Moving together
In everyday speech, "family" is broader than in immigration law. For each relative you have to establish a separate basis, the degree of dependency and the right to work.
Read in orderThere is no single family package for every programme. A nomad's family, a student's family, a simultaneous No Lucrativa and ordinary reunification all follow different rules.
When the routemakes sense
- Spouses or registered partners move at the same time.
- An unregistered union can be proven with admissible documents.
- Children are minors or genuinely dependent on the family.
- For parents there is provable economic or other dependency.
- Funds and insurance are calculated for the full household.
First choose the family mechanism
Under Ley 14/2013 relatives can often apply together with the main applicant. In No Lucrativa the family may also follow the common consular route. Students are governed by special rules for accompanying relatives. Ordinary reunification has its own requirements for the sponsor's status, housing and resources.
If one family member has an independent strong basis, it is worth comparing it with a dependent status: the right to work, the term and the stability if the relationship changes all differ.
Kinship and dependency are different kinds of proof
A certificate confirms a legal relationship but not always economic dependency. For adult children or parents you may need translations, cohabitation, medical circumstances and the absence of independent resources.
An unregistered partnership is proven not by a single photo but by a stable shared life: addresses, accounts, trips, contracts and other objective traces.
Family rights are checked before choosing a programme
In some regimes the accompanying spouse gains the right to work, in others not. For children you plan school, insurance and local registrations in advance.
Divorce, a child coming of age or a change in dependency can affect status. Family architecture is assessed not only on the filing day but for the coming years.
A working set ofdocuments
Not a universal list but a framework. The exact set depends on your nationality, the place of filing, your family and the facts of your case.
- 01
marriage certificate or partnership registration
- 02
evidence of a stable unregistered union
- 03
children's birth certificates
- 04
custody documents or consent of the second parent
- 05
proof of dependency of adult relatives
- 06
evidence of additional funds
- 07
insurance for each family member
- 08
certificates, translations and legalisation
The order of work
Each next step begins only after the previous one has been verified.
- 01
Household
We record everyone who is moving, their age, kinship, dependency and goals.
- 02
Mechanism
We compare simultaneous filing, accompaniment and reunification.
- 03
Evidence
We gather certificates, shared history, consents and financial documents.
- 04
Synchronisation
We align the terms of certificates, insurance and filings for all family members.
- 05
After arrival
We plan TIE, padrón, school, healthcare and the independence of each status.
Where a case breaks
Dependency is faked
A one-off money transfer rarely replaces a stable history of supporting a relative.
Second parent's consent forgotten
A child's relocation requires checking custody and exit rules in advance.
Work rights mixed up
An accompanying person's status is always checked against the specific basis of the main applicant.
Short answers
If the answer changes with a single fact, that is not a detail — it is a reason to review the situation separately.
01Does a common-law partner count as family?
In a number of programmes, yes, if the union is registered or a stable relationship can be proven in the prescribed manner.
02Can I bring parents?
Sometimes it is possible, but usually you need age-related or dependency circumstances and a strong documentary history.
03Will a spouse be able to work?
It depends on the programme. The family of an applicant under Ley 14/2013 usually gains the right to work, while accompanying relatives of a student follow different rules.
04Do we have to file at the same time?
Not always. Simultaneous and subsequent filing are compared by timing, the family's location and the requirements of the specific regime.
Check before filing
The file was updated from official materials in July 2026. Specific amounts, forms and practice may change.