If you’re living in Spain (or thinking of moving here) and are in a relationship with a local, you’ve probably heard of pareja de hecho.
Pareja de hecho means something like “official couple” and is roughly the equivalent of a “civil union.” It gives you many of the advantages of being married, without many of the obligations.
One of those advantages is being able to live and work in Spain if your pareja (partner) is a European citizen. Once you have official pareja status, you’re able to apply for a residency permit under the “reuniting with family” process, exactly as if you were married.
Here are the steps to follow:
Request an appointment
The first step is to go right now to Calle Gran Via, 18 (if you’re in Madrid) and request an appointment for the PdH Monday through Friday between 9:00 AM and 2:00 PM. An appointment can take up to six months or even more. This must be done in person but the process is simple and takes about five minutes. Be sure to bring your TIE or passport with you. You’ll end up with a little piece of paper with your appointment date and a sheet of instructions, which brings us to…
Requirements for pareja de hecho
The requirements for the pareja de hecho vary by community, so verify what the requirements are in the area where you will be filing. In Madrid, the requirements are as follows:
- Be over the age of 18.
- Have lived together for 12 uninterrupted months. In Madrid, this is confirmed through the written statement signed by your witnesses.
- At least one member of the union must be empadronado in the Community of Madrid. You do not have to be empadronados together.
- Be single, divorced, legally separated or widowed.
- You must not be related.
- Also, you must not be already “pareja-ed” with someone else.
- You must be mentally capable of entering into the union.
Documentation
One month before your appointment, you must present the following documentation, original and photocopy, in person in the same office where the appointment was requested Monday through Friday between 9:00 AM and 2:00 PM. These documents must all be a maximum of three months old at the time of your appointment, so plan accordingly!
- A completed solicitud.
- Proof of the paid tasa – Modelo 030. You could wait and turn this in the day of your appointment. The cost is currently €82.12.
- Valid NIF or NIE, passport or residency card for both members of the pareja and two witnesses. For the witnesses, you can provide a photocopy of their IDs when you turn in your paperwork. On the day of your appointment, your witnesses will need to come in person with the valid IDs.
- Certificate of Empadronamiento – Not a volante. You can request this online and have it mailed to you.
- Proof of marital status – Basically an official paper that says you are single. Spain regularly provides this to its citizens but there is no U.S. equivalent. (Related Q&A: “In order to get married in Spain, the Spanish government requires a document stating you are currently not married and legally able to marry. It seems like this doesn’t exist in the state of Georgia, is that correct?“)
Where to go
For Spaniards – If you live in Madrid, go to the Registro Civil at Calle Pradillo, 66. You don’t need an appointment, just your ID.
For Non-EU people – You must make an appointment with the U.S. Embassy for “notary services”. The U.S. Embassy is located at Calle Serrano, 75. Appointments can be made here. At the appointment, you will sign a sworn statement, in Spanish, that you are single. The consul will then stamp the document. All you need to bring is your passport and €40.
Making it legal
Because this document is from a foreign government, it must be “legalized”. This means another appointment, which can be made here, at the office of legalizations in Calle Pechuán, 1.
Once you have your pareja de hecho status, then it’s time to apply for residency, which will give you the right to live and work in Spain.
The process for applying for residency, along with all the requirements, can be found on this official information page (in Spanish).
Remember!
One thing to keep in mind is that, you shouldn’t have any problem doing pareja de hecho with your partner. However, if at least one of you is not gainfully employed you may have trouble being approved for residency. If neither of you are employed, it is possible to make up for that by showing funds in the bank (rule of thumb I’ve heard is around 10,000 euros at minimum). That issue could be the topic for another post!
I hope this helps some of you through this process. It’s definitely one of the simplest ways to gain the right to achieve Spanish residency.
A special thanks to Elise Horn for compiling the information used in this post.
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