Hola,

We are a couple that has lived in Spain before, with no visa. Stayed for a year and now want to move back. My girlfriend/wife has gotten a job already and is in the process of getting her work visa. We are thinking of marrying before we go, but are worrying about the legal aspects and the work visa. In other words, would they deny her visa because of my inability to get a job right away. Would I also need to get a work visa to stay, and work, in Spain through my soon to be wifes work visa. I’m not evern sure if it would even work like that.

If anyone has any information greatly apprecated.

ronaldo

Hey Ronaldo

No they would not deny her the visa. You can even get a visa to join here as a defacto partner but I would not recommend that as the process is a pain and requires proof of co-living for at least 2 years (shared bank accounts, utility bills etc). If you marry before you come here she needs to file for a special family reunion visa for you and you’ll have to have your marriage documents all translated into spanish and notorized by the relevant authority (enquire with the spanish consulate or embassy in the us about what papers are needed or maybe even the us consulate or embassy in spain might be helpful).

Now you do get a 3 month tourist visa as a us citizen so just go with her and arrange the paperwork when you get here. My experience with my wife which is from the us is that the spanish system is fairly lenient as in no INS person will show up on your door and kick you out of spain. Also while your visa is processed for family reunion you will be granted an automatic stay on the visa and then after 3-4 weeks receive your own NIE number. If your wife has a normal job she can then register you for social security and health care (that’s a completely different story which I’m in the middle of now)

Christian

Christkv,

Thank you for all the info. It sounds like your in the middle of the same situation. As for the defacto partner, I am pretty sure I can come up with all the paperwork for the past two years. with a defacto visa could I work? As for the family reunion visa, how long will that be good for, and would I be able to work then as well? Once you get more info on the other prosses of social security and health care I would be gratfully apprecated.

I am looking into a freelance writer visa as well, but if this is easier then I’ll just go with your suggestion of family reunion.

thanks,

ronaldo

I am in a similar situation. I plan to start a masters program in Spain in fall of 2010 and want to bring my partner/fiance. We too were debating whether it would be of any benefit to hurry up and get married before we go. But it sounds like there wouldn’t be too much of an advantage.

We are both US citizens. And we’re both journalists. The freelance journalist option sounds good for my partner, if it were actually a way to open the door to working anywhere in Spain. While I think it wouldn’t be hard for my parnter to secure some freelance work and get an American media outlet to sign some papers for him, it wouldn’t be very steady.  I think he would need to do some kind of part-time job in Spain to supplement that income.  The article on this Web site about the freelance journalist visa basically says that once you’re approved for a freelance visa that you can work anywhere. However, it has a link to the official form you need to fill out: http://www.spainexpat.com/images/uploads/Freelance_Application_Form.pdf

And on that form it requires your American employer to agree to this statement: “That the designated person will work exclusively on the reporting mission for which he or she was designated and will carry out no other paid work in Spain.”

Hmmm that doesn’t sound good. But maybe that don’t actually hold you to that… otherwise, why would the author of the article make such a blatant misstatement?