Author Irina Firsova Immigration lawyer in Spain, member of the Barcelona Bar Association no. 46.385 Updated 18 September 2026 7 min read Message the author

EU family member residence card in Spain in 2026: permit, visa, documents and deadlines

The EU family member residence card (tarjeta de residencia de familiar de ciudadano de la Unión, commonly tarjeta comunitaria) is a five-year Spanish residence permit for a relative of an EU citizen who is not an EU citizen themselves. For example, for a Russian wife of a German husband who lives in Spain. The card lets you live, work as an employee and be self-employed without separate permits. Since 20 May 2025 relatives of Spanish citizens usually get a different document — more on that below.

Who can get the card

The card is for relatives of a citizen of the EU, Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein or Switzerland who lives in Spain or is moving here. The relative’s own nationality does not matter.

Relative	Condition
Spouse	the marriage has not been dissolved or annulled
Registered partner	the union is entered in a public register of couples in an EU or EEA country and has not been cancelled; you cannot be married at the same time
Children of the EU citizen, their spouse or partner	under 21; older if dependent or legally incapacitated
Parents of the EU citizen, their spouse or partner	dependent
Other relatives	dependent or lived with the EU citizen in the country they came from; or the EU citizen must personally care for them for health reasons
Unregistered partner	a stable relationship is proven

For the last two groups the decision is made case by case. The law gives benchmarks: living together in the country of origin for 24 months in a row; a stable couple — at least a year of living together in a row, with no minimum if you have children together. How to register a partnership in Spain is covered in our article on pareja de hecho.

The EU citizen must have the right to live in Spain for more than three months: be employed or self-employed, study, or have sufficient resources and health insurance. How they register and get the green certificate is covered in our article on the green NIE certificate in Spain.

If you are a relative of a Spanish citizen

Until 20 May 2025 families of Spaniards got the same EU family member card. The new Immigration Regulation created a separate permit for them — residence for relatives of Spanish citizens (Articles 93–99). More about the regulation in our article on the new immigration regulation.

The Ministry of Inclusion explains it this way: a Spaniard’s relative can get the EU family member card on form EX19 only if the Spaniard has exercised the right of free movement within the EU. In all other cases form EX24 is filed for the new permit.

How the permit for a Spaniard’s relative differs:

wider family: children up to 26 rather than 21; the parent of a Spanish child and a relative caring for a Spaniard with recognised dependency are named separately;
you must live together: cohabitation is written directly into the regulation;
an unregistered partner needs 12 months of living together, with no minimum if you have children together;
no income or insurance requirement: the regulation does not include them;
a criminal record certificate covers the countries where the relative lived in the last 5 years; it is not required if they are already in Spain, but it is mandatory for an unregistered partner and some other relatives;
the procedure is free, the decision takes 2 months, and silence means refusal;
the term is 5 years, the same as the EU family member card.

If an EU family member card based on kinship with a Spaniard was issued before 20 May 2025, it remains valid: you do not need to reissue it as long as you meet the conditions of the new regulation. How a Spaniard’s spouse gets citizenship in one year is covered in our article on Spanish citizenship by marriage.

A Spanish citizen’s relative is not always entitled to the EU family member card: since 20 May 2025 there is a separate permit for them.

Visa for family members of EU citizens: is it needed and how much it costs

Nationals of Russia and other visa-required countries need a visa. For a family member of an EU citizen it is free and processed as a priority.
If you already hold an EU family member residence card issued by another EU country, you do not need a visa when travelling with the EU citizen or to join them.
If documents are missing at the border, the authorities must give you the chance to obtain or present them before refusing entry.

How to get the EU family member card

You must apply in person within three months of entering Spain — at the Foreigners’ Office (Oficina de Extranjería) or the police in your province.

Documents:

application form EX19;
a valid passport; if it has expired, a copy and proof that you have applied for a new one;
proof of kinship — marriage, birth or partnership certificate — with an apostille and sworn translation into Spanish;
the registration certificate of the EU citizen you are joining, or their DNI if they are Spanish;
proof of dependency where the relationship requires it;
if the EU citizen does not work — their health insurance and proof of resources; if they study — enrolment, insurance and a declaration of resources;
a photograph;
the paid fee — €12 on form 790-012.

How to fill in and pay the form is covered in our article on fees 790-012 and 790-052.

What happens after you apply:

you immediately get a receipt (resguardo) — it proves you are legally in Spain while the card is being made;
the card is issued within three months of the application, and the right of residence is recognised from the date of entry;
if there is no answer in that time, it is a refusal, and it can be appealed.

What the card gives and how not to lose it

Work. You can be employed or run your own business on the same terms as Spaniards, without a work permit.
Term. Five years, or less if the EU citizen plans to live in Spain for a shorter period.
Absences. The card is cancelled if you spend more than six months a year outside Spain. Exceptions are military service and one absence of up to 12 consecutive months for a serious reason: pregnancy and childbirth, illness, study, a work posting.

Divorce or death of the EU citizen

The right to live in Spain is not lost automatically. How the divorce itself is handled is covered in our guide to divorce in Spain for foreigners. You must notify the authorities of the divorce or death, and you can keep the right in these cases:

death of the EU citizen — if the relative lived with them in Spain before their death;
school-age children — after the EU citizen leaves or dies, the children and the parent actually caring for them stay until the end of their studies;
divorce or end of partnership — if the marriage or partnership lasted at least 3 years before proceedings began, at least one of them in Spain; or custody of the EU citizen’s children was granted to you; or you have access rights to a child living in Spain; or you were a victim of gender violence or human trafficking.

Permanent card after five years

After five years of continuous legal residence a family member gets a permanent card (tarjeta de residencia permanente de familiar de ciudadano de la Unión). You can apply a month before the previous card expires, and it is issued within three months. The permanent card is renewed every 10 years, and the status is lost after more than two consecutive years outside Spain. How permanent residence works for other foreigners is covered in our article on permanent residence in Spain.

Documents, how the marriage file works and what marriage gives you in residence and tax terms is covered in marriage in Spain for foreigners.

Frequently asked questions

How long is the EU family member card valid?

Five years, or less if the EU citizen plans to live in Spain for a shorter period. After five years of legal residence you can get a permanent card.

Can I work with the EU family member card?

Yes. The card gives the right to be employed or self-employed on the same terms as Spaniards, without a separate work permit.

How much does the EU family member card cost?

The fee is €12 on form 790-012. The entry visa for a family member of an EU citizen is free.

How soon after arrival must I apply?

Within three months of entering Spain, in person, at the Foreigners’ Office or the police in the province.

Will the wife of a Spanish citizen get the EU family member card?

Since 20 May 2025, only if the Spanish husband has exercised the right of free movement within the EU. Otherwise she applies on form EX24 for the separate permit for relatives of Spanish citizens: also for five years, free and with no income requirement.

What happens to the card after divorce?

You can keep the right of residence if the marriage lasted at least three years before proceedings began, at least one of them in Spain, or custody of the children was granted to you, or on other grounds in Article 9 of Royal Decree 240/2007. The authorities must be notified of the divorce.

Can I leave Spain with this card?

Yes, but for no more than six months a year. One absence of up to 12 consecutive months is allowed for a serious reason: pregnancy, illness, study or a work posting.