How I Got my Spanish Residency as Non-EU Citizen

Maria,

If you’re more of a visual learner, check out my YouTube video where I dive into all the details about obtaining Spanish Residency through Pareja de Hecho.

October 2021, I flew to Barcelona and stayed for 10 days before going to Split, Croatia where I intended to stay for a year since I was able to acquire the Digital Nomad Visa (DNV). This was my first time in Spain, and in Europe actually, and at the time, COVID was almost ending so there were not much tourists yet.

During those 10 days, I was working in the morning and exploring the city in the afternoon until the evening. In the 4th day, I was starting to get bored so I decided to open the Bumble dating app, hoping to meet locals (preferably). I matched with a handful of people but decided to meet up and have dinner with only one person. We spent time together in the days that followed until it was time for my flight to Croatia.

To be honest, I didn’t think much of what was happening. I was grateful that someone was giving me a tour of Barcelona and it was non-commital since I know that I will be leaving soon for Croatia and I can’t really do the whole long-distance relationship thing.

When I settled in Croatia, we kept communicating and after a month, we decided to meet up again in Italy, which was kind of our middle ground. We spent 2 weeks traveling in different cities of Italy. He also went back to Croatia with me and stayed for 2 months.

End of January 2022, he had to go back to Barcelona because of work. We talked a lot about how our relationship was going to move forward. Since I work remotely and he works in an office, I had more flexibility of where I can work so it made sense that I move to Barcelona to be with him.

Giving up my DNV in Croatia and move to Barcelona was a hard decision to make because of the uncertainties (i.e. there was no guarantee that I will get my Spanish residency) and I liked living in Split. But thinking long-term, moving to Barcelona was a strategic decision because doing so would allow me to apply for Spanish nationality after only 2 years of legal residency.

So how did I get my Spanish Residency?

I got it through Pareja de Hecho.

In Barcelona, Spain, “pareja de hecho” (often translated as “registered domestic partnership”) is a legal status that allows unmarried couples—whether of the same or opposite sex—to formalize their relationship and gain certain legal rights and protections similar to those of married couples. This status is especially popular for couples who want legal recognition without getting married.

Key Aspects of Pareja de Hecho in Barcelona:

  1. Registration Process:
    Couples must register their partnership with the local government (Ayuntamiento) or regional civil registry in Catalonia. In Barcelona, this is typically done through the Registro de Parejas de Hecho.
  2. Requirements:
    • One partner must be legal resident of Spain (in our case, my partner is Italian and he’s working and legally residing in Spain for the past 6 years)
    • Proof of cohabitation (Empadronamiento)—a document showing that you are registered in the same home address
    • Neither partner can already be married or in another pareja de hecho (For this, my partner had to include his divorce documents. He had been divorced for 3 years before we met.)
    • A formal agreement or declaration signed before a notary
  3. Differences from Marriage:
    • The rights and obligations are not as comprehensive as those granted to married couples.
    • Separation is simpler and does not require a formal divorce process.

Before moving to Barcelona, my partner and I decided to do the pareja de hecho so I can be a legal resident and stay in Barcelona indefinitely.

Here’s the process of my Spanish Residency application—

First, we went to a notary to formalize our relationship into a civil partnership. The process was quick, only took 30 minutes. The notary then submitted our documents to the municipal council in Catalonia. Once submitted, we waited for a month to receive the confirmation document that stated we are in civil partnership. This document was needed for my residency application.

Once we have the document, we went to a lawyer recommended by my partner’s friend. The lawyer was the one who submitted our documents to the local government (Ayuntamiento) for my residency application. Keep in mind that all documents must be issued within the last 6 months to be considered valid. Anything older than that may result in delays or rejection.

After 3 months, I got a favorable resolution and was granted 5 years legal residency. As soon as I got the resolution, I immediately scheduled an appointment with the policia for my TIE (tarjeta de identidad de extranjero). I had to go back after 6 weeks (or 45 days) to get the physical card. With the TIE, I am free to travel outside of Spain and go back without facing any issues.

If you are already thinking of applying for Spanish residency through pareja de hecho, here’s a breakdown of requirements, fees and timeline.

Spanish Residency Requirements:

  • Pareja de Hecho document
  • ID of the EU citizen partner — passport and residence card (green card)
  • Empadronamiento — proof of cohabitation
  • Working partner’s employment contract (vida laboral) and payslips (nómina)
  • Proof of sufficient savings or funds (from both parties)
  • Private health insurance (non-EU citizen)
  • Criminal background certificate (non-EU citizen) — showing no criminal record

Fees:

  • 120€ – notary fee (pareja de hecho registration)
  • 605€ – lawyer fee (Spanish residency application)

Timeline:

  • March 1, 2022 – I met up with my partner in Paris, coming from Croatia, and we explored the city for a week. At that time, Croatia was still not a member of Schengen states, so from the time I arrived in Paris, I only had 90 days to stay in the Schengen area. From Paris, we took a flight together to Barcelona.
  • March 7, 2022 – I officially moved to Barcelona but on a tourist Schengen visa
  • March 29, 2022 – my partner and I went to a notary to formalize our relationship into civil partnership (pareja de hecho)
  • April 2022 – we started communicating with a lawyer to understand the residency process and prepare all the requirements. I was able to use my NBI clearance from my non-lucrative visa application because it was still valid at that time.
  • May 2, 2022 – we received Pareja de Hecho confirmation document from Generalitat de Catalunya, Departament de Justícia
  • May 26, 2022 – the lawyer submitted our documents for my residency application. Once my application was submitted, I was able to legally stay in Spain for more than 90 days until a resolution was given. The lawyer sent me a document that I can show to the policia just in case. When your residence application is approved, this is the start date of your residency and not the date when you get the approval. Which means that by May 26, 2024—I’m already elibigle to apply for Spanish citizenship.
  • Sept 7, 2022 – received the favorable resolution and got 5 years legal residency
  • Sept 19, 2022 – went to the policia to apply for my TIE (tarjeta de identidad de extranjero)— fingerprints, photo, resolution document, and original passport are required
  • Oct 28, 2022 – got the TIE physical card

Questions:

  • Do you need a lawyer to help with your residency application? Personally, I would recommend that you consult a lawyer. Initially, I wanted to do it on our own to save money but Spanish bureaucracy is complicated and hard to navigate.
  • What’s the difference between NIE and TIE?
    • The TIE (tarjeta de identidad de extranjero) is a personal identification card valid for foreigners residing in Spain. To obtain the TIE you need to have a residence permit. It is a personal and non-transferable document that is obtained at the offices of foreigners in Spain. This card does contain a photograph. In addition, your fingerprints are taken at the time of obtaining the TIE.
    • The NIE Number (número de identidad de extranjero) is the personal identification in force that assigns both resident and non-resident foreigners in Spain and that is used for banking operations, customs, etc. The NIE does not authorize either to work or to reside in Spain. The number assigned to you is permanent so you will always have that number assigned to you.
  • Do you need to get a NIE before getting an appointment for the TIE card? In my case, no. When I got the residency resolution document, my NIE was already included.
  • With the TIE card, am I able to work legally in Spain? Yes.
  • Is the process of pareja de hecho the same across all regions of Spain? No. In Madrid, for instance, you will have to be registered at the same address for an uninterrupted period of twelve months immediately prior to the date of application for registration and reside in the Community of Madrid. Since we did our pareja de hecho in Barcelona, we didn’t need to fulfill that requirement which worked for us since we’ve only been together for 5 months when we went to the notary.
  • Do I only need my TIE card when I travel within EU? No. You will still need to show your passport.
  • Getting Spanish residency through pareja de hecho—am I still eligible to apply for Spanish citizenship after 2 years? YES and this applies for nationals of Latin American countries, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea, Portugal.

Got questions? Drop a comment or send me an email.

Expat Life