# American with Spanish husband moving to Spain



## espressoemma (Jan 9, 2016)

Hello!

I am an American woman and my husband is Spanish. We got married in the US and we are moving to Spain in August. We want to stay there for a long time, so I am trying to figure out if I need a visa before I enter the country, or I can enter as a tourist and apply for a visa or NIE there.

Anybody has any advice?


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## kalohi (May 6, 2012)

espressoemma said:


> Hello!
> 
> I am an American woman and my husband is Spanish. We got married in the US and we are moving to Spain in August. We want to stay there for a long time, so I am trying to figure out if I need a visa before I enter the country, or I can enter as a tourist and apply for a visa or NIE there.
> 
> Anybody has any advice?


:welcome:

You can enter Spain as a tourist. You don't need a visa or any special permission.

Once here you have 90 days to apply for residency at your nearest foreigner's office. You would apply as a 'family member of an EU citizen'.  Here's a link to see what you need to do. Be sure to have all your ducks in a row when you apply. Your husband will have to demonstrate that he has financial means to support the both of you (which usually means having a job), and you will need health care coverage, among other things. 

Have a look at the stickies at the top of the page for lots more information about moving to and living in Spain.

Hope that helps!


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## AllHeart (Nov 22, 2013)

As a Spanish citizen, your husband has a lot of information and help available to him. Here's the office for returning Spaniards. I think you need to have a 9-digit phone number to use the contact form, though, so you can't use it until you have a European #. But you can get info from here already:

Secretaría General de Inmigración y Emigración. Portal de la Inmigración

They also have information through the Embassy of Spain in Washington for Spaniards, with all kinds of help, like work and healthcare:

Pages - Inicio


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

A word of caution here. The procedure that is referred to in kalohi's post is related to an EU directive for family members of EU nationals moving to any country in the EU other than the home country of the EU national in the family. Several countries (and Spain may well be among them) have adapted their requirements for visas to match the requirements for family members of other EU countries. But it's probably safest to check with your local Spanish consulate to be sure.
Cheers,
Bev


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## AllHeart (Nov 22, 2013)

Kalohi, I looked at your link for Family Member of an EU citizen. Is that not just for partners within the EU? 

Espressoemma, the consulate that serves California is San Francisco. Here's their information. They've got tons of stuff on there for you to learn, including visas:

Páginas - Servicios Consulares

Also, I don't know if you know that after one year's marriage and residence in Spain, you're eligible to become a Spanish citizen yourself. See #2, Nationality via Residence:

Pages - Spanish Nationality


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

AllHeart said:


> Kalohi, I looked at your link for Family Member of an EU citizen. Is that not just for partners within the EU?
> 
> Espressoemma, the consulate that serves California is San Francisco. Here's their information. They've got tons of stuff on there for you to learn, including visas:
> 
> ...


It's for non-EU family members of an EU citizen living in Spain.

I believe kalohi is married to a Spanish citizen

As is elenxtu & a few others - so can probably give more info.

It's certain though that the non-EU citizen can arrive on a tourist visa & apply for residency once here, if married to an EU or Spanish citizen


I'm not 100% certain, but I've never found anything to lead me to believe that the process is different for spouses of Spanish nationals, as opposed to spouses of non-Spanish EU citizens


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## kalohi (May 6, 2012)

xabiachica said:


> It's for non-EU family members of an EU citizen living in Spain.
> 
> I believe kalohi is married to a Spanish citizen
> 
> ...


Yes, I'm married to a Spaniard. My have my residency based on the fact that I'm a family member of an EU citizen (copied straight off of my residency card). There's no special residency for spouses of Spanish citizens - it's the same as for spouses of EU citizens.


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## AllHeart (Nov 22, 2013)

OK I think I get it. Thanks for explaining that, ladies.  So you're saying that a person who is a citizen of one of the countries who signed this agreement is eligible to provide a resident card for a family member (spouse, disabled relative and children). This family member can be a member of the countries who signed this agreement or not (such as the US). Is that right? Also, is this card indefinite or does it have a maximum time period?


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## kalohi (May 6, 2012)

AllHeart said:


> OK I think I get it. Thanks for explaining that, ladies.  So you're saying that a person who is a citizen of one of the countries who signed this agreement is eligible to provide a resident card for a family member (spouse, disabled relative and children). This family member can be a member of the countries who signed this agreement or not (such as the US). Is that right? Also, is this card indefinite or does it have a maximum time period?


Yep, you got it. 

The card (or do you mean residency?) isn't indefinite. It has to be renewed on a schedule that they keep changing. I'm not sure how often it is now, but it's something like after 2 years, then after 5 years and 5 years again, then after 10 from then on. What happens is that eventually the family member gets permanent residency which allows renewal less frequently.


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## AllHeart (Nov 22, 2013)

kalohi said:


> Yep, you got it.
> 
> The card (or do you mean residency?) isn't indefinite. It has to be renewed on a schedule that they keep changing. I'm not sure how often it is now, but it's something like after 2 years, then after 5 years and 5 years again, then after 10 from then on. What happens is that eventually the family member gets permanent residency which allows renewal less frequently.


Interesting. I didn't know that! Thanks.

In post #7 you referred to your residency card. It's not a card?


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## kalohi (May 6, 2012)

AllHeart said:


> Interesting. I didn't know that! Thanks.
> 
> In post #7 you referred to your residency card. It's not a card?


Yes, I have a card - very similar is appearance to a DNI card. 

I just mean to differentiate between my residency, which is permanent, and my card, which isn't. The card needs to be renewed every 10 years, just like a DNI does.


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## AllHeart (Nov 22, 2013)

kalohi said:


> Yes, I have a card - very similar is appearance to a DNI card.
> 
> I just mean to differentiate between my residency, which is permanent, and my card, which isn't. The card needs to be renewed every 10 years, just like a DNI does.


Gotcha! Yes, I looked it up and it indeed does look like the DNI card. Thanks again for explaining all that.


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