Spain Names 9 Categories of People Eligible for Free Residence Visa to Relocate to the Country
- The Spanish government listed nine categories of family members who qualify for a free residence visa to relocate to Spain with a Spanish citizen
- Eligible relatives include spouses, partners, direct descendants under 26, and parents of Spanish minors, among others.
- Applicants in India can submit their visa applications in person at the Spanish Consular Section in New Delhi or at any BLS Visa Application Centre
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The Spanish government has published guidelines explaining how foreign relatives of Spanish citizens can obtain a preferential, free-of-charge residence visa to relocate to Spain in 2026, covering nine distinct family categories.
According to official guidance published by the Spanish Embassy in New Delhi, the scheme is open only to relatives who are not citizens of the European Union, the European Economic Area (EEA), or Switzerland.
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Spain: Who qualifies for the visa?
The Spanish government listed the following categories of relatives as eligible:
1. A spouse aged 18 or above, where the marriage has not been annulled or ended in divorce.
2. A registered partner aged 18 or above from an EU, EEA, or Swiss member state, provided the partnership is still legally active.
3. An unregistered partner aged 18 or above who can prove at least 12 months of stable cohabitation, or who shares children with the Spanish citizen.
4. Direct descendants of the Spanish citizen or their partner who are under 26 years old, or older if they are dependent or disabled, provided they are not married and intend to live with the citizen.
5. Direct relatives in the first ascending line of the Spanish citizen or their partner, where it can be shown they depend financially on the citizen and lack family support in their home country, or where humanitarian grounds apply.
6. The father, mother, or legal guardian of a Spanish minor, provided the minor lives at their expense.
7. A family member up to the second degree who provides or will provide care to a Spanish citizen recognised as having some level of dependency.
8. Those whose father or mother was a Spanish citizen.
9. Other family members who, in their home country, live at the expense of the Spanish citizen.
Spain: How to apply
All applications must be submitted in person. Where the applicant is a minor, their legal representative must handle the submission on their behalf.
Applicants based in India have two options. They can visit the Consular Section in New Delhi directly by booking an appointment through emb.nuevadelhi.vis@maec.es. Alternatively, they can apply at any BLS Visa Application Centre, though a service charge will apply in that case.
The standard decision period is 15 calendar days from the date of submission. This can extend to 45 calendar days if an interview is required or additional documents are requested.
Applicants should also note that a visa does not guarantee entry into the Schengen area; all standard entry conditions must still be met upon arrival.
Once in Spain, family members will need to apply for a residence card as a Spanish citizen family member at the Foreigners Office in their area of residence.
Legit.ng reported that Spain offered a second-chance residency route to foreigners who have expired permits.
In a related story, Legit.ng reported that Spain opened a four-year seasonal work route for foreigners and listed six eligibility rules.
Who can get Spanish citizenship in 5 years
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Spain mentioned a category of foreigners who can get citizenship in five years.
According to information published on Spain's official government portal, the country operates a naturalisation process based on physical presence and legal residency.
The length of time required before an applicant can apply for Spanish nationality varies depending on their background and circumstances.
Source: Legit.ng
