In this article, we will see what is the tarjeta de familiar de ciudadano de la Unión Europea in Spain which is also commonly called the residence card for family members of an EU citizen. We will detail the different conditions to meet and how to obtain this document.
1. What is the residence card as a family member of an EU citizen?
Let’s start by defining this procedure.
If a member of your family is Spanish or European legally residing in Spain, you have the right to live and work in Spain with the residence card for family members of EU citizens.
This is a mandatory formality for family members of an EU citizen who wish to stay in Spain for periods of more than 3 months.
2. Who does it apply to?
This document applies to non EU citizens who accompany or join a family member citizen of the EU, EEA or Switzerland in Spain. The European family member must be registered in the Central Register of Foreign Nationals and reside in Spain legally.
The most frequent family relationships are spouses, partners, children and parents. We detail the full list of family relationships below.
3. What are the requirements for the citizen of the EU, EEA or Switzerland?
The European family member must fulfil one of the following conditions :
- Be an employee in Spain.
- Be self-employed in Spain.
- Have sufficient economic resources to meet the needs for everyone accompanying or joining him/her in Spain. A health insurance covering the entire stay in Spain is also required.
- Be a student in a public or private institution, have health insurance providing full cover in Spain and make a responsible declaration of having sufficient economic resources for the period of residence.
4. What family relationships justify obtaining this residence card?
This document can be obtained if you can prove one of the following family relationships with a citizen of the EU, EEA or Switzerland:
- Spouse or partner in an official relationship (marriage, civil union).
- Partner in a relationship not recognized by the state if you have a common child or can justify living together for more than a year.
- Children of the EU national or of his/her spouse.
- Parents of the EU nationals, provided that (s)he is in charge of them.
- Any other relatives that the EU national is in charge of them in their home country.
- Any other relatives who have lived together with the EU national for at least 24 months.
- Any other relatives who for serious health or disability reasons must be under the care of the EU citizen.
5. What documentation is needed?
When submitting your application, you will need to present the following documents:
A- General documentation
- Application form EX-19 and its duplicate previously completed and signed.
- Your original passport and its photocopy.
- Documents proving the existence of a family relationship with the citizen of the EU, EEA or Switzerland (see below).
- DNI of the Spanish citizen or certificado de registro del ciudadano de la Unión in the case of an European person.
- Three recent color photocopies, on a white background, passport type.
- Proof of payment of the administrative costs.
B- Document proving your family relationship
If the request is made for a spouse or partner :
- In the case of an official relationship, the marriage or civil union certificate.
- In the case of a relationship not recognized by the state, documents proving a stable and long-term relationship such as proof of common address or the birth certificate of a common child.
If the request is made for a direct descendant:
- Applicant’s birth certificate.
- If the applicant is over 21, documents proving his/her dependent status.
- If the applicant is a minor and does not reside in Spain with his/her parents, documents proving his/her dependent status.
If the request is made for a direct ascendant:
- Birth certificate of the EU member citizen or his/her spouse or partner.
- Documents proving his/her dependent status.
If the request is made for any other family member:
- Documents proving the family relationship as well as a) Proof of dependent status, b) Proof of a common address in the country of origin or c) Proof of serious health or disability reasons.
Finally, the EU citizen also has to prove that he is in one of the situations we have seen above (employed, self-employed, student, unemployed with sufficient economic resources).
Please note that any document which was not originally in Spanish must be translated by a sworn translator and legalized by the Spanish Consulate of the country of origin. This does not apply to standard EU forms such as Form S1, E109 or E121.
6. How to obtain the residence card for family members of EU nationals?
A- Book a cita previa
In order to submit your application for this residence card, you must first book a cita previa (appointment) on the government website within 3 months of entering Spain : https://sede.administracionespublicas.gob.es/icpplus/index.html.
Make sure you book your cita previa in the province where you are going to reside.
B- Presentation of documents
Once you have obtained your cita previa, you must come personally (except in the case of minors or disabled persons) to the address indicated when booking your appointment in order to submit the documents we have detailed above. You will need to bring all the originals and photocopies.
After checking your application and that everything is in order, you will receive a document indicating that you have started the procedure to obtain this residence card. It will allow you to remain legally in Spain until the card is issued.
Please note that this document is valid for 5 years from the time you receive this card.
7. Conclusion
If you still have questions about the residence card for family members of EU nationals in Spain, you can contact us at [email protected]. We will help you obtain this document by guiding you through the various steps to take and by accompanying you on the day of the appointment.
