Everything you need to know about the residence permit for non-EU family members of EU nationals

What is the residence permit for family members of EU nationals?

The residence permit for family members of EU nationals is a document given to the non-EU family members of a citizen of the EU or another state part of the EEA. It is a form of identification which enables these family members to live and work in Spain under the same conditions as a Spanish national. Also, it allows you to travel into and out of Spain without any problems.

The permit is valid for 5 years from the date of issue (or for the length of your stay if it is shorter than 5 years) and it is compulsory if you are a non-EU family member of an EU or EEA national and you want to stay in Spain for more than three months.

Who should apply and what are the requirements?

To qualify for the residence permit, you must be a family member accompanying or joining an EU or EEA citizen in Spain. It applies to family members whose means of economic support in their home country are provided by the EU citizen they are joining.

‘Family member’ refers to:

• spouses,

• partners registered at a public registry in a Member State of the Union or in part of the EEA,

• children of the EU national or of their partner,

• direct ancestors of the EU citizen,

• a family member who lives with the EU citizen in the home country (for 24 consecutive months),

• partners who are not registered but who have a stable relationship with the EU citizen and have lived with them for at least one year.

Additionally, the citizen of the EU or other EEA state should have the right to residence for a period of more than three months. They should be either an employee in Spain, or self-employed in Spain, or able to support themselves and their family, have health insurance or be a student with health insurance and sufficient resources to support the family.

If these circumstances apply to you, and you want to stay in Spain for more than three months, contact our Spanish lawyers to begin the process.

DISCLAIMER: This article could not be updated. We recommend you to hire one of our lawyers to verify the information.