Family reunification in Spain for a spouse: steps and conditions

Who can bring a spouse over and under which regime

In Spanish law, “family reunification” is a narrow term: it means the right of a foreign resident to bring their family under Articles 65-70 of RD 1155/2024. Article 65 defines it as follows: the permit is granted to a person who has been allowed to live in Spain by virtue of the right to family reunification exercised by a foreign resident [1]. Other families fall under different laws.

If you came on a DNV, family reunification under the general regime of RD 1155/2024 is not your route: the holder’s family applies under Article 62.4. More here: family on a DNV. The routes for other categories are covered in the articles on the family reunification regime and on the family member card for EU citizens.

Conditions for the sponsor

You can apply for family reunification once the sponsor has lived in Spain for at least a year and is applying for a permit for at least one more year. There are exceptions for long-term residents and EU long-term residents [1]. The family’s permit is not issued until the resident’s own permit has been renewed [1].

Article 67 requires the sponsor to prove:

• Regular means. Income, a pension or other periodic income at the level of 150% of IPREM for a family of two (the resident and one family member) and 50% of IPREM for each additional person. It is calculated on the gross amount before deductions, including a proportional share of extra payments, and income from self-employment on net profit. The income of the sponsor, their spouse or partner and other first-degree relatives who are residents and live together counts [1]. According to SEPE, IPREM is €600 a month and €7,200 a year [4]. If you apply 150% and 50% to the monthly figure, you get €900 a month for two people plus €300 for each additional person, €1,200 for three. This is our own arithmetic: the authorities do not explain in public sources how to match it against “annual” and “monthly” figures in documents.
• Suitable housing. The definition comes from Article 3 c) of Ley 12/2023, but if the local housing authorities’ requirements are stricter, those apply. It is proven with a report issued by the social services where you live (the bodies of the autonomous community or, where so decided, the local council) within one month of the request. The report must be no more than six months old and states the legal basis for occupying the home, the number of rooms, the use of each space, the number of occupants, and the habitability and equipment conditions. The report is not binding on the authorities, but they can depart from it only with reasons [1].
• Health insurance for the sponsor and all family members [1].
• If the sponsor has other minor children of compulsory school age, they must be enrolled in school [1].
• No threat to public order: criminal records in Spain and a police report are checked; a criminal record on its own does not lead to automatic refusal [1].
• The fee for the procedure has been paid [1].

Conditions for the spouse

A spouse is a person over 18 who is not separated, in fact or in law, and whose marriage was not entered into to circumvent the law. You cannot bring more than one spouse, even if your personal law allows polygamy. If the sponsor is married for the second or a later time, they must show that the previous marriages were dissolved through a procedure that settled housing, the pension for the former spouse and maintenance (Article 66.1 a) [1].

An unmarried partner is accepted in two cases: the couple is registered in a public register of an EU state and the registration has not been cancelled, or a stable relationship is proven, meaning living together in a marriage-like relationship for at least 12 continuous months, in Spain or elsewhere. If the couple have a child together, no prior period is needed. Marriage, a registered partnership and an unregistered stable relationship cannot be combined (Article 66.1 b) [1]. More on choosing between them: marriage or pareja de hecho. The sponsor also submits a statement (declaración responsable) that no other spouse or partner lives with them in Spain [1].

Step by step: from application to TIE

1. Check the conditions and gather the sponsor’s documents. The completed official form, a full copy of the passport, proof of income, documents on suitable housing, the statement that there is no other spouse, and insurance (Article 68.3 a) [1].
2. Gather the spouse’s documents. The full passport and a document proving the relationship: a marriage certificate or a document on the partnership [1]. The certificate must be an original, with an apostille and a sworn translation where needed.
3. Filing. The sponsor files the application in person at the Oficina de Extranjería where they live; while they are in Spain, electronic filing counts as filing in person (Article 197.1). The Tribunal Supremo struck down the mandatory electronic filing in Article 197.2 [1].
4. Decision. Two months from filing, and silence means refusal. The procedure has priority. If the requirements are met, family reunification is granted, but its effect is suspended until the visa is issued and the family member enters Spain [1].
5. Visa. The spouse applies for a visa at the consulate within two months of the date the sponsor is notified, with the original marriage documents. The consulate checks the requirements of Article 38 and decides within a month [1].
6. Entry. It must take place within a month [1].
7. TIE. For a permit of more than six months, the card is requested in person within a month of entry [1]. The first card is valid until the expiry date of the sponsor’s permit at the time of entry, but for at least a year [1].

What the consulate requires for the visa

The consulate checks the general requirements of Article 38 of RD 1155/2024: the completed form, a valid passport with at least a year left, no criminal record in the countries of residence over the last five years for an adult, payment of the visa fee and a medical certificate showing no diseases of public health significance [1]. For citizens of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine, this usually means a criminal record certificate from the countries of residence and documents with an apostille and translation; check the exact list with the consulate. On apostilles: what an apostille is and criminal record certificate from Russia with an apostille.

The document list and the way to book a consulate appointment vary, so check your consulate’s page: Spanish consulates: where to apply.

Work, independent permit and divorce

A family reunification permit allows the spouse or partner to work as an employee or self-employed in any sector with no further procedures, provided they are of working age (Article 65.2) [1]. After a year of family reunification, the spouse can obtain an independent permit if they have their own means, qualify for a self-employment permit or meet the conditions for employment without a labour market test. If the independent permit is issued on renewal, it is valid for four years [1].

On divorce or the end of a partnership, the spouse keeps the right if the marriage or partnership lasted at least three years, one of them in Spain (or less if they were given custody of the children they have together). The application must be filed within six months of the date the divorce petition was admitted or of the decision cancelling the partnership registration. There are separate rules for victims of violence and if the sponsor dies (Article 69) [1]. More on this: divorce and the spouse’s residence permit.

Common mistakes

• Mixing up the regimes and applying for family reunification when the sponsor holds a permit under Ley 14/2013 or is an EU citizen [1][3].
• Applying before the sponsor has lived in Spain for a year and is applying for a permit for one more year [1].
• Using a housing report more than six months old: only a recent one is accepted [1].
• Calculating income without the rules of Article 67: amounts are taken before deductions, and for the self-employed on net profit [1].
• Missing the two months to apply for the visa after notification [1].
• Not putting the marriage documents in order: apostille, translation, matching surnames.
• Forgetting the statement that there is no other spouse or partner in Spain [1].
• Buying a ticket before the visa is issued: the permit takes effect only after the visa and entry [1].

When you need an individual review

A review is needed for a second marriage, an application based on an unmarried partnership, mixed income where it comes from several sources, a child of only one of the spouses, or discrepancies in documents. The answer depends on the case, not on the general scheme.

How we can help

The ReloVictory team in Barcelona draws up a family reunification plan: choosing the regime, checking the sponsor’s conditions, a document list for both spouses, preparing the file for the Oficina de Extranjería and support until the decision. The legal side is handled by the team’s lawyer, the administrative side by a gestor. Fees and translations are paid separately. The company is not responsible for how long the authorities take to reply. Book: consultation. Service page: family; the family’s path step by step: family route card; after the move: residence permit in Barcelona.

Frequently asked questions

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ReloVictory · Sources reviewed 02.10.2026 · Not a substitute for individual legal advice.