hi!I am a Spaniard citizen who has received useless help from the Spanish consulate in London and I am really stressed so I hope any of you could help me.I had got married whit a south African citizen 6 months ago here in England.We have already the libro de familia(family book)and an appointment to apply for the visa on 11 of January because we want to move to Spain permanently,and here are my questions:
1.what visa we have to apply for?it is just the visitor visa and then we have to apply for the residence and work one in Spain?
2.As we want to go to Spain for Christmas we are thinking to apply for the Schengen Visa in the French embassy and go to Spain driving,could we use that visa to apply for the permanent visa or we need to come back and apply for another one in the Spanish consulate?
Thank you very much in advanced for your help.(and sorry for my English…)

Hello.

You can find your questions from website of spainish embassy in london.

http://edit.maec.es/Consulados/Londres/en/MenuPpal/Servicios/Visados

Joanne

Thanks for you reply there Joanneari.

Useful info

Few more question.

Been advised about a document called ‘’ Tarjeta de familiar comunitario ‘’ . Which apparently gives you(the non - eu national) the right to travel to spain without the need of obtaining a visa prior to travelling to spain(less than 3 months) ?
Does anybody know where and who is responsible for issuing ‘’ Tarjeta de familiar comunitario ‘’ while in the UK????

Going back to the original query answered by joanneari.
Question - Family Reunification for dependants of EU nationals (Residence visas) - How long is the visa for issued for? and am I correct in saying that I will be able to live and work freely with this visa? 

Vane and Mike

Hi, Vane and Mike

Here is the procedure.

    You need to apply ‘Family Reunification for dependants of EU nationals’ from spanish embassy London - this visa only 3 month valid and only entry visa.
    In that period you need to enter spain and apply your ’ Tarjeta de familiar comunitario’ (NIE CARD) in OFICINA DE COMUNITARIO where you live in spain.
    (Normally it take 3-4 weeks to get your entry visa from spanish embassy London and 3-4 month to get NIE Card in Spain after apply - it doesn’t matter your status after expire your entry visa, you are still legel in spain)

Once you have NIE Card then you live and work freely. and you can apply Spanish citizen after one year.

Good Luck

Joanne

Hi,
I am a South African living in Spain… I have been through all of this and will try to help:
1. The visa you will recieve will be the ordinary Schengen one. I would advise getting it from the Spanish Embassy because they should issue it free of charge and, if I remember correctly its extended to 6 months (instead of 3). With this visa you should be able to travel through France anyway… better to make sure though.
2. Once in Spain you will have to apply for the tarjeta de residencia, which will allow for your husband to work and reside in Spain (only). If you happen to be planning a trip to SA before hand make sure to get official copies of his birth certificate and a criminal record certificate (certificado de antecedentes penales). The birth certificate can be organised by a family member and sent but the CRC needs finger print verification (perhaps the SA embassy in England or Spain can help). These are documents that will be asked for during the process… however he will be allowed to work and reside in Spain during this process (as long as he does not leave the country for more than six months)
Hope this served you, glad to be of help for any future query. Dile a tu marido que me alegro de que haya otro Sudafricano en Espa?a, mucha suerte!

To the South African tourist,

Sorry I just had a couple of questions for you Im in a similar position as the other person.

When you say the Non EU citizen needs to apply for the schengan Visa in the spanish emabssy, is this really just the same as the tourist visa?

I am british but a spanish resident and my husband is mexican. The spanish embassies are not being helpful at all, they say everything is done in Spain and to call the foreign police station. And the police station tell us to call the emabssy in mexico!
I have found a website that actually says the law was changed this year and that everything is done in Spain, I just hope that if my husband goes as a tourist he will be ok.

What do you think??

Thanks

Karen