Family Member of a Spanish Citizen

It is a temporary residency authorisation intended for those individuals who are not EU/EEA/Swiss citizens, who have a bond with a person of Spanish citizenship. 

• The place and time when the bond was created are not important. 

• The objective is for the family member to accompany, join, or reunify with the Spanish citizen in national territory, unless they are children whose parent(s) are or have been Spanish by origin, who may apply for the authorisation under any circumstances. 

The following foreign individuals may benefit from this authorisation: 

1. Spouse, over 18 years old, when there has been no agreement or declaration of nullity of the marriage bond or divorce and it has not been established fraudulently. 

2. Unmarried foreign partner, over 18 years old, who maintains with the Spanish national a relationship of affection analogous to marriage and registered in a public registry established in a Member State of the EU/EEA/Switzerland, when it has not been established fraudulently and such registration has not been cancelled. 

3. Unmarried foreign partner, over 18 years old, with whom the Spanish national has a relationship of affection analogous to marriage, and when one of these two conditions is met:

   • A coexistence of at least twelve continuous months is evidenced, either inside or outside of Spain.

   • It is evidenced that they have common descendants (children). 

4. Children under 18 years old of the Spanish citizen, or of their spouse or partner. 

5. Children, over 18 years old and under 26 years old, of the Spanish citizen or their spouse or partner. 

6. Children over 26 years old, of the Spanish citizen or their spouse or partner, when they have a disability or are dependents (a cargo). 

7. Ascendants (father/mother) of the Spanish citizen or their spouse or partner, when they are dependents (a cargo) and lack family support in their country of origin or there are humanitarian reasons. 

8. Father or mother of the child of Spanish citizenship, when the foreign individual demonstrates that the child is under their care, lives with them, or meets their parental obligations. 

9. Guardian of the child of Spanish citizenship, when the foreign individual demonstrates that the child is under their care and lives with them. 

10. Only relative, up to second degree by blood or affinity, who provides or is going to provide care to the individual with Spanish citizenship who has a recognised degree of dependency under Article 26 of Law 39/2006, of the 14th of December. 

11. Children whose father or mother are or have been Spaniards by origin. 

12. Other family members, not included in the previous sections, and who can prove, effectively, at the moment of the application, that they are under their care (a cargo).

The authorisation can be requested by the Spanish citizen or the foreign individual, and their respective legal representatives, depending on where they are, whether in Spain or outside of Spain: