Spain spouse visa requirements - UK guide

Planning to join your spouse in Spain? Whether you’ve just married or want to reunite after time apart, understanding the spouse visa requirements is the first step.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the main Spain spouse visa requirements. We’ll cover eligibility, the necessary documents and important details to consider before applying.

We will also share a handy way to manage visa expenses and your finances while abroad. The Wise card can be used in 150+ countries, including the UK and Spain, letting you spend and withdraw cash in Spain at the mid-market exchange rate.

Open your Wise account 🌍

What is the Spain spouse visa?

There’s no such thing as a spouse visa, but there are two common routes that spouses of people living in Spain usually take. If you’re married to a Spanish or other EU citizen, you can apply for an EU family member residence permit card. If your spouse is a non-EU citizen residing in Spain, you can take the Family reunification visa route.

Spain spouse visa eligibility

Let’s break down the eligibility criteria for each of the two visa routes.

EU Family member residence permit

If your spouse is a citizen of a member state of the EU, EEA or Switzerland, you can apply for a residence card of a family member of a citizen of the European Union. You must do so in person within three months of arriving in Spain.¹

In order to get it, you must prove the following:

• You’re working, self-employed or studying
• You have sufficient resources to support yourself
• You have health insurance¹

If you’re granted the visa, you can apply for permanent residence in Spain after five years of living there, as long as the family relationship still exists. In some cases, like having custody of your children after a divorce, you may still be eligible even if the relationship has ended.²

Family reunification visa

The family reunification visa is a suitable option for non-EU partners of non-EU citizens who are legally residing in Spain. You must apply in person, and if approved, the visa is valid for only 90 days.³

Once in Spain, you’ll need to apply for a Foreigner Identification Card (TIE) within one month of arrival.³

Spain spouse visa required documents

Let’s talk about the Spain spouse visa requirements when it comes to documents.

EU Family member residence permit

If you’re applying for a EU family member residence card, you need the following documents for your application:

• Completed application form
• Valid passport
• Proof of family relationship with the EU citizen
• Proof of long-term relationship (for unregistered partners)
• National identity card (DNI) if your partner is a Spanish citizen or registration certificate if they’re a citizen of another EU country
• 3 photos
• Proof of fee payment¹

Once you’ve spent five years in Spain, you can apply for permanent residence. These are the documents you’ll need:

• Completed application form
• Valid passport or identity document
• Documents showing you qualify for permanent residence (if you’re applying before the five year mark)
• Proof of fee payment²

Family reunification visa

If you’ve chosen the Family reunification visa route, here are the required documents:

• Completed application form
• Recent passport-sized photo
• Valid passport
• Family reunification permit issued by the Delegation of the Government in Spain
• Copy of your partner’s residence card in Spain
• Marriage certificate (for married couples) or proof of stable cohabitation (for unmarried couples)
• Criminal record check certificate, not older than six months (ACRO Certificate)
• Medical certificate confirming no serious contagious diseases, not older than three months
• Proof of legal residence in the consular district
• Proof of fee payment³

All foreign documents must be apostilled and, if applicable, submitted with an official translation into Spanish. This includes your medical certificate and criminal record check.³

Once you get the visa, you have 30 days to apply for a Foreigner Identification Card or Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero (TIE). Applications are submitted to the National Police Documentation Unit or the police station of the province where you live.⁴

These are the required documents for a TIE:

• Completed application form
• Valid passport with an entry stamp
• Recent passport-sized photo on white background
• Visa
• Proof of fee payment⁴

Using Wise to pay for your visa and spending abroad

You should now have a good understanding of the Spain spouse visa requirements and what your application must include. Depending on your personal situation, you might need to provide extra documents, but these are the main points to keep in mind.

If you’re also looking for a way to handle your finances in Spain, you should check out the Wise account. With the Wise account, you can send money between the UK and Spain for low, transparent fees* and at the mid-market exchange rate.

You can also get the Wise card and start spending in euros as soon as you arrive. The Wise card can be used in 150+ countries, including Spain, automatically converting your pounds to the local currency whenever you spend, with a small, upfront currency conversion fee*.

Open your Wise account 🌍

Sources used:

1. Administracion.gob.es - registering non-EU family members
2. Administraction.gob.es - permanent residence
3. Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores, Unión Europea y Cooperación - Family reunification visa
4. Ministerio del Interior - TIE application

Sources last checked on date: 21-Nov-2025