# Any advantage to requesting a libro de familia for two non-EU citizens residents?



## libove (Feb 24, 2008)

My wife and I are both non-EU citizens (she's Japanese, I'm US). We both have our temporal residency here (that is, we have NIEs). We're married in the US, which documents (translated and sealed) the Spanish Consulate in the US accepted in our process of getting our Spanish visas. We have no children, and we will have no children.
Is there any benefit to - are we even allowed to - request a Spanish libro de familia?
Thanks,
Jay
Barcelona


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## Caz.I (Mar 21, 2009)

libove said:


> My wife and I are both non-EU citizens (she's Japanese, I'm US). We both have our temporal residency here (that is, we have NIEs). We're married in the US, which documents (translated and sealed) the Spanish Consulate in the US accepted in our process of getting our Spanish visas. We have no children, and we will have no children.
> Is there any benefit to - are we even allowed to - request a Spanish libro de familia?
> Thanks,
> Jay
> Barcelona


Hi,
I am no expert but I cant see how there would be any benefit to that (I presume you mean in terms of getting permanent residency?). It says on the Spanish Civil Register website libro de familia that the libro de familia is supposed to just be a record of any marriages (and subsequent divorce or legal separation) or births that have taken place in Spain. You might be able to apply to register your marriage but not totally sure. Normally, you only need it (as far as I can tell) to prove your marital status and/or that you have children who were born here, and when you apply for services that are given because you have children - particularly for school).
So if neither of you has Spanish nationality and you dont have children and dont plan to have any then I dont see the use of it. My son's father who is a non-EU citizen i understand had an advantage when applying for Spanish nationality because he had a son who was born here, so for him to submit the libro de familia may have helped him gain nationality - and perhaps would have helped him to get residency if he hadnt already had it - but it was the fact that he had a child, rather than the actual book that helped. If it doesnt show children on there I doubt it would help.
The other thing is, I recently saw something on the internet about them getting rid of the Libro de familia this year, and everything being registered electronically.

Better to consult a lawyer on the finer points of this though.

Caz.I


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