Visas
Family Reunification Visa for Spain
How a non-EU resident in Spain can bring their spouse, children or dependent parents to join them.
Last reviewed: 2026-06-15The initial application in Spain can take up to two months to resolve; the family member then has roughly two months to request the consulate visa, and a further three months to enter Spain.
This guide is not yet verified by Tuchati's editorial review — treat it as a helpful starting point, not a final legal answer.
Overview
If you're already legally resident in Spain as a non-EU citizen, the Family Reunification Visa lets you bring your spouse or partner, minor children, and dependent parents over 65 to join you, once you meet the income and housing requirements.
Requirements
- You (the sponsor) must generally have resided legally in Spain for at least one year, with authorisation to reside at least one more
- You must demonstrate adequate housing for the family size
- You must demonstrate sufficient economic means, on a scale that increases with each additional family member reunified
Step-by-step process
- As the sponsor already in Spain, confirm you meet the residency, housing and income requirements before applying
- Submit the reunification application at the relevant immigration office in Spain — the administration has up to two months to resolve it
- Once approved, your family member applies for the entry visa at the Spanish consulate covering their location, generally within two months of the approval
- Your family member then has a further window (generally around three months) to travel to Spain using the visa
- Once in Spain, your family member applies for their own TIE or residence card within the required window
Required documents
- Sponsor's TIE and proof of legal residence
- Proof of adequate housing (rental contract or deed, sized appropriately for the family)
- Proof of sufficient economic means, scaled to family size
- Civil documents proving the family relationship (marriage certificate, birth certificates), apostilled and translated
Common mistakes
- Applying before the sponsor meets the minimum one-year residency requirement
- Not providing recently issued, apostilled and translated civil documents — older or informally translated documents are commonly rejected
- Underestimating the income requirement, which scales up with each additional family member
Practical tips
- If your family member is joining an EU citizen (rather than a Spanish or non-EU resident sponsor), a different route applies — see our guide to residence for family members of EU citizens
- Start gathering civil documents early, since apostilles and certified translations take time and some documents have limited validity windows
How Tuchati can help
Family reunification involves genuine multi-step coordination between two countries — Tuchati can help you understand the sequence and what to prepare at each stage.