The derived right for spouses, children and dependants of an existing Spanish or EU resident. Different mechanics if your sponsor is Spanish-by-birth versus naturalised versus long-term resident.
The Spanish reagrupación familiar definition covers:
Unmarried but cohabiting partners (parejas de hecho) are recognised but require registration in a Spanish autonomous community pareja de hecho registry, which has regional variation.
The Spanish sponsor must demonstrate:
Income thresholds are calculated as IPREM multiples that scale with family size. Typical numbers in 2026: sponsor + 1 dependant ~€1,200/month, sponsor + 2 dependants ~€1,500/month.
Stage 1 - In Spain. The sponsor files for reagrupación at the Oficina de Extranjería with full documentation: marriage/birth certificates (apostilled and sworn translated), proof of housing, proof of income, sponsor's residency card.
Stage 2 - UK consulate. Once Stage 1 is approved (typically 3-4 months), the applicant applies at the Spanish consulate covering their UK region. Visa decision typically 4-6 weeks. Applicant then enters Spain and applies for TIE within 30 days.
Spouses of Spanish citizens. Faster track. The 12-month sponsor residency rule is waived. You can also apply directly under the EU citizen family regime if the Spanish citizen has exercised EU free movement rights.
Children born in the UK to one Spanish parent. They have a route to Spanish citizenship by descent (typically registered at the consulate before age 21), which makes reunification unnecessary.
British spouses of British movers. If both partners are British, the family member usually goes on their own DNV/NLV as dependant, not via the reunification visa. Reunification is for when the sponsor is already Spanish-resident and the family member needs to follow later.
Yes. The cleanest route for British-British couples is for one partner to qualify for the DNV and the other to be included as dependant. Family reunification is the alternative track if your spouse has to come later.
Typically 5-8 months from sponsor filing in Spain to applicant arriving on the visa. Stage 1 is the bottleneck.
Yes. Spain has recognised same-sex marriage since 2005. Same-sex married couples have identical rights under reunification.
Spain does not have a minimum-marriage-duration rule for reunification, but consulates do scrutinise recent marriages. Bring evidence of relationship history.
British relocation researcher. Writes WarmerCoast's sourced guides on moving from the UK to Spain, Portugal or Gibraltar. Every page reviewed against primary government sources for 2026.
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