Spouse Visa

Living apart as a couple can be quite challenging especially when your partner is in a different country. It is therefore understandable when an individual wish to join his/her partner living in another country. If you have a partner living in Spain, you have the privilege of joining him/her by obtaining a visa. You may not need a visa if your home country has a visa-free agreement with Schengen states. A Spanish marriage visa falls under a family reunion visa; a long-stay visa type and this is the visa you will be applying for.

The payment method for this visa as well as the cost will depend on your home country as they vary from one nation to another.

A married visa is valid for the same length of time as the residence permit of the partner living in Spain. However, you do not need to get any additional permit to work, study or access the social benefits of Spanish residents.

The process of getting a married visa is divided into 2 parts, your partner residing in Spain will begin the application process at the nearest Foreigner’s Office and wait for the application to be granted before you can apply for a visa in your home country.

The processing usually takes about 4-5 months although the time it takes to gather all the documents and secure an interview is a factor. Once you have been granted the visa, you will need to travel within 3 months to join your spouse.

Documents required for a Spanish married visa: 

As mentioned above, there are two parts to the processing of a Spanish marriage visa. Once your spouse begins the application process, he/she may be required to submit the following documents:

• Original and valid passport.
• Copies of his/her passport pages.
• Copies of your passport.
• Copies of his/her residence permit.
• Copy of your marriage certificate to prove the legality of the union.
• A sworn statement that he/she is not living with another partner.
• Proof that he/she can support you financially.
• Proof of accommodation showing that he/she has enough space to accommodate you, this might be in form of a rental agreement.
• Proof of medical insurance.

Once he/she has completed the application process and the application has been granted, you have 2 months to apply for a visa at a Spanish embassy in your home country. You would also be required to submit some documents during your visa interview. The documents you will need to gather for your visa application in your home country are:

1. Completed and signed visa application form with copies.
2. Original passport containing at least 2 blank spaces.
3. Copies of the passport pages showing your details and previous visa stamps.
4. Recent biometric photos.
5. Marriage certificate.
6. A certificate issued by the police showing that you have no criminal record for the past 5 years.
7. A medical certificate issued by a licensed doctor showing that you don’t have any disease that could impact public health.

It is also important to keep in mind that the consular officer has the right to request additional documents aside from the ones listed above.