# partner visa for spain



## anooshka

Hello.
I am planning to move to spain in 2009 with my boyfriend who is a European Union citizen. However I am not a European citizen and hold an American passpot and want to know if something like a partner visa exists in Spain even if we are not legally married so that I would be able to work in Spain as well?


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## SteveHall

Simple answer ...no ...sorry 

You will need to go through "the process" - see Spain Government site in USA 
Good news is that 100% easier than Norwegian going to live in USA! ( I know that one!)


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## Liv

no.......
Spain is the country of fast track relationships!
I am from Australia and had your same problem at the beginning of last year. After spending months thoroughly looking into all our options we got married last November.


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## anooshka

Thank you so much for your replies. I was hoping that un equivalent of French PACS (paxing) -where govt acknowledges legal partnership after one year if the couple provides all necessary paperwork - also existed in Spain as well. I suppose being engaged doesn't mean legal partnership either in Spain ??? So is marriage my only option to get a visa to live and work in Spain?


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## Liv

I’ve also been told there is something called the "Pareja de hecho" (defacto status). You go to the townhall, prove that you both live together (you get registered at the same address as him) sign a declaration that you are a couple, show your passport and the certificate of no impediment to marriage then they call you to tell you when to go sign the document. After you have this for 3 months you can apply for a residency card, which apparently allows you to live and work in Spain. 
I’ve been told different things about this, like your partner has to prove he can financially support you … that it’s not internationally recognized etc. So you might want to speak to an immigration lawyer and find out the real story. 

Be ready though as Spain has the most painful and slow bureaucracy ever, and information seems to always be conflicting.

You can also get a student visa if you enroll in a course of more than 3 months but you can only get the visa from your country. You enroll in a course and they give you a letter confirming your enrollment which you take to the Spanish Embassy in your country to get the visa. I girl in my Spanish class has just done this (she’s in the same position), it’s very straight forward but very expensive.

Good Luck!!


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## SteveHall

"Pareja de hecho". Yes, it does exist but I have never, ever heard that being available to get an ENTRY visa for a non Spaniard to bring in a non EC and this was the original question, 

Another issue is that many councils will NOT allow sin papeles to register on the padrón and without an entry visa you are in effect sin papeles. Wthout a right of abode there is no chance of legal employment. Mind you with the work situation as it is, what chance of work is there anyway? 

As I say, you should get specialist advice from the Spanish Embassy in your country and ensure that they are aware that your partner is a NON-Spaniard.


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## Liv

Barcelona and Madrid allow you to register on the Padron even with an expired 90 tourist visa. I'm not sure about other`areas.
Steve is right, the best thing to do is go to the Spanish Embassy in your country and they will give you a list of options (well about 3 anyway).


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## SteveHall

Barcelona and Madrid allow you to register on the Padron even with an expired 90 tourist visa. I'm not sure about other`areas.

**As FACTS Torrevijea, Rojales and Orihuela don't! 
Absolutely amazed that the municipalities are allowed to get away with it. It's only to get more funds from regional and national government!!


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## Liv

Sorry Anooshka this is going of on a tangent....but

Yes I found it strange too (coming from Australia) that even when your illegally in Spain your allowed to register on the Padron.
In my recent experience the Spanish authorities never check your visa status. My visa expired 6 months ago and I am still waiting on my residency card. 
In this time I have got married (including registering for my Padron)and I have left and reentered the country (been to and from Australia). During all this time and all these visits to official offices no one has check or even asked about my visa status.

Working on the other hand is a different story.


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## anooshka

Hi Steve and Liv
You are both wealth of infomation! Thank you so so much for all the advice. 
I am going to go to the Spain Embassy in Paris - where I live currently - to get more information. But so that I can ask the right questions to them - what is "registering on the Padron" mean? What is Padron?
My boyfriend is French and I am going to look into the fact if Pareja de Hecho applies to a non-Spaniard. Will keep you posted 
Anooshka


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## SteveHall

The padrón is simply the official local census. 

Bonne chance


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## jacobleej

Hi anyone got a Pareja de Hecho from Nerja...I am a Brit with an American girlfriend that would like to reside in Spain...I have a pension so I know I don't have a problem plus I lived in Spain many years ago & was at that time married & had a Spanish ID but since being back in England I know it is no longer valid but my daughter is Spanish & we want to move over so I am nearer her...I'm not sure if I can regain my ID because I have a Spanish child or not but I guess that is another question for another thread...


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## xabiaxica

jacobleej said:


> Hi anyone got a Pareja de Hecho from Nerja...I am a Brit with an American girlfriend that would like to reside in Spain...I have a pension so I know I don't have a problem plus I lived in Spain many years ago & was at that time married & had a Spanish ID but since being back in England I know it is no longer valid but my daughter is Spanish & we want to move over so I am nearer her...I'm not sure if I can regain my ID because I have a Spanish child or not but I guess that is another question for another thread...


provided you meet the new income & healthcare requirements then you can come & live here

I believe that for your girlfriend to live here and register as pareja de hecho you would have to have proof that you have lived together for 2 years


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## jacobleej

Hi thank you for your reply...did you mean health insurance?...not sure which would be the most affordable unless someone knows one good insurer...

I am sure we could get a written letter from a nurse/doctor to say we have lived together for a number of years...not sure which would be best...I know there are a lot of people that know us but as to the sort of people it would best apply to I'm not sure...


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## jacobleej

Oh yes forgot to say I have a transferable pension (incapacity) so my girlfriend is also my carer but not sure how that would apply...


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## xabiaxica

jacobleej said:


> Hi thank you for your reply...did you mean health insurance?...not sure which would be the most affordable unless someone knows one good insurer...
> 
> I am sure we could get a written letter from a nurse/doctor to say we have lived together for a number of years...not sure which would be best...I know there are a lot of people that know us but as to the sort of people it would best apply to I'm not sure...


if you have a UK state pension you will be able to use the Spanish health system under a reciprocal agreement - there are changes afoot atm, but that's the situation as it stands - & as a pareja de hecho your partner would also be covered


I think you need more than just a letter from a doctor I believe to prove pareja de hecho - bills in joint names & so on going back a couple of years - I dare say someone will be along who knows for sure

also, the Spanish govt has brought in a requirement for proof of income, although it's not yet clear how much - figures of 430€ a month per person have been suggested - and we don't yet know what would constitute proof


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## jacobleej

Hi all the bills are in my name so that might be a bit difficult...we have club memberships in joint names under the same address but not sure if that would count...

I'm not sure about the amount of money I would need but I have wrote to the consulate in Malaga to see what he says...no idea until I get all the facts but I'm sure we will be able to get something sorted for paperwork...

I don't know if it helps having a Spanish family as we always have somewhere to go if anything was to go pear shaped so we do have the extra security of that...not sure how much my family might count or help towards staying in Spain...

There are so many different ways in Spain I know as I did live there for 10 before the EEU years...but I was brought up there & married there...

The other thing is if I can regain my Spanish DNI which my daughter has at the moment along with el libro de familia...still waiting for a reply from the Spanish embassy about that but as we know that can take some time also lol...

Regards Jake


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## Goatherd

*Pension in Spain*



xabiachica said:


> if you have a UK state pension you will be able to use the Spanish health system under a reciprocal agreement - there are changes afoot atm, but that's the situation as it stands - & as a pareja de hecho your partner would also be covered
> 
> 
> I think you need more than just a letter from a doctor I believe to prove pareja de hecho - bills in joint names & so on going back a couple of years - I dare say someone will be along who knows for sure
> 
> also, the Spanish govt has brought in a requirement for proof of income, although it's not yet clear how much - figures of 430€ a month per person have been suggested - and we don't yet know what would constitute proof


Being a pensioner in Spain is great.... I get free health care, just had a Cataract operation, marvelous, don't forget to apply for your Andalucia Gold Card if you are in that area.... really good and it's FREE... went to Cordoba and entered the Mesquita and Three Kings palace totally free of charge.... saving 9 Euros. Can't be bad.
My live in partner and I are both on the padron and she is registered with health care too........
Even if there is a 10% charge for prescriptions it is good value and there will be a maximum of 8 euros a month....so no complaints.
Wish you luck with the pareja.
Goatherd


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## jacobleej

Hi what is the Padron?...so many things I have to think about lol...I hope I can get everything together to prove all I need to for the Pareja de Hacho....always good to have feedback...I do have a mag from last summer with us both featured in it together but not sure if that helps but the mag is dated & we are shown together under a Mr & Mrs title seeming she uses my name...

I have heard about the gold card lol...I'm 60 at the moment but i don't think I can get that one till I am 65...not sure...read so much stuff it can make you dizzy lol...Regards Jake


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