{"id":55347,"date":"2026-01-21T20:39:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-21T19:39:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entretramites.com\/en\/?p=55347"},"modified":"2026-01-21T17:40:02","modified_gmt":"2026-01-21T16:40:02","slug":"family-reunification-validity-spain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entretramites.com\/en\/immigration\/family-reunification-validity-spain","title":{"rendered":"Family reunification: validity of the first residence permit for reunited family members in Spain"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What has changed in family reunification permits?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re applying for <a href=\"https:\/\/entretramites.com\/en\/immigration\/family-reunification-spain\"><strong>family reunification<\/strong><\/a> in Spain and the sponsoring family member already has <a href=\"https:\/\/entretramites.com\/en\/downloadables\/immigration-forms\/form-ex11\"><strong>long-term residence<\/strong><\/a> or <strong>EU long-term residence<\/strong>, there\u2019s an important clarification you should know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Spanish Directorate General for Migration Management (Secretar\u00eda de Estado de Migraciones) has published <strong>Management Criterion 9\/2025<\/strong>, which clearly explains <strong>how long the first residence permit for reunited family members is valid<\/strong> in these cases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This clarification is especially useful because, until now, many families were unsure about the exact duration of the initial permit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Family reunification and long-term residence in Spain<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This new criterion is based on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.boe.es\/buscar\/act.php?id=BOE-A-2024-24099\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Article 68 of Royal Decree 1155\/2024<\/strong><\/a><strong>, of 19 November<\/strong>, which approves the Regulation of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.boe.es\/buscar\/act.php?id=BOE-A-2000-544\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Organic Law 4\/2000 on the rights and freedoms of foreigners in Spain and their social integration<\/strong>.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to the regulation:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When the sponsoring person holds long-term residence or EU long-term residence in Spain, the validity of the first residence permit for reunited family members will last <strong>until the expiry date of the sponsor\u2019s TIE<\/strong> (Foreigner Identity Card) <strong>at the time the family member enters Spain<\/strong>, with a <strong>minimum validity of one year<\/strong>.<br>The following residence permit granted to the reunited family member will be <strong>long-term residence<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How long does the first family reunification permit last?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The rule is now very clear:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li style=\"margin-top:20px\">The <strong>first residence permit<\/strong> for the reunited family member is directly linked to the <strong>expiry date of the sponsor\u2019s <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/entretramites.com\/en\/immigration\/apply-foreigner-identity-card-tie\"><strong>TIE<\/strong><\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li style=\"margin-top:20px\">Even if the sponsor\u2019s TIE expires sooner, the permit will <strong>never be valid for less than one year<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li style=\"margin-top:20px\">This avoids very short permits that previously caused uncertainty and extra renewals.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Quick summary table<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"455\" height=\"118\" src=\"https:\/\/entretramites.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-55348\" srcset=\"https:\/\/entretramites.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-1.png 455w, https:\/\/entretramites.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-1-300x78.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 455px) 100vw, 455px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What happens after the first permit?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This is one of the most important advantages of <strong>family reunification<\/strong> when the sponsor has long-term status.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once the first residence permit expires:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li style=\"margin-top:20px\">The reunited family member will apply directly for <strong>long-term residence<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li style=\"margin-top:20px\">No temporary renewal is required.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li style=\"margin-top:20px\">This provides <strong>greater legal stability<\/strong> and fewer administrative steps.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Why this clarification matters<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This interpretation:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li style=\"margin-top:20px\">Removes legal uncertainty for families.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li style=\"margin-top:20px\">Aligns the family member\u2019s status with the sponsor\u2019s long-term residence.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li style=\"margin-top:20px\">Reduces the number of renewals and administrative burdens.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li style=\"margin-top:20px\">Makes Spain a more predictable option for long-term family settlement.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re planning a <strong>family reunification application<\/strong>, this criterion can significantly affect your long-term planning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Frequently asked questions&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Does the first family reunification permit always last one year?<\/strong><strong><br><\/strong>Not exactly. It lasts until the sponsor\u2019s TIE expires, but it will <strong>never be shorter than one year<\/strong>, even if the TIE expires earlier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What if the sponsor renews their TIE shortly after the family member arrives?<\/strong><strong><br><\/strong>The validity is calculated based on the <strong>TIE expiry date at the moment of entry into Spain<\/strong>, not on later renewals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Do reunited family members need to renew a temporary permit?<\/strong><strong><br><\/strong>No. After the first permit, they move directly to <strong>long-term residence<\/strong>, provided the legal requirements are met.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Understanding how <strong>family reunification<\/strong> permits work in Spain is key to avoiding surprises and planning your future with confidence. This new official criterion brings clarity, stability and long-term security for families reunited under long-term residence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you want personalised advice or help with your application, professional guidance can make the process much smoother.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you need personalized assistance, at <a href=\"https:\/\/entretramites.com\/en\/\"><strong>Entre Tr\u00e1mites<\/strong><\/a> we offer management and advisory services on immigration matters. You can contact us through this <a href=\"https:\/\/entretramites.com\/en\/contact\"><strong>contact form<\/strong><\/a> for us to call you, or if you prefer, you can <a href=\"https:\/\/entretramites.com\/en\/consultancy\/free-immigration-consultation\"><strong>schedule a free consultation<\/strong><\/a> or write to us on<a href=\"https:\/\/api.whatsapp.com\/send\/?phone=34644034481&amp;text=Hola%21+Quisiera+saber+m%C3%A1s+sobre+sus+servicios&amp;type=phone_number&amp;app_absent=0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>WhatsApp<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Family reunification in Spain: learn how long the first residence permit lasts when the sponsor has long-term residence.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":55349,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[707,98,99],"class_list":["post-55347","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-immigration","tag-family-reunification","tag-nie","tag-tie"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/entretramites.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55347","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/entretramites.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/entretramites.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entretramites.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/25"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entretramites.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=55347"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/entretramites.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55347\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":55350,"href":"https:\/\/entretramites.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55347\/revisions\/55350"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entretramites.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/55349"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/entretramites.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=55347"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entretramites.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=55347"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entretramites.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=55347"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}