If you are a non-EU citizen legally living in Spain and you want to bring your spouse or partner, children, or parents to live with you, the route you are looking for is family reunification under the general regime. In practice it is a two-stage process: first a family reunification residence authorization, filed in Spain with the Immigration Office (Extranjería); then a consular visa for your relative abroad; and finally the TIE card once they arrive. This page explains who qualifies, the income and housing requirements, the documents, the timeline, and the full Extranjería → consulate → TIE process — in English, so you can make a clear decision and avoid preventable refusals.
One point up front, because much of the advice still online is out of date: this route is now governed by the new Immigration Regulation, Real Decreto 1155/2024 (articles 65 to 71), in force since 20 May 2025, which replaced the old RD 557/2011. The reform actually made reunification more generous, and we flag the key improvements below.
Which route applies to you
Choosing the wrong regime is one of the most common reasons applications fail or enquiries get misdirected. The general regime is specifically for the relatives of a non-EU citizen who is legally resident in Spain. It is not the route if your sponsor is Spanish or an EU/EEA/Swiss citizen:
- Your sponsor is a non-EU resident in Spain: this page applies — general regime family reunification (articles 65–71 of RD 1155/2024, form EX-02).
- Your sponsor is Spanish: you use the route for family of Spanish nationals (the EX-24 permit), which is more generous. See our page on residence for family members of Spanish citizens.
- Your sponsor is an EU/EEA/Swiss citizen (not Spanish): you use the EU regime. See our page on the EU family member residence card.
If you are not sure which applies, a short eligibility review settles it before you invest time and money in the wrong file.
What changed in 2025 (and why it helps you)
The new regulation modernised general-regime reunification in three ways that matter for most families:
- Dependent children up to 26. Children under 18 qualify directly, and the reform raised the limit so that unmarried, dependent children up to 26 can be reunited if they are studying or genuinely dependent (previously the cut-off was effectively 18, or older only with a disability).
- Unregistered partners now recognised. A durable (de facto) partner is formally accepted, proven through a public registry or evidence of a stable relationship — typically around 12 months of prior cohabitation, or children in common.
- The reunited relative can work immediately. The authorization held by a reunited spouse, partner, or child of working age allows them to work — as an employee or self-employed, anywhere in Spain, in any sector — with no separate administrative step.
Who can sponsor, and who can be reunited
You can start the process if you have legally lived in Spain for at least one year and hold a residence permit valid for at least one more year (a renewed or renewable permit; this excludes someone whose first card is about to expire and has not yet been renewed). For parents and other ascendants, the sponsor usually needs a stronger status — commonly long-term residence — and a particularly well-documented dependency case.
The relatives you can reunite under this regime are:
- Spouse or registered/durable partner (over 18), where there is no separation and no simultaneous spouse or partner already in Spain.
- Children under 18, and unmarried dependent children up to 26 who are studying or dependent, as well as adult children with a disability who cannot provide for themselves. This can include the partner’s children, and adopted children where the adoption is valid and recognised.
- Ascendants (parents or parents-in-law) generally over 65 and financially dependent on the sponsor, with reasons justifying residence in Spain. Parents over 80 are presumed dependent. Only in exceptional, humanitarian cases can an ascendant under 65 be considered.
General regime vs the EU and Spanish-family routes
| Topic | General regime (this page) | EU / Spanish-family routes |
|---|---|---|
| Who sponsors | Non-EU resident in Spain | Spanish, EU, EEA, or Swiss citizen |
| Main hurdles | One year’s prior residence, income (IPREM), housing report, dependency proof for parents | Relationship proof, and dependency in some cases |
| Sequence | Extranjería authorization → consular visa → entry → TIE | Often a single card procedure, faster, 5-year card |
| Card length | Linked to the sponsor’s permit | Typically five years from the start |
Requirements: what you must prove
Extranjería decides these cases on a few pillars: the sponsor’s legal status, financial means, adequate housing, and health cover, plus basic admissibility checks. In practice:
- Sponsor’s legal residence: at least one year lived legally in Spain, with a permit valid for at least one more year.
- Financial means on the IPREM scale below, stable and likely to be maintained, without relying on social assistance.
- Adequate housing, proven by an official housing-adequacy report (informe de vivienda adecuada) from your town hall or autonomous community, valid for six months, meeting habitability and space standards under the 2023 Housing Law.
- Health cover for the sponsor and the reunited relatives, through Social Security or private insurance.
- Schooling: if you already have dependent school-age children in Spain, they must be enrolled in school.
- Clean record and admissibility: no relevant criminal record, no entry ban, and no public-order or public-health objection.
- Fee paid: the corresponding government fee (model 790, code 052).
A practical truth: most refusals are not because people fail to qualify, but because the evidence is incomplete, inconsistent, out of date, or filed in the wrong sequence. The sections below show how to build a refusal-resistant file.
Income requirements (2026 figures)
You must show stable, regular income to support the household — both the members already in Spain and those you want to reunite — without public assistance. The thresholds are a multiple of the IPREM, which in 2026 is €600 per month. Income from a spouse, partner, or first-degree relative living with you can be counted where properly documented.
| Household size | IPREM threshold | Approx. monthly amount (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| 2 members (sponsor + 1 relative) | 150% of IPREM | ≈ €900 / month |
| Each additional member | +50% of IPREM | ≈ +€300 / month per person |
Flexibility for children. Where the application includes minors, and the best interests of the child justify it, the threshold can be reduced: in that case the benchmark shifts to the Minimum Vital Income (Ingreso Mínimo Vital), broadly 110% of its annual guaranteed amount for a two-member unit including a minor, plus 10% for each additional minor. It also counts as sufficient if you have a stable income source equal to or above the national minimum wage. The amounts do not disappear — the file must clearly show how the child’s welfare and basic needs will be covered in Spain.
What Extranjería checks is not only whether you reach the number, but whether the income is stable and likely to continue after approval — which is why the quality and consistency of the evidence matters as much as the figure.
How to prove your income
- Employee: employment contract, the last six months of payslips, Social Security work-life report, and your latest income tax return where relevant.
- Self-employed: proof of registration and activity, tax filings, and bank movements that show continuity.
- Other lawful means: bank certifications and savings evidence that demonstrate capacity without social assistance.
The success factor is coherence: income, household size, and the housing report should tell the same story and line up with the filing date.
Proving dependency for parents
Reuniting parents is the most scrutinised scenario. Extranjería expects evidence that you are the main provider and that your parent genuinely needs your support to cover basic living costs in their country. The goal is to show real, sustained dependency — not occasional help — usually through regular remittances over time, proof those funds cover basic needs, and evidence the parent lacks sufficient independent income (no meaningful pension, salary, or assets). Strong cases also explain why the support is ongoing and why the situation cannot reasonably be managed without living together in Spain. Parents over 80 are presumed dependent.
For an ascendant under 65, only exceptional or humanitarian circumstances justify an application — for example, prior sustained cohabitation, a disability requiring daily care where the sponsor is the real caregiver, or a documented inability to maintain a dignified standard of living without the sponsor’s support. These cases need a carefully argued legal narrative and highly consistent documents; generic evidence is one of the most common reasons parents’ files are refused.
Documents checklist
The core document set for the Extranjería stage, with the details that most often make or break a file:
- Form EX-02, completed and signed by the sponsor.
- Full passport copies for the sponsor and each relative.
- Proof of the family relationship: marriage or partnership certificate, birth certificates, and an adoption ruling for adopted children.
- Sworn statement for spouse/partner cases declaring no simultaneous spouse or partner in Spain; for second marriages, a judicial resolution clarifying the situation of the previous spouse and any children.
- Housing-adequacy report, issued within the three months before filing.
- Income evidence matching your situation (employee, self-employed, or other means).
- Health cover proof.
- Case-specific extras: for children with one parent only, proof of sole custody or the other parent’s authorization; for adult dependent children, objective proof they cannot provide for themselves; for ascendants, proof of a year’s financial support and the reasons justifying residence in Spain.
Foreign documents generally need apostille or legalisation and a sworn translation into Spanish. Inconsistent names or dates, expired certificates, and missing legalisation are among the most frequent refusal triggers.
The process, step by step
- Get the housing report. Request the adequate-housing report from your town hall or autonomous community, providing proof of your right to use the property and its conditions (TIE, lease or title, IBI receipt where asked). It is valid for six months, so sequence it so it is still valid at filing.
- File at Extranjería. The sponsor files the application (EX-02 plus the full evidence pack) at the Immigration Office for their province, often online with a digital certificate, and pays the fee. The Immigration Office has two months to decide, with administrative silence meaning rejection.
- Authorization granted. Once approved, the relative abroad can apply for the visa.
- Visa at the consulate. The relative applies at the Spanish consulate in their country, with their passport (valid at least four months), a criminal record certificate for adults, original relationship documents, and a medical certificate under the International Health Regulations (2005). Once granted, the visa must be collected within one month, and the relative must enter Spain within its validity (up to three months).
- Entry and TIE. After entering Spain, the relative applies for the TIE at the police station within one month, bringing form EX-17, proof of fee payment, a passport photo, and, for minors, proof of legal representation. Fingerprints are taken and the card follows.
Timeline and costs
People often expect a single number, but the timing runs across three stages: the Extranjería authorization (legal deadline two months, varying by province), the consular visa (driven by appointment availability and local procedures), and the TIE appointment after entry (a bottleneck in some cities). Beyond the government fee, budget for the costs families underestimate — apostilles and legalisation, sworn translations, and re-issuing documents that expire. A structured timeline is the best way to avoid paying twice for the same document.
After approval: work, validity, and renewal
Can the reunited relative work? Yes. Under the new rules, the authorization held by the reunited spouse, partner, and children of working age allows them to work as employees or self-employed, anywhere in Spain and in any sector, with no separate administrative step. For ascendants, work is not automatic and usually requires modifying the authorization first.
Validity. The reunited relative’s authorization runs until the same expiry date as the sponsor’s permit at the moment the relative enters Spain, so the family’s status is tied to the sponsor’s continued lawful residence — which makes renewal planning essential.
Renewal. File the renewal within the 60 days before expiry, or up to 90 days after (a late renewal can carry a penalty). Renewals still depend on the underlying pillars — lawful status, stable means, and housing conditions where relevant — so keeping documentation organised through the year reduces stress at renewal time. In time, a reunited relative can also obtain an independent residence authorization when they meet the conditions.
Avoiding refusal
Most refusals come from a short list of preventable problems: income that does not meet the IPREM threshold or does not convincingly show continuity; a housing report that has expired or lacks supporting proof; relationship evidence with inconsistent names or dates, or missing legalisation and translation; and, for parents, dependency proof that is too recent, irregular, or generic. If you receive a request for more documents (requerimiento), the deadline is strict and the response must be focused and consistent with what was filed — the aim is to make the file stronger, not just bigger.
If you are refused, you generally choose between an appeal and a fresh application. An appeal fits when the refusal misread evidence you already submitted, or you can cure the gap with targeted proof; reapplying can be faster when the original file had structural weaknesses. A refusal is time-sensitive, so identify the real ground quickly and pick the most efficient route.
How we help
Lexmovea supports English-speaking clients through the whole general-regime reunification process, focused on the points that actually decide these files: confirming the right regime, building the income and housing evidence, controlling the document pack, and managing the sequence across both countries.
- Eligibility and route confirmation: general regime vs the EU and Spanish-family routes, before you invest in the wrong file.
- Income and housing strategy: IPREM planning, the best evidence for your situation, and housing-report timing.
- Document pack control: checklists by family type, consistency review, validity windows, and coordination of legalisation and translation.
- Filing and follow-up: structured submission and responses to any requerimiento.
- Consular and TIE guidance: planning the visa stage and the post-entry steps.
We are used to the harder cases — unmarried partners, custody scenarios, and parents — where a clear narrative and consistent documents make the difference.
Frequently asked questions
Who can apply for family reunification under the general regime?
Non-EU residents who have legally lived in Spain for at least one year and hold a residence permit valid for at least one more year. Sponsoring parents usually requires a stronger status, commonly long-term residence, and solid dependency proof.
Which relatives can I bring?
Your spouse or registered/durable partner, children under 18, unmarried dependent children up to 26 who study or depend on you, adult children with a disability, and dependent parents generally over 65. Siblings and cousins are not covered by this regime.
What income do I need?
150% of the IPREM for a two-member unit — about €900 per month in 2026 — plus 50% (about €300) for each additional member. The threshold can be reduced for minors in the child’s best interests, and stable income at or above the minimum wage can count as sufficient. Stability and consistency matter as much as the figure.
Can I reunite a partner we never registered?
Yes — the 2025 reform formally recognises durable partners. You prove the relationship through a public registry or evidence of a stable bond, typically around 12 months of prior cohabitation or children in common. These cases are evidence-sensitive, so the proof must be objective and consistent.
Can the reunited family member work?
Yes. A reunited spouse, partner, or child of working age can work as an employee or self-employed, anywhere in Spain, with no separate permit. For parents, work is not automatic and usually needs a modification of the authorization first.
How long does the process take?
It runs across three stages: the Extranjería authorization (legal deadline of two months, silence meaning rejection), the consular visa (driven by appointment availability), and the TIE appointment after entry. Delays most often come from incomplete files or requests for more documents.
What documents do I need?
Core documents are the EX-02 form, passports, relationship certificates, income proof, the housing-adequacy report, and health cover, plus case-specific evidence for custody, dependency, or partner situations. Foreign documents usually need apostille or legalisation and a sworn translation.
Can my reunited family study or work later under their own status?
Reunited relatives can study in Spain, and those of working age can work straight away. Over time, a reunited relative can apply for an independent residence authorization when they meet the conditions.
My sponsor is Spanish. Is this the right route?
No. If your family member is Spanish, the route for family of Spanish citizens (EX-24) is generally more advantageous, with a five-year card. If they are an EU/EEA/Swiss citizen, you use the EU family member card. We confirm the correct route at the start.