# Pareja de hecho or other options



## anarchos (Aug 27, 2014)

I am a Canadian who has met a very nice Spanish girl and am starting to try to find a way to move to Spain to live with her. I met her in Canada last summer, and spent the spring (6 weeks) in Spain living with her, and then she spent 6 weeks living with me in Canada this summer.

I am wondering what my options are for me to move to Spain? I have no job offer or anything like that, so it would have to be via "common law partnership" or marriage, I think.

From what I can gather from Spanish language pages translated by google, in order to be a "Pareja de Hecho" in Valencia (where she is from) you are required to live at the same residence for at least 12 months.

I may have the possibility to get a one year working holiday visa that would allow me to live/work in Spain for one year. Would we be eligible for Pareja de Hecho after one year on a working holiday visa?

What if we got married, would that open up any options? 

Thanks,
Mike


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## 213979 (Apr 11, 2013)

anarchos said:


> I am a Canadian who has met a very nice Spanish girl and am starting to try to find a way to move to Spain to live with her. I met her in Canada last summer, and spent the spring (6 weeks) in Spain living with her, and then she spent 6 weeks living with me in Canada this summer.
> 
> I am wondering what my options are for me to move to Spain? I have no job offer or anything like that, so it would have to be via "common law partnership" or marriage, I think.
> 
> ...


Getting married is the golden ticket, but are you ready? 

Are you eligible for dfait's program? That would be a lot easier.


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## anarchos (Aug 27, 2014)

elenetxu said:


> Getting married is the golden ticket, but are you ready?
> 
> Are you eligible for dfait's program? That would be a lot easier.


Not really ready for marriage, hah. I was more thinking that after a year over there I might be....just really wondering about the options. I think I am eligible for a working holiday visa. From what I can tell I need to be under 35 (check), have a return ticket (easy enough) and $2,390 CAD in the bank to cover my expenses for the first three months (also check), as well as a statement of fitness from a doctor (should have that one in the bag, too). My only concern is that it says there is a quota of 1000 people, but no mention of when the quota starts. January 1st of each year, maybe? 

I've done working holiday visas in Australia and New Zealand and I do remember New Zealand specifically stating the a working holiday visa does not count towards any type of residency period. Any idea about Spain?


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

I thought I read somewhere (on this forum?) that it was 2 years in Spain.

Worth a search?


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

snikpoh said:


> I thought I read somewhere (on this forum?) that it was 2 years in Spain.
> 
> Worth a search?


from some research I did recently it is indeed 2 years in most areas, & in some areas they aren't doing this at all atm

there may still be some local town halls not requiring a waiting time though


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## Cappa (Apr 11, 2011)

Pareja de echo would probably the easiest way.... I think it's same set of rules for all of Spain with certain regulations varying from city to city and such.

You would need to have lived with your partner for at least a year and they need to be empadronado(basically registered in city council/ayuntamiento) for where you are asking for the pareja de echo.

I don't know how they actually go about checking that you've actually lived together for a year. I personally know of someone who came from China and did the pareja de echo but I am unsure if she had been living with the person prior to requesting that. After pareja de echo she was granted the NIE


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Cappa said:


> Pareja de echo would probably the easiest way.... I think it's same set of rules for all of Spain with certain regulations varying from city to city and such.
> 
> You would need to have lived with your partner for at least a year and they need to be empadronado(basically registered in city council/ayuntamiento) for where you are asking for the pareja de echo.
> 
> I don't know how they actually go about checking that you've actually lived together for a year. I personally know of someone who came from China and did the pareja de echo but I am unsure if she had been living with the person prior to requesting that. After pareja de echo she was granted the NIE



what seems to have happened is that whereas they used to accept proof for _pareja de hecho _from abroad, such as joint rental agreements - now they are insisting that the proof is from within Spain, such as padrón records -& many/most are now wanting 2 years


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## liliana80 (Sep 6, 2014)

I don't think that you would be able to register as pareja de hecho in Valencia because they have as a requirement that foreigners present a NIE and tarjeta de identidad de extranjero. If you have a working holiday visa, you are not a resident and you cannot apply for a tarjeta. Believe me, I tried and it was impossible. 
I came here on a working holiday visa to be with my Spanish partner. After one year we got married in Gibraltar, it was the easiest thing to do. The working holiday visa quota opened in February this year, but it varies from year to year. You can call the consulate and ask them if the quota has been filled yet.


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