-EU citizen?

The following relatives are allowed to come here under a family reunion visa in Spain:

spouses;
children of the Spanish residence permit holder as well as of his/her partner;
parents and parents-in-law in the case of married people.

With respect to children, only those with ages below 18 can come to join a foreign citizen in Spain. However, under the EU Community regime, children aged 18 to 21 can also relocate based on a family reunion visa in Spain (older children only if dependent); no study requirement applies.

NOTE: There are cases in which you can also bring parents younger than 65; however, for such particular cases, we strongly advise checking with our Spanish immigration lawyers.

Here is also our infographic on this subject:

Can I apply for a family reunion visa in Spain for my civil/unmarried life partner?

Spain is one of the European countries to recognize civil partnerships which is why it is allowed to reunite with one’s civil partner here. The foreign citizen living in Spain can submit the civil union registration certificate with the Civil Registry, and thus, apply for a family reunion visa on behalf of the foreign partner.

If you want to apply for family reunification to live with your life partner here, you can rely on our immigration lawyers in Spain who can assist you during the procedure.

How do I bring my children to live with me in Spain based on family reunion?

When it comes to applying for Spanish family reunion visas for children, it should be noted that these must be minors, meaning they need to be below 18 years old. However, it is also possible to bring children over 18 and up to 21, as well as those with an age above 21, by meeting different sets of requirements.
In the case of minor children, their birth certificates are the most important documents to prove family ties.

Who must apply for the Spanish family reunion visa?

The family member residing in Spain.

Are there any conditions I must meet if I am the Spanish resident?

Yes, when it comes to the foreign citizen established in Spain and who can invite family to join him or her, the resident must be living here for at least one year. Considering that temporary residence permits can be issued for periods of less than a year, residency renewal is a mandatory condition for those who want to live with their relatives.

What is the procedure to obtain a family reunion visa in Spain?

There is a 2-step procedure to follow in the following order:

the Spanish resident must file for family reunification with the Foreigners' Office (Oficina de Extranjería) of the province;
the family members must apply for their visas with the Spanish Embassy or Consulate in the home country.

IMPORTANT! After obtaining the family reunification authorization at step 1, the family members must apply for their visas within a maximum period of 2 months.

We also invite you to watch our video below:

What are the documents to file when applying for family reunification in Spain?

The following:

the passport and the Spanish residence permit of the applicant;
the passports of the family members joining him/her;
proof of residential address of the Spanish resident, as well as his/her health insurance;
proof of stable income through which the Spanish resident can financially support his/her family;
proof of kinship based on the relation with the family member moving to Spain.

How long does it take to obtain a family reunion visa in Spain?

Approximately 2 months.

If you want to bring your family members and need information on the Spain family reunion visa processing time, do not hesitate to contact our immigration law firm.