Spanish immigration · Tenerife
Family reunification in Spain: requirements and visas
Family reunification in Spain allows certain non-EU residents with lawful residence in Spain to seek residence for eligible relatives. Under Articles 65–68 of the 2024 Immigration Regulation, the sponsor's residence status, qualifying family relationship, regular income, suitable housing and health insurance must be assessed. This is a different route from residence for family members of Spanish citizens or EU nationals.
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Choose the correct family route
Family reunification or family of a Spanish citizen?
This guide addresses family reunification under the relevant general immigration framework for qualifying foreign residents. If the sponsoring relative is a Spanish citizen, the applicable rules can be different: review the separate residence route for family members of Spanish citizens. The person's citizenship, the qualifying relationship and the facts of residence determine the procedure, not the label “family visa” alone.
Practical questions for international clients
Family reunification: sponsor and family member have different roles
The starting point is the sponsor's actual Spanish immigration status and the identity of the family member seeking to join them. The file should distinguish sponsorship, evidence of the relationship, relevant financial and accommodation material and the applicable procedure.
A couple whose records were issued in the United States, Canada or the United Kingdom may need coordinated document verification. Spanish authorisation and a subsequent consular visa are not necessarily the same step, and this route should not be confused with the regime for family members of Spanish citizens.
Who can sponsor family reunification in Spain?
In the ordinary route, the sponsor is generally a non-EU national legally resident in Spain. Article 68 normally requires at least one year of residence and an application to remain for at least another year; specific exceptions apply, notably for long-term residence situations. The right to submit and the moment a permit can actually be granted may differ, because certain renewals or long-term statuses must be effective before approval.
The sponsor's nationality and permit must be identified first. A relative of a Spanish citizen or another EU national may belong to a different regime. Nor should ordinary family reunification be presumed to cover every family application linked to a special immigration authorisation.
Which family members can be reunited?
| Relationship | Eligibility to review |
|---|---|
| Spouse or qualifying partner | An eligible adult spouse or registered partner, or a proven stable unmarried partner. For an unregistered stable partnership, evidence of at least 12 months of analogous cohabitation is generally required, subject to exceptions such as a continuing relationship with children together. |
| Children and certain dependants under representation | Qualifying children of the sponsor or spouse/partner under 18, as well as defined circumstances involving disability or inability to provide for their own needs for health reasons. Sole custody or the other parent's authorisation may matter. |
| Dependent parents | Qualifying first-degree ascendants of the sponsor or spouse/partner who are dependent, generally aged 65 or older, with reasons justifying residence in Spain. Additional long-term residence conditions apply; humanitarian exceptions for younger parents require evidence. |
| Other specific regulatory categories | Certain persons under legal representation and, under Article 66, qualifying adult children acting as carers where the sponsor has a recognised degree of dependency. This is not an open-ended immigration route for all relatives. |
What we review: residence, income, housing and insurance
| Issue | Evidence |
|---|---|
| Sponsor's lawful residence | Check the residence authorisation, renewal status, permitted duration and any additional long-term residence condition for ascendants. |
| Sufficient stable resources | Evidence of fixed and regular funds for the sponsor and household, using the statutory inclusion and exclusion rules for earnings, pensions and other income. |
| Suitable accommodation | Evidence of appropriate housing through the competent authority's report or legally acceptable substitute documentation, including number of occupants, rooms and conditions. |
| Health insurance and household | Applicable health-cover evidence, genuine civil/family relationship and schooling where required for dependent school-age children already in Spain. |
| Foreign documents | Relevant birth or marriage records, custody, dependence, consular criminal checks and sworn translations/apostilles or legalisation when required. |
How much income is required? IPREM and exceptions
The statutory calculations depend on the applicable IPREM and the income-assessment rules in Article 67 of RD 1155/2024. Do not use last year's IPREM, assume the SMI always replaces it or overlook the special minor-child reductions. Authorities examine the nature and regularity of the proposed sponsor's actual resources.
| Household | Reference |
|---|---|
| Sponsor plus one relative | As a general rule, recurring resources equivalent to 150% of the monthly IPREM. |
| Each additional household member | An additional 50% of monthly IPREM for each qualifying additional member. |
| Minor children and certain represented persons | There are exceptional reductions linked to children's best interests. Where a two-person household includes a minor, a reference of 110% of the annually guaranteed minimum-income (IMV) amount, with an additional 10% for each extra minor, may apply subject to the statutory conditions. |
Family reunification procedure: immigration office, visa and TIE
- 1. Eligibility and evidence review
Identify the residence status of the sponsor, eligible relatives, lawful timing, regular income, housing evidence and civil documents.
- 2. Application to the Immigration Office in Spain
The sponsor normally applies at the competent Immigration Office or permitted electronic channel. The regulatory maximum time for an initial reunification residence decision is two months, not a guarantee of the time actually taken.
- 3. Consular visa for family abroad
After approval, where a visa is required, the family member applies in their consular district. For the ordinary route, the official information sheet specifies two months after notification of approval to apply for the visa.
- 4. Entry and residence documentation
After visa issuance and lawful entry into Spain, the family member arranges the TIE where required. The precise consular, entry and police deadlines must be checked against the notifications.
What to prepare for a consultation and application
- Sponsor's passport and Spanish residence documents, including relevant renewal or long-term residence decisions.
- Salary and employment evidence, tax or permitted financial documents showing regular resources in accordance with the legal calculation.
- Suitable-housing report or accepted substitute information showing the right to occupy and household composition.
- Marriage, partnership or birth certificates, custody or parental authorisation, and evidence of dependency for parents or other specific categories.
- Applicable insurance and schooling evidence; criminal records and medical certificates for the relevant consular stage where required.
- Sworn translations, apostilles or legalisation for relevant overseas public documents. ILS defines the required scope before asking for originals.
Ordinary reunification versus relatives of Spanish or EU citizens
If the family sponsor is a Spanish citizen, the dedicated regime for family members of Spanish nationals under Articles 93–98 of RD 1155/2024 may apply. It is incorrect to import all the ordinary IPREM rules or application forms into that distinct case.
If the sponsor is a national of another EU/EEA country or Switzerland, EU free movement rules may apply. Families of certain international mobility permit holders can also follow special pathways. The relevant sponsor's nationality and immigration status must be verified before filing.
Applying with relatives in the USA, UK or Canada
For relatives living in the USA, UK or Canada, identify the correct Spanish consular district from the family member's lawful residence and plan for civil records, police documents, sworn translations and legalisation or apostilles when required. Nationality alone does not automatically dictate jurisdiction.
ILS Tenerife can assess and organise the Spain-side immigration file and coordinate the foreign documentary stages. Holding flight reservations or owning property does not replace a required authorisation or visa.
Frequently asked questions about family reunification
How long must the sponsor have lived in Spain?
Generally at least one year of lawful residence and an application to remain for at least another year. Statutory exceptions and conditions about effective permit grants must be considered.
Can I bring my parents over 65?
Possibly. They must satisfy dependency, justifying reasons and the relevant long-term residence requirements; being over 65 alone is insufficient.
Can a reunited family member work in Spain?
Under Article 65, a spouse, partner or qualifying child with a family reunification residence authorisation may work, subject to the minimum working age and without a separate work authorisation. Do not assume the same conclusion applies to every category.
Is the 150% IPREM rule always absolute when children are involved?
No. Special, case-specific reductions may apply for children and certain represented individuals, subject to legal conditions.
Can my family request a visa in the USA before I obtain approval in Spain?
Ordinary reunification generally starts with the sponsor's Spanish residence authorisation application and is followed by a separate consular visa stage. Some other family routes differ.
Is this the same as a permit for family members of Spaniards?
No. Family members of Spanish nationals have a distinct legal regime that may provide different eligible categories, requirements and filing procedures.
How long does the application take?
The maximum statutory decision period for ordinary initial reunification authorisation is two months. Consular visa, entry and TIE steps are separate; real processing times vary.
Does buying a property in Tenerife let me bring relatives automatically?
No. Ownership cannot substitute for the sponsor's lawful status, resources, suitable housing and proof of qualifying family links.
How ILS Tenerife assists your family reunification
- Identify the correct immigration route and who can be reunited, before you spend money on translations or consular appointments.
- Review residence authorisation, family relationship, funds, housing, insurance and foreign-document validity.
- Prepare or review the residence and visa stages within the agreed engagement, including requests for additional evidence and TIE coordination. Scope and legal fees are agreed separately; approval is not guaranteed.
Next step
For the first enquiry, state the sponsor's residence category and province, the relationship to the family member, where they legally live and any approaching deadline. Please do not send passports, bank statements or complete case files in an unsolicited message.
Official legal sources and review
Legal text reviewed against the consolidated regulation updated 22 September 2026 and Spain's official family reunification guidance. Sources checked 11 November 2026. Each case is subject to the law and applicable instructions when filed.
- Immigration Regulation RD 1155/2024, articles 65–71
- Spanish Immigration Act LO 4/2000, articles 16–19
- Ministry — family reunification, official information sheet 8
- Ministry — residence for family members of Spanish citizens, sheet 18
The applicable law and competent authority's current instructions govern each actual application.
Marriage ending instead of family reunification?
Residence for reunited relatives and a Spanish-law divorce are different legal matters. If you now live overseas and need to end a marriage with Spanish connections, first check which court may have jurisdiction and whether personal participation is required.
Continue with a related question
Spanish-law consultations in New York
Meet in Manhattan through SpainLawNYC
For this Spanish-law procedure, a paid in-person legal consultation in Manhattan, New York may be arranged through SpainLawNYC, strictly by prior appointment and subject to confirmation. There is no walk-in office in Manhattan. Consultations concern Spanish law only, not US law. Remote consultations and appointments in Tenerife are also available.