Family reunification in Spain: which route fits your family

Family reunification in Spain: four regimes and how to tell them apart

In everyday speech any family move is called “reunification”, but in law the word has a narrow meaning. Reagrupación familiar under article 65 of the regulation: the permit goes to a relative brought over by a foreign resident [1]. For other cases the law has separate procedures; there is no single “residence permit pack for a spouse”.

Two caveats. For the family of an EU citizen, the Policía page on form EX-19 says silence means refusal (desestimatorio), while regulation 240/2007 says the card is issued within three months [2][7]. How the two fit together in practice is unclear, so do not treat silence on the card as approval. Second, a Spaniard who has lived in another EU country and come back may be in a situation where EU law applies. That case is not covered here; it turns on the facts.

How to identify your regime: five questions in order

Start with the person the family is joining. The questions come in this order because each one only makes sense once the previous one has been answered.

1. What citizenship the sponsor has. Spanish: articles 93-99. Another EU or EEA country, or Switzerland: Real Decreto 240/2007. Everyone else goes on to the next question [1][2].
2. What their status in Spain is. Ordinary residence (work, no lucrativa, study with residence) leads to reagrupación. A Ley 14/2013 permit: article 62.4. If they only have a stay (estancia), for study for example, they are not considered resident and the standard scheme does not apply [1][3].
3. How long the sponsor has lived in Spain. Reagrupación requires a year of residence and an application to renew for another year. The exception is for parents, when the sponsor is a long-term resident (larga duración) [1].
4. Who exactly you are bringing. Each procedure has its own range of eligible relatives; see the table below.
5. Where everyone involved is. Applying from within Spain is possible only as an exception, and each procedure has its own conditions [1].

If the sponsor has two citizenships or their status is changing (for example, an application to change route has been filed), the answer depends on the filing date and the specific facts. A template does not work here. The general procedure for changing route is covered in a separate article on changing the basis of a residence permit.

Who you can bring: family members by regime

The family of a Spanish citizen is covered in residence permit for a relative of a Spanish citizen, the family of an EU citizen in card for a relative of an EU citizen, and a resident’s parents in reunification with parents. A resident’s spouse: reunification with a spouse step by step. Unmarried couples in Catalonia are a separate topic, see pareja de hecho in Catalonia and residence permits.

What the sponsor needs and what the family needs

The longest list of conditions applies to a foreign resident. Article 67 of the regulation requires regular funds (150% of IPREM for the sponsor and one family member and 50% for each additional one), suitable housing with a report from local social services no older than six months, health insurance for everyone, no threat to public order and the fee paid [1]. For children, the funds threshold may be lowered in the child’s interests [1]. If the sponsor has other minor children of school age in Spain, they must be attending school [1].

The regulation sets no income or housing requirements for the family of a Spanish citizen. You need documents proving the relationship, a copy of the Spaniard’s passport or DNI and a statement that no other spouse or partner lives with them in Spain. An adult foreigner applying from outside Spain also needs criminal record certificates from the countries where they lived in the last five years [1][5]. The procedure is free [1][5].

For the family of an EU citizen the focus is different: what has to be proven is the EU citizen’s own right to live in Spain. The grounds are employment, self-employment, sufficient funds and insurance, or studies with insurance. The regulation sets no fixed amount of funds and does not allow one to be set [2].

Foreign documents (marriage and birth certificates) are submitted as originals, with an apostille or legalisation and a sworn translation [4][5]. More in the articles on apostille and legalisation and sworn translation.

Steps and timelines

The reagrupación procedure: the sponsor files the application on form EX-02 at the Oficina de Extranjería (Barcelona has two offices), and the decision comes within two months. The family member then gets a visa at the consulate, enters within a month and applies for the TIE within a further month [1][4]. The permit only takes effect after the visa and entry [1]. The fee is paid with modelo 790, código 052, item 2.1.2 [4]. How to choose the modelo 790 code is explained in the article on tasas 790.

For the family of a Spanish citizen there are three routes. A Spaniard in Spain applies for a relative who is abroad, and the relative then gets a visa. If both are abroad, the relative applies for the visa directly. The third option, when both are in Spain, is an exception: under article 97.1.c as worded by Real Decreto 316/2026, relatives under points a)-h) of article 94.1 can apply this way [1]. The Hoja 18 information sheet gives a shorter list for this case (a, b, c, f, g, h), and it is not known which of the two texts Barcelona applies [5]. While an application filed from Spain is being processed, the applicant may temporarily live and work in Spain [1][5].

The family of an EU citizen applies for the card within three months of entry and gets a receipt on the spot. The card is issued within three months and is valid for five years [2][7].

What changed in 2026

The regulation changed twice in one year, and old guides online still refer to earlier texts.

This does not mean that every old refusal is now invalid. How the court ruling affects the decision in your case depends on the circumstances and on whether that decision has become final. On appeals, read reposición, alzada and the courts.

Common mistakes

• Following a general “reunification” guide and applying under the wrong procedure. For example, a sponsor on a DNV does not fall under the general regime.
• Assuming that marriage to a Spaniard automatically gives an EU card. By default a Spaniard’s family falls under articles 93-99, and EU law applies only if the Spaniard has used freedom of movement [1][2].
• Applying for reagrupación before the sponsor has completed a year and applied for renewal [1].
• Bringing a housing report older than six months or without the mandatory items: number of rooms, their use, number of occupants [1].
• Confusing an unmarried couple for residence permit purposes (12 months of living together) with a pareja estable under Catalan law (more than two years). The criteria are different [1][8].
• Buying a ticket before the visa, although a reagrupación permit takes effect only after entry with the visa [1].
• Not checking the criminal record in advance. It does not lead to automatic refusal, but it will be assessed [1].

When you need an individual review

An individual review is needed if the sponsor is changing status or has dual citizenship, if there is a second marriage or children from different marriages, if a parent over 65 lives abroad or is already in Spain, if the couple is not married, or if surnames are spelled differently in documents from CIS countries. In these cases the facts set the route, not a general scheme. If you are coming on a DNV, start with family on a DNV.

How we can help

The ReloVictory team in Barcelona draws up a plan for the family: it determines the procedure from the sponsor’s status, checks the conditions, compiles a document list for each family member and prepares the application together with the team’s lawyer (legal side) and gestor (administrative side). Book: consultation. Service page: family; the family route card. The whole path from registration to the card: residence permit in Barcelona.

Frequently asked questions

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