Is a pareja de hecho from Andalucia still valid if we move to Madrid?

Last Updated on March 18, 2026 by Bruno Bianchi

Question

My partner and I are thinking about applying for pareja de hecho in Andalucia. However, we may move soon to Madrid. If we get the pareja de hecho in one comunidad and then change our official residence (including empadronamiento) to another, will the pareja de hecho still be valid?

Answers

These are the answers of some Facebook group members:

“Technically, no.”

“Nope! It depends on the conditions for the pareja de hecho in Andalucía, but pareja de hecho is not national and not accepted in all parts of Spain.
I did pareja de hecho in Madrid and then we moved to Alicante… we got married in Denmark (easy paperwork).”

“Also the wait time for pareja de hecho in Andalucía is insane right now, we’ve been waiting since October 2022. There was a change in department that handles pareja de hecho so thats the reason for the delay”

“So we were told that if you do the whole process in one place and obtain your TIE it doesn’t matter where you go after that because the TIE is valid and so is the TC.
I Wouldn’t recommend coming to madrid to do all of that since they are super strict on the 12 months empadron in the same place together now. And if you can’t prove it (legally) you are out of luck. I am doing a separate process with my boyfriend.”

In conclusion, according to Spainguru’s Facebook group members, the answer to whether a pareja de hecho obtained in one comunidad in Spain would still be valid after moving to another is no. The validity of pareja de hecho is not national and varies between different parts of Spain. Moreover, the wait time for pareja de hecho in Andalucía is long, which could be a significant issue for those who want to move to another place. It is recommended to obtain the TIE and TC after completing the process in one place to avoid complications, although the 12 months empadronamiento rule could still pose a challenge. Finally, some people opt to do a separate process with their partner if they cannot meet the legal requirements for pareja de hecho in their new location.

Bruno Bianchi CEO & Spain Immigration Expert

Bruno Bianchi is the founder and CEO of Spainguru, Spain's largest expat immigration community with 150,000+ members. Since 2014 he has helped thousands of people relocate to Spain through expert guides, webinars and vetted professional services covering visas, residency, taxes and life in Spain.

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