Visa for family members of Spanish citizens who wish to travel to Spain for residence purposes, i.e., to stay for a period of more than 90 days.
Family members who can apply for this visa:
a. The spouse over 18 years old, provided there is no agreement or declaration of nullity of the marriage, or divorce, or fraud in law.
In no case can more than one spouse access this authorization, regardless of whether the personal law of the foreigner permits this type of marriage.
In case the Spanish citizen is married in second or subsequent marriages, only the new spouse (and their relatives listed in this article) can access this authorization, with proof that the dissolution of previous marriages establishes the situation of the previous spouse (and their relatives) concerning the common residence, any pensions to the spouse and dependent minor or adult children.
b. Unmarried registered partner over 18 years old who maintains a relationship with a Spanish citizen similar to a marriage, provided the registration has not been canceled (which must be sufficiently proven), and there is no fraud in law.
The partnership must be registered in a public registry established for this purpose in a member state of the European Union, an EEA state, or Switzerland.
c. Unmarried unregistered partner over 18 years old who maintains a stable relationship with a Spanish citizen, duly proven.
A stable relationship is understood as one that sufficiently demonstrates cohabitation similar to a marital relationship, either inside or outside Spain, for at least twelve continuous months. The prior cohabitation period is not required if the couple has a common child, provided the relationship is maintained.
d. Children of the Spanish citizen or those of the spouse, registered partner, or stable partner, provided they also reside or will reside in Spain, are under 26 years old, or older but dependent on them, or have a disability requiring support to exercise their legal capacity. In all cases, they must live with or intend to live with them and not be married or have established their own family unit.
e. First-degree direct ascendants (parents) and those of their spouse, registered partner, or stable partner, provided there is no annulment, divorce, or canceled registration, in the following cases:
-When they prove they are dependent on them and lack family support from their country of origin.
-When humanitarian reasons apply.
f. Parent, mother, guardian of a minor with Spanish citizenship, provided the applicant is responsible for the minor and lives with the minor or is up to date with their obligations. This relationship must have been established according to Spanish law.
g. One family member, up to second degree, who provides or will provide care for a person with Spanish citizenship with recognized dependency levels under Law 39/2006.
h. Children whose father or mother were or are Spanish of origin.
i. Other family members not included above who can prove, in a reliable manner at the time of application, that they are dependent on the applicant.
Required documents:
All foreign documents must be legalized or apostilled, and if in a language other than Spanish, accompanied by a proper translation.
Please note that we do not accept incomplete visa applications. Only complete applications with all the required documents will be admitted and processed.
1. One application form (
National Visa Application form): Each applicant must complete and sign a national visa application, filling out every section. It can be filled out electronically or handwritten in capital letters. If the applicant is a minor, one of their parents or a duly accredited legal guardian must sign the application.
2. One photo: Glued or clipped (not stapled) onto visa application form.
Photo specifications: Passport-size, color photograph, recent (taken within the last 6 months to reflect your current appearance), printed on matte/glossy paper, taken against a white, light, clear, uniform background, facing forward, without dark or reflective glasses, or any garments concealing the applicant’s full oval of the face. Photos with a dark background or with objects or people that can be seen behind your head will not be accepted. Photographs of babies must not show any part of the adult holding them.
It should meet the requirements pictured here, against a white background.
3. Valid, unexpired passport. Original and a photocopy of the page or pages of the passport that contain biometric data. Passport must have a minimum validity of 1 year and must contain at least two free pages for visas. Passports issued more than 10 years ago are not accepted.
If the passport does not meet the requirements, it must be renewed before applying for the visa.
4. Proof of legal residence in the United States. Non-U.S. citizens must also submit proof of legal residence in the United States: A photocopy of the valid U.S. long term Visa or a notarized copy of the U.S. Resident Card (Green card; please do not submit the original document).
F1 student visa holders must submit a photocopy of the I-20 certificate.
B1/B2 visa holders do not qualify to apply for a visa at this Consular Office. They must apply for a visa in their country of residence or country of origin.
5. Proof of residence or study in the consular district. The applicant must be a legal resident or be enrolled in in-person studies in a center within our consular jurisdiction (Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and North Carolina).
Residence must be proved by one of the following, valid documents: Photocopy of the U.S. driver’s license, state ID, university Student ID. Please do not submit the original document.
If you don’t have a US Driving license or State ID it is possible to proof the residence in our consular district by other documents, e.g. a copy of the lease agreement.
6. Documents from the Spanish citizen:
-Complete copy of the valid passport (all the pages) and/or national identity document (DNI).
- For applications for a spouse or partner, a responsible declaration stating that no other spouse or partner resides with them in Spain. Please find proposed template here.
7. Documents from the foreign family member:
- If the Spanish citizen is in Spain and has applied for residence authorization for their family member: an original and a copy of the Initial Residence Authorization of the foreign family member issued by the competent authority are required.
-If both the Spanish citizen and their family member are abroad, a completed and signed Residence Authorization Application Form (form EX24), indicating in any case the address in Spain.
Other supporting documentation proving the existence of the situation that allows requesting the residence authorization:
-For the Spouse: Spanish marriage certificate or foreign marriage certificate. Additionally, in the case of a Spanish resident who is married in second or subsequent marriages, it must be proven that the dissolution of previous marriages occurred after a procedure that establishes the situation of the previous spouse and their family members concerning the common residence, any pensions to the spouse, and dependent minor or adult children.
-For a relationship similar to marriage registered in a public registry: Certificate of registration in a public registry established for this purpose in a member state of the European Union, a state party to the European Economic Area Agreement, or Switzerland.
-For an Unregistered stable partnership: Documentation sufficiently proving a cohabitation relationship similar to marriage, inside or outside Spain, of at least twelve continuous months. The previous cohabitation period is not required if the couple has a common child, provided the relationship is maintained: in this case, birth certificates of the child/children showing the parents, as well as copies of their identity documents, must be presented.
-For children under 26, or those of their spouse, registered partner, or stable partner: Birth certificates of the children.
If the children are under 18 and are children of only one of the spouses or partners: a notarized authorization from the other parent authorizing the child's residence in Spain must also be presented, unless it can be clearly demonstrated that the Spanish national, their spouse, registered partner, or stable partner exercises sole custody.
If the children are over 26, supporting documentation must also be provided showing they are not married, have not established their own family unit, and are dependent or have a disability requiring support to exercise their legal capacity.
-For first-degree direct ascendants: Birth certificate of the Spanish citizen, their spouse, registered partner, or stable partner (depending on who is the ascendant), and supporting documentation proving that the ascendant is dependent on them or for humanitarian reasons.
-for parent, mother, or guardian of a minor with Spanish citizenship: Birth certificate of the minor with Spanish citizenship.
-For family member providing care for a dependent Spanish national: Documents proving that the applicant is a second-degree relative by blood or affinity, and a resolution recognizing the dependency status of the Spanish national issued by the relevant authority.
-For children whose father or mother were or are Spanish of origin: Birth certificate of the applicant and of their Spanish father or mother of origin.
-For other family members dependent on the Spanish national: Documentation proving the family relationship with the Spanish citizen and that they live under their care.
8. Criminal record check certificate. Applicants of legal age (18 years old and older) must submit the original and a photocopy (not notarized) of their criminal background check certificate(s) issued by their country or countries of residence for the past 5 years.
The criminal background check must be issued by the U.S. Department of Justice – Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). We do not accept State or Local Police Background Check.
The background check must be issued within the 6 months preceding the submission of the visa application.
The background check must be authenticated with The Hague Apostille. We do not accept background checks without the Hague Apostille.
The Apostille must certify the signature on the Criminal Background check, not other signatures. We do not accept apostilles that certify the signature of a notary that stamps a seal on the criminal background check.
The criminal background check will not be accepted if it has been altered or damaged in any way, including damage caused by removing staples.
The background check must be accompanied by an official translation into Spanish by a sworn/certified translator. (The translation does not need an Apostille and the Apostille does not need a translation).
If the applicant has spent more than 6 months (more than 180 days) during the last 5 years in another country (outside the USA or Spain), an additional criminal background check from every country of residence must be provided. The criminal background checks must be authenticated with the Apostille of The Hague, unless it is issued by an EU member state. The criminal background check issued by an EU authority does not need to be apostilled to be accepted. If the country in which the applicant has lived in the past 5 years does not subscribe to The Hague Convention of 1961, the background check must by authenticated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the issuing country and then by the Consulate of Spain in this country. The background check must be accompanied by an official translation into Spanish (if the original is not written in Spanish or does not include the text in Spanish).
Please submit the original and a photocopy of all the documents: background check, apostille and official translation.
9.- Medical certificate. Original and a copy of a medical certificate accrediting that the applicant does not suffer from any disease that could cause serious repercussions for public health pursuant to the 2005 International Health Regulations.
-The certificate must be issued in the 3 months preceding the submission of the visa application.
-The certificate must include a stamp from the issuing Medical Center, doctor’s name and signature, doctor’s License Number and date of expedition.
-The certificate must be signed by a Doctor (Physician), not by a Nurse Practitioner or a Physician assistant.
-The certificate must be written on letterhead paper from hospital/doctor’s office or directly on the provided template. The recommended model can be found here: MEDICAL CERTIFICATE.
-If the certificate does not include the text in Spanish, an official or certified translation into Spanish is required. In the case of using the bilingual model from our website, the Spanish translation is not necessary.
Please include a photocopy of the medical certificate with your submitted documents.
10. Visa fee: These visas are free of charge.
Procedure:
-Consular jurisdiction: This Consular Office is competent to accept visa applications from persons residing within the consular district (Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and North Carolina).
- Who can apply for a visa: Visa applications must be submitted in person by the applicant, or by one of their parents or legal guardians if the applicant is a minor (under 18 years old). They may also be submitted through a duly accredited representative, provided that the reasons are justified and assessed by the Consular Office.
- Visa application period: If the Spanish citizen is in Spain and has applied for a residence permit for their family member, the visa must be requested within 1 month from the day following the date on which the favorable resolution of the residence permit is notified.
-Place of submission: The application must be submitted in person at the Consular Office by appointment only.
Once you have all the required documents you must scan and email them to cog.washington.vis@maec.es. If there is not enough space to include all the attached documents, you can send them in different, numbered emails. Please do not send emails if you do not have all the required documents yet. When we receive all the required documents, we will answer your mail and schedule an appointment to come in person to the Consular Section of the Embassy to submit the application.
Please write the email subject as follows: “APPOINTMENT REQUEST. Visa Type. Given Name FAMILY NAME. Email Number”
Please do not send emails if you do not have all the required documents yet. Please be sure that you have all the required documents before scheduling an appointment, as only complete applications with all requirements will be admitted.
When we receive all the required documents, we will answer your mail and schedule an appointment to come in person to the Consular Section of the Embassy to submit the application.
Proof of submission: The Consular Office will provide the interested party with a receipt for the application.
- Rectifying the application: The Consular Office may ask the applicant to submit any missing documents, or to provide additional documents or data that are necessary for a decision regarding the application. The applicant may also be called in for a personal interview.
- Decision period: The deadline for a resolution is 15 days from the day following:
-the date of submission of the visa application, if a favorable residence authorization resolution is provided, or
-the date the Consular Office receives the residence authorization resolution, when the visa application entails an application for a residence permit.
- Collecting the visa: The visa must be collected in person by the applicant or their representative (if they are a minor), without the need for an appointment.
-Visa refusal: If applicable, visa denial will always be notified in writing, stating the reasons for the decision.
-Appeals: If a visa is refused, the applicant may file an appeal for reconsideration with this Consular Office in Spanish within 1 month from the day following the date on which they receive notification of the refusal. An application for judicial review may also be filed with the High Court Justice of Madrid within the 2-month period beginning the day after the date on which the applicant receives notification of the visa refusal or of the dismissal of the reconsideration appeal.
-Validity period of the visa: The visa is valid for 1 year. Once in Spain, the applicant must apply for a Foreigner's Identity Card (TIE: “Tarjeta de Identificación de Extyranjero”) within 1 month after entering Spain at the Police Station in the province where the residence permit was processed.