Immigration lawyers in Spain
EU Permits for Spain
If you are an EU citizen, or family of one, you are not in the ordinary immigration system. Different rules, faster, and no job offer required. We handle the whole application — from the first document to your card in your hand.

Which permit is yours?
Which permit is yours?
It depends on one thing: whether you hold an EU passport yourself, or you are family of someone who does.
| Route | For whom | Key condition | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| EU Registration CertificateCertificado de registro · the “green certificate” | EU, EEA and Swiss citizens staying longer than three months | You work, are self-employed, study, or have means and health cover | Your NIE and proof of legal residence, usually the same day |
| EU Family Member CardTarjeta de familiar de ciudadano de la UE | Non-EU spouses, partners, children and dependent parents of an EU citizen | The EU citizen must be living in Spain and exercising their rights here | A five-year card that lets you work from day one |
| Extended family memberUnregistered durable partners, and other relatives who genuinely depend on the EU citizen | Unregistered partners and dependent relatives | Evidence of the relationship or of real, documented dependency | The same card, after a case-by-case assessment |
| Family of a Spanish citizenSeparate regime since 2025 | Spouses, partners, children and dependent relatives of a Spanish national | The family relationship, and real dependency where the route requires it | A residence permit of up to five years — see below |
| Permanent residenceAfter five years | Both EU citizens and their family members | Five years of continuous legal residence in Spain | Permanent status, and a ten-year card for family members |
The mistake that sinks most family applications
The family member card is not granted on the family relationship alone. It depends on the EU citizen actually exercising their rights in Spain — registered, and either working, self-employed, studying, or holding sufficient means and health cover.
If the EU citizen has not sorted out their own certificate, or has it but cannot evidence their situation today, the family application fails no matter how solid the marriage certificate is. Start with the EU citizen, always.
Key advantages
Key advantages
Work from day one
The family card allows employment and self-employment with no further permit.
No job offer, no salary threshold
None of the tests that apply in the ordinary system apply here.
Five years
The family card is issued for five years, not one.
No rigid income figure
The law forbids setting a fixed amount — your case is assessed on its own terms.
Permanent at five years
And a ten-year card for family members from then on.
Counts for citizenship
The time of residence adds up.
Requirements
Requirements
| One of four situations | Employed, self-employed, a student, or living on sufficient means. This is what the whole file rests on. |
| Health cover | Public cover through work, or private insurance with full coverage in Spain, if you are not working here |
| Means | Sufficient for you and your family, so that neither becomes a burden on Spanish social assistance |
| Registration | Applied for within three months of arriving |
| Who qualifies | Spouse or registered partner · children under 21, or older if dependent · dependent parents, of the EU citizen or of the spouse |
| The relationship | Documented, apostilled and sworn-translated. Foreign marriages may need to be recognised in Spain first. |
| The EU citizen’s status | They must hold their certificate and be able to evidence their situation now, not when they first registered |
| Health cover and means | Covered by the EU citizen’s situation, and evidenced as part of the same file |
| Criminal record | Clean record, where required for your case |
| Deadline | Applied for within three months of entering Spain |
Means: what “sufficient” means in practice
The regulation expressly forbids setting a fixed amount, and each case is assessed on its own. In practice the offices work from the non-contributory pension as a reference point, so these are the figures worth planning around.
| Household | Reference per month | Reference per year |
|---|---|---|
| EU citizen alone | €1,467.20 | €17,606.40 |
| + 1 family member | €2,494.24 | €29,930.88 |
| + 2 family members | €3,521.28 | €42,255.36 |
| + 3 family members | €4,548.32 | €54,579.84 |
Reference figures only, based on twice the 2026 non-contributory pension. They are not a legal threshold: what the office weighs is where the money comes from, how stable it is, and whether it matches your actual circumstances. Ask us to confirm them on the day you apply.
Required documents
Required documents
EU citizen — registration certificate
- Application form (EX-18), completed and signed
- Valid passport or national identity document
- Padrón certificate showing your registered address
- If employed: employment contract, or Social Security registration and a company certificate
- If self-employed: registration in the census and with Social Security
- If a student: enrolment, health cover and a declaration of sufficient means
- If living on means: bank documentation and private health insurance
- Proof of fee payment (Form 790, code 012)
Family member — five-year card
- Application form (EX-19), completed and signed
- Passport, full copy of all pages
- The EU citizen’s certificate and identity document
- Padrón certificate — joint with the EU citizen where you live together
- Marriage certificate, registered partnership, birth certificate or proof of dependency — apostilled and sworn-translated
- Evidence of the EU citizen’s current situation: contract, payslips, self-employment or means
- Health cover for the whole family unit
- Three passport photos and proof of fee payment
On foreign marriages: a marriage celebrated abroad often has to be recognised in the Spanish civil registry before it will support a family card, and that is a separate procedure with its own timeline. It is the single most common reason these files stall. Tell us where and when you married in the first call, not later.
The application process
The application process
| EU citizen — certificate | Family member — card | |
|---|---|---|
| Where you apply | Immigration office or police station, in person by appointment — or online with a digital certificate, where the office allows it | Immigration office of your province, in person or online with a digital certificate |
| When | Within three months of arriving | Within three months of entering Spain |
| Resolution | Usually issued on the spot | Three months |
| What you receive | A green certificate with your NIE | A five-year card, with fingerprints taken separately |
| Right to work | From the moment you are registered | From the moment the application is filed — you do not have to wait for the card |
| After five years | Permanent registration certificate | Permanent card, valid ten years |
Worth knowing on the permanent card
The Supreme Court has held that if the authorities do not decide a permanent family member card within three months, it is deemed granted. That does not apply to the first card — but it does mean a permanent application left unanswered is not a dead end, and it is worth taking advice rather than simply reapplying.
Step by step
From the first call to your card
1
Assessment
Free 15-min call. We check the EU citizen’s situation first, then yours.
Day 0
2
Documents
Shared Drive folder. Apostilles, translations and any civil registry step.
2–6 weeks
3
Appointment & filing
We book the appointment, or file online, on your behalf.
4
Resolution
We follow up and answer any request for further documents.
Up to 3 months*
5
Card
Padrón, fingerprints and collection of your card.
30–40 days after
*Timeframes are indicative and depend on the office handling the file. Appointment availability varies a great deal between provinces.
Family of a Spanish citizen
Family of a Spanish citizen: a separate route
Since the 2025 immigration regulation, family members of Spanish nationals no longer apply under the EU rules. They have their own regime, with its own list of who qualifies and its own advantages.
| Who qualifies | Spouse or registered partner · an unregistered stable partner, with evidence of the relationship · children and stepchildren under 26, or older if dependent · dependent ascendants · the parent of a Spanish minor · other relatives who genuinely depend on the Spanish citizen |
| Duration | Up to five years, renewable |
| Right to work | From the moment the application is admitted for processing, as an employee or self-employed |
| Where you apply | Online, to the immigration office of the province where the Spanish citizen lives |
| What it is not | It is not the EU family member card. Since 2025 these are two different regimes, and applying under the wrong one costs months. |
What sinks these files: dependency
Where the route rests on being dependent on the Spanish citizen, the office looks for support that is real and sustained over time — regular transfers with a documented trail, not a single payment made shortly before applying.
Our service
What we do for you
Included
- Assessment of the EU citizen’s situation and of your eligibility
- Personalised document checklist for the whole family unit
- Shared Drive folder and full document review
- Appointment booking
- Drafting and filing of the application
- Communication with the authorities
- Requests for further documents (requerimientos)
- Padrón registration support, fingerprint appointment and card collection
- The whole family filed together
- Direct contact with your case manager throughout
Not included
- Administrative fees (tasas)
- Apostilles and sworn translations
- Health insurance policy
- Recognition of a foreign marriage in the Spanish civil registry
- Registering a partnership as a pareja de hecho
Fees
Fees and payment options
| Up-front payment | Pay for success | |
|---|---|---|
| EU registration certificateCertificado de registro | €200 + VAT | €300 + VAT |
| EU family member cardTarjeta de familiar de ciudadano de la UE | €600 + VAT | €900 + VAT |
| When you pay | At the start of the assignment | Only after the card is approved |
| Formalised with | Upon payment | Signed Service Sheet |
| Best if | You want the lower fee | You want to transfer the risk |
Pay For Success in one line: we start working without payment; you only pay if the card is granted, and the fee reflects the risk we take on. Fees are per application. Administrative fees (tasas), apostilles and sworn translations are not included.
Get the full document checklist
The complete list for the EU citizen and for each family member. Tell us your situation and we will send you the version that applies to you.
Let our clients do the talking
What do our clients say?
Consultations
Still have questions?
Our immigration specialists in Spain are happy to answer them.
15 min
Quick eligibility check — free
45 min
Case review
60 min
Full strategy session
Consultation fees are deducted from our fees if you go ahead.
Related permits
Looking for a specific permit?
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Request your document checklist
Tell us about your case and we will get back to you within 24 hours with the next steps and the documents that apply to you.