# Non-EU Citizen



## kloegman (Dec 4, 2008)

As non-EU citizens, is there a way that we can stay in the EU for longer than 3 months without applying for a visa? We are both Canadian citizens, but I hold an EU passport as well.

We both have NIE numbers.

Many thanks in anticipation


----------



## mepossem (May 28, 2011)

kloegman said:


> As non-EU citizens, is there a way that we can stay in the EU for longer than 3 months without applying for a visa? We are both Canadian citizens, but I hold an EU passport as well.
> 
> We both have NIE numbers.
> 
> Many thanks in anticipation


If you hold a EU passport, you can easily apply for a residencia, forgetting about the (I think) 6 months rule.


----------



## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

kloegman said:


> As non-EU citizens, is there a way that we can stay in the EU for longer than 3 months without applying for a visa? We are both Canadian citizens, but I hold an EU passport as well.
> 
> We both have NIE numbers.
> 
> Many thanks in anticipation


if you have an EU passport then you can live here without any problems -just sign on the residents list - no visa required

does your husband/wife have the right to live in whatever country you have your EU passport from?


----------



## mepossem (May 28, 2011)

kloegman said:


> As non-EU citizens, is there a way that we can stay in the EU for longer than 3 months without applying for a visa? We are both Canadian citizens, but I hold an EU passport as well.
> 
> We both have NIE numbers.
> 
> Many thanks in anticipation


If you hold a EU passport, you can easily apply for a residencia, forgetting about the (I think) 6 months rule.


----------



## kloegman (Dec 4, 2008)

mepossem said:


> If you hold a EU passport, you can easily apply for a residencia, forgetting about the (I think) 6 months rule.


Thanks for that.

I hold an EU passport but my wife only holds a Canadian passport.

How does this affect us if we decide to stay in Spain?


----------



## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

kloegman said:


> Thanks for that.
> 
> I hold an EU passport but my wife only holds a Canadian passport.
> 
> How does this affect us if we decide to stay in Spain?


it will depend to some extent on whether she is allowed to live in 'your' country

& just to reiterate - you don't have to 'apply for residencia' - as an EU citizen you just need to sign the residents list - a formality


----------



## Guest (Jun 18, 2011)

kloegman said:


> Thanks for that.
> 
> I hold an EU passport but my wife only holds a Canadian passport.
> 
> How does this affect us if we decide to stay in Spain?


If you've got an EU passport you must be an EU citizen then, correct? I'm not certain if you'd have to do so in Spain or in the country where you hold the passport but my understanding is that your wife will not have any problems apart from having to register her as your spouse. Head off to your local _extranjería_ to inquire.


----------



## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

halydia said:


> If you've got an EU passport you must be an EU citizen then, correct? I'm not certain if you'd have to do so in Spain or in the country where you hold the passport but my understanding is that your wife will not have any problems apart from having to register her as your spouse. Head off to your local _extranjería_ to inquire.


Yes, that confused me, Canadian citizen with UK passport. Does that mean Canadian Resident, or you somehow have two passports?


----------



## Guest (Jun 18, 2011)

Stravinsky said:


> Yes, that confused me, Canadian citizen with UK passport. Does that mean Canadian Resident, or you somehow have two passports?


I know a lot of dual Canadian/British citizens.


----------



## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

halydia said:


> I know a lot of dual Canadian/British citizens.


he doesn't say british, though

of course, it might nat make a difference


----------



## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

halydia said:


> I know a lot of dual Canadian/British citizens.


Interesting.
So the UK allows you to have two citizenships ... I have seen it said that certain countries dont allow that. You have to renounce your birth citizenship to take a new one. I think Holland was one, but I cant be sure


----------



## Guest (Jun 18, 2011)

Stravinsky said:


> Interesting.
> So the UK allows you to have two citizenships ... I have seen it said that certain countries dont allow that. You have to renounce your birth citizenship to take a new one. I think Holland was one, but I cant be sure


I imagine it has something to do with the commonwealth. 

I can't hold dual citizenship here. Oh well, Spain.


----------



## Guest (Jun 18, 2011)

xabiachica said:


> he doesn't say british, though
> 
> of course, it might nat make a difference


As long as it's an EU (and/or Schengen??) member state...


----------



## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

halydia said:


> I imagine it has something to do with the commonwealth.


Well, something has to


----------



## Guest (Jun 18, 2011)

Stravinsky said:


> Well, something has to


By the way, the Queen watched me study from high up on the wall in my university library.


----------



## kloegman (Dec 4, 2008)

Stravinsky said:


> Yes, that confused me, Canadian citizen with UK passport. Does that mean Canadian Resident, or you somehow have two passports?


Canada allows dual citizenship. Which I have. My wife just has Canadian citizenship.


----------



## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

kloegman said:


> Canada allows dual citizenship. Which I have. My wife just has Canadian citizenship.


dual canadian /what?

& does your wife have the right to live in your EU country?

if she does, then there should be no problem in spain

if not, there might be


----------



## kloegman (Dec 4, 2008)

xabiachica said:


> he doesn't say british, though
> 
> of course, it might nat make a difference


Yes British. Sorry.


----------



## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

kloegman said:


> Yes British. Sorry.



so back to the point

if your wife has right of abode in the UK, then it should be as straightforward in spain as halydia said


sheh registers as resident as the spouse of an EU citizen


----------



## kloegman (Dec 4, 2008)

xabiachica said:


> so back to the point
> 
> if your wife has right of abode in the UK, then it should be as straightforward in spain as halydia said
> 
> ...


She does not have right of abode in the UK


----------



## Guest (Jun 18, 2011)

kloegman said:


> She does not have right of abode in the UK


As long as you are legally married you shouldn't have a problem. 

Are you already in Spain? What's really confusing me is that you've said you both have NIE numbers. What's the problem? Has a visa she had expired? I truly think your best bet is a trip to _extranjería_. You have nothing to fear as long as *you* present your British passport and claim her as your legal wife. (Would this count as _reagrupación familiar_, or is the situation easier as OP is a British citizen?)


----------



## kloegman (Dec 4, 2008)

halydia said:


> As long as you are legally married you shouldn't have a problem.
> 
> Are you already in Spain? What's really confusing me is that you've said you both have NIE numbers. What's the problem? Has a visa she had expired? I truly think your best bet is a trip to _extranjería_. You have nothing to fear as long as *you* present your British passport and claim her as your legal wife. (Would this count as _reagrupación familiar_, or is the situation easier as OP is a British citizen?)


No. We live in Canada and bought a holiday flat in El Faro. We plan to holiday there as often as we can until retirement in a couple of years, at which time we would like to use the flat as a base for further European travel. 

We were told that my wife would only be able to spend 3 months at a time in Europe ( as she holds only a Canadian passport), so this is the reason for my inquiry. Thank all for great info!!


----------



## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

halydia said:


> As long as you are legally married you shouldn't have a problem.
> 
> Are you already in Spain? What's really confusing me is that you've said you both have NIE numbers. What's the problem? Has a visa she had expired? I truly think your best bet is a trip to _extranjería_. You have nothing to fear as long as *you* present your British passport and claim her as your legal wife. (Would this count as _reagrupación familiar_, or is the situation easier as OP is a British citizen?)


I think you're right - best to check with the _extranjería_ as yousay

I also think you're right that she should be able to (legally) live here with her UK citizen husband - which is odd - since she can't in the UK

which of course is why the OP really needs to check with the _extranjería_ as said - or the embassy


----------



## Guest (Jun 19, 2011)

kloegman said:


> No. We live in Canada and bought a holiday flat in El Faro. We plan to holiday there as often as we can until retirement in a couple of years, at which time we would like to use the flat as a base for further European travel.
> 
> We were told that my wife would only be able to spend 3 months at a time in Europe ( as she holds only a Canadian passport), so this is the reason for my inquiry. Thank all for great info!!


Ah, ok!

If you're near one of the Spanish consulates (Montreal, Ottawa and I'm not sure where else) I'd pay them a visit and explain your issue. The most important thing for you to do is use your British citizenship from here on out when you're dealing with Spain issues. This will make your life, and your wife's, a lot easier. 

Why start the information search now if you won't be retiring to Spain for a couple of years? Bureaucracy goes... slooooow... here. Also, you may be required to gather, legalize, and translate paperwork to normalize your wife's situation. This takes a while. I think it took DFAIT the better part of two months to legalize my university degree. 

Best of luck.


----------



## gus-lopez (Jan 4, 2010)

halydia said:


> I imagine it has something to do with the commonwealth.
> 
> I can't hold dual citizenship here. Oh well, Spain.


No Spain doesn't recognise dual nationality . You renounce your citizenship & take spanish citizenship but no one gives up their original passport & to my knowledge no ones interested afterwards ! I know quite a few spaniards ,born in the uk of spanish parents , who have both & 2 who only have British passports. All have spanish identity cards & live & work here.


----------

