So you’ve done it! You’ve convinced your Spanish boyfriend or girlfriend that the best and most fool-proof way for you to remain in Spain and be able to work legally is for them to sign a teeny piece of paper which doesn’t even legally change their marital status and really isn’t such a big deal.
Sound familiar? Eight years ago, I too had this conversation, (more of word vomit on my part), with my partner at the time trying to show him that it really wasn’t anything to be afraid of. And to my somewhat shock and surprise, he wasn’t! Neither was my mom, who, when she called me I gave her the same, “it-isn’t-marriage-and-really-isn’t-that-big-of-a-deal” speech and she told me the next time I asked to talk to her about something important, that I make it sound less like I have a terminal illness, and proceeded to ask me what documents I would need from the States. Moms.
Little did I know, that was the easy part. The difficult part was the gathering of documents, Apostilles, official translations, and worst of all, doing my best to appease bored government bureaucrats.
At the time, I had to use my small network of auxiliares, and speak with some who had also become pareja de hecho, in order to get the low down on what exactly it was that I needed. What I would have LOVED is a website, much like this one, to lay out clearly what I would need to do to get this done. So, ladies and gents, here you have it!
Before we get started, I must offer a word of warning. Different autonomous communities in Spain, and even different provinces may have slight variations of these requirements and processes. Due to this, I recommend you get acquainted as soon as possible with your local Consejería de Igualdad, Salud, y Políticas (it can be called something slightly different depending on where you are), and get this information straight from the horse’s mouth. For reference, I did my process in Cádiz in 2013.
Don’t let this be you.
What does “pareja de hecho” really mean?
Before we dive into the paperwork requirements, let’s clear up what pareja de hecho really means and who it is intended for. Hint–its not really intended for you. It is sort of a step toward marriage for couples who have probably been together for a long time, but aren’t at the marriage stage yet, or who do not foresee themselves getting married. So why would they do it?
- Medical leave permission. As their registered civil partner, if anything were to happen to them or to their immediate family, (up to 2nd line of kinship), they would be given medical leave at work. This includes maternity or paternity leave should they have children.
- Kids. Pareja de hecho and actual marriage are quite different, but with kids involved, they are quite similiar. As I mentioned above, mom and dad would be entitled to maternity and paternity leave and in the event of a separation, if no agreement had previously been settled, a judge would be responsible for deciding custody, just as in a marriage.
- Non Eu foreigners like you just wanting to hustle legally! If you’ve done a little bit of research, you know that by doing this civil union, you are entitled, as the partner of an EU resident, to 5 years of living and working in Spain, without having to worry about renewals or visa modifications every year or two. And once you pass those five years, you apply for permanent residency, (which you almost certainly will get), and voilá! You’ve made your dream and your mother’s nightmare come true–you never have to live in the USA again.
To see all the ways that marriage and civil unions in Spain are different, check out my post that explains all of it. The bottomline? Becoming pareja de hecho really does implicate much less than actual marriage, which is why it is so appealing for foreigners like us.
Requirements:
Minimum requirements to apply:
- one partner is from an EU country, (yes, you can register as pareja de hecho in Spain even if your partner is not Spanish, as long as they are from an EU member state), and the other is not
- **proof of 1 year minimum cohabitation/relationship** (or not, depending on your autonomous community)
- over the age of 18 or legally emancipated
- neither one is currently married or in another civil union
- declaration that you are not family members
- declaration of mental capacity to make decisions (these were both done orally when we signed the actual paper)
Required documents:
Remember–any of these documents that are not in Spanish must be translated officially first. Sometimes the process of requesting documents from the States and getting them translated is what takes the longest, so it is best to start requesting documents as soon as possible.
- Original and copy of non-EU member’s NIE (cannot be expired)–that’s you.
- Original and copy of non-EU member’s passport–also you.
- Original and copy of EU member’s DNI–your partner.
- Original and copy (always have at least two copies of everything. Ev.Ery.Thing) of your certificado de empadronamiento–this is the official certificate you get from your town hall, NOT the volante, which is like a temporary one. Depending on your autonomous community and/or province, you may be asked to show a padrón with you and your partner listed on it. In Cádiz, I was required to do this, however, in order to do so I only had to show a rental contract with at least one name on it, as well as my partner’s DNI and signature. (Spoiler alert, we were not actually living together at the time.)
- Official copy of non-EU member’s birth certificate, with the Apostille of the Hague. Both officially translated to Spanish.
- Official document and copy (usually obtained in the same office as your birth certificate) certifying that you are not currently married.
- Same official document from your partner–in Spain its called “Fe de Vida y Estado”
- Original and copy of the application they will give to you
- Payment of the fees of modelo-030, costing about 80 euros.
As I said before, this could vary, but very slightly, depending on the AC you’re applying in. For example, a reader who applied in Castilla y León didn’t need her birth certificate, but her and her partner did need to prove they had lived together (they had been “empadronados” together) for sixth months prior to applying. This is why it is worth it to go to the office and get information straight from the source!
Applying for residency
So you thought your nightmare was finished once you and your beau were an official pair in the eyes of the law? Come on…nothing in Spain is that easy! Yes, unfortunately, the pareja de hecho process is the fastest and easiest in this process. Basically once you have the documents you need, it is only a matter of signing. What takes the longest is applying for residency. Not because of the documents you need, but because the government can take up to 3 months once you turn in all of your documents to decide whether or not to give you residency.
Required documents to request residency:
- Official document and photocopy certifying your new pareja de hecho status
- Passport and photocopy of non-EU member
- NIE and photocopy of non-EU member
- DNI and photocopy of EU member
- If either of you is unemployed, you will need to show sufficient funds to support yourself–usually deemed as around 700 euros per month, or 8400 euros per year, but again, ask in your respective office. In my case we showed my bank account in Spain, in the States, my credit card balance, my partner’s job contract detailing his salary, as well as the job contract I had been offered at the time, and my partner’s bank account.
- Proof of private insurance coverage for non-EU member. (Once you are granted residency you can sign up for social security just like everyone else and get free public health care but until then, the Spanish state needs to know you won’t be a burden.
Here again, there can be certain discrepancies depending on where you apply. The same reader who applied in Castilla y León told me she was only given a 1 year card which she renewed for the 5 year card afterwards. She mentioned this could be due to the fact that she didn’t have a job at the time and her partner was a student, but again, check with your local office if you want to be sure.
All jokes aside, becoming pareja de hecho in Spain is a fairly manageable process if taken one step at a time. And hey, if it works out, why not get married in Spain, too? Anything to keep us “sinverguenza” Americans in Spain, right? 😉
Spain with Emily 
Hi!! Thank you so much for sharing your experience. I have a question regarding the -Official copy of non-EU member’s birth certificate, did you get in the US or were you able to get it at the Embassy in Madrid? really helpfullll!!!! 🙂 Carolina
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Hi Carolina! For me it was much easier to ask a family member, in this case my mom, to request one from the vital records department of my state, than to have to go to Madrid and ask for it. I have heard of people who have done that though! During these tricky times it might be best to check waiting times at both places 🙂
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Was your family member able to legalize everything for you as well?
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Hi! If memory serves me correcting once she was able to get that document, she sent it to be legalized with the apostille of the hague, yes 🙂
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Hi Emily,
This was such a great explanation. I really appreciated it! One thing I am having a hard time with is the official document saying you are single. The research I’ve done says that the US does not have any document like this. The only solution I have found is to go to the US embassy in Madrid and request that document. What did you do, and if you did get it from the US, what is the actual document called? Thanks, Jordan.
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Hi Jordan! My local town hall did have this document, and I requested it with my birth certificate, from the vital record department. I think it might be called a single status certificate. I was lucky in that my mom was able to go and ask about it, but try emailing your town hall in the states and see what they say!
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Okay, I was reading my town hall’s website and it didn’t say anything about this. I will call and ask once things start to calm down a bit! Thanks for responding so quickly!
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Were you able to request the single status certificate in Spanish from the beginning, or did you have to apply for the certificate THAN get that translated?
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Hi! Where im from it was only available in english and then had to get it translated.
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Hi Emily,
This was such a great explanation. I really appreciated it! One thing I am having a hard time with is the official document saying you are single. The research I’ve done says that the US does not have any document like this. The only solution I have found is to go to the US embassy in Madrid and request that document. What did you do, and if you did get it from the US, what is the actual document called? Thanks, Jordan.
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Hi Emily, thanks for this, super helpful! You mention that you had to submit your NIE as part of the process, but my American girlfriend (I am the Spanish resident in our situation) doesn’t have a NIE since she’s never lived here before, would that be an issue?
I assume this might be beyond your expertise, so if you don’t know i’m sorry to bother you! Thanks a lot
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Hey! So she is only here on a tourist visa? If she’s outstayed her visa, I would recommend getting back to the states before trying to start the process. If she is here on a tourist visa, I guess I’m not sure how to proceed since I’m guessing you guys haven’t lived together for an extended period of time either, and I don’t know that with just her passport she would be able to apply–and even if so, the process itself takes probably 3-6 months from start to finish, so her tourist visa would run out before she is able to get a nie. All this said, you are right that this is outside of my area of expertise and my best advice is to go to your local office and ask exactly what requirements you’ll need there! Sorry I couldn’t be of more help!
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Hey there,
I’m in the process of a divorce in the States, and I am applying ( to make things semi-official) for a legal separation agreement. I read ( only from one website/blog) that a separation agreement would be fine, but while checking other resources this isn’t mentioned. They only refer to the divorce decree ( which this is actually going to take some time to make official. And I really would like to get this process started ASAP as this is my last year here on a student visa.) Do you know if the legal separation status would suffice?
Thanks!
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Hey! Great question, and not one I’ve ever gotten before. Because these things can vary from province to province, I would recommend going directly to your local office and asking about it. Because they ask for a paper which confirms your official unmarried status, I am not sure that only a separation status would be enough, but it also seems like the sort of thing you want to be sure about before proceeding through the entire nightmare of paper work! Let me know what they tell you!
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Hi Emily, Just a quick question. After receiving the official document certifying your new ´´pareja de hecho´´ status, how long does it take till you receive your residence permit.
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Hi! We signed PDH papers on April 1st and I believe i was granted residency in either july or august i believe. This should be taken with a grain of salt though for the current times, as i know wait times have been greatly extended due to covid 😦
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Hi Emily!
I’m a bit confused about having proof of 1 year minimum cohabitation/relationship. I can certainly prove that I’ve been with my boyfriend for a year, but haven’t lived with him for a year as I’ve either lived in Paris for half our relationship or LA (cause of the travel bans). I’m wondering how that’s possible to show you’ve cohabitated for a year, unless you get some sort of visa. Or does one overstay? Sorry for the questions. I just want to make sure I understand. Thank you so much!!
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Hi Kimberly! I believe i mention this in the post, but this is something you’ll want to clear up in the province where you are doing the PDH, because depending on where you do it, there could be different regulations. For example, I didn’t need to show we had been together a year when we did our paperwork in Cadiz in 2012. Although my post can serve as a general outline, and most of the requirements will be the same, you really should ask locally so they can give you the exact requirements you need there 🙂 Things can change so quickly so even my experience and the subsequent research i did for this post could be slightly different for where you are now!
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Hi Kimberly,
This is really great info.
Thank you!
I have a question. When you mentioned that you have submitted your Bank statements from the US, did you have it notarized or something?
I am asking because me and partner are waiting for result of our pareja de hecho and once its available we will proceed with applying the Tarjeta communitaria. And I also want to submit my bank statements from Costa Rica. Also, I do have job and currently working remotely. I was thinking also to submit my Certificate of Employment. But I am not sure If I need to have it legalized or something.
Thanks a lot for your inputs 🙂
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Hi! At the time we did it and in the place we did it (Cadiz), we didn’t have to have that stuff notarized, no! I also had a job offer and that wasn’t notarized or anything either! I hope this helps!
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Hello Emily “)
What if you just got married? I know it’s not easy in Spain when it comes to paperwork at all, but what abut this scenario?
Thank you.
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Hi! Are we able to get our birth certificate apostille stamped at the US embassy in Madrid? I have my birth certificate here but it doesn’t have the stamp, and with the way things are going who knows how long it’ll take to send to the States and back…
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I believe you can, yes! I think other people have done it. I did mine in the States but id love to know if you can 🙂
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Sorry, another question about the birth certificate. Does it have to be translated before or after the stamp?
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If i remember correctly you need to get it apostilled and then have both of them translated to Spanish. Even if you’re able to get the apostille in madrid it would be through the US embassy so youd just give them your BC in english, get the apostille and have them both translated 🙂
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thank you thank you emoji
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Hi Emily, many thanks for the useful guidelines.
My only question is:
When you say “contact the source for the exact requirements”. Which source/office are you referring to?
I know the requirements for pareja de hecho, but I’m not sure about the next steps, i.e requirements to get the tareja communtario or permisio de trabajo for my partner who is from a non EU country. We live in Catalonia.
So I would like to know which source I need to contact?
Many thanks
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Hi Dan! It tends to vary from place to place, but doing a bit of research it looks like for Catalonia, this page seems to have the info you’re looking for. https://web.gencat.cat/es/tramits/tramits-temes/Registre-de-parelles-estables-de-Catalunya?moda=1 I’m not sure where you live in Catalonia, but in general it seems to be the Departamento de Justicia or Dret i d’Entitats Jurídiques. At the bottom of that page you can click on “Presencialmente” to see where the offices are, however it looks like you can also apply online. I hope this helps! Also–once you have your pareja de hecho signed, then you do the next step in the Oficina de Extranjeria, which is applying for the tarjeta de residencia–this also gives permission to work to the person who holds it.
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Hi Emily!
This is great information- thank you so much for breaking everything down!
My question: (which is likely not in your realm of expertise and if so, sorry to be a nuisance!) Can you apply for the Pareja de Hecho before moving to Spain? Background: I met my Spanish boyfriend while he was living in the states and now we’ve decided to move to Spain together and the Pareja de Hecho seems to be the way to go. However, it appears geared toward those already living in Spain. I’m just hoping to have everything settled by the time we move there so I don’t have to worry about any (or very few) hiccups. Thanks for any guidance!!
Morgan
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Hi Morgan! Im guessing then that your boyfriend is Spanish or from the EU? I’m fairly certain you need to physically be there, but if you can have your paperwork in order beforehand it would make things a lot faster! Remember that some autonomous communities require a certain length of time living together so if you have that from the States it should be officially translated to Spanish, as well as the other docs you need from the States. Most places i believe will want to see proof that you are registered as living together at the same address, whether or not they require youve lived together for a certain period of time or not. So my short answer to your question is: Im not 100% sure but if you get your things together, once youre in Spain you can get things together quickly enough! I hope that helps!
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Hi Emily,
I know this may be out of your realm of knowledge, but with everything happening with covid my TIE is STILL processing after having started the process at the end of September. You mention that it is the NIE that is needed, and I am here legally working for the government. When you say an NIE that is not expired do you mean the TIE?
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Hi Katlyn! You’re right…I wish I knew for sure but my GUESS is that just having a valid NIE is enough…after all, the TIE is simply the card, so I would tend to believe that as long as the number is valid, that’s enough…especially if it isn’t anything that you’ve done wrong. I hope this helps!
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Hi there Emily, thanks for this awesome article. I am awaiting approval for Pareja De Hecho status in Cadiz now. I am nervous about the next steps. May I ask, which insurance plan did you get to show them you were covered here? And how long did your residency approval take? Was it 3 months in the end? Many thanks, and congratulations! Jane.
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Hi Jane! At the time i was still under my parents’ insurance in the States, so I was able to provide that. In Spain, however, private insurance is decently affordable. I currently use Sanitas and would definitely recommend them. We signed our pareja de hecho papers April 1st, and I think I was approved in July. Its been 9 years since then so I could be mixing things up, but I know I had it before September because I started work in Barcelona and had it. A lot can change in a decade, though, and with coronavirus nothing seems guaranteed, so I just hope things go quickly and smoothly for you!
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Hi Emily! Thank you for this super informative blog post. With its guidance, my partner and I were able to receive our Pareja de Hecho visa in Cadiz this month. For what happens next, I would love some clarification. I originally applied for the Pareja de Hecho visa with my valid US Passport, which means I still do not have an NIE. So, would my next step be to apply locally at the Extranjero Police Station for my NIE with my new Pareja de Hecho visa? And also, when do I apply for residency? Do I need to apply soon or is that something I apply for after living here for five years? Thank you for any advice you may have!
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Hi! Yes, you should apply for the “tarjeta de residencia de familiar comunitario” as soon as your pareja de hecho is approved! That is what gives you permission to be here, not the pareja de hecho itself. Once you get THAT card, then you can be here for five years, after which you renew the card and get one valid for ten years. And yes, I believe that is done at la oficina de extranjeria! Get an appointment as soon as you can 🙂
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Great, thank you for the info & confirmation! I’ll make an appointment soon with the office. Thank you again for such an informative blog! 🙂
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Hi! I am looking to do this with my partner as well…. Do I need to get the document from the states declaring my single status apostiled as well or just the birth certificate? I am also in Cadiz so all of this was very helpful considering most of the other stuff online is about Madrid and Barcelona!
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Hi Andrea! Great question. If I remember correctly I think any official documents coming from the States need the Apostille. But again, I am not a lawyer or an absolute expert so I do suggest going to the source to confirm everything! In Cadiz as long as it hasn’t changed the office was in Plaza Asdrubal! Hope this helps 🙂
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Hi Emily,
Great article! one question after 5 years does that give you the opportunity to get the Spanish passport?
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Hi there! So, getting a Spanish passport and therefore Spanish citizenship depends on your current nationality. The United States won’t allow you to have double nationality unless it is by way of direct bloodline–so, your parents or grandparents I believe. I know there are loop holes and I know people who have both who “shouldn’t” but personally having a Spanish passport versus simply having permanent residency (which your “tarjeta comunitaria” that you apply for after you have become pareja de hecho, already gives you), doesn’t feel worth the hassle to me. And in any case, you need to have lived 10 years in Spain before you’re eligible for a passport 🙂 Hope this helps!
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Hi Emily! Your post was very helpful. However, I am wondering if you can clarify one point you made – You stated that neither of us needs to be Spanish, just one at least needs to be an EU citizen. Where did you find this information? I am American and my boyfriend is Portuguese and we both live in San Sebastián in País Vasco (I’m on a long-term student visa and he has a work contract). When I called the local office here about our eligibility, they told me that at least one of us needs to be a Spanish citizen or national. I don’t know whether this specific individual gave us incorrect information or if your post was incorrect. Thanks!
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Hi Kathleen! Thanks for your question, I always try to do as much research as possible to only give the facts in my posts, but of course I can’t know everything, and sometimes I do make a mistake so I went back to check again, just to be sure. Yes, you and your partner CAN become pareja de hecho in Spain as long as he/she is an EU citizen who is a permanent resident in Spain. I hope this helps!
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Thanks for your response, Emily! I know how hard it is to find accurate information, especially for something like this which varies between regions. We’re currently speaking to some experts in the legal community who are advising us on whether or not we are eligible and there even seems to be uncertainty amongst them! My partner is an EU citizen but not a permanent resident – he has lived here for about 3 years (during which he’s been empadronado & a citizen of the community) and has a work contract. There’s a lot to figure out!
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Hi Emily,
I have my official birth certificate and document that says I’m single. I’m currently in the US, but plan to apply for the pareja de hecho when I’m with my partner in Spain. Do I need to get an apostille for those two official documents? If so, do I do that before or after they’re translated into Spanish? Is it easier to get them translated into Spanish once I’m in Spain or while I’m still in the US? Thank you!
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Hi rebecca! Youll need to get the apostille for both and yes, get it while youre there otherwise it is much more complicated. Once you have them apostilled THEN youll get them translated to Spanish. That part is easy enough to do in spain, no idea about the states. I hope that helps!
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Hi! I’m also in the process with my Spanish partner in Cadiz. We have our Pareja de hecho appointment next week!! and just getting my head around the next steps…
I don’t have an NIE number yet, and was under the impression I can’t get this until I have residency? Is it still possible to get it before I’m resident?
I’m pretty sure I already have everything else ready to go, but a bit confused by that step!
Thanks 🙂
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Hi Ben!
What is your current situation here in Spain–how are you able to be here currently? What is your country of residency? As a foreigner residing in Spain you should have been given a NIE (numero de identidad de extranjeros) which is a number that appears on your TIE–the physical card. When I became pareja de hecho with my partner, I had my NIE from all my years as a language assistant, as you are required to get that card upon arrival in Spain. Once your pareja de hecho is approved, and you apply for the residency card, you will get the same number. If you’ve never had this and perhaps you’re here on a simple tourist visa, i am assuming once your civil union is approved and you apply for the residency card you will be assigned a NIE on the card you are given.
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Hi! I moved here from the UK on 10th April, so post-brexit. So at the moment I’m within my 90 day ‘holiday’ stay in Spain. I am working for a UK based company for now, but plan to transition to autonomo when I have right to work in Spain. I’m not on a Visa, so perhaps that’s why I wouldn’t have the NIE yet?
I’ve just been using my UK passport number as ID instead of NIE for now.
One other question.. did you have a ring or engagement ring for your appointment? We don’t at the moment, but wonder if this would make the process more ‘authentic’. We’ve been together for 8 years, but are only doing this to live here really, so didn’t approach it in the way a usual engagement would happen..! 🙂
Thanks!
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Hi again, Ben. I am no expert on Brexit stuff but I am *guessing* you’ll get assigned a NIE once you do the pareja de hecho process. Keep me updated though because I like to keep my info accurate! As for the ring–nope! And no one expects you to have one. It is a very informal process, don’t worry!
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Lovely, I’ll reply here if that’s the case! Thanks very much 🙂
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Hey, so we had the pareja de hecho appointment in Cadiz and now need to wait a few weeks before getting confirmation. We had separate interviews with some easy questions and some random ones like ‘do you have a microwave in your house?’
They didn’t mention anything about NIE, so I assume this will be issued when the residency application is done.
Did you apply via the EX19 form for residency? This is what I am looking at, but I’m slightly confused by the income side. I am self employed and have a contract which is full time I’m hoping to use as my evidence. And I’m planning on going Autonomo once approved. However, lots of things I read suggest that my Spanish partner must have sufficient income to support me? My partner is unemployed at the moment, but receiving Paro payments of over €1000/month. Do you have any idea if they would take that into consideration too, or do they take into consideration your combined income?
Thanks!
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Hi Emily, thanks a lot for this post, really informative! I’m curious about the “minimal paperwork” of switching from pareja de hecho to married. I am thinking about doing this tramite but I find it really confusing. I´m a US/UK dual citizen so I was actually the one registering my girlfriend to get her residency (that was pre-brexit). Now, do to covid it’s basically impossible to bring her for a visit to the US unless we get married first so we’re thinking about changing status. Would you mind sharing the steps you had to take to make that change?
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Hi there! Ok so, perhaps what I meant about minimal paperwork is that 1) the paperwork she needs is essentially the same as what she needed for the pareja de hecho, and 2) the card she already has, her residency card, will not change once you guys are married. The first step is going to Registro Civil for an appointment to get the process started. There they will tell you all of the paperwork you need to bring back and if I’m remembering correctly they give you another date to bring it back–(pre covid I believe the time between those two appointments was something like 4-6 months). In that appointment, as long as all of your papers are in order, I believe that’s when they’ll ask you when you want to get married (if you want to do it “por lo civil”–if you want to do it via the church i think then you need to contact the church after this appointment). I don’t want to give you any wrong details, so the best thing to do is make a “cita previa” at Registro Civil stating that you want to be married, and they’ll get you on your way to that process. I hope to get in there to ask the necessary questions to be able to make a better-informed post here, too!
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Hello Emily,
I am a Filipino citizen and currently in the US as a tourist. My Spanish partner is currently living and working in Madrid. We were together in Singapore for 1 year but we didn’t live together in one address. I plan to go to Madrid this decemeber to do the pareja de hecho however I can only stay in Madrid max of 90 days because I am only having the tourist visa in Europe. What can you advise?
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Hi! I believe that in Madrid you need to show you’ve lived together (in Spain) for a certain period of time, but I am uncertain, as I did my pdh in Andalucia. My best advice is that your partner goes to Registro Civil (with an appointment) and asks about the possibility. Sorry I can’t be of more help!
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Hi Emily, such a great explanation, thank you for explaining your case and guiding us through the process in detail, it was really helpful :). I wanted to ask you about the health insurance for the resident permit (my partner and I have already obtained Pareja de hecho certificate) … Namely, I understood that I need to have health insurance coverage in Spain in order to apply for the permit. Can you please recommend to me which one you have obtained (and what type of insurance) because in Madrid we have found some that are pretty expensive and additionally, they bound you with a contract to have the insurance for one year period. Thank you so much in advance!
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Hi, Thank you for this post, it is very informative. I’m from Turkey and my partner lives close to Barcelona. He is Catalan. We have been together a little less than a year but we are trying to find a way to be together. Do you know what documents are required from me to apply for pareja de hecho in Catalonia? And what is a NIE? Do you know if it is okay for me to go to Spain with tourist visa and then apply to pareja de hecho with my partner? Thank you and have a great day! Best wishes!
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Hi! Well, every autonomous community has their own requirements for pareja de hecho, although the most basic ones I’ve outlined here. There are companies who can also assist you, too. I’m guessing the documents are all of the ones I’ve listed here, plus perhaps proof of living together for a certain period of time, although this is not required in all places. And yes, you can come to Spain on a tourist visa and apply. The only thing is that if you have to show you’ve lived together for a certain period of time, it may be difficult. A NIE is the identification number you’re given as a foreigner here, and the TIE is the physical card. If you come on a tourist visa, you would not get one of them. If you do go to Spain with this intention, I recommend gathering the other documents I’ve listed from your home country before hand. I hope this helps!
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Hi Emily! Do you know if there are any healthcare benefits when you become pareja de hecho please? Will I need to take out private healthcare or will it be covered by my partner’s public healthcare? Thank you
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Hi Emily! Do you know if there are any healthcare benefits that come with Pareja de Hecho please? Do I have to get private health insurance or would I be covered by my partners public healthcare? Thank you 🙂
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Hi! So to get the “tarjeta comunitaria” which is the actual residence permit after you become pdh, you need to show private insurance. Once you are hired for work anywhere, youll be in the public health system where everything is covered. That being said, you can gwt a private healthcare plan probably for around 30-40 euros a month. Hope that helps!
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Ok, thank you very much! Very helpful 🙂
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“Original and copy of non-EU member’s NIE (cannot be expired)–that’s you.”
HI!! Sorry, I hope you’re still around to answer this, or someone else knows the answer. When you say your NIE cannot be expired, you mean the ID card itself, right? As far as I know, your NIE sticks with you your whole life. So you basically you need a valid visa/TIE/ID card? I was under the impression you could begin this process even having overstayed your visa — and that you weren’t really allowed to leave the country once this process has begun…
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Hi David! Yes, you’re right that the NIE is always the same, and yes it is just the number–even though here I’m referring to the card–which I shouldn’t be! I wouldnt be able to tell you specifics…I always thought you needed to have a valid visa to apply, but I’m not a lawyer so don’t take my word for anything–also things change quickly, especially post covid, and this post has not been updated in years. Let me know if you find the answer and please let me know! Thanks for reading 🙂
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Thank you a lot for this information.
What comunity is easy to get the pareja de hecho?
We are thinking about to move to Valencia, is this easy or do we have to proof that we live together for 1 year?
Many thanks
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Hi Nick! Im sorry to say Im not entireLy sure of that information, so I would recommend consulting a lawyer to get the most accurate information. If you want, you can contact me and ill give you the contact info of lawyers specialized in this sort of process. Thanks!
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Hi!
Firstly, this site is a great help so thank you so much.
Question about apostille of the Hague:
You said:
– Official copy of non-EU member’s birth certificate, with the Apostille of the Hague. Both officially translated to Spanish.
– Official document and copy (usually obtained in the same office as your birth certificate) certifying that you are not currently married.
Does this second document not need certifying with the apostille of the Hague? Can you remember at all?
Thank you so so much!
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Hi Katie! Great question. I don’t *believe* so, but I can’t be entirely certain. I also think there *may* be a possibility of sending multiple documents with only one Apostille. To be able to answer this question correctly, I recommend contacting either a lawyer, or the office where you will be doing the pareja de hecho specifically. I can recommend the lawyers at Pro Spain Consulting, who deal with documentation like this all the time and will also offer you a discount if you tell them you’re coming from me. If you choose to go that direction, do let me know if it is successful! Wishing you the best of luck!
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