Study & Family
EU Family Member Residence Card: live and work in Spain through your European family
If your spouse, registered partner, parent or child is an EU citizen, EU law gives you the right to reside and work in Spain — with a 5-year residence card and full work rights from day one. The right is yours already; our job is building the file that proves it, without requirement letters or avoidable refusals.
Fluent English. Fixed fees in writing. Fast replies on WhatsApp.
01 / WHAT IT IS
The card under EU free-movement law
The residence card for family members of EU citizens — known in Spain as the tarjeta comunitaria — is the permit granted to non-EU relatives of EU, EEA and Swiss citizens living in Spain. It runs under EU free-movement law, not ordinary immigration rules: 5 years of residence, unrestricted work rights, and friendlier requirements.
02 / 2026 REQUIREMENTS
Who qualifies — the family ties EU law recognises
Spouses
Of EU, EEA or Swiss citizens (a valid, non-dissolved marriage).
Registered partners
Civil partnerships or parejas de hecho recorded in a public registry. This is the fastest-growing route and the one with the most avoidable refusals: the registration itself, and how it is evidenced, must be done correctly.
Children
Of the EU citizen or their spouse/partner: under 21, or older if dependent.
Dependent parents
Of the EU citizen or their spouse/partner. "Dependency" must be proven — regular money transfers, cohabitation or financial support — and it is where weak files fall apart.
Extended family members (limited cases)
Siblings, nephews and nieces who were dependants or household members in the country of origin.
What the EU citizen must show
That they are a worker or self-employed person in Spain, or have sufficient resources and health insurance for themselves and their family, or are a student with insurance and a declaration of means. Note the key advantage: the economic requirements fall on the EU citizen — not on you.
Typical documents
Marriage or partnership certificates, apostilled and sworn-translated; the EU citizen's registration certificate (the green NIE certificate); joint padrón (town hall registration); the EU citizen's work contract or proof of means.
Decision deadline: 3 months. The card is valid for 5 years, after which you move to the permanent card.
03 / HOW WE WORK
Your file, watched from first message to TIE card
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Family-tie and route assessment.
Marriage, registered partnership, dependent parent — each tie has its own standard of proof. We confirm you fit the EU regime and, if you do not, we tell you which alternative route does. You leave the first consultation with a map, either way.
Eligibility confirmed -
Building the evidence.
We assemble and reinforce the file: registrations, apostilles, sworn translations, proof of dependency or cohabitation. This is where the application is won or lost.
File complete -
Submission and defence.
We file with the immigration office, track the 3-month decision clock and answer any requirement on time — in Spanish, so you never have to decode an official letter alone.
Filed & tracked -
Card in hand, and beyond.
We accompany you through fingerprints and the physical card (TIE), then leave the next steps planned: the permanent card at year 5, or the road to Spanish citizenship if that is your goal.
Card issued
04 / FEES
One figure, full scope, in writing
[PENDIENTE CLIENTE: EU family card fees — initial / permanent / refusal appeal]
A fixed fee, quoted in writing before we start, covering the agreed scope: assessment, evidence building, submission, requirements and the fingerprints appointment.
05 / FAQ
EU family member card, without the fine print
Yes — employed or self-employed, in any sector, anywhere in Spain, from day one and with no extra permit. Full work rights are one of the biggest advantages of the EU regime over Spain's ordinary immigration rules.
Yes. Tarjeta comunitaria is the everyday Spanish name; the official title is "residence card of a family member of a Union citizen". Same card: 5 years of residence and work rights for non-EU family members of EU, EEA and Swiss citizens.
You can qualify as registered partners if your partnership is recorded in a public registry (Spanish or an equivalent foreign one). Cohabitation alone is not enough — the registration and its evidence are the heart of the case. If you are not registered yet, we advise on where and how to do it before filing; the order of steps matters.
Spanish case law has consolidated that prior irregular status does not, by itself, prevent obtaining the card when the family tie is genuine and the requirements are met. The details matter enormously here — tell us your situation before assuming you are excluded.
Yes, if they are genuinely dependent on the EU citizen or their spouse/partner: regular financial support, money transfers or cohabitation, properly documented. It is the most evidence-heavy variant of this card and the one where professional file-building adds the most value.
The legal decision deadline is 3 months from submission, followed by the fingerprints appointment and the issuance of the physical card. The real enemy of speed is an incomplete file that triggers requirement letters — which is precisely what we are hired to prevent.
You qualify for the permanent residence card for family members of EU citizens, with simplified renewals. Time on the card also counts toward Spanish citizenship by residence; we leave your calendar mapped from the start.
Not necessarily. EU rules preserve your residence right in cases of divorce (subject to conditions such as the length of the marriage), death, or the EU citizen's departure. If your family situation has changed, contact us before your card expires — timing determines your options.
06 / NOT YOUR CASE?