Bringing your family, whatever shape it is

Spanish immigration law treats families in at least three separate ways depending on who holds what nationality, and the differences are large. A non-EU spouse of an EU citizen follows one set of rules; the same spouse of a non-EU resident follows another, slower and stricter one.

Marriage is not the only door. A registered partnership is enough for several of these routes, and in Andalucía it can be registered without the collective padrón that stops so many couples elsewhere. Which door applies to you decides the paperwork, the waiting time and whether your partner can work on arrival.