Family reunification in Spain: requirements, income and housing

You can reunify your family once you have lived legally in Spain for one year and have applied for — or already hold — a permit to live here for at least another year. You must also show stable income, adequate housing and health insurance for everyone.

Family reunification (reagrupación familiar) is the procedure for foreign residents from outside the European Union. If you or your partner hold Spanish or other EU nationality, there is a different, more favourable route; see the end. It is governed by articles 16 to 19 of Organic Law 4/2000 and 65 to 71 of the Immigration Regulation (Royal Decree 1155/2024).

Who you can reunify

Under article 66 of the Regulation:

• Your spouse, over eighteen, if you are not separated. Only one, even if your personal law allows otherwise.
• Your partner, over eighteen: registered in a public register of an EU State, or a stable unregistered partner proving at least twelve months of living together (not required if you have children in common).
• Your children and those of your spouse or partner, under eighteen at the time of application, or older with a disability or unable to provide for themselves for health reasons. For children of only one of you, sole custody or the other parent's consent is needed.
• Minors or persons with disabilities whose legal representative you are.
• Your parents and those of your spouse or partner, when dependent on you, over sixty-five and with reasons justifying their residence in Spain. Exceptionally, for humanitarian reasons, below that age. To reunify parents you must also hold long-term residence.
• An adult child who will care for you, if you have a recognised degree of dependency.

Income: how much to prove

Article 67 sets amounts by reference to the IPREM (Spain's public income index):

• Family unit of two (you and one relative): income equal to 150% of the IPREM.
• For each additional member: a further 50% of the IPREM.

The IPREM is updated with the budget, so always calculate with the current year's figure. For minor children the requirement may be reduced, in the child's best interests.

How it is counted: income is taken gross, including the proportional share of extra payments; that of your spouse or partner and of resident close relatives living with you is added; and social assistance, study grants and housing aid do not count. It must be regular income, not a one-off balance.

Adequate housing

It is proven with a housing report from the social services of your regional government or, where so established, your town hall. Practical points:

• It must be issued within one month of your request.
• If it does not arrive in time and you can prove you requested it, you may prove housing by other evidence.
• The report must be no more than six months old when you file.
• It records your title to the home (rental, ownership), number of rooms, who lives there and its condition.

Usual documents

• Your passport and card.
• Each relative's passport.
• Proof of the relationship: marriage, partnership or birth certificate, legalised or apostilled and translated.
• Contract, payslips, employment history or tax return.
• Housing report.
• Health insurance or public healthcare cover.
• For a spouse or partner, a declaration that you do not live in Spain with another spouse or partner.
• Form EX-02 and fee.

The up-to-date list is on the family reunification page.

The procedure in two phases

1. In Spain. You file at the Immigration Office (Oficina de Extranjería) of your province. The maximum decision period is two months; with no answer it is deemed refused. Processing is given priority.
2. In the home country. With the permit granted, your relative applies for the visa at the Spanish consulate. The permit has no effect until the visa is obtained and they enter Spain.
3. In Spain. Your relative applies for the card (TIE) within one month of entry.

The relative's permit lasts until the same date as yours, with a minimum of one year.

What your relative can do

The spouse and children of working age may work with no further formality. After one year with the permit, the spouse or partner can apply for independent residence if they have their own means or meet the requirements for a work permit.

Common mistakes

• Filing before completing the year or without having applied for renewal.
• Irregular income or income that depends on social aid.
• An out-of-date housing report or a flat too small for everyone.
• Home-country documents not legalised or translated.
• A child who turns eighteen before filing: age is assessed on the application date.

Frequently asked questions

Can I reunify with my first card?

You need one year of residence and to have applied for a permit for at least another year. With one-year initial permits, that in practice coincides with renewal.

What if my relative is already in Spain?

Ordinary reunification is decided with the relative abroad and ends in a visa. Cases with the relative here are exceptions to study one by one.

Can I bring my parents?

Only if you hold long-term residence, they depend on you, are over sixty-five and there are reasons to justify it.

What if I separate from my reunified spouse?

The spouse can obtain independent residence in certain cases, including the breakdown of the relationship after a certain period of marriage and living together in Spain.

My partner is Spanish. Is this the procedure?

No. See partner or spouse of a Spanish citizen; if they are from another EU country, the EU family member card.

Your next step

The free test checks with your details whether you can already reunify and how many relatives your income covers. Resi answers questions about home-country documents on the spot.