Guide To Spain’s Family Reunification Visa

The family reunification visa is a legal immigration procedure for those who currently live in Spain and who would like to have their family members join them.

In this article we will cover the following:

• What the family reunification visa is
• Which family members are eligible for one
• The required documentation
• How long it takes to get one
• How much the visa costs
• How to apply for a family reunification visa
• Renewing the visa
• And lots more..

Let’s take a look.

What is the family reunification visa?

The family reunification visa allows anyone who is currently living in Spain and who has held their residency permit (TIE) for more than a year and renewed it, to bring their qualified family members to join them.

The visa entitles the family member to live and work in Spain. However, it is the person currently living in Spain who must make the application on the family member(s) behalf.

It is important to note that the family reunification visa is only available to non-EU third-country nationals.

Who is eligible for one?

This is an important question as not every member of the family may be regrouped.

2025 Updates:

• Eligible family members include: spouse/civil partner, unmarried stable partner (if you can demonstrate a long-term, stable relationship, such as at least 12 months together or having children in common), children under 26 years old (or any age if they have a recognized disability and are financially dependent), and your or your spouse/partner’s parents or parents-in-law.

There are a number of conditions that each member will have to meet in order to be eligible for a family reunification visa. They are:

• Your spouse or partner - You must have a marriage certificate or a civil union certificate, or evidence of a long-term, stable relationship if applying as an unmarried partner. In all cases, you must be able to prove that the marriage/partnership is not one of convenience. This can be done by showing evidence such as joint rental contracts, bank accounts in joint names, census records, etc.
  
  
• Parents (including in-laws) – You usually must hold long-term residency in Spain (at least 5 years) to regroup parents or in-laws. They must generally be over 65, and if under 80, you will need to provide extensive proof of financial dependence. If over 80, this requirement is generally waived.
  
  
• Children – Any children of the applicant or spouse/partner must be under the age of 26 or have a disability which makes them dependent (previously under 18).

Medical certificate

The applicant must provide a medical certificate which demonstrates that they do not have any illness which may pose a threat to public health.

Any foreign documents have to be legalised, apostilled, and include an official sworn translation into Spanish.

All medical certificates must be issued no more than three months prior to the application.

Private health insurance is a requirement

As is the case when obtaining any Spanish visa, you will need to take out the correct private health insurance cover.

It is important that you contract the correct policy as this will be checked by the Spanish immigration authorities when making the application.

The coverage the policy provides must be the equivalent of the Spanish health system with no copayments, excesses, or exclusions.

Proof of sufficient financial means

When making the application, the applicant in Spain is required to prove that they have sufficient financial means to care for the regrouped family members.

The income that the applicant declares must be stable over at least one year following the regrouping.

If employed, provide six months' payslips. If self-employed, show your income tax returns.

For the first family member, 150% of the IPREM is required. For 2025, the monthly IPREM is €756.00. This means €1,134.00 per month for the first family member, and an additional 50% (€378.00/month) for each subsequent family member.

Accommodation

To regroup a person who will be living with you, you must provide a housing report (through the town hall) showing the property has sufficient space for all parties to live adequately.

Required documentation

Before you apply for the family unification visa, you will need to have all of your supporting documentation in place. This includes:

• Completed national visa form
• A colour passport-size photo
• Valid passport
• Initial family reunification permit which is applied for by the applicant in Spain first.
• Applicant's foreign identification card
• Documents to prove the family relationship such as birth certificates and marriage certificates.
• Criminal record check - These must cover the last five years from your country of residence.
• Medical certificate
• Applicant’s identification
• Payment of the visa fee at the consular office.

All medical and official documents must be issued or translated within 3 months before submission.

The applicant must make the initial request at the immigration office

There are two parts to the application process.

Initially, the applicant living in Spain must make an appointment to visit the immigration office and submit the required documentation.

During the online appointment, you have the option to submit documentation electronically (if you have a digital certificate). At this stage, legalization is not required.

2025 Update: If regrouping parents, as of May 2025, you must start the application at the consulate instead of in Spain.

If successful, you will receive a favourable resolution within 45 days.

Make an appointment at the consulate

Once a favourable resolution is received, the family member being regrouped will have two months to apply for the visa at their nearest Spanish consulate in their home country.

They must present all of the documentation, which must be legalised and translated into Spanish.

The applicant will then receive a response within two months. If the visa is granted, it must be collected within two months (a legal representative collects for minors).

To book an appointment, send an email to the consulate with the following information:

• Email subject line – The visa you are applying for
• Given name and surname
• Passport number
• Email address
• Phone number
• Place of residence (if in the UK)
• Type of residence visa you wish to apply for

NOTE: Attach to the email the permit that was issued to the applicant in Spain after the favourable resolution.

How long will the process take?

The whole process now takes an estimated 4–6 months to complete (previously up to 5 months). This depends on the workload of the immigration office and consulate. Once the visa is granted, the family member will have three months to travel to Spain (was previously one month to collect the visa and three months to travel). On arrival in Spain, you have one month to apply for their TIE (Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero).

For a guide on the TIE process, see: foreigner residency card.

How much does the family reunification visa cost?

The fee is generally €80, but is different for several countries. For example:

• United Kingdom: £516
• United States: $140 (updated 2025)
• Canada: C$507 (updated 2025)
• Australia: ~A$140 (confirm with your consulate)
• New Zealand: ~NZ$120
• Ireland: ~€90
• Bangladesh: Contact the consulate for current fees

How often do they have to be renewed?

Once your application is successful, the visa will allow your family member to live and work in Spain for one year. After the initial year, the next renewal will be for 4 years (not two, as previously), as per the May 2025 reforms.

After five years of residence in Spain, they may apply for permanent residence.

Can you regroup extended family members?

Yes, but only if you are a Spanish citizen or a citizen of another EU country.

If so, you can regroup other family members (brothers, sisters, nephews, children over 21, unregistered partners, uncles, and other dependents), but this is not available under the standard non-EU family reunification route.

The family member needs to be economically dependent on you, with proof provided during the application process.