Family reunification in Spain 2026: the EX-02 form step by step

What family reunification is

Family reunification (reagrupación familiar) allows a person legally residing in Spain to bring over certain family members so they can live with them. It is governed by the Immigration Regulation (RD 1155/2024) and applied for with form EX-02.

Who can be reunited

As a general rule:

• Spouse or registered partner.
• Children who are minors or have a disability (of the sponsor or of the spouse).
• In certain cases, dependent ascendants.

The exact requirements depend on your type of residence permit. Check the official information sheet on the Immigration Portal.

Documents usually required

1. Form EX-02 — Application for residence through family reunification.
2. Proof of the family relationship (marriage or birth certificates), legalised or apostilled and with a sworn translation into Spanish.
3. Housing adequacy report, issued by the regional government or the town hall.
4. Sufficient financial means (payslips, tax return, employment contract).
5. Form 790 code 052 fee, paid.

How the procedure works

1. The sponsor files the EX-02 with the Foreigners' Office.
2. Once the authorisation is granted, the family member applies for the visa at the Spanish consulate in their country.
3. After entering Spain, they apply for the TIE (physical residence card).

Common mistakes to avoid

• Filing without the housing report: this is the single most common cause of a subsanación notice requesting missing documents.
• Submitting foreign documents without an apostille or sworn translation.
• Underestimating the financial threshold, which is calculated as a multiple of the IPREM index and rises with each additional family member.
• Letting the visa deadline lapse: once the authorisation is granted, the window to apply at the consulate is limited.

Every one of these steps happens on Spanish-only platforms — the Foreigners' Office portal, Mercurio for case tracking, the appointment system that rarely has slots. For a family case, where a missed notification can delay a spouse's arrival by months, the risk of a mistranslated field is not theoretical. The GovEasy browser extension guides you screen by screen through those official portals and reuses the data you have already entered; and if you would rather not handle it at all, a bilingual professional from the Marketplace of gestores can prepare and file the whole case.

Fill in the EX-02 with GovEasy

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Filling it in is free; you only pay to download the completed document. Included in Ciudadano Plus and Pro.

Disclaimer: informational guide. Verify requirements, deadlines and fees against official sources before submitting.