HEALTHPLAN MAGAZINE

The family reunification visa is a legal immigration procedure for those who currently live in Spain and who would like to have their family members join them.

In this article we will cover the following.

• What the family reunification visa is
• Which family members are eligible for one
• The required documentation
• How long it takes to get one
• How much the visa costs
• How to apply for a family reunification visa
• Renewing the visa
• And lots more..

Let’s take a look.

What is the family reunification visa?

The family reunification visa allows anyone who is currently living in Spain and who has held their residency permit (TIE) for more than a year and renewed it, to bring their family members to join them.

The visa entitles the family member to live and work in Spain, however, it is the person that is currently living in Spain who has to make the application on the family member/s behalf.

It is important to note that the family reunification visa is only available to non-EU third country nationals.

Who is eligible for one?

This is an important question as not every member of the family may be regrouped.

The family members who are eligible to join the applicant are your parents, spouse/civil partner, mother and father-in-law (you or your spouse’s) and children under 18.

There are a number of conditions that each member will have to meet in order to be eligible for a family reunification visa. They are:-

• Your spouse or partner - You must have a marriage certificate or a civil union certificate. In both cases, you must be able to prove that the marriage/partnership is not one of convenience. This can be done by showing evidence such as joint rental contracts, bank accounts in joint names, census records etc.
• Parents - Your or your spouse’s parents must be older than 65 and have a condition or disability which means you have to care for them. They must also be dependent on you financially.
• Children - Any children of the applicant or spouse/partner need to be under the age of 18 or have a disability which means they are dependent on you.

Medical certificate

The applicant must provide a medical certificate which demonstrates that they do not have any illness which may pose a threat to public health.

Any foreign documents have to be legalised, apostilled and include an official sworn translation into Spanish.

All medical certificates have to be issued no more than three months prior to the application.

Private health insurance is a requirement

As is the case when obtaining any Spanish visa, you will need to take out the correct private health insurance cover.

It is important that you contract the correct policy as this will be checked by the Spanish immigration authorities when making the application.

The coverage the policy provides will need to be the equivalent of the Spanish health system with no copayments, excesses or exclusions.

Proof of sufficient financial means

When making the application, the applicant in Spain is required to prove that they have sufficient financial means to care for the applicant.

The income that the applicant declares must be stable over at least one year following the regrouping.

If the applicant is employed, they must provide six months' payslips. If self-employed they will need to show their income tax returns.

For the first family member, 150% of the IPREM is required. As of 2023, the monthly IPREM is €600.00. A further 50% of the IPREM is required for each subsequent family member who is regrouped.

Accommodation

For you to regroup a person who will be living with you, you will have to provide a housing report which can be done through the town hall.

The report will need to show that the property has sufficient space to accommodate the family member so that all parties can live adequately.

Required documentation

Before you apply for the family unification visa, you will need to have all of your supporting documentation in place. This includes:-

• Completed national visa form
• A colour passport-size photo
• Valid passport
• Initial family reunification permit which is applied for by the applicant in Spain first.
• Applicant's foreign identification card
• Documents to prove the family relationship such as birth certificates and marriage certificates.
• Criminal record check - These have to cover the last five years from the country of residence.
• Medical certificate
• Applicant’s identification
• Payment of the visa fee at the consular office.

The applicant must make the initial request at the immigration office

There are two parts to the application process.

Initially, the applicant living in Spain must make an appointment to visit the immigration office and submit the required documentation.

During the online appointment, they will also have the opportunity to submit your documentation electronically if you have a digital certificate. At this point, the documentation does not need to be legalised.

If they are successful, they will receive a favourable resolution within 45 days.

Make an appointment at the consulate

Once a favourable resolution is received, the family member who is to be regrouped will have two months to apply for the visa via their nearest Spanish consulate in their home country.

They will need to present all of the documentation which must be legalised and translated into Spanish.

The applicant will then receive a response within two months. If the visa is granted, they must collect it within two months. If the visa is for a minor, it must be collected by a legal representative.

To book an appointment, they will need to send an email to the consulate with the following information.

• Email subject line - The visa you are applying for.
• Given name and surname
• Passport number
• Email address
• Phone number
• Place of residence in the UK
• Type of residence visa you wish to apply for

NOTE: You will need to attach to the email the permit that was issued to the applicant in Spain following the favourable resolution.

How long will the process take?

The whole process can take up to 5 months to complete.

This will depend on how busy the immigration office and consulate are.

Once the visa has been granted, the family member will have one month to collect it and three months in which to travel to Spain.

Once they arrive in Spain, they will have one month to apply for their TIE (Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero) foreigner residency card.

How much does the family reunification visa cost?

The fee is generally 80 euros, however, it is different for the UK, Canada, Australia, the U.S and Bangladesh. For example in the UK, the fee is £516.

How often do they have to be renewed?

Once you have been successful in your application, the visa will allow your family member to live and work in Spain for one year. This may then be renewed for another year and then every two years thereafter.

Once they have been resident in Spain for five years, they may then apply for permanent residence.

Can you regroup extended family members?

Yes, however, you need to be a Spanish citizen or a citizen of another EU country.

You will then be able to regroup other family members including brothers, sisters, nephews, children over 21, unregistered partners, uncles and other dependents.

The family member needs to be economically dependent on you with proof of this provided during the application process.